Image via Wikipedia

When you write a blog, create a class website, add content to your Moodle site, or put just about anything online, you want people to stay on your site or page. That's why you should know how to create and insert embeddable gadgets. Your reader can view your rich content on your blog or website through these gadgets, right on your page, never leaving your website. In essence, your readers are viewing content that is hosted on another location, but it looks like it is on your website. And they stay on your site.

What kinds of embeddable objects can you put on a website? Well, the list keeps growing, but here are a few ideas:

1. RSS Feeds: Widgetbox blidgets (http://docs.widgetbox.com/developers/blidget/) or create a feed from multiple feeds using Yahoo! Pipes and then embed that feed!
2. Videos (YouTube, blip.tv, Vimeo, authorstream, you name it)
3. Music (mp3 files embedded with the Google MP3 player)
4. Flickr photos and slideshows
5. Picasa Web Albums
6. Screencasts, slideshows, you name it, using screencast.com, slideshare, animoto
7. Other rich multimedia, such as VoiceThread, meebo, stickam
8. Google Apps tools, including Google Docs, Spreadsheets, Forms, and Presentation and many other Google tools, such as Google Maps, Charts, Calendars, Books, Talk . . .
9. PDF files: issuu (http://issuu.com)
10. Games: Embeddable games (http://www.addictinggames.com)

Here's a great list of Google gadgets for your webpage: http://www.google.com/ig/directory?synd=open

So, keep your readers where you want them . . . on your site! Use embeddable gadgets to make your site more interactive and meaningful.