Secure Distribution to a Targeted Audience


There are two broad paths you can take to limiting access to your podcast. The first is to place limits on the RSS feed that carries the podcast to subscribers. The second is to limit access to the website, or web page, that hosts the RSS code and the podcast file. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, so let's examine what's involved.

Controlling Access to the RSS Feed

The basic RSS feed is, of course, simply an application of XML code for allowing two computers to talk to one another. While most RSS feeds are set up to make it easy for any computer that can find the feed to get the content, RSS can also, through third-party services, be set up to require authentication, or confirmation of who the user is through a combination of user name and password.

If you're programming in RSS, you can extend your feed by adding pretty much anything you want, as long as you do it in the Namespace, one of the standard, defined XML fields that makes up an RSS feed. This assumes you're using RSS 2.0, which allows for extension through the Namespace, since using this area allows for compatibility with the earlier RSS 0.9x.

There are other options that may be available depending on the server software used by the website that hosts your RSS feed. For example, Apache allows for personalization based on a user name and password. While somewhat crude, this method can be used to authenticate a user and customize the particular podcast that they are given access to.

Your Own Private Network

A less "kludgy" method is to require users to connect to the web server through a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs are almost ubiquitous in corporate computing from remote locations, since they provide both user authentication and data encryption. When you add to this the fact that VPNs are easy for a technical staff to implement because the functionality is readily available with every server operating system (and free VPN clients are available for every significant client operating system), the result is an option that may well be the most attractive for corporate and institutional podcasters who want to have control over who downloads their programs.

Of course, all the methods based on server protection assume that you have some facility with programming, and the permissions required to place applications on the server. If neither of those is true then you'll need to turn to a third-party solution for secure distribution of your podcast.

One of the best-known third-party methods of securing an RSS feed is MySmartChannels from Myst Technology. MySmartChannels is a public implementation of the Myst Web Services platform. The channels are hosted on the Myst Technology servers, and accessible only to those who have (free) accounts on MySmartChannels and meet other group criteria you can set. This public area may be all the restriction you need for your podcast, and it is a good demonstration for the commercial version of the technology, which is licensed to be used on individual servers.



Absolute Beginner's Guide to Podcasting
Absolute Beginners Guide to Podcasting.
ISBN: B001U8C03Q
EAN: N/A
Year: 2004
Pages: 167

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