Week 5 Blog Assignment: Podcasts

This quarter in Jason's class, Emerging Communication Technologies 350, we are learning about and making podcasts. Until this class I had never had any interest in podcasts or even what a podcast was. However after doing some research I learned that a podcast is short for iPod broadcast, mainly because iPods are so popular in today's society and whatever is recorded and published is usually downloaded onto an iPod. The broadcast part of the definition is because a podcast is like a short radio talk show, usually published in a series. The subject of a podcast can be anything, ranging from informational to persuasive. In many ways a podcast is like a blog, except that a user downloads it onto their computer or media player to listen to and just read online. When subscribing to a podcast, users can subscribe to an entire series so that when a new chapter comes out it will automatically download to their computer and be available for listening immediately. Podcasts are most often listened to, but occasionally videos will be attached as well. And anyone can make a podcast. Like a blog, anyone is able to make a podcast, all it takes is a computer, a microphone and internet access. Most podcasts are free, but some, probably produced by a more professional standpoint, can cost.
This quarter in Jason's class we are working with a program called Audacity. Audacity is a free recording program, compatible with most operating systems, for recording live audio. In addition to simply being able to record audio, Audacity can convert tapes and records to digital recordings and CDs, cut and paste sounds bites together, and edit your recordings. Attached is an informational youtube video on how to use Audacity, first on a Mac and then on a Windows operating system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w5L3gy9IJI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDwlJgmavNo

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/