Blogging Sueblimely

Is it a matter of survival of the fittest or the survival of those more adaptable to their environment that leads to the success or continuing success of a blog?

Does posting daily or every other day count more than writing less regular more indepth and original content?

I have always used the latter reasoning, not wanting to churn out content that is written about in numerous other blogs. That would be simple to do considering content that I could regurgitate from multitudes of blogs that write about blogging. Would anyone read it? A few loyal readers maybe but, being a lone blogger, I do not have a chance of providing the same amount of content as those with multiple authors. These I consider the fittest blogs. They can even regularly repeat content, albeit it in different words, because of the constant stream of new bloggers that come their way. They also have access to information on what is new because they are told about it. They can break the news to the world; others just repeat it second hand.

Unless you are a personal blogger with a loyal following, less well known bloggers need to be able to adapt to survive and succeed.

This blog is at the need to adapt stage and I am pondering where to go with it. I have been writing infrequently lately and it shows. From a position of 27 in the top 100 Australian bloggers list in November I sank to 36 in January. In the top Australian Women’s list I am now 30 down from a position of 9 last year. When new figures are published I know I will be even lower.

Many bloggers give up in their first year. I have survived longer but motivation has been lacking and topics to write about evading me. As a beginner blogger it took me a while to find my way but he plethora of new social networks and blogging tools provided plenty of material. Now it has become harder and harder for start ups to find something new or different enough to compete successfully with what already exists. Even Twitter the newer shining star has become overrun with applications that support it. Users having been overloaded with new applications and are less keen to try something new if it does not offer them any more than is already available.

What has not changed is my desire to remain in the blogging world; a world much larger and diverse than my particular suburbia and daily routine.

As a refresher and motivator I have enrolled in Darren Rowse’s 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge which has just commenced with Write an Elevator Pitch for Your Blo. It is not too late to join in.

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Downloading videos from YouTube*, Google Videos, Myspace, Facebook and other popular video sites requires the use of downloader programs, browser addons or online video tools. Some downloaded video file formats may not play in your preferred video player.

This article is intended to help you through the maze of optons so that you can easily download videos for personal use. You can then view them later without connecting to the internet.

Video Downloaders

There are many downloaders available in various forms. Some offer more features than just downloading. Here is a selection of the most popular for you to choose from.

Downloaders for YouTube

New YouTube download and purchase features

Recently You Tube started testing a download and purchase feature, which gives video video owners the ability to allow the download of videos straight from YouTube either free or for a small fee. The video watch pages of these participating "partners" link to a download option (below the left-hand corner of the video) More details from the YouTube Blog YouTube Goes Offline

KeepVid

• KeepVid is a browser Toolbar button for downloading YouTube FLV files.

KeepHD

• KeepHD is an online utility that downloads YouTube videos in a choice of formats: FLV,
  3gp Mobile Download,
  MP4 and if available
  HD ( High Definition 720p)
• How to Use: On the KeepHD site enter the URL of the video that you want to grab and hit the "Download Video" button.. No registration or plugins are needed. .

PWN YouTube

• Downloads FLV and mp4 formats There are three ways of downloading via PWN

1. Go to their website and enter the video URL into the " Download a YouTube video from any web page:" URL box - handy if you are not viewing the video on YouTube.
2. Type pwn in front of any YouTube URL.
3. Add the browser bookmarklet from the PWN website and click it when you are viewing
   any Youtube page or public webpage with an embedded YouTube video

Get Tube v.3.0

• Get Tube is a downloadable utility for Mac to download videos from YouTube and to save format mp4 or mp3.

Downloaders for Multiple Video Sites including YouTube

Source: nickwheeleroz’s Flickr

Flash Video Resources Downloader

• This application offers three methods of video download:

1. Enter the URL of video on the Flash Video Resources Downloader Page
2. Install the Flash Video Resources Downloader 1.0.2 Firefox Extension
3. A Greasemonkey script that allows downloads from 3 adult sites that I am not going to mention here.. The Greasemonkey Firefox addon must be already installed.

Flash Video Downloader 1.7

• The sites currently supported by Flash Video Downloader include: YouTube, Google Video, MySpace Video, DailyMotion, Metacafe, Break.com, Blip.tv (blip.tv), Spike (spike.com), MyVideo.de (myvideo.de), YourFileHost and others including adult sites.
• An added feature with this utility is that you can download Flash Games from: gamespot.com, community.games.com, armorgames.com, net-games.biz, gamesvine.com, zoopgames.com and flashgames247.com.

Clone2Go Free Video Converter

• Clone2Go is a free software program for Windows that downloads and converts videos including YouTube and Google Videos FLV files The program includes a feature to split videos into smaller clips.
• You can download major file formats such as WMV, FLV, MPEG-4, MPG, RM, RMVB, AVI, 3GP and convert them to a variety of formats including MP4, AVI, WMV, FLV. It supports conversion to files playable on portable devices such as MP4 player, iPod, iPhone, Sony PSP, Microsoft Zune, Mobile Phone (e.g. Nokia N-Series), Pocket PC and smart phone.

Video Download Helper

• Video Download Helper is a Firefox extension that works with popular video sites such as YouTube, MySpace, Google videos, DailyMotion, Porkolt, iFilm, DreamHost and others.
• When DownloadHelper detects that it can do something for you, an icon at the bottom of your Firefox window becomes animated and a menu allows you to download files by simply clicking an item. When you are on a page containing links to images or movies, you can download some or all of them at once.
• Converting files from your hard disk into a choice of multiple formats (Windows or Linux) is now possible with the installation of a file converter feature which uses the powerful FFMPEG video conversion utility. The feature is available from the extension’s preferences. An experimental Integrated MP3Tunes services allows you to send videos to mobile phones or to your private locker.

Net Video Hunter

• Net Video Hunteris a Firefox addon that allows you to download videos and music from most video-sharing sites - YouTube, Google Video, MySpace, Metacafe, Dailymotion, iFilm, Videoegg, Veoh, Blip.tv, etc…
• This extension also supports the download of music if it’s in a player on a website (for example, Myspace Music player). The beauty of this extension is that it captures the video links (if it’s possible), and the video counter of all the videos you have played from a webpage. (e.g. a YouTube Playlist Page) Clicking on the Net Video Hunter icon at the bottom of the Firefox window displays the list of captured media files which you can then Play or Download. Turning off the video smoothing feature plays the video in lower quality which is ideal for slower computers or for preserving download bandwidth.

Flashgot

• One of the problems with trying to download online videos is finding the actual video file source. Flashgot is a Firefox extension that works alongside your preferred download manager (Windows, Linux, Mac) to download all the links, movies and audio clips of a page including links to FLV videos.
• Once downloaded and configured to recognize your download manager, Flashgot can be accessed via the Tools menu or by dragging and dropping a shortcut to your toolbar. The toolbar menu gives you options capturing video selections and creating galleries. You can choose to download all videos that Flashgot finds through its Auto Start feature, although this may create a massive amount of downloads. Download

Vixy Net

• Vixy allows you convert a Flash Video / FLV file (YouTube’s videos,etc) to MPEG4 (AVI/MOV/MP4/MP3/3GP) file online.
• When you submit a URL, it will download and convert to the video format, and then you can download the converted file.
• As well as an online converter Vixy now has a beta desktop version for Windows and Mac.

Orbit Downloader

I would have added Orbit to the top of the list had it not been for some of the Orbit forum messages which indicate a few issues with the newest version. I have as yet been unable to get it to work with YouTube through Firefox itself. However, If I use the Grab++ function in the Orbit program Tools Menu it will download YouTube videos that are playing in Firefox.

• Orbit Features:
• A free downloadable program, based on p2p and multi-source downloading technology, which integrates with Firefox, IE,Opera and Maxthon browsers.
• You can download and record streaming media, social music, social video, movie, flash and files from "anywhere" including Pandora, YouTube, Yahoo, Myspace and Rapidshare.
• Supports most of the file-sharing service websitesmegaupload, badongo, sendspace, yourfilehost, uploading, filefront, 4shared, turboupload, depositfiles, filefactory ……
• Supports: HTTP/ HTTPS/ FTP/ RTSP/ MMS
• Includes a pause and resume function which includes interrupted downloads

Facebook Video Downloader

Facebook Video

• Facebook Video allows the download and conversion of Facebook videos in one of two ways:

1. Greasemonkey Script
2. A new Firefox addon that lets you download and convert Facebook videos, and embed videos outside of Facebook.

Playing Downloaded Videos

Source: libraryman Flickr

If you download an .mp4 version of a video file, you can play it in Real Player, QuickTime Player, or iTunes. Most players do not support YouTube FLV files. My choice for a lightweight but fully featured video player is my default video player, VLC Player.

VLC

• VLC is A free video player that supports most file formats with no extra codecs needed, for example, MPEG, AVI, WMV, AV, FLV, MIDI, Flash, Real, MP4, MOV, 3GP, OGG ….For Windows, Linux, Mac OS X 10.5 or later and various other operating systems.

Another highly rated free player, which I have not tried, is:

GOM Media Player

• GOM Media PlayerFeatures: Supports most Codecs, plays incomplete or damaged AVI file by skipping the damaged frames and can play video files that are still in the process of being downloaded.

If you just want a program to play FLV videos there are a number of free programs including the one I used before I realized that VLC could play them.:

FLV Player

• FLV PlayerPlays Flash FLV and H.264 (MPEG-4) videos.
• This program also includes an option to install a free audio recorder browser toolbar, Free Recorder, which allows you to make MP3’s from anything you can hear on your PC, including sound tracks from videos, music, and more. Download current version FLV Player 2.0.25: CNET Download.com

Do you have any preferences for video download or video player applications?

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