A centre of expertise in digital information management Podcasting: Transforming Society Or Overblown Hype? Brian Kelly UKOLN University

A centre of expertise in digital information management

www.ukoln.ac.uk

Podcasting: Transforming Society Or Overblown Hype? Brian KellyUKOLNUniversity of [email protected]://www.ukoln.ac.uk/

Summary

What is Podcasting? Why all the hype? Is it relevant to us? How do I use it?

Summary

What is Podcasting? Why all the hype? Is it relevant to us? How do I use it?

UKOLN is supported by:

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/eunis-2005/workshop/#podcasthttp://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/eunis-2005/workshop/#podcast

link Links to further information

Key

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What We'll Cover

In this talk I will cover:• What Podcasting is• The reason for the hype• Its potential in our environment• Creating a Podcast – live example!

Acceptable Use Policy• A recording will be made of this talk and will be made available

as a Podcast• Please indicate if you wish top say anything which you do not

want to be made available

Acceptable Use Policy• A recording will be made of this talk and will be made available

as a Podcast• Please indicate if you wish top say anything which you do not

want to be made available

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What is Podcasting?

Social Perspective On Podcasting:• Transforming society; freeing the airwaves;

democratising radio; …• Podcasting is to radio what Blogs are to the mass

media – anyone can do it; all can read

Technical Perspective On Podcasting:• A simple RSS 2.0 application:

RSS allows content to automatically appear (syndicated) in Web pages (and other application)

Why not syndicate an MP3 file? Automatically appear on a hard drive – e.g. your iPod

• Very simple to use as end user• Simple to use as a publisher• More difficult to do well!


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Podcasting At Library Events

Recent interest in Podcasts from US Public Library sector:• Michael’s Stephens’

Tame The Web (library-oriented) Blog describes his experiments

• Much discussion on Web4Lib list in Jan/Feb 2005

• First Public Library Podcast claimed in Jan/Feb 2005

http://www.tametheweb.com/ttwblog/archives/000942.html

http://www.tametheweb.com/ttwblog/archives/000942.htmlhttp://openstacks.net/os/archives/000732.html#000732

http://openstacks.net/os/archives/000732.html#000732

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May 2004, Podcasts on talks at NEASSIST event


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Experiences At Bath University

CDNTL, University of Bath provides a highly-regarded e-learning Blog, Auricle

During 2005, Auricle has been enhanced with an accompanying Podcast:

• Use of Skype for interviews

• Gaining experiences in recording issues

http://www.bath.ac.uk/dacs/cdntl/pMachine/morriblog.phphttp://www.bath.ac.uk/dacs/cdntl/pMachine/morriblog.php

Note that Podcasting is new in UK HE sector. Googling "podcast uk university" finds student union music experiments!

Note that Podcasting is new in UK HE sector. Googling "podcast uk university" finds student union music experiments!


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My Plans

Podcasting at Institutional Web Management Workshop, Manchester, 6-8 July:

• Brief (< 5 mins) Podcasts released prior to event, giving a 'taster'

• Plans to Podcast the talks

• Perhaps using Skype to allow remote users to participate


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Creating A Podcast (1)

Making the recording:• Initially used Belkin Recorder with iPod – but low

resolution• Better to use decent mike and PC (e.g. Audacity

open source software)• Record as WAV then convert to MP3

Making the recording available:• Copy to Web server and link to it

But:• This isn't new (so what, you may say)• This doesn't address the automated distribution• Need to create an RSS file for the recording


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Creating A Podcast (2)

Early adopters approach – copy & edit existing RSS file

<item><title>Podcast 1 For IWMW 2005</title><link>http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/…podcasts/podcast-iwmw-2005-01.mp3</link><guid>http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/…/podcasts/#podcast-01</guid><description>This introductory Podcast describes what a Podcast is and ….( 2.5 minute long MP3 recording, ~1.6 MB).</description><enclosure url="http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/…/podcasts/podcast-iwmw-2005-01.mp3" length="1575770" type="audio/mpeg"/><pubDate>Sun, 12 Jun 2005 ...</pubDate></item>

<channel><title>IWMW 2005 Podcasts</title><link>http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/podcasts/podcasts.xml</link><description>Podcasts About IWMW 2005</description><language>en-gb</language><copyright>Creative Commons - Attribution and Share-alike</copyright><pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2005 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate>

Podcasting tools are being developed to make process easier (e.g. AudioBlog, Blogmatrix, etc). Developers should read the spec.

Podcasting tools are being developed to make process easier (e.g. AudioBlog, Blogmatrix, etc). Developers should read the spec.


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Accessing A Podcast

To access a Podcast:• Install Podcast software

e.g. iPodder, Jager, Blogmatrix, …

• Add URL of RSS file• Select config options

Frequency of polling Times for download Location of MP3 file (hard

drive; external drive such as iPod)

• Or use other software to transfer file to device (e.g. iTunes)


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Usage Scenarios

Why are we doing this?

What, if any, are the most appropriate areas?

What are your views?

Some thoughts:• Not a replacement for listening live (and in flesh)

but as a support in case of problems (e.g. couldn't attend talk), conflicts (parallel sessions), …

• Provides a 'taster', helps in marketing, addresses additional areas (e.g. social activities), …

• Use by peers who wish to make use of materials (e.g. slides on Podcasting available with CC licence – but how are they used)

• Keeping informed of developments elsewhere

Some thoughts:• Not a replacement for listening live (and in flesh)

but as a support in case of problems (e.g. couldn't attend talk), conflicts (parallel sessions), …

• Provides a 'taster', helps in marketing, addresses additional areas (e.g. social activities), …

• Use by peers who wish to make use of materials (e.g. slides on Podcasting available with CC licence – but how are they used)

• Keeping informed of developments elsewhere


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Question

Any questions or comments?

Documents

A centre of expertise in digital information management Podcasting: Transforming Society Or Overblown Hype? Brian Kelly UKOLN University