A few changes to my website
I have made a few changes to my website this weekend. Because of a friend of mine, I’ve been made aware of the challenges that blind people face when using the Internet.
For my site at least, I wanted to make that a bit easier for them. So I’ve added some functionality to the site that will hopefully make it a bit easier for them. I’ve already had some positive comments on this.
First, I’ve added code that will actually read each entry and speak it through your speakers attached to your computer. If you click on the image on the right side, labeled “Listen Now”, a box will come up and start reading the last twenty entries on the site. You can step through them one by one as you wish.
Second, if you subscribe to iTunes, you can subscribe to this site, with either a PC or a MAC, and simply download the entries and listen to them at your leisure.
I’m still researching the issue, but this should be a good start, and I’ve been told that it is a big help to some already.
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LOL I was talking about my "other left" Jeff!! Thanks for pointing that out. I've made the appropriate change to the main entry.
To answer your question, it's not a plug-in really. I didn't add anything to my site - nothing at all. I went to feed2podcast.com (sounds like I'm putting in a plug for them), and simply registered. The cost is $12 a year for the service IF you don't want advertising banners at the end of your messages (other wise, it's a free service). A plug-in, to me, is where I have to add back-end functionality to my blog to do something. This is simply shelling out to their site.
Once you register, you are given this little box with a bit of code in it. I simply copied that code to my html page. When I make an entry, I go to the feed2podcast.com site, sign in, and hit the "update" button. Then, in an hour or so, it has my latest entry. Not bad at all - just one extra step for me.
The really cool thing is, before even registering, you can direct it to your rss feed on your site if you have one (it needs an RSS feed), and you can hear how your entries would sound.
I wanted to do something for my blind friends. It was either this, or create my own .wav file with me reading each entry, uploading it, and making a link for it (much more work!!). Of course, that would have gotten my inflections in the entry that I think the voice reader lacks, but it's a compromise. I knew I wouldn't have the time to record my new entries moving forward.
That's really cool! Is it a service, or a plug-in?
By the way, the "Listen Now" image shows up on the right side bar, just above the calender, not the left. ;)