Hello,

My co-admin. Cathy has created a iPhoto slide show with music from iTunes on her Mac. We are planning on adding several slide shows to our site. I've been looking at Slide.com. Can we use iPhoto for imported slide shows or do we have to use the ones recommended in the FAQ? Can we use several different companies in building our site?

Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks,

Donna

Sure you can. When you use third-party local software or third party online software, you're going to get one of two things:

1) A video

2) A plugin that has object embed code.

If you are generating an actual video there are various ways to add it to your web site, but the easiest way is simply uploading the video to Youtube and then embedding the code for the video on your web site. If you want to embed the video natively on your site without using Youtube let me know and I'll help you with that.

2) If your software is producing embed code, you need to do two things:

a) Upload any files created by your software to your File Vault
b) Copy and paste the embed code provided to your web site (make sure you click the Source button in the left corner of your editor before pasing the source code)

Probably sounds complicated at this point but it's realy not. Let me know specfifically what kind of file you're working with and I can assist you in getting it up on your web site. Once you've seen the process once you can apply your knowledge to virtually all additional objects or plugins you might wish to add to your site in the future.

Brad,

Thanks for your quick response. So yes we can use iPhoto and we'll try to get it loaded. Not that you should stand by or anything but...

On the desktop are 2 icons, both labeled MPG 4: "Large M4v" or "Display M4v". Does this mean they were saved as video? We think so. So should we use YouTube?

Donna

Yes it's a video, and yes I'd just upload it to YouTube and then embed it on your site. If you don't want to use YouTube for any reason, I'd convert your video to the Windows Media format (.wmv) and then upload the .wmv video directly to your File Vault. From there you can insert a link to it on your site and the video will play inside of the Window Media Player.

Thanks Brad,

We are refining the video-and will upload it via YouTube. Can you point me in the direction of the instructions for that process?

Thanks again,

Donna

You'll find that uploading a video to YouTube is really pretty easy (famous last words). I suggest you simply go out to www.youtube.com, create your account, and follow the instructions on screen to upload your video. YouTube is a great system, it's extremely clear there how everything works, and I doubt you'll run into much trouble. If you do, just don't come back here (just kiddin').

Hi Brad,

Thanks again. We can do the YouTube thing, it is getting it loaded on the web site that is still a question that I know you've answered a gazillion times. Do you have the instructions for that handy?

BTW: We have 20 classmates logged on so far and they really like this site. Thank you, Thank you!

Donna

Try the FAQ instructions first:

1) Click FAQs above
2) Click Questions About Building Your Site
3) Read Question #20

If you need any assistance along the way let me know.

Hi Brad,

We finally have our slide show ready and are thinking that your advice to use YouTube sounds easy. However another question--what will classmates have to have loaded on their computers to see YouTube videos? Is that format more prevalent that people who have Windows Media Player? Are there any downsides to using YouTube? I see that other sites here have used both. We just want to make whatever we load be accessible without too much of a hassle.

Thanks for your expert advice!

Donna

YouTube is the best format and most compatible. The only requirement is the viewer have the Flash player installed, with virtually everyone does. All in all Flash has higher compatability than Windows Media Player, although that's extremely high these days too. There's even a Windows Media Player for Mac.

Brad,

Thanks! We will go with YouTube and try to it upload tomorrow.

One question: Before we get too far along with uploading and embedding images, can you say more about the new photo gallery that has been mentioned here in the Forum?

No rush for an answer--just planning ahead.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Donna

Hang tight, in the time it will take me to try to verbalize how it works, you'll actually be seeing it. Maybe before Tday, but if not, just after.

Yahoo!!!!!

This site is the best!

Donna

Hi Brad,

Of course we didn't get our video uploaded from YouTube as bragged about earlier! It is 150MB, took an hour to load up. The account is lincolnhigh1961. We got the embed on our site under the "Linked to YouTube" page, however when you click on it, the message says "The video you have requested is not available".

We embedded the code, but not the URL. Is this the mistake? And if so, where do you copy to URL to in the instructions? Can you help us?

Appropriate that our home page is depicting turkeys...

Donna

Please provide a link to the video at YouTube.

Brad,

We checked on YouTube and the file did not load up, it says it was aborted.

The title is:

Remember this Lincoln_-Large.m4v

We will reload the video and try again and get back to you. Can you say where the URL goes, when we get it?

Thanks,

Donna

Once the video is successfully on YouTube, you need to copy the embed code YouTube provides, not the URL. Let me know once it's working on YouTube and we'll pick it up from there.

Hi Brad,

The video is loaded on YouTube and on our page, but it isn't working correctly. Title "Remembering Lincoln-Large. mv4" Can we get rid of the last part?

The URL is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moqe_bLMyuI

The code is:

We really wanted to do this on our own. What are we missing?

Thank you,

Donna

I see the video working just great on your Linked to YouTube page. Looks like you figured it out, nice job.

Brad,

Thanks for your help. I still don't know what to do with the URL, so next time I'll be back!

Happy T Day to you and yours!

Donna

Why do anything with the URL? Why not just embed the video precisely like you did?

Hi Brad,

Not thinking vertically, I lost track of the thread and thought you wanted the URL, when all you wanted was a "link" to YouTube to find the video.

I think we are straight and will be able to repeat an YouTube upload in the future. We have big plans!

I'm learning and hope to benefit from my mistakes and your advice! Thanks again so much,

Donna

Donna, I noticed that your Homepage is password protected. I was going to look at your video you worked so hard to put up but can't even enter the homepage. How do your classmates get to the sign up page without going to the Homepage?. Jim

Jim,

It was suggested when I was working on the home page (which cannot be hidden) that I use the password protect edit feature. I'll change it back. Can you fix this?

Donna