Podcasts

I think podcasts are a great feature of web 2.0 technology. When I first got an iPod, I subscribed to my favorite NPR shows' podcasts (e.g. Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me!). Of course, since I already had the iTunes software on my computer, I used it to subscribe, and I've never really investigated other podcast directories until now.

Although listed on the TLC 2.0 site as not requiring a software download, podcast.net and podcastalley.com tell users they must download podcasting software before subscribing to podcasts. The software seems to be free, however, so that's certainly no deterrent! Only Yahoo!Search makes no mention of separate software, but maybe I just didn't see it.



I guess the advantage to these directory sites is that they collect podcasts into popular categories, to make browsing easy. On Podcast Alley, you can get the top 10 podcasts, or one of several other selections, in one feed. Another distinguishing feature of Podcast Alley and Podcast.net is the ability to upload podcasts. I guess this makes the the audio equivalents of YouTube!

I added NPR:Books to my Bloglines account. Will I keep up with the podcasts? I have a feeling ...