The guide to podcasting for Linux, Unix, and Mac OS X users describes what podcasting is, what a podcasting client does, lists some available clients, and provides information on how to create a podcast under Linux, Unix, and Mac OS X. The guide also discusses what content is available as podcasts and gives some suggestions on finding feeds.
I just started listening to podcasts the other day. Perlcast is pretty cool. One of the topics that is relevant here is making a podcatcher in perl. Josh, the host, was tired of iPodder on his Linux box (I felt I had to mention that he’s using Linux to get all the mac fanboys to shut up), so he wrote his own podcatcher. Pretty cool stuff.
I will quote Maddox on this one:
“Podcast: Someone had the revolutionary idea of taking a compressed audio file and putting it online. Yeah, doesn’t sound so sexy when I describe it for what it is, does it you morons?”
Ok, minus the swearing, I’m afraid I have to agree with the stance. It’s just publishing something on the web (just like blogs) only having the entry-barrier removed by specialised software.
Entry-barrier removing means more crap on the internet.
I’d like to understand this as well. What is it about podcasts that is any better than right clicking and save as to your computer (ok, I’m windows centric these days). For example, “On the media” (http://www.onthemedia.org) makes it easy to download mp3s of their show. Is there anything more to podcasting than saving a few mouse clicks? Maybe when I get a chance to read the Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting), I’ll get it (the article linked in the story didn’t look very informative).
I could imagine a true broadcast model that would reduce internet traffic for very popular shows, but of course you’d have to have your computer on and ready to receive the stream when it is broadcasted, and I don’t get the impression any podcasting system actually does this (does it?).
I’ve experimented with both Windows and Linux versions of recording FM radio using a sound card (I used cron in both cases) and the nice thing about that is I can get much better quality than many of the downloads currently available.
Too bad most programs are still mp3 – I wish ogg had been promoted more heavily as a really good 32 Kbit FM mono talk show encoder. (On the media uses 56 Kbit mp3 and has quite noticeable artifacts).
Dara Parsavand
I wonder if this will work with rush 24/7……