Podcasting

=Podcasting=

A podcast is a multimedia file distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. The term, as originally coined by Ben Hammersley in an article in the Guardian on February 12, 2004 [1], was meant as a portmanteau of "broadcasting" and "iPod". Like 'radio', it can mean both the content and the method of delivery; the latter may also be termed podcasting. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster. Though podcasters' web sites may also offer direct download or streaming of their content, a podcast is distinguished from other digital audio formats by its ability to be downloaded automatically using software capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Atom.

There has been some controversy in using the name 'Podcasting', due to the fact that it uses the most of the letters in Apple's iPod. By using the name 'Podcasting' implies that an Apple iPod must be owned in order to enjoy podcasts themselves. [|Leo Laporte], one of the most prominent podcasters, who runs the [|TWiT podcast network], put forth a suggestion to change the name of 'podcasts' to 'netcasts', so as to: > > 'Podcast' from creators of content
 * 1) Stop the confusion caused by the use of the name 'podcast'
 * 1) Prevent Apple Computers from trying to trademark and thus take away the name
 * 1) Make a more general and neutral name for the distribution of audio files across the internet.

So far, the idea garned a bit of interest, but most of the industry is sticking with the original term.

Software
In 2005 the first software that supported podcasting was introduced by Adam Curry. Named the iPodder, this program allowed you to feed podcasts created by other users to your computer using RSS. The iPodder, growing in popularity, encouraged people to start hosting their own broadcasts like radio shows and exchange mp3s with one another. Often podcasts are forced to be low-quality to keep the file sizes small and badwidth down. Peer-to-peer technologies like BitTorrent help to distribute podcasts allowing higher quality audio and even video podcasts to be shared.

Problems with Podcasting
One problem that has arisen within podcasting is called podjacking. Podjacking is when an RSS feed is created for a podcast without the creator’s permission. The podjacker may then force the owner to comply to demands or they will redirect viewers to other content, possibly costing the original creator advertising. What is going to happen when iPods become out dated and no longer run the mobile listening world... and all the cars and tools made to be work with them... are the new products going to be operable with the previous connections? As technology continues to evolve, will the evolution of iPod's be friendly or confusing and frustrating?

Source
[|wikipedia.org]