Podcasting for Technical Communicators

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Podcasting for Technical Communicators

• By Jennifer L. Bowie, Ph.D.
• Assistant Professor of Technical Communication at
  Georgia State University
• For Currents on Saturday March 15, 2008

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Overview

• What is it A brief introduction to podcasting
• Why should we care Podcasting technical
  communication
• What would interest us Podcasts for us
• Why should we podcast Jobs and interests

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What is it A brief introduction to podcasting

• Podcast iPod broadcast
• Not just for iPods
• Digital media files distributed over the internet
• RSS feeds
• Often played on portable media players (like the
  iPod)
• Time-shifted

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What is it A brief introduction to podcasting

• Popular
• 17 million podcast listeners in 2008 (predicted
  )
• 16 of Internet users in 2007
• 30 of MP3 player owners have downloaded a
  podcast

Red is blogging Blue is podcasting Google Trends
search
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Why should we care Podcasting technical
communication

• Technology and media are often part of our jobs
• We are communicators
• Audience, purpose, context the five canons
• Oral presentations
• Lessons learned may help other forms
• New way to reach audience and get the message
  across
• We are researchers and interested in learning
• Quick reference for us to point to

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Why should we care Podcasting technical
communication

• Too little time work personal
• Jobs often have constantly changing technology
  and training requirements
• Jack (and master) of all trades
• Understand the trends

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What would interest us Podcasts for us

• Two categories
• Job
• Entertainment/Education/Life

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What would interest us Podcasts for us
(Job/Educational )

• Writing issues some
• Grammar Girl Grammar tips
• Podictionary Definition and history of a word
• Trafcom News Podcast Communication in various
  forms with clients, prospects, and employers
• What is missing here?
• Tech writing/comm few
• Tech Writer Voices Tech writing podcast by an
  STCer (?)
• Business Writing with UpWrite Press Tips and
  advice for workplace writing
• Musing of a Tech Writer More personal look at
  life politics, movies and tech writing
• This about it
• STC very few
• Networking Tips for Freelancers, Work-at-Homers,
  and Other Professionals Washington DC Chapter
  podcast http//stcwdc.podomatic.com/
• STC Atlanta Our own podcast! http//mschoen.libsy
  n.com/
• East Bay (Northern CA) podcast http//www.ebstc.or
  g/podcasts.html

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What would interest us Podcasts for us
(Job/Educational )

• Technology tons
• TED talks
• This week in Tech Latest trends in tech (Leo
  Laporte)
• Inside Mac Radio News and updates from the Mac
  community
• Learning Technology many
• Learn Excel from MrExcel Video Podcast
• LearnFlash.com Video Podcast
• Building the Pod About using Adobe Audition
• Design lots
• Appclinic Graphic design tutorials
• Tips from the top floor Digital photography
• The InDesigner InDesign advice and help for
  designers

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What would interest us Podcasts for us
(Job/Educational )

• Usability and User Experience some
• UIE Brian Sparks User interface engineering (was
  SpoolCast)
• UXpod User experience podcast
• Design Critique Encourages usable product
  designs
• Web Design some but podfading (or in German or
  about marketing)
• Boagworld For serious designers
• Web Axe Accessibility web design podcast
• Screen Space Web design for the average person
  http//www.screenspace.org
• Language
• JapanesePod101.com
• Jordanian Arabic Language Lessons (done by the
  Peace Crop)
• Learn French by Podcast

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What would interest us Podcasts for us
(Entertainment/Education/Life)

• Fiction
• Escape Pod (scifi), Pseudopod (horror), PodCastle
  (fantasy, April 1)
• The New Yorker Fiction
• Earthcore, Ancestor, and Infection podcast books
  by Scott Sigler
• Hobbies
• Gaming Virgin Worlds
• Gardening Dirt on gardening
• Astronomy AstronomyCast

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What would interest us Podcasts for us
(Entertainment/Education/Life)

• History
• 12 Byzantine Rulers
• Great Speeches in History
• Military History Podcast
• Advice
• Quick and Dirty tips Money Girl, Mr. Manners,
  Legal Lad, Mighty Mommy, Get-it-done Guy
• Savage Love
• Monster Podcast (Monster.com)

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What would interest us Podcasts for us
(Entertainment/Education/Life)

• Health Exercise
• PODRUNNER Music for running
• Tri Talk Triathlon Podcast
• National Institutes of Health
• Radio Theater
• Decoder Ring Theatre
• Spaceship Radio
• Radio Adventures of Dr Floyd

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What would interest us Podcasts for us
(Entertainment/Education/Life)

• Alternative Lifestyle
• Q-Podders community www.qpodder.com
• Polyamory weekly
• Feast of Fools
• Other interests
• Talking Traffic
• Ask a Ninja
• Midwest Teen Sex Show

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What would interest us Podcasts for us
(Entertainment/Education/Life)

• Politics
• Obama Clinton both have them
• 2008 Centrals Presidential Election Podcast
• Left Wing Nut Job
• And much more
• Education and iTunes University
• Music
• Interviews
• News
• Local
• Books

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Why should we podcast?For our Job

• Many companies or organizations have them
• About 1/3 of major corporations
• Examples
• Planned Parenthood
• Microsoft Voice of Support PodCasts
• The Jim Henson Company Podcast
• Types
• Company Sponsored
• Product-based
• Product-integrated
• Company News

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Why should we podcast?For our Job

• Value
• Global time-shifted and relatively low-cost
  communication
• Reaches different audiences
• Gives customers more
• Establishes trust in the product or company
• Advertising
• Enter the podcasting community
• Community development
• Consultant Podcasts
• All the value and then some
• Get name out and known
• Give the client a preview

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Why should we podcast?Personal

• Job related
• Interest related
• Subject
• Love it
• Look for holes or focuses
• Time considerations
• Length
• Your time
• Licensing Consider Creative Commons
• Music
• Magnatune
• Pod Safe Audio
• Creative Commons works NIN Ghost I-VI
• Money Considerations
• Costs
• Profit?

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Podcasting for Technical Communicators

• We are communicators
• Can be useful on the job, as a consultant, or
  just as an interested person
• A perfect fit

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Thank you

• Jennifer L. Bowie
• http//www.rhetcomp.gsu.edu/jbowie
  http//www.screenspace.org/
• jbowie_at_gsu.edu
• Images
• Angel holding a microphone boom by Herman Beun
  http//www.flickr.com/photos/_herman/2175392600/
• Microphone by sAeroZar's http//www.flickr.com/p
  hotos/52291469_at_N00/2236886057/