Help page for listeners (screenshots etc)

[rgATL]

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has put together (or seen) a really good listener help page for a station's website. Something complete with screenshots that will walk even the most newbie listener through the process of downloading a player, picking a bit rate, picking a stream, etc etc.

I want to put something like this on my website, but I didn't want to duplicate the effort if somone's already done it.

Thanks so much,
rg.

[siebe83]

Good idea!

This one's nice, but it's in Dutch, heh...
It's not perfect either, eg. the bitrate advices assume the MP3 format (vs. aac+) and setting up the Online Services part of the Media Library can be a bit more complicated imo.

The above is assuming your project is gonna be Winamp-oriented, of course... Or would it be a more general guide?


Also nice to have in there I think is some troubleshooting like configuring the software firewall (not a guide for each existing firewall on the planet of course, but just mentioning that it may be needed).

But maybe something's out there already, dunno...

[hackerdork]

rgATL

No offense, but for liteners is a hell of a lot easier than servering songs. click a link and there you go. No read me even needed if you go to shoutcast.com and file a stream you like you click on TUNE IN. Also when you go to the download page www.shoutcast.com/download there is a read me, most people fly right past it and dont read anything.

screen shots for a web site? hmm the website in ENGLISH is the help if people would do this 'READ'

~ D

[siebe83]

Yeah, but from someone who wants to run a server I expect a lot more knowledge about computers/networking than from someone who would like to listen to an internet radio stream.
(not true in all cases, given a lot of posts here in the SHOUTcast forums)

Of course, it's very easy to click on a link and listen, but that's only our perception. If I ask my mother to mail me a photo I know is stored in her My Documents folder, she can't figure it out. I would never propose her to start a radio station, but I might raise up the idea to try listening to one. For that sort of people, a tutorial would be very helpful. Just the simple things: bitrate, a media player, etc. Lots of people don't have a clue about these things.

And come on, that page on shoutcast.com only covers what to do with a pls file in IE 4/5 or Netscape Communicator...

[hackerdork]

On my soap box...

ya, shoutcast = winamp player. If you want to support other players and make it easy for people you make your own web page with the correct files (3mu, ram, asx, etc). This way you can support other players besides winamp. Shoutcast has been that one from day one, they made a deal with winamp, then bought the product so they don't have to support other players.

To me if you want to listen to any type of stream, it DOES take more than ability to click a link. However IE, Mozilla, Netscape, Opera whatever do not tell you the 'YOU NEED WINAMP TO OPEN THIS FILE TYPE, listen.pls', because Windows = Microsoft and Winamp=AOL/Nullsoft don't want you the listeners to use another player. If PLS was built into windows it would'nt be an issue either.

It's just lazy people that get a bad ass computer to play solitare and don't know shit about anything else and want screen shots (which they still would NOT understand) .

I run over 15 web sites now, and work with a web developer, and she does'nt give our clients any 'WALK THROUGH' because in reality is just take knowlege of clicking a damn link.



/soap box

~ D

[rgATL]

Yeah, some listeners, well, they need "help."

So, other than the Dutch one, nothing else anyone knows of?

Thanks,
rg.

[DJ Overload]

Heres mine, I'm not saying it's very good but might give you an idea.

http://www.ukbassradio.co.uk/help.php

[rgATL]

Hey Overload, thanks so much for the post. Looks good.

Everyone else, keeps the posts coming. I'm going to write one too today or tomrrow.

Thanks,
rg.