Corporate Podcasting Expressway

A few years ago I managed to get a Corporate podcast to both work through an Intranet and itunes.
In recent weeks one of the shows my company produces called: The Smooth Groovers Review achieved 42 reviews.

I then thought, ‘How does the itunes featured podcast’ choice work.
Is it via algorithm or human intervention. Some have suggested it has a commercial link.

The following article, albeit originally written by Mark Glaser back in 2006 has some fascinating insights…
Its entitled, ‘How Does iTunes Pick Featured Podcasts?‘

In summary it suggests:

• Physical intervention - Real people watching and looking
• Some algorithmic applied work

With regard to the latter, one of the contributors suggests:

The Top100 lists are driven purely by an algorithm that looks at new subscriptions during the past week, with subs during the past day weighted heavily and older subscriptions weighted less (decay algorithm). We do not and have no ability to affect these lists.

To an increasing degree, the subject rooms (read Featured Podcasts) are also driven by data. With a huge, diverse, and rapidly growing set of podcasts in our directory, user behavior is our best gauge. It’s true that success tends to self-perpetuate, so we attempt to create algorithms that continually percolate material through the lists. But the best advice we can offer is to ask your users to subscribe to the podcast using the iTunes directory and, if they like what they hear, to write good things about you in the reviews.

For more background on the operations of the podcast page, please see the tech spec (http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/techspecs.html )

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I guess the question should really be should whether one selects a standard blog engine, available instantly (normally after registration et al) online, ready for customisation from the wonderful likes of Google, Wordpress, Typepad…? Or, is it best to download a Blogging engine and both host and configure it yourself?
One arguement is that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Search Engine Friendly URL’s (SEF) appear to be configured / established for you with Wordpress, Google and Typepad hosted blogs. All of these folks now offer a range of customisable style sheets. I wonder if they also optimise your journal entry for:
* Page Rank?
* Meta Tags?
* Key word optimisation for higher degrees of search success?
* Standardised front-ends, avoiding possible formatting issues?
* Allow easier categorisation with Technocrati and Digg?
* Images that they will store for you?
Maybe one advantage of hosting it yourself is that you can control the look, feel and experience more.
I have been blogging since ‘03 and only over the last year converted to using various Wordpress based templates and plugins.
I have to say that some of the plugins are truly innovative and allow excellent features such as audio streaming and video viewing.
However, if your personally hosted blogsite is not configured there is a danger that ones words will never get out there!

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I came acrosss: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1348871.stm.
Although dated: Thursday, 24 May, 2001, there are some interesting points.
On a different point, in terms of web-site/blog site designs, there are certainly issues surrounding what is appealing to both the writer and potential reader. At this point we are talking about style and not substance!
Interestingly, I remember reading about how some historians were examing original manuscripts of authors before the days of wordprocessors to reveal the mood the writer was in. For example, suggesting that if a particular typewriter key had been hit harder than others the displayed font would reveal something!?Back to the point (pardon the pun) on font styles. Apparently size matters too!
The article mentioned above suggests:
The Psychology of Fonts, written by psychologist Dr Aric Sigman explains how a typeface will significantly influence what the reader thinks about you.
Courier is seen as the choice of “sensible shoes” type of people or “anoraks”…
Dr Sigman said: “Using the wrong font may give people the wrong impression about you and could affect decisions that will shape your future.”

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It has been a bit of a learning curve to get www.drsavi.com Googled?
I thought it was anyway? It was an interesting challenge.
Here is the issue. I recently upgraded my server as the bills for bandwidth charges were going over my monthly limit. It may have something to do with the numerous audio and video podcasts that I am involved with!
The issue of not being spidered may have had something to do with the way my domain was set-up. In addition, issues with the blog site set-up or something called ‘Robots.txt’ (NB a Robot checker can help). This file has a specific syntax and if upon Google spidering you it encounters issues, the whole inclusion mechanism grinds to a halt. Luckily having a Google account helps as their webmaster tools can assist in locating potential issues.
The good news is that typing dr savi into Google will bring you here (no ego here, honest!). I hope the rest of my contributions to the Internet will work too?
PS I’m also now on Twitter so communicating updates can be easier.

Popularity: 35% [?]

It was recently suggested that the number of active Blogs maybe shrinking. Actually Gartner Research group did not suggest this in such a graphical way. They (Gartner research) suggested the reduction in number of Bloggers will persist and a peak related to numbers and time does exist.

NB If we analyse my post’s question a little more deeply, the question I’m asking is not only about the number of Blogs available in terms of growing or declining but the ability of the Blogosphere to work effectively or with any real worth. Better still, to ‘act’ as a collective mechanism to share thoughts and make change happen.

The epitaphs about Blogging appear to have started in the US at the end of Feb�07, i.e: Suggestions were being made in the US press about the decline in the Blogging phenomena. Last Sunday a UK national paper also suggested that Blogging could be in decline for a number of reasons:

1. Bloggers / writers block
2. No time to write an online diary

I wonder if the suggested decline may also be due to other reasons:

* Not enough ghost writers!
* Nothing to say
* Bloggers wondering if anyone is reading
* Bloggers unaware of the power of connecting and shared thought
* Loss of faith by PR agencies of the value of Blogs
* Celebrity Bloggers discarding the fad ownership of a Blog
* The cost of running and interlinking as part of a webstrategy
* Too much hassle to keep it up-to-date
* Other forms of self expression appearing to be more tempting, for example, using some other mode but one that is more disturbingly open, revealing and sometimes explicit!
* People have �run out of steam� with this fad.
* Media moguls in fear of the power of personal view-points

When surfing the Internet, yes there are trails and ghost blogs from yesteryear.

There is one grave danger. If the rumours of the increasing number of ghost Blogs is to be believed then I hope that we do not end-up with an environment of A, B and C list of Bloggers. I�ve even read about the suggestion that there are some Bloggers (ace writers) who no matter how hard they try, simply cannot get enough traffic or visitors? Conversely, I�ve heard of some political Bloggers yielding handsome / healthy monthly earnings through Google Adsense click-through�s?

Returning to the key question, Blogging needs to not be considered as a singularity. Instead, as connected thought streams/ developing social thought. Therefore, the less brain cells, the less the power to drive change or suggested action.

The bottom-line is that keeping a Blog is a form of self-expression � a way of hopefully declaring an opinion, encouraging debate in a �free world�. The question is who makes it free? Is it the mechanics of the Internet or the natural laws of chaos that attract and bring about a connected world?

Blogging will never die but it may never be the same…

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Bloggers power
One of the great things about blogging (a regular online journal that anyone can post � in English a Weblog ) is that creativity and production is down to the individual. Interestingly, recently it was reported that China has released its own version of Wikipedia - (http://www.wikipedia.org the free online encyclopaedia that anyone can edit but is moderated by online volunteers). We already know that China has authorised a doctored version of Google from Google themselves.

In terms of the power of Blogging. Recently a viewer suggested that TV talk shows, new shows, news programmes, political commenting and newspapers in general have their favourites. The implication was that the same guests and self declared political spokespersons are repeatedly relied on to perform endless �chit chat� between themselves � enjoying jokes and satirical narrative. Suddenly, we find the same experts and view-points emerging. The viewer suggested that a member of the public should be representative at such sessions. He also went as far as to suggest that when a member of the public is involved in asking direct questions it results in the most engaging television - back in the 1980s when a member of the public asked Margaret Thatcher about the exact nature of the situation when a British vessel sank the Argentinean Belgrano during the Falklands war � with regard to the latter the debate about the exact situation at the time continues.

Many argue that the media does need a wake-up call. Although the profession of journalism is demanding in terms of working to tight deadlines and the challenge of producing engaging quality content � In my view some aspects of the media are spoilt by favoritism, targeting, sensationalism and crudeness. Maybe media ownership, political siding or simply stereotyping has a lot to do with the problem. We have to admit that it is difficult for journalists and editors to balance the complexity of the world and how people�s values vary. However, a breach of human rights is wrong no matter where it occurs and often not enough rallying takes place to condemn it to �drive� change.

Recent online polls can help gather public opinion. However, how confident are we that a decision cannot be overridden? There is much talk of Citizen journalism and the power of blogging but we need to remember that we elect politicians on their stated manifestos. Or, maybe the problem is much deeper. I note that a number of political Bloggers are beginning to emerge � I worry if these bloggers are �plants� by commercial media in a desperate attempt to encircle or capture this domain of public expression or movement and call it �its own�.

In addition, although Google have some amazing search solutions and tools, I really hope that the algorithms they have developed are truly impartial and fair.

I�m really impressed with the increasing number of bloggers as it shows that the diary is not dead and there is a compelling instinct to share thoughts and ideas. What is worrying is the emergence of being not discrete and over exposure � i.e: The potential of lost innocence in a world where self expression is seen as important.

Press freedom is not the same as contributing effective / knowledgeable content. There is still a need to control blasphemous comments and insensitive commentary.

Maybe there is an opportunity to innovate in a world where the media have a structured route to broadcast on their megaphones. All we need to do is shout more and louder than before!

Blogging from a personal and corporate perspective can be a great way to champion change, it just requires the Internet to stay free.

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Recently I had the chance to meet with the UK director of Phonecasting.
This organisation has some amazing new and practical applications for corporations (aka Corporate Podcasting)

Take for example some immediate applications or useful examples:

e.g.1. A project meeting has been conducted. Normally, someone will take the meeting minutes and distribute them via editing a document, storing/sending and awaiting a receipt on email.

e.g.2. A sales director has decided to make a special discount for a product or an important annoucement about product changes.

e.g.3. CEO’s wish to update their shareholders on what has been traditionally called a conference call - It is a time when the stock exchange will be listening hard for continued confidence in the firm in question.

e.g.4. A Sales person or Technical person is in transit without access to the Internet but urgently needs the latest news on a product sale or product fix/ support issue.

One solution is Phonecasting. This is where we see the convergence of audio and what I call ‘information reach’.

In summary, RSS can be used to ensure subscribers can get information when the want it and through a conventional route. This form of ‘push’ information is also excellent in not having to rely on extensive housekeeping of data. NB Content management disciplines can be integrated to make information available on an a set of asset life dependancies, i.e: time and associated validity (a bit like food labels - best before!)

Please watch the podcast (compressed quality through YouTube):
You can also get it from itunes and download it to your ipod (.m4v quality)!

Popularity: 57% [?]