Secrets of the City

I know this probably exposes me to be a complete idiot, but can someone explain to me how a podcast is anything more than an air check in MP3 form? The technology has existed for years and the concept has existed for considerably longer in analog form. Is it cool only because it has a goofy word like “podcast?”

Hmm, I did not know that podcasts were cool.

I suspect that podcasts are becoming more popular because of changes in technology. Rather, as the technology that enables podcasts has come down in cost, more people have taken it up as a hobby.

On the demand side, the migration from dialup connections to broadband has made it is easier to listen to large MP3 files.

To me, podcasts are to radio as weblogs are to print. With weblogs, anyone can be an amateur journalist or writer. With podcasts, all those who dreamt of being a radio talk show host can be one.

Maybe podcasts are cool because they widen an avenue of expression that previously was too narrow because of cost.

Yep, and I think the reason they’ve taken off is because of (1) iPods (obviously) and (2) RSS, or Really Simple Syndication. That means you can actually subscribe to a podcast, not just go out and download the MP3s as you find them. You subscribe to the podcasts you like, and they automagically download to your iPod (or computer) whenever there’s a new show.

The RSS part probably has a bigger role than the reduced cost of broadband. RSS makes it so easy for me to keep up with all the weblogs I read. No more do I have to click over to a weblog to see if it has been updated. Instead, I rely on RSS feeds and bloglines to tell when someone has updated their blog.