Metaboston Media

Podcamp Montreal

 

I'll be presenting at Podcamp Montreal and attending a bunch of other sessions.  I'll be talking about the DIY aspect of podcasting and social media in general.

Upcoming Podcamps

The next Podcamps coming up on the horizon are in Philadelphia and Montreal.

These relaxed social media conferences are a great opportunity to learn more about social media in a collaborative environment.

Andrew Jankowich will be speaking at Podcamp Philly.

Podcamp Boston Presentation Notes

Podcamp Boston was a great experience to hear about interesting projects and meet fascinating people. I'm posting the notes and slides from my presentation on "Thinking Outside the Pod" and will create an audio file of the presentation soon.  Please send me (andrew.jankowich AT metabostonmedia.com) any comments, thoughts, questions, etc.  And thank you to everyone who came.  I wish we had more time for discussion.

Andrew

Download podcamp_presentation2.ppt

Download podcamp_boston_handout.doc

Podcamp Boston 3: July 19-20

Andrew will be attending and speaking at Podcamp Boston 3 which runs from July 19-20. 

He'll be discussing ways to find the best formats to work with the goals you have for podcasting.

"How many times have you heard this old saw:

“The best part of a conference is the conversations in the hallway.”

"What if the conference WAS the hallway? That’s the power of PodCamp Boston, the power of community, the power of conversation. The power of putting smart people from every walk of life together for two days to learn, share, and grow their new media skills. 480 people gathering to share their ideas, lessons learned and earned, cutting edge developments, and stories. From blogging to podcasting to Twitter to virtual worlds and more, whether you’re a veteran of new media or just getting started, PodCamp Boston has something for YOU"

Could one good idea change your world? What about a weekend full of them?

PodCamp Boston promises to help you learn, share, and grow your new media skills. If you’ve been wondering how to get more involved in new media and social media, if you’ve thought about starting a blog, podcast, or Twitter presence, PodCamp Boston is for you. If you’re a veteran adventurer of new media, come to share and learn from your peers, and make partnerships & friendships! PodCamp Boston offers something for everyone, no matter where you are on your new media journey."

The conference is being held at the Joseph Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School.

Expanding the "Boundaries" of Podcasting: Comedy

Podcasting is still a developing medium but listening to many podcasts they seem to have already settled into a format based on radio shows, particularly NPR-style shows.  While using models like this is understandable it's important to keep experimenting with podcasting before trying to turn your podcast into just another version of something that's already out there. 

One consideration in thinking through podcasting and format decisions is the importance of standing out from existing podcasts, another is trying to create a podcast that suits your organization and what you are trying to achieve. 

Too often podcasters will just try to provide their own version of an existing show when a little creativity could be far more interesting to listeners.  For example, in the UK, comedy podcasts have been an unexpected success. 

"It all started with Ricky Gervais. In December 2005, the star of The Office released a series of comedy podcasts which could be downloaded to computers and MP3 players.

Each of these programmes was accessed more than 260,000 times - the highest for any such recording at the time.

Gervais' success led to so many other stand-ups and broadcasters offering their own material for download that the iTunes UK podcast chart is now dominated by comedians."

That people didn't think of creating comedy podcasts and their subsequent popularity shows just how much room there is for experimentation.

(Another funny British comedy podcast not mentioned in the article is the satirical news show The Bugle featuring John Oliver of The Daily Show and Andy Zaltzman (pictured above).)

Chris Anderson: Free!

Wired magazine editor Chris Anderson's new book is called Free! and deals with one of the toughest competitors for businesses today:  the proliferation of free stuff. 

In this excerpt Anderson introduces the landscape of "freeconomics" and provides a taxonomy for the various ways ventures use free to make money.

"You know this freaky land of free as the Web. A decade and a half into the great online experiment, the last debates over free versus pay online are ending. In 2007 The New York Times went free; this year, so will much of The Wall Street Journal. (The remaining fee-based parts, new owner Rupert Murdoch announced, will be "really special ... and, sorry to tell you, probably more expensive." This calls to mind one version of Stewart Brand's original aphorism from 1984: "Information wants to be free. Information also wants to be expensive ... That tension will not go away.")"

You can also listen to him describe his argument.

The benefit for arts organizations and nonprofits from this kind of thinking is clear.  Unlike some for-profits it can be a clearer path to see how what you give away through social media can help further the mission of your organization.  For example, free samples like blogging and podcasting about what is going on at your organization can help lead people to make a physical visit and spend money.  Free can be a great way to catch the attention of the public in the ever-more crowded media landscape.

NASA Tries to Use Social Media Strategies to Increase Interest

NASA redesigns its website to use social media strategies like blogs to increase interest among 18 - 25's. 

"The site . . . has new blogs and widgets and more ways for people to view and manipulate content. A MyNASA feature has a “top playlist” that lets people watch clips of the space shuttle Discovery’s return to Florida or the California wildfires viewed from orbit."

The redesign seems to be well-done and really shows a significant consideration of a variety of media like podcasts as well more features like slideshows.  NASA is a perfect example of an institution that needs to increase interest through the web.  Too much media coverage of NASA just shows the space shuttle taking off and landing which is not interesting to the public or scientifically.  NASA should use the site to show the full range of research they do.

Podcamp Boston 2007

If you've been wanting to learn more about podcasting then Podcamp Boston has a full agenda of speakers for novice and experienced podcasters.  Podcamp Boston takes places at the Boston Convention and Expo Center on October 26 - 27, 2007 and best of all it's free.

"PodCamp Boston 2 is the new media community UnConference that helps connect people interested in blogging, podcasting, social networks, video on the net, and new media together for three days to learn, share, and grow their new media skills. Whether you’re just interested in new media or an experienced veteran, PodCamp Boston 2 is for you!"