Thing 21: Like Peas in a Podcast

You know, it's interesting to think of Podcasting as radio come full circle- in a new form without the restrictions of broadcast frequency, non-replayability or poor reception. I suppose this is true, in general, for all the new digital media- they seem to represent a democratizing of the video and audio broadcasting, the illustrative examples of this being YouTube and Podcasting. As one who works in the information profession, the biggest problem I see with this is the age-old one of people believing something because they heard it on TV or radio or read it somewhere- a problem which is now translated into the digital age with the internet. While I don't see an inherent reliability as information resources in the new digital media (which is not to say that they cannot be reliable), I nonetheless applaud the freedom of expression they allow.

Anyway, I located some good Podcasts utilizing the three given directories. The first one that added to my Bloglines account was BloodCancerCAST, a podcast by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society featuring teleconferences concerning adult and childhood leukemias, which is of interest to me due to my son's condition. The second one I added was Boing Boing's Get Illuminated, a Podcast featuring random wierdnesses such as the Church of the Subgenius, consciousness studies, technology and so on. After all, it's good to have your mind blown at least once per day. Finally, as a YA Librarian who seriously digs his work, I added YA BookCast, which features Podcasted book reviews for new and outstanding teen literature. Now, if I can find time to listen to them, I'll be in good shape...