Addendum: Please stop saying "podcasting"

[elpollodiablo]

While I'm behind the general premise of this article, I can't say I've got very strong feelings about it: if I wanted to listen to some jagoff's idea of a good hour of music, I'd wander across the hall and listen to whatever unlistenable noise trainwreck my roomie is currently creaming over.

I would, however, like to draw attention to this term 'podcasting.' Just recently, there's been a rash of stories on NPR, CNN, etc. lauding this 'innovative new trend in indie media technology.' What fucking innovation? What fucking new trend? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Shoutcast preexists the iPod (and the personal MP3 player fetish in general) by at least three or four years. Not only that, but the iPod is, in this case, merely an appurtenance, seeing as how one does not need a personal media player to listen to these streams. Of course, the national media, being so technically savvy, neglects to mention this when discussing this 'new phenomenon,' so every story about net-cast radio ends up being an iPod advert. Neat.
 
So what's the deal, here? Is this just another genius marketing ploy on the part of Apple to integrate their toy a little further into the cultural consciousness? Am I missing something? And there's no need to point out that the rise of personal digital music devices has had a direct effect on the popularity of these net streams; that's abundantly clear. I'm just really sick of companies forcing associations with their brand to prey on bovine America. And that seems to be what's happening here.

Tell me why I'm wrong.

[coldforge]

Actually, you're missing something. Podcasting isn't the same as internet radio; podcasting is enclosing mp3 files in RSS feeds, which makes it much more suited for self-contained radio shows, like an edition of This American Life or sumpin', rather than a nonstop stream of some jagoff's favorite music.

Indeed, you can't even listen to internet radio on an iPod (or similar device), because it's a stream, and not a file. So now that these are more common a lot of people are in fact doing just that.

The unfortunate notion that this technology is at all indigenous to iPods is of course a mistake, but they are by far the most common and highest-profile portable mp3 player around, so there you have it.

[RoyBiggins]

I think "Be quiet. Play music. It'll be all right." is a good overall sentiment, podcasting or otherwise.

[coldforge]

The only podcasts I listen to are all talk, like This American Life or Little Gray Book Lectures etc. An all-music podcast seems like an odd choice.

[elpollodiablo]

Actually, you're missing something. Podcasting isn't the same as internet radio; podcasting is enclosing mp3 files in RSS feeds, which makes it much more suited for self-contained radio shows, like an edition of This American Life or sumpin', rather than a nonstop stream of some jagoff's favorite music.

Indeed, you can't even listen to internet radio on an iPod (or similar device), because it's a stream, and not a file. So now that these are more common a lot of people are in fact doing just that.

The unfortunate notion that this technology is at all indigenous to iPods is of course a mistake, but they are by far the most common and highest-profile portable mp3 player around, so there you have it.

Thank you! I simply wasn't getting that bit. I don't think it helps any that I was looking into it after coming off of a 12 hour shift at a hotel filled with five different teen girl softball teams.

[dieblucasdie]

I was looking into it after coming off of a 12 hour shift at a hotel filled with five different teen girl softball teams.

That creepy, hairy guy you kept seeing lurking around the continental breakfast table was FreddyKnuckles.

[FreddyKnuckles]

I'm totally gonna post a picture of my hairy belly and make you scream like the little girl that you are.

[Andrew_TSKS]

all i have to say about all this is that john's official acknowledgement of his recent shorter entries as a "format change" bums me out. "we could all do well to read more tanka and less epic" is fine with me where bad writers are concerned, but makes me sad when john is saying it about his own writing.

[elpollodiablo]

I sorta thought he was being facetious.

[FreddyKnuckles]

yeah, I know.  Bummed me too.  But I was hoping that "format change" refers to the newer format since the switch over from the hyperlink clicking days to the new style, as iin 9/2004 onward.  Things like Huehueteotl would be included.

John is probably busy and shit right now, hence the shorter articles.  But what I love about this site are the long ones.  I got turned on to this site by fake strokes article, and those amazing amnesiac articles, and several others.  Huehueteotl totally grew on me too.

John: Bigger! Longer! Actually do whatever you want!  you don't need me to tell you to do whatever you want, cause you'd probably do whatever you wanted to anyway!

[Andrew_TSKS]

I sorta thought he was being facetious.

considering that the vast majority of the last dozen or so articles have been too short to even have a "click here to read the rest of the article" link, i was inclined to take it seriously.

[elpollodiablo]

Yeah, well, he is out on the road a lot.

[Andrew_TSKS]

good point. time will tell i suppose.

[jebreject]

all i have to say about all this is that john's official acknowledgement of his recent shorter entries as a "format change" bums me out. "we could all do well to read more tanka and less epic" is fine with me where bad writers are concerned, but makes me sad when john is saying it about his own writing.

John: Bigger! Longer! Actually do whatever you want!  you don't need me to tell you to do whatever you want, cause you'd probably do whatever you wanted to anyway!

I second both of these, but mostly the "bigger! longer!" part of the second.  No offense John, but the articles that are the most entertaining (and thought-provoking!) tend to be the longer ones.

[coldforge]

I'm just in it for the metal (big surprise).

[Greg Nog]

I'm just in it for the metal

Coldforge, I suddenly have an image of you as a 40-year-old suburban soccer dad driving a station wagon, with a bumper sticker expressing the above sentiment.  When your kids friends belittle it, you simply shrug and smile jovially, push your aviator glasses back up to the bridge of your nose, and chuckle, "Hey, what can you do?"

Then you and Andrew get together for some bowling.

Please don't ruin this fantasy for me.

[coldforge]

Maybe you should hang out with my dad on the 30th, instead of me. Sounds more your speed.

[freeinabox]

They're just long mp3 files in the format of a radio show, which sucks; the whole "live feel" of radio is lost. The DJ's remarks are prerecorded, they can have as many takes as they want, and they don't even have to sit and listen to the songs while they play because they can edit everything together later. The whole listening experience feels totally fake. It reminds me of the episode of The Simpsons where Krusty has to record sound bytes for his talking doll; he reads a couple lines off cards and is out of the studio in 10 seconds. I'd rather something that just delivers mix tapes to my desktop via RSS.

That's my own preference, though. I still don't understand all the hype. There's nothing revolutionary about podcasting. It's just RSS. I guarantee half the people who have been plugging podcasting don't really know what it is, and probably think it's something like Sirius radio for the iPod.

[diesel_powered]

First of all, I wholeheartedly agree with this entire article. With the exception of the Notes from the Underground podcast, as the incessant blather of the morons that run that one is actually quite funny. (At least if you like incessant blather.)

The thing I don't like is that Podcasting makes it sound like it's an elite club strictly for people who have iPods. While it does make everything nicer to be able to load a bunch on one's iPod and then hit the road, an iPod is far from required to listen to said podcasts. Furthermore, really all you need is iTunes and you don't really need that as there are other programs that support subscribing to podcasts.

Although it's a nifty ploy on the part of apple to sell more iPods, I really wish more people would plug the more democratic functions of the podcast. (At least democratic for people who a) own computers and b) have a fast enough internet connection to download podcasts in a reasonable amount of time.)

[jebreject]

So what's a Podcast again?

iWhat?

[diesel_powered]

Read my LJ post about it.

Ugh.  Luddite.

[elpollodiablo]

The thing I don't like is that Podcasting makes it sound like it's an elite club strictly for people who have iPods. While it does make everything nicer to be able to load a bunch on one's iPod and then hit the road, an iPod is far from required to listen to said podcasts. Furthermore, really all you need is iTunes and you don't really need that as there are other programs that support subscribing to podcasts.

Egg Zackary.

[coldforge]

I had written half a response and digest here, but I think all I really need to say is that you guys, if you at all care about this, should read what John Gruber has to say about it at daringfireball.net. As usual, he's on the freakin' money.

[diesel_powered]

Wow, one of the best articles I've read on that subject.

[elpollodiablo]

Totally. Thanks, cf.