Audio Blogging is a real possibility today!

Eventually, even new bloggers may tire of typing all those blog entries. Here are a number of resources about audioblogging, and the even newer idea of podcasting. Audio blogging is simply an audio version of the words typed in a standard blog. Podcasting is a way to package that chunk of audio so that people with iPod-like devices can pick up your audio and listen to it on those devices.

Audioblogging used to be complicated - but now you can access your blog from any touchtone phone, record your entry and publish it - all in the same call and without touching a keyboard!

Here are some interesting links:

• Audioblog.com = the "home base" of the audio blogging concept and tools
• Recording of conference call about Audioblog and Podcasting - first 2-3 minutes are fumbling to get set up, next 20 minutes are good, last 20 kind of rambling
• Service bureau - feed enhancer/manager - Feedburner.com
• One of the pioneers of Podcasting - Doc Searls
• Tools, background, how-to of podcasting: iPodder.org
• More how-to and access to tools - Engadget
• Directory of podcasts and their feeds
• Classic (classic?) blog on podcasting
• Podcasting Research

This is a little beyond the scope of the workshop - but after the workshop - participants will be in a much better position to evaluate such evolutions - and decide if they are helpful or not. The fact is that many more developments - including videoblogging - will continue to emerge from the blogging concept - and there's no reason to miss the capabilities and benefits these new features provide. Remember, at heart, blogging's major attribute is immediate publishing on the Web - regardless of the medium (words, sounds, pictures, video) - and the tools will continue to change and the applications will continue to grow. Once you understand the basics of plain old text blogging - it's easier to consider what an improvement or enhancement might be.