Richard Giles Blog

podcast
- noun a digital recording of a radio broadcast
or similar programme, made available on the
Internet for downloading to a personal audio player.
— derivatives
podcasting noun.
— origin early 21st century: from iPod, a proprietary
name for a personal audio player.

It’s cool they’ve added it, but it’s a tad oversimplified.

Over the past month there has been a lot of scrutiny on the iTunes Top 100 podcasts. Plenty of press has been given to the suggestion that “indie-casts” are dead because of big media’s entry into the fray.

Well the highly amusing thing about the Top 100 is the way it is generated, and there’s a loophole. If anyone continuously clicks a shows “subscribe” button in iTunes it counts that as a vote in that 24-hour period; even if they’ve already subscribed to the show. So today it seems there are a bunch of “indie-casters” asking for votes, because the top 100 is now littered with them.

So to the media that’s been spreading the FUD; eat that!

The iTunes Top 100 podcasts now means nothing.

If you’re in Perth, and enjoy blogs, then get over to Not The West and vote for your favorite blog.

We’ll have a special meetup on Blog Day 2005 with the awards.