The Vortex Effect

So, I set out to create a podcast so long ago I don’t even remember why and now that I have finally acquired all the equipment one would need to sound semi-professional in a recording, I have come to a crossroads of sorts. As I listen to the garbage that is now available out on the Web for podcasts, I become less and less inclined to actually record one. I think the turning point was when Adam Curry and his monetizing business partner released their 4 hour Podshow. As I was listening to Adam Curry, whose Daily Source Code was somewhat entertaining but never so entertaining that I ‘couldn’t wait for the next episode to be released”, and his advertising $$$ happy partner go on and on about how they were going to take podcasting into the future, how they had recruited the original pioneers of podcasting for their company and were getting these pioneers to create categories and find even better podcasts and how advertising and sponsorships were going to rule the day, it was right then that I thought “Shit. They’re going to ruin it.” But, to their credit, they didn’t end up having enough time to ruin it. No, it wasn’t until Apple came along and included podcasts in Itunes that things really turned sour. Now, the common man could podcast. Dad could podcast, Grandma could podcast, Sis could podcast, the whole damn family could podcast because it was just SOOOOOOOOOO easy! Websites popped up everywhere; “Hey, we’ll set up your RSS feed, We’ll help you get your podcast up”, “Hey, come here and you can blog and podcast”, “Anyone can podcast! Join the fun!”, “Got absolutely nothing to say? Podcasting’s for you!”, “Are you the most boring person you know? PODCASTING!” ; ka-ching, ka-ching, the cash registers started rattling. That, my friends, is when it all went to shit. Because, at the very heart of podcasting was the idea that it was a small community of people creating content unavailable anywhere else that would be listened to by a small community of listeners desperate for something to listen to other than what was on the radio dial. Because of podcastings exclusive nature (not many knew about it and even less knew how to create one and distribute it) only those with enough technical knowledge and do-it-yourself motivation made them. This made finding good podcasts easy because you knew that if someone put a podcast together a.) they weren’t idiots, b.) they had enough belief in what they had to say that they were willing to figure shit out on their own and c.) they were already tapped in to the community of like-minded individuals. Now, trying to find a good podcast is like trying to find a needle in the largest motherfucking haystack you’ve ever seen. Its not like you can just channel surf, people. You have to download the file, transfer the file to an MP3 Player, find time to listen to the damn thing. Then, if its complete shite, you have to go back into your podcatcher, delete the feed, delete the file, remove it from your MP3 player. ITS A HUGE PAIN IN THE ASS. Its not a community anymore, its fucking Disneyland. The tourists have ruined the rides, everythings in shambles…. So, here I am, with all my equipment and very little motivation. What to do, what to do.

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