Besides, my main point was that I didn’t think that the Vobes show was the best example of a live podcast to be demonstrated at a podcast conference – I would have preferred something a little more groundbreaking. I have no problem with Vobes having a podcast at all, I’m sure he has some fans.

Listening to a Podcast is choice. This is why they exist. To ensure that nobody tells us what to listen to and when.

Firstly, thanks to everyone who commented (in praise or otherwise). I’m interested in what other delegates thought of the event. I’ve done a bit of hunting around, and haven’t yet found many other people who have written extensive reviews, but a search for ‘podcastcon’ gets a lot of results, so maybe I’m missing them.

I responded via e-mail to Richard Vobes (seeing as he was ’sure’ that I wouldn’t), but I’ll summarise what I said briefly here. I actually thought his technical skill was good, the show sounded slick and polished – partly down to some good audio kit, but also experience in driving the desk. I was also impressed with the the speedy production on the interviews.

My main issue was that the content didn’t sound like a podcast, to my mind, and so it was difficult to distinguish what was ‘different’ between it and traditional local radio broadcasts. That’s fine in itself, and there’s room in the podcastosphere for those types of broadcasts, but I didn’t see what it added to a conference about podcasting.

So, I’m sorry my review wound you up Richard, and in return I’ll forgive you for patronising me in your second comment (although I’ll grant you that my initial podcasting experiment wasn’t a huge success).

To Chris Ritke – I’m sorry that your site doesn’t do anything for me. Maybe I just don’t ‘get it’ (that catchphrase of the day again). The search results just seem a bit random to me, and the browse functionality doesn’t match the way I tend to seek out content on the web.

Thanks for your comments on my talk on 49media and SpinXpress… what should I say – I guess if you do something and put your heart into it there’ll always be people who think it’s crap. Oh well. Can’t win ‘em all, I guess. I wonder what the 20,000 people using 49Media every day are thinking.

Anyway – drop me a line at critke at gmail dot com – I’d like to hear from you what you think we could do to improve 49media.com! You sound like you’ve got some great ideas on how things should be done.

Then I discovered you are 21! I also listened to your podcast!

I learnt my lesson not to get worked up or wound up by words in print.

In 20 years Frankie you will have mellowed and maybe be divorced yourself – but you will think differently about life. Just bare that in mind when you make comments about people in a different generation.

You are new and radical and more power to your elbow. You can change the world.

Thats what I thought 20 years ago at your age!

Go for it!!!! Your life is in front of you!

But knock everything, our mistakes are your gains – take them and podcast better!

Long live the Happy Horn!!

Oh by the way, your first podcast – er, yes, i did use the fast forward option – but bless, you are learning your craft, so good luck!

Richard Vobes

The podcast ‘radio’ show with out dated styles and old fashioned cliché ideas is of course a personal choice and I agree not everyone’s cup of tea. I do come from the old school of doing things and I believe there is a place for it in Podcasting, just as there is a place for endless repeats of old sitcoms on Sky TV.

For me it’s a training ground to try out my ideas and see what my audience likes.

Alas, we are growing into a far too sophisticated society where old fashioned values, like fun, silliness and buffoonery is being treated as crass rubbish. Pitty.

I am learning my skills without training or professional help and to be slated for using old tricks and old styles is a little shameful, as we all have to start somewhere.

Performing LIVE in front of an audience has an added pressure for the average podcaster who would be used to doing this alone at home. It is a solitary hobby. I think by the nature of the professional handling of the Podcastcon itself has lead people to believe that we are all polished broadcasters with the backing and production team of the BBC or a seasoned radio station.

It also seems crazy to put down people for trying entertain such a critical audience who are obviously not the main target audience of the show. Perhaps you would have preferred Chris Moyles. He may not be your cup of tea either, but he would have been more professional and no doubt had an experience team of engineers to not only set up the equipment, but to provide the content, which was lacking from our show! But I am sure he wouldn’t have been FREE! As we were!

You are entitled to your opinions of course and no one can disagree with your own personal likes and dislikes.

I appreciate the right to reply however and remind you that not every one is perfect or experienced enough at Podcasting to bring off a more successful performance.

Fear not – we shall not be putting you though it again. I doubt we will be asked back.

Best wishes and good luck with all you do.

(I am unlikely to return here to see if you have posted any further comments, but you are more than welcome to contact me by email directly at Richard@vobes.com. I am sure you won’t, but the offer is there. I would be interested to know exactly what you did expect to see at podcastcon in a LIVE environment!) Do you do a podcast and where can I listen to that?

Richard Vobes
The Richard Vobes Radio Show
http://www.Vobes.com

245 shows and counting!

This is the reason why there are so many podcast portal sites, I think. And we’ve already learnt that portals never end up being the way that people come across content – they either search, or follow links.