#21 Podcasts

100 years ago I was a great fan of Tony Martin and Mick Molloy - who together teamed up to produce the phenominally successful afternoon radio show "Martin Molloy". I was very cross if I ever missed a show - because unlike the TV - radio was instant. Miss it and it was gone. None of this setting the VCR business. Of course, you could tape it using the old cassette method, but this was archaic - and hello? If you were there to tape it, couldn't you just listen to it???????? Many the time I lamented this situation.
Twenty years on, as irony would have it, I have a son who is an avid fan of Tony Martin, who heads up the radio show "Get This" on Triple M. He hates missing a show. But when he does?
He simply goes on line and downloads the show he missed.
Welcome to podcasts!
Like many of our other online digital delights, there are directories to enable you to locate a particular podcast of interest - podcast.net, podcastalley.com. yahoo Podcasts - all very extensive and wide ranging.
There are 10's of 1000's on Podcast.net - ranging from soliloquies to crime reports - even a direct message from Jesus. I take it that's from one of his disciples - either that or he's really stepped up to the mark in reaching far and wide.
As I mentioned, it can be used by individuals to listen to radio broadcasts - or indeed broadcast themselves - indeed there are even a few sites to guide you through this process
http://podcasts.yahoo.com/publish
Podcasts can be used for remote school lessons, conference talks, complete news services, itune services - and in a move relevant to our libraries, complete downloads of local publications, free of charge.
I also discovered many sites with podcast reviews of books, in particular the Book Show on ABC Radio National - one of my favourite book review shows - with easy access to podcasts.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bookshow/
I do think that podcasting is still really in its infancy in terms of use and appreciation - something that will undoubtedly change rapidly in the future. I also see far greater uses and scope for it in our day to day life.