There's been a lot of noise lately about podcasting.

from wikipedia: Podcasting is making audio files (most commonly in MP3 format) available online in a way that allows software to automatically download the files for listening at the user's convenience.

From what I can tell, podcasting is many things. On the one hand, it's time-shifted radio programs (like Tivo for your favorite NPR shows, for example). On the other, it's simply people recording weblog entries instead of writing them, with the sorts of results you might expect.

I'm generally an early adopter, quick to jump all over new technologies. I've steered clear of podcasting, though. For the most part, it seems amateurish and forced. The podcasts I've heard are painful.

Also, I resent that some of my favorite web sites have moved to an audio format. For example, The Collected Comics Library was once a great place to visit for information on upcoming comics compilations. Chris posted once every couple of weeks with information about upcoming books. Now, though, he makes podcasts of the information. I'm sorry, but I don't have the time or the patience to sit through fifteen minutes of extraneous chaff just to find out when the next volume of Essential Fantastic Four is coming out.

Still, despite my griping, I recognize that podcasting has potential. In a current metafilter thread on the subject, posters recommended these podcasts: In Our Time (a BBC production), The Rachel Maddow Show (a liberal radio show), This Week in Tech (just what it sounds like), and Jawbone Radio (which I just found annoying). I gave these shows a brief listen, and admit I could at least see some potential.

I posted the following to the discussion:

I remember that Mena Trott did a couple of audio weblog entries many years ago. She fasioned them as This American Life-style weblog entries, and as such they were actually quite good. If the podcasts I heard were like that, I'd be impressed.

This American Life is remarkably like the weblogs I like to read: often deeply and intensely personal. (Not all weblogs are collections of links. Not all weblogs are written by angst-filled teenagers.) It's not a huge leap to imagine certain weblogs in audio form, with NPR-style production values. But the key is, there have to be some production values. The podcasters can't sit there and stammer, babbling about nothing.

This got me thinking: when I apply myself, I can write well. I'm not much of a speaker, I admit, and my voice has woeful nasal qualities, but I understand the basics behind effective spoken communication. I'm also geeky enough to produce a short NPR-like audio segment. Why not give it a try?

Why not take a previous foldedspace entry and convert it to audio format, just to see how it works? I'm willing to give this a go, but I've got to find a good entry to use. Something like Independence Day (reminiscenes about my father), or Ashamed (stupid things I have done), or U2: A Love Story. Maybe even something silly like Tuesday is Sno-Ball Day.

Do any regular readers have a favorite entry they'd like to hear in audio format? (Or maybe something new, something I've never written about?)

No guarantees on when this project will be complete. Or whether I'll actually complete it. Or if it'll be worth the effort. But it's worth a try. (Maybe I could get Joel to read the entry. That'd be awesome. Joel has a great voice.)

On this day at foldedspace.org

2004 — Questions   I have questions. You have answers.

2003 — Sleepy Links   In which I am visited by friends, measure my fitful sleep, and share another batch of links.

2002 — Trading Spaces   I've been watched a lot of "Trading Spaces" this weekend. The show makes it seem all too easy to transform a dull room to an exciting one with a mere $1000. Can it really be that easy?

2001 — Weekend With Friends   It's been a relaxing weekend. We spent time in McMinnville with Laura and Michael, played cards with Mac and Pam, and then Andrew and I caught a ball game at Civic Stadium.

Name


Email Address
(required, not shown)


URL


Comments




Remember info?