This
article was inspired by one of our clients who was interested in
podcasting, but had no idea how podcasting worked. After hearing
all the gossip, they knew they had to have it. Since I too knew very
little, it was time for me to investigate the podcasting craze.
Podcasting
is achieved through the use of RSS feeds. The general consensus is that
RSS means “really simply syndication.” At first glance,
podcasting is following “the cart before the horse” idea in that the
hype is far out-pacing the use. According to a recent Yahoo White
Paper, the total public RSS use is 4%. On average, 27% of us view data
propagated via the use of RSS feeds. This is done without us knowing it
for the most part. The 4% number does not tell us what percentage is
actually being used for podcasting. My guess is that number would be
less than 1%. Regardless of the actual number of users now, it is sure
to expand in the future.
How does
podcasting work? The first step is a recording room. You can find
plenty of information on setting up your own. Just type “podcast
recording setup” in Google. These sound recording rooms are just a more
economical version of radio broadcast rooms. Because audio
recording equipment prices have plummeted in price, the rest of us can
easily afford our own sound rooms too.
After
the sound is recorded to mp3, accomplished by one of a plethora of
programs out there, it then must be transferred to the internet website
for users to download. This process can be handled manually by any web
savvy individual or with the assistance of an RSS podcast management
program. I found one at http://softwaregarden.com/products/listgarden/index.html. It looks to me like it is free of charge. It is possibly an open source project.
Once
the mp3 file is online, the user can then subscribe to the RSS feed by
simply pasting the RSS link advertised into the program that transfers
the sound file to their listening device. Here is another free
program that handles synchronizing of podcast info - www.ipodder.net.
The program will continually check for newer podcasts and download them
when they are available. This is great for busy people who are tired of
missing out on information because they are stuck driving
or fulfilling other obligations. Regardless, the average
person is no longer asking when the information is available,
he is deciding what he wants to listen to.
Many
of the sources for podcast information are still in the beta phase. In
signing up for some podcast information related to my own interests, I
discovered that many of the big boys, such as the BBC, are in the early
stages of podcast programs. This does not mean that no podcast
sites currently exist. From what I could see, hundreds, if not
thousands, of RSS feeds with podcast are available. I have placed some
directory links below that will take you to podcast lists:
In
summary, I am convinced that podcasting definitely has its cool factor.
Unfortunately, I only found one Fargo – Moorhead podcasting site. Here
is the link http://homepage.mac.com/gregcook/aws/valleyvine/. Keep your eyes open; there is going to be a lot more soon ........
