The History of Podcasting
Podcasting is the delivery of audio content such as audio blogs, lectures, walking tours, and many other forms of audio recordings via RSS. Real Simple Syndication (RSS) refers to a group of web feed formats used to publish work that is updated often. Podcasting got its start in the blogging world but has quickly moved into mainstream use. Podcasting has an interesting history that includes a starring role for former MTV veejay Adam Curry.
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Introduction to Podcasting
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Podcasting is the delivery of online audio content via an RSS feed. It allows people to determine when and where they listen to the programming that interests them. Podcasts are easy to create and post and have allowed some podcasters to become radio stars. Aspiring podcasters can set up their own radio station and broadcast their views, talents, knowledge or opinions to the world, or at least to listeners who subscribe.
The Basics of Podcasting
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Creating a podcast is fairly simple and there are a variety of tools available on the Internet to help beginning podcasters. A podcast is basically an audio file that is saved as an MP3 file. The file is uploaded and an RSS feed is created. An RSS feed acts as a container for the files and directs aggregator programs where to get new files. An aggregator program is software that downloads new episodes when they become available. RSS feeds can be created with XML code, or websites such as feedburner.com can create the link for you. The link can be put on your blog or website and by clicking on it people subscribe to the podcast.
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Origin of the Term Podcasting
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The term podcasting was originally coined by Ben Hammersely in an article he wrote for The Guardian in February 2004. He was referring to audio blogging or amateur radio on the web. It is simply a combination of the word iPod and broadcasting. When Hammersely coined the phrase the iPod was far and away the most popular MP3 player on the market. The term appeared again in September 2004 when Dannie Gregoire used it to describe the automatic download and synchronization process that Adam Curry was developing. A month later, articles started appearing on the web with instructions on how to podcast, and by July 2005, if you searched the term podcast on Google, it would return over 2 million hits. The New Oxford dictionary added the term in its 2005 edition.
The Years Before Podcasting
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Podcasting sprang up to fill a void in the blogging community. Bloggers had begun posting MP3 files on their blogs, which allowed them to communicate with their audience in a whole different way, but it was not very convenient for subscribers who had to return to the blog for updates and download the file. It was evident that there needed to be an easier way.
Podcasting Timeline
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2001 - RSS feeds were becoming popular and, in 2001, Adam Curry of early MTV fame, Tristan Louis and Dave Winer added support for an enclosure element that aggregated audio files via RSS. This feature was used for the next two years.
2003 - In 2003 Dave Winer created an RSS feed with enclosures for his friend Christopher Lydon. When he announced it, he challenged other developers to support the format. In October 2003, Adam Curry created what would be the first open source pod catcher. His software reads the enclosures on files and checks for updated files and downloads them. It automatically transfers the files to an iPod or MP3 player. He asked people to build on his ideas. Podcasting took off from there.
2004 -- Podcasting came into its own when it was officially named and detailed instructions appeared on the internet.
Podcasting Today
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While podcasting got its start in the blogging world, it was quickly adopted by companies, schools, newspapers and anyone with something to share. Podcasting allows companies to reach customers 24 hours a day, and lets students listen to lectures at times that are convenient for them. It allows everyone to become a broadcaster, so niche hobbies and interests can reach a very personalized and loyal audience. As more and more people seek information out on the Internet, podcasting is becoming a more powerful and popular medium.
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