Me? Over six months, maybe more.
In 2005 at IDG I was way into podcasts, working out a production system for a steady flow of shows from the CIO, CSO and CMO magazine staffs (thanks to the diligence of people like Art Jahnke and Paul Kerstein, both of whom have also moved on from IDG to other gigs), getting into the hardware and software required to audio enable a digital newsroom.
On my iPod I faithfully subscribed and synched and listened to the Gillmor Gang, Christopher Lydon’s Open Source radio show, Sam Whitmore’s weekly shows, Ricky Gervais, even shows about bicycles, Byzantine history and learning Chinese. I was way into Podcasts, thought they were a fine thing and a good thing and now …
I never listen to them anymore, detect no buzz whatsoever, and wonder if anyone gives a hoot. What think ye? Are podcasts relevant anymore?
I suspect that general interest in Podcasts, including poorly produced, bandwidth whoring video podcasts i s d-e-d “dead”.” the exception might be among the A-listers who somehow think what they say is important. Scoble hcontinues to be a joke. Podtech is in its deathrows as people bail like rats from s sinking ship and what made anyone think I’d be interested in this bullshit in the first place?
Jim
Never were relevant. Why would I want to listen to some idiot drone? Text is faster, non-linear as I can skip around, and I can scan a whole article in 20 seconds.
Just like I HATE those video stories. Unless you’re showing me a demo of something cool, something I have to see, write the damn story out. I don’t need to watch a talking head just like I don’t need to listen to some podcast.
Too slow a method of getting information.
I’d rather read a transcript of a conference than listen to it. Actually, I’d rather gut fish than listen to a podcast or a conference or any other non-text BS being shoveled around.
Another stupid fad on its way out. Thank goodness.
You are forgiven for getting suckered into this one. You’re allowed a bonehead move every now and then. But you’re lucky you killed that incredibly frigtarded Twitter thing before I maimed you…
Twitter: DCC is now in the bathroom! Yeah!
On the opposite side of the argument, I’m often chained to a computer for long periods, and use podcasts to make monotonous tasks bearable. A few of the ones I listen to don’t have television or radio equivalents, such as Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History. I still put the TWIT podcast in my weekly rotation, but I’m somewhat less engaged now.
I’m anxious to see the new stuff from Revision3 now that’s they’ve got Jim Louderback on board…
Thanks for your thoughtful post. It’s a good question isn’t it. The only problem with the conventional wisdom expressed in some of your responses is that all this was true during the alleged heyday and yet some of us enjoyed doing and listening.
Every time I think nothing is going on, it usually means the opposite is more true. Feels like 1968 to me.
Podcasts were methadone for journalists – they helped us kick the print-only mindset and start thinking about finding the right medium for telling the story at hand. Turns out audio is rarely the right medium, but still.
I wouldn’t dismiss them too quickly. They may have limitations as a business channel but for people devoted to a subject they are still a going concern. The Mrs. is a regular contributor to MouseGuestWeekly, devoted to all things Disney. It gets at least 1500 downloads a week. There are several other podcasts on that topic also. Does Disney need to be advertising or underwriting this? No. But a travel agent who specialized in Disney trips could drop minimal dollars for potentially big return.
For companies/journalists, I still think if you can offer compelling content via audio it works. But there just aren’t that many people who know how to do that. If your company could do the equivalent of This American Life then yes a podcast would take off. But it’s like a lot of other web things: People jumped on it without having anything to say.
A guy called me up and wanted me to be a consultant for his company’s blog. I talked to him for awhile and said he shouldn’t have one. I think I heard his jaw drop. While he was interesting enough to write one, he didn’t have the time. Otherwise his company really didn’t have anything to say in this way. It’s still all about content.
Remember, it’s all about the delivery channels now…
We need to find our readers/users/listeners/community members where they are instead of expecting them to come to where we are.
In fact, one of my regular podcasts is the IHT readtalker. I select the stories I want to hear while I work and they convert them from text to audio, then I listen. Of course, I may be the only guy geeky enough to want to hear his newspaper…esp. in that machine voice.
DCC, I am crushed!!! 🙂