I'm Against Podcasts • Hacker News Board

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#111

Post by gourou » Wed, Apr 24, 2019, 1:34 PM UTC

basetop wrote: post #72

theshadowknows wrote: post #60

This is just an ad for a book. He wraps it inside an inflammatory opinion piece. But it’s really just an ad. Why isn’t that obvious to people?

Thank you. I wish newspapers would stop this deceptive practice or openly mark the "article" as an ad. It's far worse than clickbait titles to me since I can immediately spot the clickbait, but you won't realize the article is an ad until you've read the damn thing.

> “Ways of Hearing.” It’s a podcast — recently transposed into a book

> I’ve been pushing “Ways of Hearing” on my loved ones

All podcasts are bad, but a book about a podcast is okay because I can sell it.

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#112

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Apr 24, 2019, 1:36 PM UTC

hartator wrote: post #36

> With all of the world’s unheard songs beckoning us with their endless mystery, why would anyone choose to waste their precious listening hours on a podcast? Maybe some people don’t like music as much.

[deleted]

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#113

Post by wink » Wed, Apr 24, 2019, 1:39 PM UTC

kahirsch wrote: post #67

wink wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure what you're referring to (maybe the big names of current podcasting?), but I can assure you the rest of the world has podcasts too and may or may not have ever listened to NPR at all. This American Life isn't so old afaik, and I definitely listened to podcasts before that and never to any NPR stuff.

This American Life started in 1995.

My apologies, I meant to say "This American Life in podcast form", or take Serial as an example that's often quoted.

But it basically stresses my point. It could very well be that it was a direct inspiration for the first podcasts, but nowadays it's used as "audio content, often episodic". Also people often name the production value and other criteria of the big ones. But my point is that podcasts are on average not high production value or even done by companies or in the type of certain radio programs. I'd even say a sizable chunk is just the same people talking about the same or related topic(s) - I don't think I've ever heard that format on a radio station. (Except the same person interviewing different people, if that counts as "the same topic".)

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#114

Post by zimpenfish » Wed, Apr 24, 2019, 1:41 PM UTC

frosted-flakes wrote: post #45

learc83 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always hated it when listeners called in on talk radio. They very rarely had anything insightful to day, and even if they did, they general weren't able to convey it clearly.

I always inwardly cringe when they start going off topic and the host keeps trying to rein them in. But when it's someone who knows how to present themselves on radio, it's good. There's this one show on CBC where listeners call in to a plant expert about their gardening problems, and he identifies them and suggests solutions on the spot. You get a wide variety of people who call in, but since the roles are reversed—…

"Gardener's Question Time" on the BBC is the same kind of soothing listening

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardeners%27_Question_Time

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#115

Post by ghaff » Wed, Apr 24, 2019, 1:42 PM UTC

exabrial wrote: post #105

I wish the avg podcast was 10-15m in length so I could listen I my commute, not an hour, which seems to be the accepted norm.

Not 10-15m but quite a few are sub 30 minutes, e.g. 99 Percent Invisible to give one example I listen to. Personally, I find 20 to 30 minutes about ideal a lot of the time. Too much shorter and I have to queue multiple podcasts together and too much longer is just a bit long, especially if it's not a produced podcast with multiple segments. An hour is usually too much for a single 1:1 interview IMO.

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#116

Post by _b8r0 » Wed, Apr 24, 2019, 1:42 PM UTC

DoubleGlazing wrote: post #102

Wow, talk about gatekeeping. I think podcasts are wonderful, a form of media that has very low barriers to entry and where the smaller players can compete with the big boys on a relatively level playing field. So what if a lot of podcasts are crap? If the podcaster enjoys it and someone listens then good for them. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that.

Literal gatekeeping - I just get a paywall when I click on the link.

Aaand nothing of value was lost.

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#117

Post by MisterBastahrd » Wed, Apr 24, 2019, 1:42 PM UTC

This is a pop music critic, of all things. The quality of pop music from a culture and complexity standpoint has fallen through the floorboards like a chunk of radioactive debris and is digging to depths unknown.

People are listening to podcasts because they want to be entertained and informed. You aren't gonna get that by listening to the mumble rapper from Degrassi High. If pop music suffers from podcasts, then maybe podcasts aren't the problem... and if the best you can do is complain about the timbre in someone's voice or the quality of the studio, then you've lost the argument.

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#118

Post by Kye » Wed, Apr 24, 2019, 1:44 PM UTC

randycupertino wrote: post #28

I'm always surprised at the popularity of podcasts vs audiobooks. Seems podcasts have made the jump to "gen pop" but audiobooks, despite the increasing popularity of audible, still tend to be niche. I'm biased because I'm an audiobook hound, but I'd take an audiobook over a podcast any day. Far superior production quality, better content, a beginning, middle and an end, professional narrators, researched analysis and…

You might like LeVar Burton Reads or Myths and Legends.

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#119

Post by tty2300 » Wed, Apr 24, 2019, 1:44 PM UTC

ianai wrote: post #75

bunderbunder wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I, too, dislike the "eavesdropping on other people's tipsy pub conversation" genre of podcasts. I generally don't love the professionalized "least common denominator of an NPR listening audience's tastes, delivered in carefully rehearsed NPR voice" podcasts, either. My solution is to not bother with those podcasts. There are so many others that I find to be more worthy of my time. Admittedly, it's probably a small fr…

When do people take in their podcasts? I’m thinking it’s during he work commute or at work?

I listen to podcasts while cycling. Somehow makes me feel faster but my GPS disagrees.

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#120

Post by yoz-y » Wed, Apr 24, 2019, 1:45 PM UTC

I'd like some way of tracking authors over various media with a browser extension and then be able to 'ban' them. Reading drivel like this is the actual waste of time.