I have the prefect face for radio…here’s the proof

I’m always being told I have the prefect fact for radio and here ladies and gentlemen is the proof, not that any of you who know me needed any.  It’s me and a few other podcasters sat talking about podcasting at MS UK HQ in Reading.  There’s a whole series of vids on YouTube too.

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The Tyranny of Stats

The danger if you podcast is that you become even more obsessed about stats than you do if you blog.  Someone clicking on a blog is as easy as passing over any other web page and is no indication that someone has read and digested your pithy insight.  Podcasting is different, it potentially requires more from it’s creator and certainly does from those who download and  listen, so in theory at least the stats should be more meaningful.  But as many podcasts are automatically downloaded by iTunes or one of innumerable RSS clients who knows if your wonderfully crafted creation is given the ‘ear time’ it deserves. 

The point though as Seth Godin points out that bloggers and by association podcasters are on a perpetual hunt for fickle Internet denizens who  have so much material throw at them that a better idea is to focus on the smaller group of regular and loyal listeners/readers.  As he says the chance of success are far greater, so don’t tell everyone you get 1,ooo,ooo downloads or page loads a month as that is pretty  meaningless, what’s far more interesting is the people who via feedback, email and IM you have a conversation with.

Another reason why “The Tyranny of Numbers” by David Boyle should be required reading.

Hardcore History and Common Sense

I’m a bit a of a Podcast addict, I love ’em.  My favorite by a country mile at present is Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History.  No it’s not about the history of hardcore, there’s an idea though, but history from Ancient Civilizations to the Cold War and you know what Dan is a revelation, his delivery being part polemic, part rant and part good old story telling.   Top notch stuff.

However for someone like Carlin one Podcast isn’t enough and if you want a non partisan view of America and American politics then Common Sense with Dan Carlin is perfect.  He’s even more passionate in his delivery too and you don’t even have to be American to enjoy it.

Podcasting

I’ve always been a bit of a fan of podcasts, I’ve listen to a fair few and have recently discovered ‘Make it So’…a bunch of opinionated Trekkies sounding off about all things ST related.  If you have affection for Trek as I do it’s great as it gives an honest and sometimes brutal assessment of the franchise. 

Years ago we had a reel to reel tap recorder at home and I spend hours fiddling with the machine recording mine and other people’s voices, then with my first cassette recorder the Sunday night top ten was clumsily edited and endlessly played until the following weekend. 

So with a bit of ‘history’, a blog and some tech (any excuse eh?) I’m going to start adding podcasts as soon as I can figure out what to say that last more than a few lines.  Some guests will be invited along to add their thoughts too.

I already have an idea for the first one.