Podcasting for Technical Communicators

Podcasting for Technical Communicators

By Jennifer L. Bowie, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Technical Communication at Georgia State University

For Currents on Saturday March 15, 2008

Overview

• What is it: A brief introduction to podcasting

• Why should we care: Podcasting & technical communication

• What would interest us: Podcasts for us

• Why should we podcast: Jobs and interests

What is it: A brief introduction to podcasting

• Podcast: iPod + broadcast• Not just for iPods• Digital media files distributed over

the internet• RSS feeds• Often played on portable media

players (like the iPod)• Time-shifted

What is it: A brief introduction to podcasting

• Popular– 17 million podcast listeners in 2008

(predicted )– 16% of Internet users in 2007– 30% of MP3 player owners have

downloaded a podcast

Red is blogging

Blue is podcasting

Google Trends search

Why should we care: Podcasting & technical communication

• Technology and media are often part of our jobs

• We are communicators– Audience, purpose, context & the five

canons– Oral presentations– Lessons learned may help other forms– “New” way to reach audience and get the

message across• We are researchers and interested in

learning• Quick reference for us to point to

Why should we care: Podcasting & technical communication

• Too little time: work & personal• Jobs often have constantly changing

technology and training requirements

• Jack (and master) of all trades• Understand the trends

What would interest us: Podcasts for us

Two categories: • Job• Entertainment/Education/Life

What would interest us: Podcasts for us (Job/Educational )

• Writing issues: some– Grammar Girl: Grammar tips– Podictionary: Definition and history of a word – Trafcom News Podcast: Communication in various forms with

clients, prospects, and employers– What is missing here?

• Tech writing/comm: few – Tech Writer Voices: Tech writing podcast by an STCer (?)– Business Writing with UpWrite Press: Tips and advice for

workplace writing– Musing of a Tech Writer: More personal look at life politics,

movies and tech writing– This about it

• STC: very few– Networking Tips for Freelancers, Work-at-Homers, and Other

Professionals: Washington DC Chapter podcast http://stcwdc.podomatic.com/

– STC Atlanta: Our own podcast! http://mschoen.libsyn.com/– East Bay (Northern CA) podcast

http://www.ebstc.org/podcasts.html


• Technology: tons– TED talks– This week in Tech: Latest trends in tech (Leo Laporte)– Inside Mac Radio: News and updates from the Mac

community

• Learning Technology: many– Learn Excel from MrExcel Video Podcast – LearnFlash.com Video Podcast– Building the Pod: About using Adobe Audition

• Design: lots– Appclinic – Graphic design tutorials– Tips from the top floor: Digital photography – The InDesigner: InDesign advice and help for designers


• Usability and User Experience: some– UIE Brian Sparks: User interface engineering (was

SpoolCast)– UXpod: User experience podcast– Design Critique: “Encourages usable product designs”

• Web Design: some but podfading (or in German or about marketing)– Boagworld: For serious designers – Web Axe: Accessibility web design podcast– Screen Space: Web design for the average person

http://www.screenspace.org • Language:

– JapanesePod101.com– Jordanian Arabic Language Lessons (done by the Peace

Crop)– Learn French by Podcast

What would interest us: Podcasts for us (Entertainment/Education/Life)

• Fiction:– Escape Pod (scifi), Pseudopod (horror),

PodCastle (fantasy, April 1)– The New Yorker Fiction – Earthcore, Ancestor, and Infection: podcast

books by Scott Sigler

• Hobbies:– Gaming: Virgin Worlds– Gardening: Dirt on gardening – Astronomy: AstronomyCast


• History: – 12 Byzantine Rulers– Great Speeches in History– Military History Podcast

• Advice:– Quick and Dirty tips: Money Girl, Mr.

Manners, Legal Lad, Mighty Mommy, Get-it-done Guy

– Savage Love– Monster Podcast (Monster.com)


• Health & Exercise:– PODRUNNER: Music for running– Tri Talk Triathlon Podcast– National Institutes of Health

• Radio Theater– Decoder Ring Theatre – Spaceship Radio– Radio Adventures of Dr Floyd


• Alternative Lifestyle– Q-Podders community:

www.qpodder.com– Polyamory weekly– Feast of Fools

• Other interests:– Talking Traffic– Ask a Ninja– Midwest Teen Sex Show


• Politics:– Obama & Clinton both have them– 2008 Central’s Presidential Election Podcast– Left Wing Nut Job

• And much more– Education and iTunes University– Music– Interviews– News– Local– Books

Why should we podcast?For our Job

• Many companies or organizations have them– About 1/3 of major corporations– Examples:

• Planned Parenthood• Microsoft: Voice of Support PodCasts• The Jim Henson Company Podcast

• Types:– Company Sponsored– Product-based– Product-integrated– Company News

Why should we podcast?For our Job

• Value:– “Global” time-shifted and relatively low-cost

communication– Reaches different audiences– Gives customers “more”– Establishes trust in the product or company– “Advertising”– Enter the podcasting community– Community development

• Consultant Podcasts:– All the value and then some– Get name out and known– Give the client a preview

Why should we podcast?Personal

• Job related• Interest related• Subject

– Love it– Look for holes or focuses

• Time considerations– Length– Your time

• Licensing: Consider Creative Commons• Music:

– Magnatune – Pod Safe Audio– Creative Commons works: NIN Ghost I-VI

• Money Considerations– Costs– Profit?

Podcasting for Technical Communicators• We are communicators• Can be useful on the job, as a

consultant, or just as an interested person

• A perfect fit

Thank you

Jennifer L. Bowie

http://www.rhetcomp.gsu.edu/~jbowie & http://www.screenspace.org/

[email protected]

Images:

•“Angel holding a microphone boom” by Herman Beun http://www.flickr.com/photos/_herman/2175392600/

•“Microphone” by sAeroZar's http://www.flickr.com/photos/52291469@N00/2236886057/

Documents

Podcasting for Technical Communicators