I keep encountering podcasts which tease me that they will provide information or discussion, but instead are taken up with introductory chitchat, inside jokes, discussions about how wonderful the speakers were at conferences without telling us what they said, and patting each other on the back. I get that they are trying to make some money and like to help each other out, so the merchandise and plugging the guests' books or shows is a necessary distraction. But five minutes in with no real information and I'm not willing to put in more time. If I was very hopeful I might try another episode to see how that starts and/or skip to the middle and see if they are doing much there. If they have a pattern, I could just skip the first few minutes every week.
But no, if they start by wasting time with palsiness, in no hurry to give us anything useful, that usually continues throughout.
I dislike podcasts in general, even if they might be informative. I can read faster than anyone can intelligibly speak and I don't have the patience to listen to chitchat anymore than I have the patience to listen to a politician's speech. Give me the transcript.
ReplyDeleteI listen to them while driving or taking walks. I take long walks, and used to have a half-hour in each direction commute. Otherwise, I agree.
ReplyDeleteMy younger daughter is fond of podcasts or books on tape while driving. I prefer music or nothing. When my older daughter lived in Arizona, I liked the long drive between Midland TX and Tucson AZ in silence because I found the landscape enthralling. The speed limit (80mph for much of it, not that I obeyed) helped because I like driving fast. Those were the good ole days in a Northstar Cadillac with a range of 550 miles or better at 30+ mpg. I'd have to be much more careful in my current minivan with a range of 325 miles at 20- mpg.
ReplyDeleteSilence (lack of electronic entertainment) is underrated.
At this point, if you can’t write it down for me, I won’t be bothered with it. I don’t have 30m for anyone to impart ~5m worth of information that could be gained by reading.
ReplyDeleteI don’t have 30m for anyone to impart ~5m worth of information that could be gained by reading.
ReplyDeleteDitto. Give me a transcript. I can think of 3 situations when I might listen to a podcast: as an accompaniment to doing household chores, taking a walk, or a long drive. Though during my most recent long drive, I listened to music some of the time, and didn't even consider taking the stuff for listening to a podcast. Similarly, I prefer listening to music to a podcast during chore time, though I usually choose silence.
I can sit still for quite a while, but not for podcasts. I have no rod with which to cast for pods.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could just sit and listen to one. Not enough going on, as people here say. I remember that I used to be unable to listen to a baseball game on the radio unless I was doing something else - and even then, I don't think it would be more than intermittent. I have liked Great Courses, both in the car and while walking, but couldn't just sit in a chair and listen to those, even. I keep thinking I could do audio books, but have never taken to them, despite a few tries. I don't know if it is the slowness.
ReplyDeleteAs for music, I enjoy it for a bit whenever I rent a car that has Sirius, but that doesn't even last the whole weekend. I have CDs in the front of the car that I seldom listen to. As for the radio, I prefer the station that plays in my head, as others here seem to. I have gone long trips in silence. Well not silence, exactly, because I sometimes speak out loud in these conversations. But the closest I get.
The podcasts I do enjoy are those that are closer to the taped college courses. I listen to Patrick Wyman's "Tides of History" because he synthesises and organises a great deal of information, so he is likely more efficient for me than reading. So also with Razib Khan and Spencer Wells on genetics and anthropology. They keep up with the research, they pass along what they think is most important, they have knowledgeable guests who do the same. I had great hopes for the Chesterton one, but it is mostly just people enthusing about him. Not enough content. The difference may be in the amount of trust I have in the expertise of the podcasters and the degree of their dedication to bringing me the important information.
I agree, only if I'm driving or doing something else that prevents me from reading, and if they don't get to the point pretty quick, I'm gone. For almost the same reason I can hardly bear to watch news on TV: can't stand the jabber. The small advantage they use to have of being able to show film has now been rendered irrelevant by the net.
ReplyDeleteI'm also a fast reader, and listen to podcasts when reading isn't really an option (driving or walking).
ReplyDeleteThat said, however, for podcasts that I regularly listen to, I actually appreciate the starting chitchat, as it often makes me feel closer to the hosts. (I'm thinking specifically about Catholic Stuff You Should Know, where the introductory chitchat among the priests is often hilarious.)