Subscribed channels not appearing in dashboard

if you are using itunes, you can just copy & paste the self-study feed from the "dashboard" into "add a podcast". In theory, all the feeds you subscribe to should download daily. Great way to study - especially if they fix the bugs that are apparently causing problems in recent months!

Yes, you don't need the chinesepod app to get the lessons on your device. If you are a subscriber you can download the lesson content as podcast files. See here, under "customize your lesson feed"

http://chinesepod.com/gettingstarted

Good luck.

I still believe this is a problem with the scripts that generate the feed page that then apps use an api to retrieve, or iTunes use etc. I have not noticed this issue yet with mine though, for some reason. I just got back from 2 weeks vacation so will see if anything has been done about this on the database/script level on the server side.

FYI - usually a few lessons - always random lessons of different levels - download automatically, but this week, I've had to go in and bookmark every lesson I want before they appear on my dashboard & automatically download to my podcast feed. Is this problem getting worse???

It looks like this must be at the database level, where your lessons aren't being added to the database table that records each user's lessons, and thus the feed.rss is even generated from this, as well as any "Self-Study" list. Will see if someone will look into it.

The problems I have are always with the most recent lesson. I update my podcasts daily & work on that lesson for the day. For the past 3 (5?) years, I've never had a problem with any of my "subscribed" lessons automatically showing up in my podcast feed. All of the sudden - a few months ago - random new lessons (often 2 or more out of the 5 or 6 that should show up during a week) don't automatically go to my dashboard, even though I have subscribed to them. So then they don't download when I refresh my podcasts. Once I go to my desktop, log in & book mark that lesson, it will go to my dashboard & then I can download it to my ipod. For instance - today's lesson - upper intermediate didn't go to my dashboard, but last week's UI did. It's odd. I don't use Android - I use an iPod, but from the posts on this page, I see I'm not alone. Very strange, since I don't remember a single problem before this. . .

jan

Hey Rich, the Android app exhibits the same problem as well since it syncs up to the same lesson list in the dashboard, and the problem is that subscribed lessons aren't being added to the dashboard automatically. I don't think it's the fault of the Android app though, it's with whatever is supposed to be adding the lessons automatically.

My general advice to folk is: have low expectations, then you won't be disappointed! Also works applied to life in general in mainland China, lol. (*tongue on its way to cheek*).

I'm maybe rather behind the times perhaps, I sit down at my computer several times a day (when I have the time), and usually study CPod stuff that way. I have an iPhone and use the app, but really only use it when I'm travelling, so perhaps these perennial problems trouble me less as a result.

Basically I'm sorry to have to report that if you subscribe to CPod long-term, you better just get used to low-quality site maintenance, endless technical bugs and customer support vacuums. That's just the norm here. We come for the learning materials and the great teachers/presenters, right? We all know that they are unfailingly excellent.

I'm the Android developer so hope the Android doesn't have this problem. Is the lesson you want to show up a new lesson, or one that simply is not in your feed? Keep in mind that the "Self-Study" list is what your feed URL also shows, with the filters etc. applied. If it is an older lesson, is it possible to go the "Library" section in the app, search for it, and bookmark it, and then go to Self-Study lessons? (Don't forget to refresh from the server! If it is using the cache it won't show, but I guess you know that since it does work if you change it on the web and go back to the app)

I love ChinesePod - been using it for ages, but this problem is getting annoying. Now, I have to go on to my computer most days & bookmark a lesson in order for it to show up in my ipod podcasts. I did take this to a ChinesePod techie about a month ago & they claimed they had fixed it, but the problem never went away. Sigh.

jan

I see Chinese Pod is looking to hire an iOS developer, so I guess the answer to my question is no, nobody is there. Also I guess nobody is staffing customer support currently either, or if they are they are not bothering to tell you what's going on.

Nope, I haven't heard anything yet. The podcast feed has certainly shut down before... but usually there's an apology and and at least one "we're working on it" posting.

And still no word from customer support about the technical problems. Kellyl, Did you have better luck? Hello, Chinese Pod Customer Support! Is anybody there?

I hear you. I am still waiting to hear back from customer support which has "contacted the tech team" last week regarding problems with bookmarking lessons. And so far no bug fix for the fact that all my content on the mobile app gets temporarily erased when I am on an airplane. CPod shut down its mobile web site some time ago because of their vision that "everything was moving to apps". Well, okay, could we please have a properly functioning app then? I guess I need to lower my expectations and go back to thinking of Chinese Pod as a simple podcast.