May
04
All I can say is WOW! I really thought that no one really used the enhanced features of the Maccast. Boy was I wrong. Within about 2 hours of posting the last show I had over 100 emails in support of keeping chapters. Thanks to all who sent comments about how they love, use, and depend on the enhanced Maccast. Needless to say the eMaccast is hear to stay. You can stop emailing now.
It does leave me wondering one thing though… with this kind of an endorsement, why don’t more podcasters do enhanced podcasts?
I wonder if it’s as simple as ‘they don’t know how’. Lots of podcasters use Macs, and should know how easy it easy to make an enhanced podcast these days. iTunes is ubiquitous, as are iPods. But there’s a lot of PC users out there that don’t know how, or don’t have the tools to make them. That’s my take on it.
Oh- and though I didn’t e-mail you, YES, keep up with the enhanced MacCasts, dude!
YAY! The eMaccast stays!! I was getting worried becasue I didn’t think many people enjoyed the enhanced features either. I’m SO glad to be proven wrong. I only hope it doesn’t put too much of a strain on you Adam.
Adam, I feel bad for you having to do that onerous work.
I myself don’t use the enhancements. I just listen to the GREAT podcast.
Have pity on the man, folks. Do you really need that stuff?
it is nice, but it would be even nicer if you some time made erxtra short shows where you ague for things, såp you can seend you the arguments to people that needs aguments.
Adam,
Your podcast was the first place that I discovered “chapters” on the iPod. From day one I thought, how nice it was that you produced your show with them. I find (as a soon-to-be switcher) that it allows me to move past some of the content that I may not understand or be interested in yet or to quickly go back and repeat a section of your show that I want to hear again.
I wish MORE podcast producers would take a cue from you and include this valuable feature in their shows too.
Keep up the GREAT work Adam.
I’m SOOO relieved I’m not alone in being thankful for the enhanced version and that it is staying!
No offence Adam, but I actually fall asleep listening to the cast, with my iPod plugged into mu alarm clock. It’s not that I find it boring — far from it, I actually find it easier to concentrate on the great information and news when all I can see is the inside of my eyelids.
When I wake up I like to skip to the last part I remember listening to before drifting off and I continue from there. Without chapter markers this is a real pain — skipping back and forth.
I would say that you probably could save a lot of time by not bothering with inserting the artwork and links. I think we could all live with a compromise that simply divides the different sections — although I suppose if you’re going to do it, you’re probably the kind of person who doesn’t believe in half measures, so why not put them in right?
Maybe a future rev of Garageband will make it easier to auto insert chapter info based on the XML file you create for the show notes?
I’m glad the enhanced versions will stay, although I could have lived without the chapters. What I find more important is the pictures whenever a product is being discussed. That makes it a little video podcast.
Come on fellow Mac Geeks, give the man a break!
Ditch the chapters Adam. It’s a nice feature, but until the Maccast is paying all your bills, you deserve to have a little more time for yourself. Besides, it sounds like it would be easier for you to get shows out on a more consistent basis without having to do chapters. I think we can all agree that more Maccasts is what we truly want.
I agree with some of the other posters..I would save the time and not do the enhanced version-you put enough time and effort into doing 3 podcasts-the roundtable the maccastloop and the maccast. It is your decision Adam, but I think it is not necessary.
Adam, if you decide to keep doing the ehanced version, I wonder if you could pass the work on to someone else and they could do some of this work for you.
“why don’t more podcasters do enhanced podcasts?”
MP3 files are the most universal, hence it’s popularity. You can listen to them on a computer, or a mobile device, like a MP3 player; you can even burn it on a CD. So, while it seems you can do more with an enhance podcast, at this moment in practice, you have less options to listen to it.
Plus an enhanced podcast is somewhat between an audio and a video podcast. While it is relatively simple to create an audio podcast by one person, a video podcast that is more than talking heads takes a lot more time and more people. I think, for sustainability, you’ll need two people to create an enhanced podcast series.
Hi Adam,
Yeah i’m with the rest on the enhanced version, and I understand the amount of pressure that you are under and i’m sure that everyone loves and appreciates all your work :-)
Im sure you have thought of this but why not just put out 1-production per fortnight? and then if during a busy Mac period you manage to do extra ones then that would be a bonus.
Its easy for listeners to sometimes forget that there is a human being behind every podcast that has the same responsibilities and pressures as everyone else.
Can we help you out with anything?
“why don’t more podcasters do enhanced podcasts?”
I think the podcasters don’t know how to do it, or they haven’t done it and so their listeners don’t know what they’re missing.
-mike
Adam,
I first have to say that I love the MacCast and the enhanced features. That being said, I could easily do without them for the sake of your time. Myself, being a teenager with lots of free time, would gladly do the enhancing for you for free, but I have yet to to actually buy a Mac. I bet that other teenagers feel the same would do the same thing to help the show. I say find a teenager to do the work for you.
-Nick D
HI Adam
First of all, I love the MacCast and have been listening to it ever since you started it. I’ve used Macs since 1989. I’ve just discovered the joys of the enhanced version however which I think is great and I’d love to see you carrying on with it. HOWEVER, you kindly do all this free of charge for us, week in and week out, and your own life and living must come first. So if you no longer have the time to do an enhanced version then that’s fine by me. Just please keep up the ‘ordinary’ MacCast for as long as you can!
Hi Adam.
I would like to add that I am also glad the enhanced features will be staying!
I find the chapters very useful as I often listen to you when running or on the move somehow and make a mental note to check out a recommendation or a website and the chapters make it a snap to locate that info in the podcast later on my desktop.
Keep up the good work and good luck with your time management!
Alex in Sydney
I really enjoy the podcast and was impressed with the enhanced version. Maybe as a compromise you could place the time and chapter info in the show description and produce an MP3 which should save you a lot of time. This way, those who want to skip certain chapters can navigate themselves.
HI Adam
first of all, thank you for your great Podcast, the show *should* go on… However, I also wanted to add my cent:
I really think, there are different types of Podcasts. See e.g., Science Friday: each Podcast has about 20 min and is “devoted” to one topic, that is fine; either I am interested, then I hear it or not, then I skip that one.
But Podcasts like yours contain a set of different topices, and to be honest: on average 2/3 of the topics in your Podcast are not of interest for me. On the other hand, the last 1/3 is. And the last Podcast I did not finish by that very reason. You listen to something that is just not relevant for you, and you cannot skip it, this is awkward; then you try to wheel forward and jump into the middle of the next topic and so on.
For me, honestly speaking, the missing chapters are a showstopper.
On the other hand, I really can understand, that you are overworked and this gets too much; I personally would definitly understand if you would go to two shows per month enhanced instead of one weekly without chapters.
Just my idea…
best wishes for your new job!
Alex
Adam, I agree with more than one of the other posters, even though they may be on different sides of the issue.
I love the MacCast because it has amazing content AND because it is organized well with chapters. It takes me 40-45 minutes to listen to a typical show. I would really miss the chapters but I can totally appreciate the time it takes you. So, like Guy said, until MacCast is paying all of your bills, we are at your mercy.
I like the once-a-fortnight idea as well. And when things of major importance happens in between shows add a snippet to the feed.
Whatever you do, I’ll always be a listener!
I listen regularly to the MacCast while commuting along I-5, so I can live without the enhancements. Please leave time in your life for the little pleasures.
PS. I really enjoyed the Podcaster Roundup at MacWorld Expo. I hope you do it again next year.
Mike
Adam,
It’s because you are so cool and they aren’t………I wish other podcaster would do enhanced versions.
Alan
DEAR Adam,
THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THESE CHAPTERS!!!!! They are PRICELESS!!! They make it EASY to find the beginning of a Topic/Chapter. Here is a simple example:
When a phone call comes in, and afterwards I want to start from the beginning of Topic/Chapter, your Chapters Markers make it EASY to find, particularly when driving or walking — no looking is required… Just a tap on the Center Button and then Rewind or FF Button… Without that, it’s Visual Hunting, and having to remember where it was on the Content Timeline, by having to remember what you said…
That Visual Hunting also wears out iPods Hard Drive too, I think…
was — it’s to time consuming… I understood, but, since the content was not too compelling, I UNSUBSCRIBED…
In your case, MacCast is as good as they get, and I hope you can keep the Chapters, as the ICING on the cake! The graphics, and icons, logos, I couldn’t care less about, I just want to be able to quickly locate the beginning of each Topic/Chapter, particularly when I am listening to you on my iPod on the go…
Wish you could make a LIVING from MacCast, and still keep it FREE… But, how does one find a PERFECT Business Model… Which reminds me of that Podcasters Meeting in SF during MacWorld 2007 where I got to say hi to you!
And, if not FREE, maybe $5-12 per Year Donation = 1 Podcast (60min or longer) Per Week Guarantee = 25c per show – without or almost without Commercials? As long as there is a way to assure that advertisers don’t bribe – “Payola” their products through Maccast:):)…
If your Audience is LARGE, can you live on that, and turn MacCast into a Fulltime Job?
I wonder how your listeners would vote on that? May add a Poll Button where 1 vote = User = 1 email address. That way, if someone wants to vote several times, they’d have to Register as many times:)!!! Or whatever other way you can think of to prevent cheating:)
How about discussing this 25c per show DONATION Concept on the air?
Either way, THANKS for a GREAT JOB you are doing!!! This Chapterless MacCast reminded me how much I LOVE the Chapters… The Graphics for each Chapter are not Important to me, just Chapters = Locations and Show Notes on Line…
That’s all:)…. GO ADAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I subscribe to the enchanced podcast, and while I do occasionally use the chapters, they are not the reason I subscribe to MacCast. I subscribe because of the great content. So if the extra features of the enchanced version are a burden, then drop them. While they are nice to have, we need to remember that they are not what the MacCast is about.
I am depending on the enhanced version of the MacCast. I can skip chapter or whatever.
But to me, your question Adam will open the door to keep the podcast free or not, let me know if i am wrong.
Adam, you doing a great job on this “Original” Cast, so find more time to keep it this way, maybe by not participating on other PodCast(s), like Mac Round table specially you repeating the same topics.
Just an frank opinion, Thanks!
Adam,
Why don’t more podcasters make chaptered podcasts? Well for one there are a few people in the world with some MP3 player that’s not an Ipod, (meaning AAC doesn’t play nice with the rest of the industry) second their lazy they don’t want to have mutiple RSS feeds to keep up with. And as you said the chapter enhancements add a lot of work to producing the podcast. Most podcasters don’t want to deal with that or their podcasts are so short lived that, well what’s the point?
The Chapter Markers enable me to skip past sections not relevant to my interests, and to go back and re-listen to sections when necessary. This saves me MUCH time. I don’t use the other enhanced features much, so it would be OK to drop those. I also think you could put the show out once every 2 weeks. Great Show!
I always post two versions of my show. I never stopped to ask how many used the features and I wonder if those who are using the feature even know that it’s something extra I include in the iTunes feed.
Oh, well. I use the enhanced features on my show to go back and listen to past material. It makes it easier for me to review medical info I’ve relayed in the past so I don’t mispeak.
Keep up the good work, Adam!
I really really appreciate the addition of Chapter markers so that I can skip over sections not relevant to me. This enables me to surf thru every Maccast. Without them, I would likely only have time to listen to the front-end of each MacCast.
Of course I appreciate the necessity of saving yourself some time. I would suggest bi-weekly publishing and dropping the other enhanced features — but please keep the Chapter Markers.
I enjoy having at least the chapter markers so I can skip certain topics. I have used the chapter markers to review old podcast and find the topics. I can do without the links and photos (unless it is relevant to a particular product).
Keep the Chapter Markers
Simple chapter markers would be plenty for me. It’s just super convenient to be able to skip to the next topic of conversation. Listening to the MP3 version the other day was a big disappointment to be missing that feature.
Love the show, and I wouldn’t mind donating to the show to help you preserve your current level of quality.
At first I never used the enhanced maccast, until it was accidentally put into the wrong feed about a half a year ago and have decided to use it ever since. I couldn’t believe how cool it was. Keep up the work with the eMaccast! You may not hear us listeners say much about it, but we do love it!
-Drew
I got here late, but still want to say how much I like having the enhanced version. I use it every time I listen. I have a physical job working at height, and it is very easy to jump ahead while using the e version of the cast. I am very dissappointed when I come accross a podcast that does not have an ecast. Mac world comes to mind. I think it gives you an edge on the others and is very worthwhile to continue to include it.
I agree with most people. I love the enhanced version and I would have been bummed if you sticked to the regular version only, but I understand how time consuming it is so whatever you decided would have been fine by me.
I think the reason most shows don’t do enhanced podcasts is because it’s really a feature exclusively for iPod (and only the newest versions) users. All that extra work for the benefit of only some of their listeners is probably not worth it. But due to the nature of your show I imagine a very high percentage of your listeners listen on iPods that can play enhanced podcasts, so in this case it makes sense.
Adam.
Thank you so much for a great podcast and the enhancements. I love em. I use them to repeat segments and for skipping things that are not relevant to my interests (not many)
thanks
Vito
I am glad you decided to stay with enhanced podcasts. Besides the inclusion of chapter markers and artwork, the feature that seals it for me is the ability to increase the speed of the program. By selecting the “fast” option under Audiobooks, I can listen to the show in less time.
The following article may be of interest to some of your readers interested in more detail about enhanced podcasts in AAC format:
http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/podcasting/articles/aac_versus_mp3_for_podcasts_1.html
To all those that want the eMaccast, I would say that since Adam has to put in all that extra work and give his time to it, that it should be a paid subscription.
If you want to chew up extra time taking Adam away from his family and other stuff, pay for it.
I too use the enhanced features but if you need to make more time in your schedule I could understand if you left them out, I’d rather lose them than the podcast!
One question: since we got iTunes 7 why aren’t the chapter markers shown as they are on an Ipod? Is it possible to restore them in iTunes?
Adam,
I’ve been having problems listening to your more recent podcasts on my 1st gen ipod shuffle. The first 10-20 minutes are fine, but the latter half of the program sound scratchy. Furthermore, the ipod buttons become unresponsive at that point, and then the only recourse I have is to turn the ipod off. I don’t have any problems with other hour-long podcasts. I wonder if it is a result of the new podcasting software you are using.
Just wondering if you heard of anybody else having the same problem.
Thanks,
Chang