pod·cast (päd′kast′). noun. An audio recording that may be coupled with visuals usually in a series of episodes or regular segments available online which can be downloaded onto a computer or portable device.
Why did I have to define a podcast? Do you have to describe what an iPod is? Why hasn't the podcast become as popular as the device it was named after (iPod + broadcast)?
A few years ago, I used to be subscribed to a decent amount of podcasts on iTunes. A couple times per week I would catch up on the past few days of tech news, photoshop tips, Chinese lessons, video game clips, and National Geographic exerpts. Now I just follow the Chinese lessons. What happened between then and now? Like many others, I found the amount of effort needed to be put into obtaining podcasts wasn't worth their entertainment value. I was downloading episodes that I liked that were already featured on TV or on their respective websites only to watch them once and delete afterwards. They were taking up too much hard drive space and too much of my time. I had realized that most podcasts were nothing more than repackaging content from TV, radio, and other websites to be distributed in a centralized virtual location. Getting a podcast felt like I was in an endless hall of shelves stacked full of cassette tapes where I picked a few that sounded interesting but then had to treck all the way back to the beginning to put them in a tape player and listen. The whole experience just isn't new media enough for me. Podcasts are stuck in limbo between new and old media which doesn't have such a great fan-base.
Maybe my cynicism towards Apple and iTunes is clouding my judgement, but I've tried alternative programs like Juice with no increased enthusiasm for podcasts. I subscribed to the ChinesePod RSS feed and still only just glance at their episodes. I suppose podcasts just aren't my style and maybe I'll never embrace having to download audio or video programs to listen to later.
Stephen, I couldn't agree more. New media should use new technology to enhance the experience of the person using it. Podcasts don't do that. They're a pain. What makes ChinesePod worth the effort?
ReplyDeleteStephen, I'm wondering if you definition of "new media" is too connected with the idea of convenience? I would argue podcasts as not as "new media" as other forms we've studied, but my premise relies more on the notions of the degree of interactivity and limited to no innovation in design --things we've talked a lot about in class. I've found podcasts convenient --that being said, nearly all my subscriptions are from public radio. I've never felt the need to always be "caught-up" on a show, you know, like some people are with TV, so I think that allows me to listen to podcasts when I want to and not feel like I'm misusing them when I don't. (Do they still take up that much space in iTunes?) For me, podcasts are like TiVo. I never make the habit to incorporate a TV show or radio broadcast as a regular part of my life, but with podcasts I can listen whenever I want.
ReplyDeleteI disagree. There are two or three podcasts I listen to regularly, just on my way to class or walking about town. I guess for me, it's not a pain to download one or two podcasts per week and they definitely make my walks to and from the MLB more enjoyable. Maybe you just haven't found a podcast yet that really interests you? I know for awhile I downloaded "fresh air" every day and then ended up abandoning it for TAL and Savage Love.
ReplyDeleteSteve- I began laughing at the point in the post when you wrote: "Why did I have to define a podcast? Do you have to describe what an iPod is? Why hasn't the podcast become as popular as the device it was named after (iPod + broadcast)?" This says a lot about where you are with new media. I certainly understand your frustration with podcasts, especially the part about them taking up too much hard drive space. What interests me most is your claim that podcasts are stuck in a limbo between old and new media. This is interesting because 1.) you seemed to argue in class that they constituted new media and 2.) what's old media for you is certainly still new media for others if we talk about this in terms of exposure, familiarity and temporality. I was just talking to a friend last night who had never downloaded a podcast and want a tutoring session.
ReplyDelete