I have something really wild and crazy change to announce about Podfeet.com. I have been inching up on this idea, and I finally started executing it. Ok, problem to be solved first, right? For coming up on 9 years next month I’ve done a GIANT blog post every week, usually on the order of 5000 words a week. No one does this, right? But I’m writing the script of the show anyway so why not let people have it to read if they like? There’s a couple of problems with this. Let’s take this week when Linda Gousha wanted to send out to her user group a link to Bart and my notes about the Heartbleed problem? She couldn’t do it because she only had a link to the entire show. I did go in and create what’s called an anchor link, which links to a specific spot on a page, but they’re a pain in the neck to create so I rarely do them.
If I or a listener does a review of a product, it’s hard for the vendor to link to it directly, again because it’s a giant blog post and their couple of paragraphs are piled in with everything else. Last week I gave a tip to the Mac Geek Gab, and I heard Dave Hamilton say, “I hope Allison does a blog post on this because I’d like to link to it.” Well of course my tip was already on podfeet.com, but buried within a giant blog post about 28 different things.
I write all week long and often have short articles done mid-week, so why not let people who like to read, read them in bite-sized chunks instead of piling through 5000 words all at once? There is one group of people for whom this might be a disappointment, and that’s the people who actually like to read along with the blog and click links as they’re listening to the show. Now this group will have to bounce around on the blog finding each article I’m afraid. I suspect that it’s not a huge percentage of the audience though…I hope?
Steve and I talked this through and we thought about actually surveying you guys to see what you think, but that would have taken, like, time and energy and stuff, so we didn’t. I decided to just pull the trigger and start doing it this week! I think this might actually attract more readers to the blog if it’s more like a “normal” blog with short form reviews and such.
Now the good news is that if you’re an audio listener only, you won’t see any change at all to the show, so I think this will only be a good thing. I’d love some feedback on the new changes even if it’s “constructive criticism”.
Allison, are you going to continue having a list of all links referred to in a particular podcast episode? I find those very useful — especially when I’ve been listening while driving and can’t really remember what a particular name was. I can jog my memory by looking at the list. Just an idea.
Good point, Sandy, I bet a LOT of people do that.
Would it be lame if the links were to the standalone articles where I’ve already figured out the links to the things I’m reviewing? That would be very easy, digging up the embedded links would be a little bit harder but not out of the question.
I think it’s Mac Geek Gab (Dave Hamilton and John F. Braun> who have sort of chapters. I listen, fall asleep, come back the next night and listen a little more and it’s easy to find my place. I’m not even sure if they’re called chapters, I just know the logo changes over the scrubber so it’s easy to find my place. I know this sounds ditzy because I’m not sure what any of this stuff is called and I’m always half asleep when I listen but I still love your show and your format but if you have a problem you need to solve it, right?
Allison, as long as the links were available, whatever makes it easier for you is fine! 🙂
Kate – they have someone who turns their podcast into an Enhanced Podcsst which has chapters, that’s a) a TON of work, and b) something Apple removed from Garagebamd, and c) only benefits people listening on iOS/OSX devices, and d) would cause me to have separate feeds increasing my hosting services. I other than that…I’m TOTALLY on board with doing it!
😉
Allison, its very hard to please all the people (your listeners/viewers, all the time, so I believe you and Steve should bite the bullet, and do Podfeet the way you want to, and the way you feel it needs to be done. Your website at the moment looks absolutely fantastic, and I don’t think too many people would mind smaller bite size chunks.
Changes solve a problem and doesn’t cause any. If it makes sense to you and Steve, go for it and don’t look back. It will (in my opinion) make the site and show stronger.
I don’t like podcasts. There, I said it. Or rather, I am not fond of the ones where there’s a round table of people talking about this and that. Sometimes I want to scream. That’s just me, I know, and no reflection on podcasters.
Screencasts or blog articles – now you’re talking. (Actually, not talking, but you know what I mean). And when I look down the list of articles in the left sidebar here, and all the things I recognise – then I am very happy to have found your site (via Don McAllister’s latest email) I am very pleased to think of all the articles I will be able to read.
How delightful to “meet” you David! I’ve been posting the transcript of my show as shownotes forever. One person asked me, “but if you do that, what if people READ instead of listen?” To that I replied, “gosh that would be awful if people got the content the way they wanted it!”
You’re joining us right as I transition from GIANT blog posts to the same content sprinkled throughout the week. Will be interested in “hearing” what you think about it.
I’m crazy about making text/image-based tutorials – that’s what you see down the side. Often I’ll be trying to figure out how to do something, I google it, and get sent to my own blog. So I guess I do a good job buy my memory is iffy!