Gordon Price is having trouble embedding YouTube videos on his blog.
I have never been able to embed them on this blog — only link to. But I thought I’d give it another try… Here’s an architecture-related video: Jean Nouvels Torre Agbar in Barcelona
Wanna bet it’ll show up as just code?
…
Pish. It didn’t even appear as code. I suspect that the free version of WordPress doesn’t allow it. On the other hand, if I simply copy the url for that video and link it to text — like this — I can link to YouTube videos directly. But no pretty embedding…
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I use the free version of WordPress and have no trouble embedding YouTube videos. My guess is when you are creating a new post you are doing so in the Visual tab and not the Code tab in Wordpress. Is that correct? Because if you are trying to drop the embed code in the Visual tab it won’t wor. Just click on the Code tab and put it in there. If you are using the Visual tab (the WYSIWYG editor) then you should also get and install this plugin for WP – TinyMCE Advanced
Oh, I tried (often) to embed video links using the Code tab (not the Visual tab), Doug, and it makes no difference. It literally doesn’t show up at all then. If I paste the code into the Visual tab, it at least shows up as code, but if I paste the code using the Code tab, it comes out blank (see above, I was using the Code tab to write the entry).
It’s a real mystery — I thought it had something to do w/ the free version of WordPress, but you just disabused me of that illusion. Maybe it’s a Harvard blogs thing? I have also never been able to embed widgets — like a flickr badge, or my public Amazon wishlist or any of that stuff.
Another weird thing: when Harvard weblogs were still running Userland, I could go into the template settings and — had I had the coding skill — I could have fiddled with that. I don’t have that option with this blog now running on Wordpress, and believe me, I’ve clicked on every link I can find on my dashboard or on any of the other options when I’m in the site admin section.
Maybe it’s the price for having my blog hosted for free through the Berkman Center? Generally, not being able to customize this thing doesn’t bother me too much, although sometimes I wish I could deck it out the way I really want it.
PS: I’ll try looking at that link you sent — thanks! Although it might take me a while (I might wait till my “sys admin” gets back — he’s in Baden-Baden looking in on his 86-year old mother who really shouldn’t be living alone anymore …but she’s very stubborn).
AFAIK you can’t edit the template settings in free wordpress, you can change to a different theme, but that’s it!
BUT you are NOT using free wordpress i.e. a free blog at wordpress.com
You are using Harvard’s install of wordpress and therefore the restrictions don’t necessarily correspond with those at wordpress.com
Ah, Roland! That makes sense re. the template thing, thanks! (And since it’s Berkman/ Harvard’s install of wordpress, it makes sense that I’ve never seen any option to upgrade to a paid version, either.)
Well, I’ll just continue to tinker along with my freebie here — one of these days, if I ever get a real job, maybe I’ll spring for a business model version of blogging, but till then… 😉
BTW, I’m still thinking about submitting a speaker topic or idea for your upcoming Northern Voice. Something along the lines of “Digital cubism,” but that probably sounds totally obscure right now. I’ll explain more later (after I figure it out, hehe!)… I’ll definitely attend as a guest, regardless!
Harvard has some weirdness going on – I was at a rate your blog reading level site the other day and tried your site’s address and it could not find your blog – Harvard is blocking certain kinds of traffic and it wouldn’t surprise me if video embedding is one type in order to prevent any copyright infringement problems as well as saving on bandwidth.
^ “…Harvard is blocking certain kinds of traffic and it wouldn’t surprise me if video embedding is one type in order to prevent any copyright infringement problems as well as saving on bandwidth.”:
That makes a lot of sense, Doug! (And would explain some other “weirdnesses” I’ve noticed too!)
Hi Yule,
at architekturvideo.de I’m always using the plain text editor, never the rich text editor to make and edit my posts – and to place the embed-code from YouTube and the other platforms.
So my hint would be to try to switch off the rich text editor at all. If possible, go to the “Users” tab in Wordpress, then “Your Profile” and check off the checkbox at the very bottom of the page “Personal options: Use the visual rich editor when writing”.
Then you should be able to use the plain text editor and to embed any code you like (if no other restrictions – e. g. by your sys admin – apply).
I can send you a screenshot of that mentionned page, just drop me an e-mail …
Sincerely
Eric
Hi Eric, I just unchecked the only option that appears on my “profile” page, which is “use the visual editor when writing,” (i.e., not “visual rich editor”) and when I get a moment, I’ll see if it makes a difference in whether or not I can post embedded videos. Thanks for the tip — if it works, I’ll be amazed.
I’m only half-expecting that it will, because my “Your profile” page seems to look different from what you describe, and the options for checking / unchecking editor functions sound different, too. So maybe there is some kind of different arrangement with how Wordpress functions through the Harvard weblogs (as per Roland’s suggestion, ditto Doug’s).
T’would be cool, though — I wouldn’t mind being able to put those neat little tv screens on my blog! But even if that never happens, I’m glad that we can at least surf over to your cool architecture video blog and see great stuff there!