Podcasts
I have been reading up on discussions about podcasting: opinions range from 'it's the next big revolution' to 'this is just fluff, and a lot of hype by some'. As with most such issues, it's best to see for yourself. And I accidentally hit upon BBC's podcast for their 'Go Digital' section. Here's what I experienced:
First, it was a pleasure that the download was so quick. I tried this on a dial-up (as a designer I am intensely interested in how accessible a technology really is to people world-wide, not just the ones with broad-band & cable connections; that's a great reason for using PCs too in one's toolbox). So this one started streaming in a few seconds, no stuttering, no pauses that one typically gets with audio & video downloads as the slow connection gasps to keep pace with the material coming in). Great experience there.
As I listen to the interviews & discussions, I started getting really excited about it. I could move about in the house, carry on my other activities, & yet continue to listen to news I wanted to stay abreast of. Now what routinely happens with me is that everyday I plan to get into my favorite news sites (BBC is one) to quickly scan through important happenings. It never works, really. I put these news sites into a favorites folder, but that was it. There were always other things to take care of, so ............ Next I added all of these to my news aggregator, hoping that would solve the problem. But again no, there are times that I do not open my RSS reader for days on end!
I now realise part of the problem may have to do with the nature/constraints of the above experiences: I have to be at my computer for one; and more importantly, a good deal of focus & eye-power ( for want of a better term) is required to carry out these activities. Reading off computer screens is enormously straining on the eyes, thus inducing one to scan text rather than to actually read.
Podcasting solves that problem beautifully: download the file to your computer or mp3 player, listen to it at leisure. No eye-strain, plus one now has mobility, and there are other bonuses too!! Listening to the BBC podcast brought home to me the wealth of communication in the human voice. The intonations, the laughter, the warmth, the horror: all so effectively conveyed through this channel. And the best bonus for me was I didn't have to look at grisly pictures even when the topic might steer to Iraq or the London bombings. This enables one to focus on other bits of the story, rather than the overbearing pictures!!
First, it was a pleasure that the download was so quick. I tried this on a dial-up (as a designer I am intensely interested in how accessible a technology really is to people world-wide, not just the ones with broad-band & cable connections; that's a great reason for using PCs too in one's toolbox). So this one started streaming in a few seconds, no stuttering, no pauses that one typically gets with audio & video downloads as the slow connection gasps to keep pace with the material coming in). Great experience there.
As I listen to the interviews & discussions, I started getting really excited about it. I could move about in the house, carry on my other activities, & yet continue to listen to news I wanted to stay abreast of. Now what routinely happens with me is that everyday I plan to get into my favorite news sites (BBC is one) to quickly scan through important happenings. It never works, really. I put these news sites into a favorites folder, but that was it. There were always other things to take care of, so ............ Next I added all of these to my news aggregator, hoping that would solve the problem. But again no, there are times that I do not open my RSS reader for days on end!
I now realise part of the problem may have to do with the nature/constraints of the above experiences: I have to be at my computer for one; and more importantly, a good deal of focus & eye-power ( for want of a better term) is required to carry out these activities. Reading off computer screens is enormously straining on the eyes, thus inducing one to scan text rather than to actually read.
Podcasting solves that problem beautifully: download the file to your computer or mp3 player, listen to it at leisure. No eye-strain, plus one now has mobility, and there are other bonuses too!! Listening to the BBC podcast brought home to me the wealth of communication in the human voice. The intonations, the laughter, the warmth, the horror: all so effectively conveyed through this channel. And the best bonus for me was I didn't have to look at grisly pictures even when the topic might steer to Iraq or the London bombings. This enables one to focus on other bits of the story, rather than the overbearing pictures!!
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