B-sides RSS feed starts at #24

[pondspider]

I've just started a $10/month subs and have set up my podcatcher app to get the DC B-sides.

The feed URL I'm using is http://www.drabblecast.org/feed/b-sides/

The feed only goes back to B-Side #24, whereas the website (after logging in with my B-sides pwd) goes all the way back to #01.

Obviously, I can manually download the earlier episodes from the DC B-sides pages, but it would be great to have them all available via the RSS feed.

Can this be fixed? If not for me, then for others who follow

Thanks, and keep on Drabbling.

P.S. I have found another feed (no login required) that has B-sides 1 thru 20, at ​http://feeds.feedburner.com/DrabblecastB-sides, so I'm only missing 21, 22 and 23.

Edit: fixed the URL link for the free-to-access B-sides RSS feed, episodes 1 thru 20.

[Algernon Sydney is Dead]

Tom would have to bump the # of episodes in the RSS feed.

I just noticed a related problem though... The feed is behind the auth wall.
IIUIC, this might be why B-sides doesn't appear in the iTunes store while other secured podcasts do.

The RSS feed needs to be public, but the linked files would be in a protected folder. That way the feed could be added to the iTunes store, but the actual episodes couldn't be downloaded without a valid password.

That's just my understanding. I haven't actually setup such a system using iTunes myself.

[tbaker2500]

I've bumped it up to 50 episodes in the feed. Unfortunately, that is the max I can safely support in any feed before it gets to large for podcatchers.
There are plans to make those archives available to download in bulk when we refresh the website.

ASID, it unfortunately is simpler than that. iTunes store will not list any form of protected feed.
From https://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/creatorfaq.html

Why was my podcast rejected or removed?
Podcasts, and all elements of podcasts, cannot contain any of the following:

- Password protection
- Use of explicit language in the podcast when the <explicit> tag is not set to “yes”
- Explicit or self-censored explicit language in podcast titles, subtitles, or descriptions
- References to illegal drugs, profanity, or violence in the podcast title, description, or cover art
- Images or language that could be construed as racist, misogynist, or homophobic
- Images depicting sex, violence, gore, illegal drugs, or hate themes
- Third-party trademarks without authorization or usage rights
- The words “iTunes Store,” “iTunes,” or “Apple Inc.”
- iTunes Store logo, Apple logo, or the term “Exclusive” without prior authorization from Apple
Podcasts with technical problems or without any episodes will be removed. If you do not update your podcast with new episodes, your podcast may disappear from some areas of the iTunes Store but will continue to be available via search on the iTunes Store and in the Podcasts app for iOS.

[Algernon Sydney is Dead]

Bummer.

[pondspider]

I've bumped it up to 50 episodes in the feed. Unfortunately, that is the max I can safely support in any feed before it gets to large for podcatchers.
There are plans to make those archives available to download in bulk when we refresh the website.

I can only speak for DoggCatcher (Android). It defaults to 2 downloads and auto-deletes after listening to them. I change the defaults as I have plenty of storage.

In terms of the list of episodes available, I'm not aware of DoggCatcher having any limit. It defaults to 20, but this can be increased per feed. I have some feeds well over 50, e.g. BBC Radio's "A History of the World in 100 Objects" and "Frank Delaney's Re: Joyce" (> 200 episodes).

[Algernon Sydney is Dead]

Most people do not use DoggCatcher (nor should they). The RSS feed has to support a wide variety of applications and devices.
50 episodes is larger than most podcasts I see, and larger than most RSS feeds in general; it's a good size to use.

[pondspider]

Most people do not use DoggCatcher (nor should they). The RSS feed has to support a wide variety of applications and devices.
50 episodes is larger than most podcasts I see, and larger than most RSS feeds in general; it's a good size to use.

I bow to your wider experience of these things

What do you have against DoggCatcher, btw? I've been using it for a few years and never a complaint

[Algernon Sydney is Dead]

I've nothing against it. But I don't have any reason to use it either and, from what other webmasters tell me, it's not even close to being the most-used application for grabbing podcasts.
(Most people still use iTunes -- which I have *plenty* against, even if I reluctantly use it myself.)

[pondspider]

I've nothing against it. But I don't have any reason to use it either and, from what other webmasters tell me, it's not even close to being the most-used application for grabbing podcasts.
(Most people still use iTunes -- which I have *plenty* against, even if I reluctantly use it myself.)

"Most used" isn't important in an age where so many have been lured into Apple's clutches

For Android users, DoggCatcher has to be in the top five such apps.

[tbaker2500]

RSS feeds should be limited to 0.5MB. Anything over that, and many pod catchers croak on the feed, not updating. The files they link to (the episodes themselves) can be almost any size.

[pondspider]

RSS feeds should be limited to 0.5MB. Anything over that, and many pod catchers croak on the feed, not updating. The files they link to (the episodes themselves) can be almost any size.

How many bytes does each item in the B-Sides feed take? Allowing for the description on each item and being generous, let's say 500 bytes. With 500KB to play with, that's 1,000 items! Or am I missing something

[Algernon Sydney is Dead]

Currently, 50 episode-items take 94,556 bytes.
An individual entry can be as much as 4K bytes.

[pondspider]

Currently, 50 episode-items take 94,556 bytes.
An individual entry can be as much as 4K bytes.

Wow, really? 4KB... OK, that still allows up to 125 items
And if we take an average it's more like 250.

[tbaker2500]

An entry can have a whole story in it, like on the main feed. The main feed is currently 277KB with 50 episodes in it. At another time, it was 450KB. If I push it and up the count, a big story will push us over the limit, and nobody will get the new episode. Damn safety margins.

[pondspider]

An entry can have a whole story in it, like on the main feed. The main feed is currently 277KB with 50 episodes in it. At another time, it was 450KB. If I push it and up the count, a big story will push us over the limit, and nobody will get the new episode. Damn safety margins.

Well that settles it, then

Sorry if I've been unreasonably pushy on this and taken you away from more important things... But one last thought...

As an RSS feed, is there not some way to limit the size of each entry? If the complete text of a story is included in the original (on the website?), some way to truncate the RSS entry and provide a link through to the full text? In my main RSS reader (not for podcasts... Newsblur) some feeds certainly do this. I guess it depends upon the settings provided by the website admin tools.

Anyways, thanks for bearing with me and my naïve questions

[SpareInch]

An entry can have a whole story in it, like on the main feed. The main feed is currently 277KB with 50 episodes in it. At another time, it was 450KB. If I push it and up the count, a big story will push us over the limit, and nobody will get the new episode. Damn safety margins.

Well that settles it, then

Sorry if I've been unreasonably pushy on this and taken you away from more important things... But one last thought...

As an RSS feed, is there not some way to limit the size of each entry? If the complete text of a story is included in the original (on the website?), some way to truncate the RSS entry and provide a link through to the full text? In my main RSS reader (not for podcasts... Newsblur) some feeds certainly do this. I guess it depends upon the settings provided by the website admin tools.

Anyways, thanks for bearing with me and my naïve questions

Looks like you'll just have to get the old clicky mouse out and start downloading manually. It'll help burn off a calorie or two, right?

[tbaker2500]

I just looked into it, and as things are now, we are including the summary for the most recent 10 shows, and bare essentials for those older than 10.
Reminder that there are archive downloads here: http://www.drabblecast.org/downloads/

Thanks for your interest! Keep this love of the DC going!