Michael posted some quotes/thoughts about podcasting today that elicited some opinions of my own.
First, a reiteration of my thoughts about the term podcast. I largely dislike the widespread application of the term podcast to describe content. In my mind, podcasting is a method of distribution for media content. An audioblog is just an audioblog until I provide a RSS 2.0 feed that handles enclosures. Then and only then do I have a podcast, or as I prefer to say, I have an audioblog that I make available via podcast.
However, the possibilities that are inherent to delivery of content via podcast have inspired many (count me amongst them) to create audio content of various forms. The vast majority of these productions refer to themselves as “podcasts”. This appellation, while not necessarily inaccurate, tells you nothing about the actual format of the show. Each “cast” might be a one-minute audioblogger post recorded over a cell phone or it could be a two-hour slick production with commentary, live performances, and interviews. These are not the same animals, yet they are both podcasts. Thus, for lack of a better description, I prefer to refer to my audio content as simply a “show” or “audio program”, which I make available via this blog and via the podcast feed.
Now on to other thoughts.
From Weblogs in Higher Education: “Most of the talk I’ve seen about podcasting has focused on ways the audio can resemble blogging done in a lively new medium, sound.”
To which Michael then wrote: “I posted on TTW that for some of the librarian produced podcasts I felt something was missing: chapter stops, a TOC, a way to better “mentally index” the content. Maybe the technology will improve? �How can I search it? But maybe I was thinking of them as blogging and not as a “radio” show.”
Well, first, the issues of indexing apply to any audio content in any context, don’t they? How do you index a recorded speech or conference presentation? Is this really a technology issue or a metadata issue?
As for the audiobloggery vs. “radio” show concept, I can only speak about my own intentions in starting an audio program. Bear in mind that while Open Stacks is still a blog, I do not think of it as an audioblog, but rather as a blog that serves primarily to support the show.
And so, the backstory: I recently received a 4th gen iPod as a birthday gift (thanks sweetie!). I commute ten hours a week and knew the iPod would be a great provider of entertainment. As I was looking for content with which to fill my player, I discovered the realm of the podcasters. There was great content out there and I started grabbing a variety of stuff. I really loved the time-shifting possibilities of selecting my own audio programming for my commute. Who needs to be subject to the whims of program directors, when I can pick what I listen to and when I listen to it? I have heard the phrase “Tivo for Radio” and, while this might be a flawed analogy, it conveys some sense of why I love receiving audio content via my podcast aggregator.
Naturally, I thought it would be great if there was something LIS-related for me to consume. Finding nothing in my initial searches, I sensed the onus was on me to create it, on the assumption that there were others like me who were looking for this kind of content (and perhaps some who didn’t know they were looking for it until it existed). As it turns out, there are plenty of people interested, even though I have no clear idea in what context they actually consume the show. Starting the show has since initiated numerous discussions and attempts at creating and syndicating audio content, which is very cool (although it is no doubt overly presumptuous to claim any credit whatever for any subsequent activity). And now we have the first LIS foray into syndicating video content, courtesy of David King.
“There is a niche here: one or two practioners who produce regularly scheduled audio broadcasts concerning LIS such as Mr. Greg Schwartz at Open Stacks.”
Right, one can only consume so much audio content, and, although there IS also a limit to textual consumption, there is a much lower threshold for audio due to the “one minute=one minute” issue that Jessamyn discussed. I am not looking to promote a glut of LIS audio content. I do think that there are people out there who could do this better than me, so I await the emergence of another consistent participant. Until then, I’m doing my part to fill the niche.
So here’s a distillation of my opinions (finally!!!!!), rendered in the ever-popular guideline format:
1. If you provide regularly-updated textual content, provide an RSS feed.
2. If you provide regularly-updated media content, audio/video/whatever, provide a podcast feed.
3. Don’t provide regularly-updated textual content if it doesn’t work for you or your organization.
4. Don’t provide regularly-updated audio content if it doesn’t work for you or your organization.
5. Only consume as much regularly-updated textual and/or media content as works for you.
6. And most importantly, don’t let a crazy, non-sensical, rambling librarian tell you what works (or doesn’t) for you.
