Embedding objects in your knol

Embedding objects in the body of your knol is a great way to help illustrate your expertise and can make your content more attractive and useful to readers. Pertinent videos, compelling images, and engaging spreadsheet forms can enhance the interactive appeal of your knol.

YouTube Video and Google Video

Sometimes the best way to explain a concept is to show it in practice. Now you can enhance your knol by creating a YouTube video and embedding it in your knol.

To embed a video, select the appropriate video option from the Insert menu and copy and paste the URL of your video in the prompt. Once you've selected your video title and options, click Save to finish adding your video. To view it, save your knol and go to view mode. If you want to change any of the video properties, simply return to edit mode, select the video, and click Properties.

Google Calendar

Do you have a timeline you want to show your readers?  Are there future events related to your topic you want readers to be aware of? Set up a Google Calendar and embed it in your knol -- any updates you make to your calendar will automatically appear in the embedded calendar in your knol.

Once you select Calendar from the Insert menu, copy and paste the URL of your calendar into the prompt, and change your settings as necessary.  Click Save when you're finished and go to view mode to see your calendar in the knol. To change a property of your calendar, return to edit mode, select the video, and click Properties.

Document, Presentation, or Spreadsheet

Want to add a shared document from Google Docs to your knol? Simply select the type of document to embed and choose the specific document you'd like to include in your knol. If you're not the owner of the document, presentation, or spreadsheet you want to embed, you can still copy and paste the URL of the document in the text field at the bottom of the prompt. Once you've selected a document, fill in the options for displaying it in your knol and click Save. Like all the other embedded objects, check out your document in view mode. To make changes, select the object in edit mode and click Properties.

Now when you update your Google document, your knol will automatically pick up the changes. Keep in mind that your document must be published for the world to see it. You can select "Automatically re-publish when changes are made" so you won't have to republish your document for it to show in your knol.

Google Maps

When describing a location a map can do wonders to express your point.  Simply choose the Map option in the Insert drop down.  Find the location you want on the map interface and place helpful markers as needed. 

Spreadsheet Form

In addition to Knol's built-in collaboration, comment, and review features, a spreadsheet form can be a useful way to solicit specific feedback from your readers. When readers submit their responses to your form, the data appears in a spreadsheet for you to review. 

To create a spreadsheet form, go to Google Docs and create a spreadsheet. Use the Form tab in Docs to create a spreadsheet form . Once you create the form, return to your knol and select Spreadsheet Form from the Insert menu. Copy and paste the URL of the published form into the prompt. Your readers will be able to fill out the form and submit it to your spreadsheet.

* Note: when a reader submits a form and clicks refresh in their browser it will want to repost the data into your spreadsheet. If you want to do some interactive polling, it might be best to have one knol take in the data, and another that shows the results to limit this repetition of data.