Podcasts, Twitter, Oh My!

What is a podcast?

 

After hearing the WoW Insider Show and The Instance, and those being the only podcasts I had ever listened to, I was under the impression that they were quasi-radio shows from creative people who weren’t actually on the radio. This seems to be only half true. After listening to a few more, I jumped to conclusions and ran my mouth (or fingers) during my first Podcast post. A podcast is really just a group of people who record themselves talking. If you find them interesting, good. If you don’t, thats also good. I believe these dedicated people would like to have as many followers as they could, but who wouldn’t?

 

The simple fact is the first two I listened to were WoW news heavy. They weren’t wild or spontaneous. I liked them because they were news outlets instead of me having to go look everything up (but I do anyway). I listened to a few other shows and admittingly didn’t “get it.” After listening to more (many more) podcasts, I now understand the basis of it all. The person mentioned in my last post isn’t a news reporter and doesn’t have to be professional. She’s just being herself which in retrospect is actually more warming than the professional facade. Now this isn’t a 360 of my last post. I still very much enjoy WoW Insider and The Instance. I just now understand they have a different schtick. A podcast like Rawrcast is more edgy. It still delivers the news, but if you go in looking for a laugh you’ll find it quick. My problem was I went in looking for news. Once I got my head out of my ass, I could just kick back and enjoy the show the way it is intended. I do have to say, the mash-up of comments that Rawrcast has is friggan hilarious. If you haven’t heard it, head over to rawrbitchrawr.com and check it out.

[I’m going to break in right here and edit what I had already written. Stompalina called me out on Twitter today and I have to say I am now an avid fan of the show. To be a fan of a podcast you have to be a fan of the people first. You’re already a fan of the content, now you just have to be a fan of the people talking about said content. Stomp standing up and calling me out for my comments has only proven how dedicated she is to her craft. I guess I’m an uber dork and I respect that. Bravo Stomp. Can’t wait until your next show!]

This brings me to another Podcast that stands out amongst the rest. Bind on Equip. This is possibly the best show to NOT find WoW news! These guys are crazy. They are hilarious and listening to their lowbie instance runs is great! They have inspired me to talk to some of my guildies and do the same exact thing. They’ve pleasantly reminded me that WoW isn’t all about raiding and loot. Its about people and bullshitting with friends. So often we forget that.

I want to give shout outs to all the podcasts I currently listen to, but there isn’t enough time in the day to do so. I’ve linked my very favorites over on the right of my blog. Click them all, listen to them all, love them all! I’ll keep that up to date as I find new ones. If you have any that I don’t, hit me up here, email, or on Twitter.

Quick paragraph about Twitter. I had used it and I mean barely. I just didn’t understand the fuss. Then I started adding people from the podcasts and just replying to random stuff to just see if anyone would talk back. Wow! Now I’m addicted to Twitter!

Podcasts

Podcasts are shaky ground. Some may love, some may hate, but I think its fair to say not everyone listens. I was one of the latter. The idea of listening to a podcast just never struck me. I wasn’t sure what they were other than people talking about crap I could care less about. The whole concept of downloading a quasi-radio show and listening to it usually resulted in the “man, those guys must be epic dorks about-” insert topic here.

My problem was that I didn’t have an iPod. I recently got an iPod touch and was cruising (painfully) around iTunes in search of something to Warcraft. I had heard of rumors about apps for the touch that were for or based on WoW. I did a search and found a lot of little gems. It was ironic because about a day later Blizzard starting throwing out Cease and Desist orders to app makers, and not only ones that charged money. Anyway (as I’ll blog about my iPhone/Touch apps later) I noticed that iTunes was suggesting two podcasts. As enthralled as I am in WoW at the moment I couldn’t see the harm considering podcasts are free.

 

I grabbed the WoW Insider show and The Instance. Wow, was I amazed. I couldn’t believe I enjoyed a poorly executed radio show as much as I did these two. When I say poorly executed radio show, what I mean is these are just regular guys sitting on Vent, Teamspeak, Skype, or some other program and recording their conversations. There isn’t someone sitting at a sound board playing sound effects that fit and set the mood. Its very clear that these guys take a lot of time to prepare for the show and have a flow outlined before they broadcast. So while its not as “action packed” as your local shock jock on the radio, it is still very entertaining. I usually listen in the car or when I’m working away from my desk. Both shows have a live stream going while they record on the site UStream.com. So while I listen later, its possible to listen live and join a chat room.

 

This new found love not only drove me further into WoW, but it also became like a drug. I needed more podcasts to listen to! I searched all over iTunes and found every newly updated one I could. All I can say is wow. A lot of these shows sound to be 17 year old kids who can’t keep mic levels balanced and who can’t entertain a gnat. I feel I was lucky in finding WoW Insider and The Instance first as they are easily the most professional out there. Now I know what you’re thinking, who cares about professionalism when talking about a video game? Surprisingly enough, I do. Eventhough podcasts are almost like make-believe radio shows that don’t really exist, a professional sounding show is much easier to listen to than a horribly done one. When the person talking has an uncontrolable lisp or can’t pronounce the sound an R makes, it really makes the experience painful. There is one female host, for example, that is crude and laughs at everything she says. I have a very immature sense of humor so I should love this podcaster. I don’t. I find her terribly annoying to listen to. And its not “the shows” fault. She missed the latest edition and it was probably the best show they’ve ever done. If it were like that every week I’d probably put it on the same level as the two previously mentioned podcasts.

 

This brings me to an internal question. If I find this host annoying and difficult to listen to, why do I subscribe and continue to listen? I don’t feel I’m a glutton for punishment but I think its fair to say I’m a dork on an epic scale. As crappy as the podcast is with her on it, its still a radio show about WoW and I want to hear what they have to say. I think what it boils down to is that when I’m listening to shock jock, I’m wanting to laugh. When I am listening to a show about WoW, I’m wanting to hear news and opinions about WoW and not penis jokes. I’m sure this makes me a hypocrite, but I can’t help it.

 

I’ll eventually post the podcasts I listen to and probably link to them. For now, I’m still trying to see which shows are the best and which ones aren’t. I can think of three or four “must listen to” shows and a couple “if you’re bored and have nothing better to do.” I can also think of some “I’d rather take a palm sander to my genitals.” So I’ll write a more in-depth look at the podcast scene later. For now, if you don’t podcast, do yourself a favor and go grab the latest WoW Insider show and The Instance. At first the guys and gals talking will sound like legendary dorks but once you warm up to them and realize that you yourself is a legendary dork, you’ll really enjoy them!