Confessions of a Podcast Addict
Hi, my name is Bill and I am a podcast (netcast, Internet media) addict. I subscribe to over 110 podcasts and I listen to them all. My list starts with the “All CNET Audio Podcasts” and “All CNET Video Podcasts” subscriptions, works its way through several general news podcasts including some from CNN, Fox, and NPR, a bunch of ESPN podcasts, a gaggle of Mac, Photoshop, and photography casts, TWIT netcasts, Pixel Corps, Mevio, Revision3…. ah!!!!!! it goes on forever.
Right now I am three days behind with 84 unlistened to podcasts but fortunately the weekend will help me catch up again. As I write this I am listening to No Agenda with John C. Dvorak (who will always be the Devil’s Advocate-MacUser? to me) and Adam Curry. Ok, it just got over actually and now I am listening to a photography podcast by Martin Bailey. And I guess that brings up some of the problems I have right now and I really don’t know what to do. I am listening to a lot of podcasts but not sure I really am hearing them all the time, they just become background noise.
Now, I work at my computer all day so playing podcasts, both audio and video is not an issue. I also listen to a lot of the podcasts on my iPhone (thanks Steve!). If I find that I need to back up and re-listen to something, that is fine. Often I will discover something new that really helps me as I listen to the podcasts. But even still, I have a real hard time with not wanting to add just one more.
And so now I am facing the decision of which ones I should get rid of. Well, starting from the top I suppose I could subscribe just to the exact CNET podcasts that I really like and skip the rest. After all, they often just repeat the same story in different casts. But the “All podcasts” subscription is so handy…. And, BOL, Loaded, Car Tech… Uhm, ok, the only ones I really don’t care about are the MP3 and cell phone podcasts and it is easy to just skip over them so I guess I will just keep those two subscriptions.
Lets look at the TWIT podcasts. Hmmm, ok, the scalpel can come out here. I know I almost always skip Windows Weekly and Leo on KFI (the Tech Guy) anyways so… unsubscribe. Munchcast and This Week in Law will have to go as well. Oh, I feel so much better. That leaves TWIT, MacBreak Weekly, Security Now, Net@Night, and FLOSS Weekly.
Lets look at Revision3 shows. What can I get rid of there? I think I will keep Tekzilla, Systm, PixelPerfect, and Internet Superstar, all the rest can go. That got rid of a couple more.
From the Mevio guys… I will certainly keep GeekBrief.TV with Cali Lewis, No Agenda, Tech5, hmm, not sure what other ones are actually from the Mevio guys.
Ok, how about the news ones? Yeah, I can drop a couple from CNN and a couple from Fox and one from NPR. ESPN will be limited to Mike and Mike, Around the Horn, and PTI. I miss hearing Stephen A Smith but alas. The three I get from the New York Times I will keep and Talking Tech with Ed Baig and Jefferson Graham from USA Today I will keep.
Good grief. I really don’t have too many beyond that I want to get rid of. Everyone should watch Ask a Ninja and Strong Bad’s Email. Mac people are almost required to listen to Mac OS Ken, The MacCast, and Surf-Bit’s Mac Review Cast. Photoshop and/or Adobe CS users should always watch Photoshop Users TV and Layers TV. Photographers need to listen at least to This Week in Photography (TWiP) and Tips from the Top Floor. And finally, Flatland Church’s podcast is one that I can’t miss, even though I hear the sermon live on Sundays. If you can’t hear it live, you should hear it in the podcast!.
Well, this exercise hasn’t been a total waste but in reality, I am only down to approximately 92 podcasts. I will start paying attention a bit more to what podcasts I am not really listening to or skipping over and try to delete a few more but in truth, I have always been an info junkie and always will be. It is who I am, I will accept it and use it to the betterment of mankind *rolls eyes*.
Oh good grief! I just heard about another podcast on ESPN’s Mike and Mike called NASA Edge from NASA and subscribed to it without thinking. Well, maybe I will listen to a couple episodes and unsubscribe later. Curse you iTunes for making it too easy!