Why is podcasting a big deal?
1. Any one can relate their own ideas, stories, experiences, and explanations in their own voice, to anyone and everyone in the entire world who has the necessary technology and who is willing to listen. Like weblogging, this gives individuals the power to do what even a year ago required money, influence, and government permits to do.
2. Listeners can take the podcaster with them, wherever they happen to be, and they can forward the podcast in many other forms to others who were not able to access it.
3. People can listen to the podcaster at some other time than when the podcaster happens to be broadcasting.
To quote Dave Winer, "Every medium has its strengths and weaknesses. The great thing about podcasting is that you can take it with you, driving, running, walking, where ever, and just let your mind absorb ideas through your ears, which is a very nice way to get to know someone, very different from reading what they write. Where the written word only has the intonation the reader can infer (adding a lot of errors in doing so) and can be skimmed (lowers comprehension by orders of magnitude) the spoken word has great subtlety and subtext, and can seduce, cajole, wink, leer, lurk, and be lewd. Both forms of expression have their place."
10:36:11 AM 
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