Earn money & help us create some help screencasts (How To Videos)

We get quite a few people asking questions that are obvious to some people who've been here a while but aren't obvious to the newcomer.

For this reason we're offering to let anyone create their own HTV (How To Videos) to help newcomers get to know each nook and cranny of the site. These will be simple screencasts where you choose an area of your monitor and record the activity. Heres an example of a simple screencast. You can add voiceover if you wish.

For example, create an HTV for listing an auction, or maybe one specifically describing how to start a RUS or OFB? How to send an invoice. How to search for keywords etc.

We'll let you decide which aspects of the site you want to focus on.

Here are the technicals.

1. Download Jing . This allows you to capture your screen activity and show others what you are typing and what you are clicking etc. Only submissions using Jing will be accepted.
   
2. Set your browser just so the horizontal scroll bar disappears. No wider.
3. Capture Video. Not images.
4. Save the video, do not upload it.
5. No longer than 3 minutes per video.
6. No shorter than 10 seconds per video.
7. We'll pay you £5.00 or $8 per minute of video.
8. UPDATE SEPT 2016- We'll pay you £7.00 or $9 per minute of video.
9. Narration is not required but we would prefer everyone to make the effort if possible.
10. Anyone sending in videos should send us a request for payment on the 3rd of the month in the form of an invoice addressed to eBid Ltd.
11. We do not guarantee acceptance but probably will.

Checklist. Please follow, we can't accept videos not adhering.

• choose a title for your HTV starting with "How to". eg. "How to use the populate options".
• choose which FAQ section (1 to 10) it fits into.
• save swf/mp4 file with a filename the same as the title with underscores for spaces, add your username and faq catgory. eg. how_to_leave_feedback_nancy99_7.swf
• zip the swf file.
• email to support at ebid.net.
• with "HTV Submission" in the title of your email.
• Accepted videos will get a reply with "Thankyou"

Good Luck all
Gazza

Is this also to help with promoting eBid?

Not sure how it will help promote eBid. It will help make the place simpler for new users to find their feet faster.

Gazza

Ok, I've downloaded Jing but can't get the hang of it. Can I not just use my webcam to show how to send an invoice and email that to support instead?

Gazza please make this like X-Factor and show us the rejects. :D

Jing's pretty simple. Choose capture, select the screen area then choose video. It then records your on screen antics in the area you defined.

G

Will try it tomorrow see how it goes Gazza.

I'd like to contribute, but I am reluctant to use Jing.

Is it necessary that we use Jing?

Does the file NEED to be in .swf format?

What about those of us who have professional Cam studio software such as Camtasia? (I have my own licensed full version copy I use often for the same purposes, no time at the moment to create vids.. but I suspect it does not need to be Jing.. Camtasia will probably work find.. cool thing about it is, I can edit and insert transitions and other stuff.. :)

if I am able to find some time I'll probably do up a few :)

What a Great Idea, I used to do this for a Living I worked for a small TV station I presented and edited and on occasion worked camera, however I have long left and have no equipment. I would be willing to help anyone else with the equipment but not the know how for free if it helps get this site bigger.
Also Gazza , a suggestion, why not direct contact Universities and colleges, they all have media as subjects, well most do, and REAL LIFE experience is invaluable to them, I know because I used to work with some, they will probably do it for free and they can use it as course work, just a thought.
Another thought is, get the universities etc all involved, for free if you can, they will tell friends and will feel as though they are part of Ebid and will word of mouth promote, so two birds with one stone, some colleges etc will even contact local press as it is a REAL job and they all love publicity and as we all know local papers will print because they need to fill the pages, again I know this as I used to get all sorts in local papers, people dont realise local papers need news and they dont have enough so there you go , another idea and hopefully it will trigger others.
Cheers Chris

Camtasia should be ok, in swf format if possible though. Thanks.

Please may I make a plea for similar input on the non-English speaking sites? Perhaps your translation teams will help out - they will probably charge more than you are offering members but the English speaking sites already have the advantage of easy access to the forums for help. It is not so simple (as we have seen here) if you don't speak English and yet newbies must have the same questions wherever they are based.

We will accept screencasts in any language.

Gazza

If that was a hint - I am not a native French speaker and have a far from perfect accent and pronunciation. I can make myself understood face to face and the French are generally very kind and patient but I'm not sure they would appreciate me mangling their language as part of an offering from a commercial venture. :)

Starting to get a couple in now. Thanks everyone, some good ones already.

We will up the limit to 3mins.
We will only take Jing sumbissions as well please. We want to keep everything uniform and the file sizes are better also.

Thanks,
Gazza

So when do we see all the finished screencasts?

Jing appears to only be available to Windows and Mac OS X users.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gazza

6th february 2010.10:52 am ..
We will only take jing sumbissions as well please.
...

---

Bit early to have hit the bottle!:eek::D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gazza

Starting to get a couple in now. Thanks everyone, some good ones already.

We will up the limit to 3mins.
We will only take Jing sumbissions as well please. We want to keep everything uniform and the file sizes are better also.

Thanks,
Gazza

---

Is there a list of the areas that you still require Screencasts for Gazza, as most of the topics seems covered? or are you looking for multiple submissions on the same queries? Thanks

I think there are many more areas we can cover.

There are none for NL yet, also the differences between SELLER and SELLER+ can be covered.

Differences between Gallery, Free, Standard, Platinum auctions etc.

All functions of the AAL, listing with ISBN/UPC numbers, changing passwords, difference between individual and business accounts, affiliates, buddy points, multi-item/single item auctions, all fields of the selling form can be done in details like International Shipping, spreadsheet uploads, exporting auctions, google shopping explanations, forums posting, forum sigs etc.

Paying fees, viewing fees, adding favourite searches, getting emailed auctions from favourite searches/sellers, my notices...

Advanced searching, browsing. Adding category suggestions etc...

Just about any part of the site, the more the better. In the end we'd like every single inch of the site covered by HTVs.

Thanks,
Gazza

Good work so far from those two adding them. Some interesting and useful viewing

Could possibly add some after the sale stuff for buyers, like contacting sellers, leaving feedback, as I have had a couple of them give up and contact me through email. Their words not mine.

Hi,

This is exactly what I posted just a few seconds ago. It is nice to know that many of us are thinking along the same lines. Best Practices videos are even better than what I envisioned.

Tom

Actually, screencasts are easy with Linux and "recordmydesktop"-I use them to do demo the computers I sell. That way the buyer can see what they get. I'll do one for Ebid.

Well, here's a real simple one I made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3715C28z8pk

HI, Friend's
Thanks for sharing this information

We are revitalising this thread.Our HTVs need your help.

Ever since the site revamp our HTVs are now out of date and it's a great opportunity for you guys to earn some money whilst cultivating a talent for making videos.

We are looking to replicate and at the same time improve the videos we have on offer.

Follow the instructions in the OP, we've increased the payouts as well.

Opening post in this thread with instuctions

Thanks,
Gazza

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gazza

We are revitalising this thread.Our HTVs need your help.

Ever since the site revamp our HTVs are now out of date and it's a great opportunity for you guys to earn some money whilst cultivating a talent for making videos.

We are looking to replicate and at the same time improve the videos we have on offer.

Follow the instructions in the OP, we've increased the payouts as well.

Opening post in this thread with instuctions

Thanks,
Gazza

---

Thanks Gazza.

Are you relaxing the requirement for Jing, provided we submit .swf files and they conform to reasonable size limits? Any other constraints?

As PenguinLover80 points out, Jing is not platform neutral. Or does it work on Linux by using Wine?