White Headphone Mafia

Now that blogs have become more familiar to middle America, all of the technology-crazed alpha geeks need a new fixation. "Podcasting" is the heavy new favorite for the next big thing.

If I were podcasting this message (instead of simply posting it on my weblog) I would have spoken all of these words into a microphone attached to my PC. An MP3 audio file would be made available on the Internet. This morning, before work, school, or whatever you spend your time doing, you would have plugged in your iPod (of course you own an iPod, right?), downloaded the sound of my melodious voice, and then played it back, while presumably dancing maniacally down the street like the silhouettes in the Apple commercials.

Podcasting is now being covered by the big media, after being touted by people like former MTV DJ Adam Curry, and hero-among-nerds Dave Winer. But I'm lukewarm to the idea.

First, the idea of millions of jackasses braying into microphones is even less appealing than weblogs full of rants, which at least have the virtue of being typed out deliberately. Some editorial mechanism sometimes asserts itself between the brain and keyboard. Second, blogs offer hyperlinks. This draws together sources of information across divergent media, and creates feedback between the blogger and others. I can't click on Adam Curry's voice.

The form has merits for people who have a gift for oratory instead of written literacy. The next Spalding Gray, or Garrison Keillor, or Richard Pryor might emerge as a podcaster. Pryor's best work, incidentally, is said to be the not-so-funny "underground tapes" that were made during his retreat from show business.

More likely, podcasting could be used by the first prodigiously talented musical group that foregoes the idea of "getting signed", and speaks directly to their fans. They may need to make money with live shows -- but they will own their music, their business, and a revolutionary means of delivery.