Transcript http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/trieste-2005/talk-2a/ Podcasting: Transforming Society Or Overblown Hype? Brian Kelly UKOLN University of Bath Bath Email [email protected] URL http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/ Summary What is Podcasting? Why all the hype? Is it relevant to us? How do I.

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/trieste-2005/talk-2a/
Podcasting: Transforming
Society Or Overblown Hype?
Brian Kelly
UKOLN
University of Bath
Bath
Email
[email protected]
URL
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/
Summary
What is Podcasting? Why all the
hype? Is it relevant to us? How do
I use it?
Key
or link
Links to further
information
UKOLN is supported by:
A centre of expertise in digital information management
www.ukoln.ac.uk
Background
What We'll Cover
In this talk I will cover:
•
•
•
•
What Podcasting is
The reason for the hype
Its potential in our environment
Creating a Podcast – live example!
Acceptable Use Policy
• A recording will be made of this talk and will be made available
as a Podcast
• Please indicate if you wish to say anything which you do not
want
to be made
availablemanagement
A centre
of expertise
in digital information
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2
What is Podcasting?
Social Perspective On Podcasting:
• Transforming society; freeing the airwaves;
democratising radio; …
• Podcasting is to radio what Blogs are to the mass
media – anyone can do it; all can read
Technical Perspective On Podcasting:
• A simple RSS 2.0 application:
 RSS allows content to automatically appear (syndicated)
in Web pages (and other application)
 Why not syndicate an MP3 file?
 Automatically appear on a hard drive – e.g. your iPod
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• Very simple to use as end user
• Simple to use as a publisher
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• More difficult to do well!
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Technologies
Podcasting At Library Events
http://openstacks.net/os/
http://www.tametheweb.com/
archives/000732.html#000732
ttwblog/archives/000942.html
Recent interest in
Podcasts from US Public
Library sector:
• Michael’s Stephens’
Tame The Web
(library-oriented) Blog
describes his
experiments
• Much discussion on
Web4Lib list in
Jan/Feb 2005
• First Public Library
Podcast claimed in
May 2005, Podcasts on
Jan/Feb 2005
talks at NEASSIST event
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Experiences At Bath University
http://www.bath.ac.uk/dacs/cdntl/pMachine/morriblog.php
CDNTL, University of
Bath provides a highlyregarded e-learning
Blog, Auricle
During 2005, Auricle
has been enhanced
with an accompanying
Podcast:
• Use of Skype for
interviews
• Gaining experiences
in recording issues
Note that Podcasting is new in UK HE sector. Googling
"podcast
uk university"
finds student
union music experiments!
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My Involvement
Podcasting at Institutional
Web Management
Workshop, Manchester, 68 July:
• Brief (< 5 mins)
Podcasts released
prior to event, giving a
'taster'
• One of the keynote
talks Podcasted
• Using Skype to allow
remote users to
participate
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Creating A Podcast (1)
Making the recording:
• Initially used Belkin Recorder with iPod – but low
resolution
• Better to use decent mike and PC (e.g. Audacity
open source software)
• Record as WAV then convert to MP3
Making the recording available:
• Copy to Web server and link to it
But:
• This isn't new (so what, you may say)
• This doesn't address the automated distribution
• Need to create an RSS file for the recording
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Creating A Podcast (2)
Early adopters approach – copy & edit existing RSS file
<channel>
<title>IWMW 2005 Podcasts</title>
<link>http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/webfocus/events/podcasts/podcasts.xml
</link>
<description>Podcasts About IWMW
2005</description>
<language>en-gb</language>
<copyright>Creative Commons Attribution and Share-alike</copyright>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2005 10:00:00
GMT</pubDate>
<item>
<title>Podcast 1 For IWMW 2005</title>
<link>http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/…podcasts
/podcast-iwmw-2005-01.mp3</link>
<guid>http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/…/
podcasts/#podcast-01</guid>
<description>This introductory Podcast
describes what a Podcast is and ….
( 2.5 minute long MP3 recording, ~1.6
MB).</description>
<enclosure url="http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/
…/podcasts/podcast-iwmw-200501.mp3" length="1575770"
type="audio/mpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jun 2005
...</pubDate>
</item>
Podcasting tools are being
developed to make process easier
(e.g. AudioBlog, Blogmatrix, etc).
Developers
should
readinthe
spec.
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Accessing A Podcast
To access a Podcast:
• Install Podcast software
e.g. iPodder, Jager,
Blogmatrix, …
• Add URL of RSS file
• Select config options
 Frequency of polling
 Times for download
 Location of MP3 file (hard
drive; external drive such
as iPod)
• Or use other software to
transfer file to device
(e.g. iTunes)
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Usage Scenarios
Why are we doing this?
What, if any, are the most appropriate areas?
What are your views?
Some thoughts:
• Not a replacement for listening live (and in flesh)
but as a support in case of problems (e.g. couldn't
attend talk), conflicts (parallel sessions), …
• Provides a 'taster', helps in marketing, addresses
additional areas (e.g. social activities), …
• Use by peers who wish to make use of materials
(e.g. slides on Podcasting available with CC
licence – but how are they used)
• Keeping informed of developments elsewhere
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Question
Any questions or comments?
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