Smaller Potatoes
In chapter 8 of the text some of the
“smaller potatoes” are mentioned, none of which I use on a daily
basis, but there was one however that stood out to me as something
that people should take more advantage of. In this new digital age of
technology we are able to now broadcast any sort of sound out there
for the world to hear with simplicity. Today we have podcasting which
in the book describes it as “the new new media recording and
dissemination of sound—music, interviews, soliloquies”. Although
I don’t normally use podcasting I do know the basics of how to work
it and what its uses are.
According to LearningTimes.com they
describe what a podcast is and some of which I did not know. “A
podcast is a digital broadcast made available on the Internet. The
word “podcast” is derived from “pod” as in Apple’s iPod,
the popular portable audio player, and “cast” from “broadcast”,
meaning “to transmit for general or public use.” I didn’t
realize that Apple had such a big part in sort of creating a podcast
only because they had them on Itunes.
http://www.learningtimes.com/what-we-do/podcast-production/about/
--This is the link for LearningTimes.com which I think has some
really good information that could be useful if you needed any help.
Based on the other “smaller potatoes”
podcasting just makes the most sense to me because it literally is
access anytime, anywhere. It is different from the others because
unlike MySpace for example or Reddit, which have information right in
front of you, podcasts need to be downloaded and created in order to
have the benefit of using them wherever. Some of the reasons why I
believe podcasts should be used by more people is that for one the
convenience of having it on the go is a major positive. Being able to
download and sync anything onto your smart phone or mp3 player allows
people to share while discovering at the same time their choice of
information.
The second reason why podcasting is
more of a larger smaller potato is just the simplicity in the whole
idea of sharing information so quickly through the use of a
microphone with sound recording programs to then download what you
want to listen to and take with you where ever you go. With the use
of directories such as iTunes, all you need to do is search for a
topic and download the podcast which is then automatically saved to
your devices.
Lastly, why I believe podcasting is a
tool that needs to be used more often is that people really don’t
understand the endless amount of information and things you are able
to record and hear. The possibilities run from listening to a book
from your favorite author, to any sporting event/coverage, to music
along with shows and speeches. Listening to the same music on your
Ipod gets boring after a while but when you are able to listen to a
book that you have had no time to read, uploading it to your iPhone
for example allows you to listen in your car on the way to work.
I would definitely recommend using
podcasts for personal benefit, but I believe more people need to
become more aware so that they can take advantage of the
opportunities presented.
Work Cited:
"What Is Podcasting?"
LearningTimes RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.learningtimes.com/what-we-do/podcast-production/about/>.
Levinson, Paul. "Chapter 8 Smaller
Potatoes." New New Media. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2009.
126-60. Print.
Mike, I definitely agree with you in the fact that podcasting is the bigger of these small potatoes and that podcasting should be used by more people. I wrote my blog prompt #3 with the same opinion as you on podcasting. I am only subscribed to three stations on my iPhone, one about the Dallas Cowboys, other two have to do with Fantasy Football, and the NFL Draft. The points you made about having the podcasts wherever you go and at the palm of your hand and also how easy it is to search for a station and have it automatically download to your phone when a new episode, were two topics I also discussed in my blog. This paragraph from an article on the website HowStuffWorks describes how we both feel on the topic of podcasting pretty well, "Unlike Internet radio, users don't have to 'tune in' to a particular broadcast. Instead, they download the podcast on demand or subscribe via an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed, which automatically downloads the podcast to their computers. The technology is similar to that used by TiVo, a personal video recorder that lets users set which programs they'd like to record and then automatically records those programs for later viewing." While anyone being able to make a podcast may make some think that they are un-informative but they really are a neat tool in discovering new things and finding out more information on stuff that interests you.
ReplyDeleteHere is my works cited page:
Works Cited
"How Podcasting Works." HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2014. .
MLA formatting by BibMe.org.
Nick McKinney
ReplyDeleteI have never personally used a podcast, but from what I have heard they are very useful and incredibly easy to use. I have to agree with you when you say people should use this more often, I think it could be beneficial to many.
The first main reason I agree with you about podcasts, is just like you said, it is different and can be used on the go. Be able to use this on the go makes it very convenient for the user and also very easy. Being able to download and sync anything onto your smart phone or mp3 player allows people to share while discovering at the same time, and also allows them to share and discover information they specifically want. The second part I agree with is how simple it is to use. (WHAT IS PODCASTING?) People in this day and age want things now and easy. No one wants to take a long time to do anything, and if something is a little difficult or takes too much effort, then people won’t do it.
Overall I agree that podcasts should be bigger than just “smaller potatoes”. Podcasts are very useful and super simple to use, and that’s a big factor to people.
Works Cited
WHAT IS PODCASTING? 2012. 9 Aril 2014 .