I think I'm having a classic "what? keyword searching on Google won't find everything I need?" moment. These podcast sites offer pretty good subject-based browsing (by "genre"!), and I really should have known I was missing something.
I can definitely find podcasts that interest me (see Thing # 19 for my weakness...), but I can also find podcasts that would really help a librarian get up to date on subjects they aren't so familiar with. Anyone up for a listen to Wednesday's Haul, a podcast about new comic books?
I already subscribe to several RSS feeds for podcasts, including one for learning Italian, an Indie-music show with women artists, and even one that I also found listed on Podcast.net, All You Can Eat. The RSS feeds for audio programs are fantastic because listening to them is a commitment of time, and it takes a bit of planning to make sure I will actually be able to set aside the time to listen to them. Not being tethered to a radio station's timetable is quite a blessing!
I know the important thing about podcasts is that you're supposed to be able to download them and put them on a portable device. For a while, users like me who don't have a portable device would have to download them to our machines to listen to them. I much prefer the flexibility of being able to choose when I want to listen to the streaming program or download it. This also brings up the point that not all audio programs are podcasts - some of them are only available for streaming, and still have really useful information in them.
And finally, I get a chance to say this in public! Has anyone else noticed that blogs, websites, YouTube, and podcasts have made the end of Pump Up the Volume look like child's play?? You can see the movie trailer here. Take note of the clips of pirate radio stations around the 6 minute mark in the trailer - teenagers able to broadcasts about what's really on their minds? Sound like the internet yet!?
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