Curations: Frequently Asked Questions

What are curations?

Curations are a special type of SpokenWord.org collection. Curations...

• are collections designed to be shared with others
• contain programs on a single topic
• contain only individual programs/episodes (no feeds or other collections)
• may be promoted and featured on the SpokenWord.org homepage

What's the purpose of curations?

There are so many programs in the SpokenWord.org database, it's almost impossible to single out the good ones. That's where our curators come in. They have collected programs programs on their favorite topics to save you time and help you find the best.

Who are the curators?

Our curators are registered members of SpokenWord.org with a passion for particular topics. In some cases, curators are experts in their topics. In other cases, curators are just sharing the progams that help them as they learn about a topic.

How do I create a curation?

Just follow these steps...

1. Create a new collection on SpokenWord.org. (You can't use your default collection as a curation.)
2. Give it a good title and description, and at least one category and one tag. For example, you might create a collection:
   • Title: Experimental Aircraft
   • Description: (three or four sentences)
   • Category: Games & Hobbies:Aviation
   • Tags: experimental aircraft, homebuilt airplanes
3. Add a few programs to the collection. Only programs are allowed in curations, not feeds or other collections.
4. Add a comment (a review) for each program in the collection.
5. Give each program in the collection a rating (1-5 stars).
6. Change the order of the collection so that the program you'd like to be "featured" is at the top of the list.
7. If you haven't already done so, post a photo as your Gravatar*. We want to show curators as real people.
8. In the right-hand column of the collection's page, click on "Convert to curation".

*Gravatars: Rather than ask you to upload an image just for our web site and repeat the process for every web site you visit, use use a service called Gravatars (globally recognized avatars). If you change your photo or avatar on the Gravatar web site, it will instantly be changed on all the sites that use their service. And if you don't yet have a picture, Gravatar will create a unique snowflake for you.

What are a curator's responsibilities?

Other than creating your curation according to the steps above, just add new programs as appropriate to keep your curation up-to-date. Some curators update their curations with new programs once or twice each week. But other curations are more static and may not change at all once they're created. It all depends on what you think is right for the subject matter.

Are curators paid?

No, all of our curators (like everyone else on the SpokenWord.org staff) are unpaid volunteers.

How are curations featured on SpokenWord.org?

The most-recently updated curations are featured on the SpokenWord.org homepage. All of the curations are listed here.

How do I find programs to add to my curation?

Use the Search box on the SpokenWord.org homepage to find programs and RSS feeds already in our database. If you find a great feed or program elsewhere on the Internet that isn't already in our database, you can add it using the Submit box on the homepage.

Can I add a category?

No. We use the categories specified by Apple for podcasts submitted to iTunes. That's because more than 95% of the programs in our database come from RSS feeds that include these categories. It's true that the iTunes categories aren't particularly well thought out, but the benefits we receive from sticking to that taxonomy outweigh the disadvantages.

How often should I update my curation?

There's no rule. Some curators will add a program every week or two. But some curations will never change at all. And yes, it's okay to remove/replace programs in your curation. Adding a program to a curation makes it more likely that it will be featured on the SpokenWord.org homepage.

Why isn't my curation on the homepage?

We display the most-recently updated curation in each category on the homepage. If your curation doesn't appear there, it could be because

• another curation in the same category has been updated more recently;
• you placed your curation in more than one category;
• the homepage hasn't been updated yet. (It changes every five minutes or so.)

How do I learn more about curations?

Join the SpokenWord.org-Curators discussion on Google Groups. That's where all the other curators hang out and share ideas.