Friday, January 07, 2005

What The Heck Is "Podcasting?"...

Back just before Christmas, I heard a new word -- something called "Podcasting." What in heck is "Podcasting?"

Podcasting is more of a confluence of ideas and technologies than anything else. The idea is simple -- anyone on the Internet who has the know-how can create their own multimedia files -- usually, though not limited to, audio MP3 files. In other words, it's possible to create one's own "show" of sorts. Most Podcasts are in a talk radio format, though music can be included as well.

The ability to create audio MP3 files has been around for years -- nothing new there. What makes Podcasting different is that it gives one the ability to "publish" something that's known as an RSS feed with an "enclosure." "RSS" is short for "Real Simple Syndication."

So this is the idea -- I can (and have) created my own "show feeds" in both audio MP3 and video MPEG formats. My "RSS feeds" are out there for anyone who finds them to "subscribe" to them using a program installed on their local computer such as Doppler Radio (www.dopplerradio.net) or Ipodder (www.ipodder.org). Every time I "publish" a new file, the RSS feed is updated, and the people who have subscribed to my "feeds" automatically receive the files downloaded to their hard drives. It's really quite a fascinating concept.

My "feeds" can be found at:

Visit my video movie reviews at http://tomsmoviereviews.blogspot.com.
Visit my Trucker Blog at http://truckerphoto.blogspot.com.
Visit my Podcast at http://jiexk.blogspot.com.

Almost everyone is interesting in some way, some more than others. One of the neat things about the podcasting concept of podcasting is that it allows anyone who feels compelled to create their own content. It doesn't matter if the audience is big or small. The podcasting concept totally bypasses the traditional "established" distribution channels. The Internet is still just in the beginning stages of the overall revolution.

One day we will able to get all of our audio and video content -- just the content we want -- directly from the wireless Internet, watching and listening to exactly what we want, strictly on our own terms. Anyone who wants to can create content, and all of us who create content will also be consuming more content than we ourselves create. The old adage still applies -- if you can't find what you are looking for, go out there and create it yourself. This is especially important in the digital device Internet age, since all of this stuff can be done very cheaply. If it's important and compelling enough for us to create it, then the only investment that's really needed is a bit of our own time.

That's my take.

TOM

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