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Podcasting

Podcasting

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This is a reprint of my post at SocialDynamX.net
I don’t consider myself an evangelist for podcasting….yet.  I don’t produce podcasts myself and have only ever listened to a few podcasts.  I’ve downloaded and played a little with iPodder but I don’t even own an iPod or MP3 player (my wife has a 128mb flash mp3 player).

Just because I have not personally experienced much benefits from podcasting doesn’t mean I don’t recognize that others do.  I allow for the fact that one day I will encounter a scenario where podcasting makes sense for me.

I have, in the past, gone to NPR and listened to some archived program broadcasts.  I also enjoy listening to archives of my church’s weekly sermons.

Last month I took my son’s Tiger Cub Den to the student run radio station on the UT campus in Austin.  I met several enthusiastic students who genuinely enjoyed working there. Voluntarily of course.  When I got home, I sent an email to the station to thank them for giving us a tour of the station.  I also mentioned that they might consider offering a podcast for their fans and as a way to promote their station.  Well they took me to heart and not more than two weeks later they went live with their podcast!   The webmaster had not even heard of podcasting until I brought it to their attention.  They are still ironing out some kinks in their feed but kudos to them for jumping in and giving it a go.

Other Podcast related links:
Podcasting Defined
Podcasting HowTo Guide
iPodder  – Podcasting client
DopplerRadio – Podcasting Client
Podcasting Tools
iPodder.org – What is Podcasting?
Podcast.net – Directory of podcasts
PodFeed – Podcast directory
Christian Podcasts
Catholic Insider

Collaboration Software

Collaboration Software

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A Travel Guide to Collaboration.

"It takes a shared space to create shared understanding," he says. "If there’s no shared space, there’s no collaboration. Period."

Technologies that create shared space and tools for collaboration fall into two categories: real-time and asynchronous/persistent

Stowe Boyd comments on the article and has this to say:

I have…shifted to the perspective that slow-time is just a degenerate and inadequate approximation of real-time

I…suggest that real-time should be the primary basis of every sort of human collaboration, and that slow-time introduces (in general) unnecessary complexities

I’ve been using Groove for several years now.  I primarily use the file-sharing and messaging features.  More recently I’ve been trying out InterComm by Five Across.  It’s a simple collaboration app with some unique features.  They recently added an RSS reader.

The practicality of real-time collaboration makes it less common as perhaps asynchronous collaboration, but I believe it should be what collaboration software should strive for.

Online photo printing

Online photo printing

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It’s time for Christmas cards.  We like sending a family photo.
Though we generally use Shutterfly, I thought I’d compare it to other services.

Snapfish is less expensive.

winkflash looks good. They have a simple low price per print with no sliding scale based on quantity. They also have inexpensive shipping charges. 

Here is one review of services that selects winkflash at #1.

Managing a technology start-up

Managing a technology start-up

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An excellent series of articles that highlight the basic problems in starting a tech company.


Some noteworthy quotes:

The common mistake is to accept money based solely on a financial business plan, without a detailed technical development plan.


The best way to protect your venture is to plan in detail at least 80 percent of your core technology before you seek funding or expand the business side


But remember that most prototypes and nearly all designs can be developed with (lots of) sweat equity from a small group of individuals and a post office box. The fewer people involved, the better; if you can’t find or motivate this core group, you should think twice about your ability to attract the creative minds you’ll need later to build your


To understand VCs is to understand their motivation, which is no more and no less than to maximize their return while reducing their financial risk…Even if its motives are obscured by initial glad-handing or an idealistic prospectus, never mistake a VC firm for a charitable foundation


You should never take VC money before you have the vast majority of your company’s technology core well planned—if possible, prototyped—and have a clear, long-term strategy for financing your company…Adequate, documented planning on your side, by contrast, shows that you have a clear idea of how the company will grow, and will leave you less vulnerable during negotiations.


Remember that what you promise is not as important as delivering on that promise. Competent VCs are not looking for phenomenal results up-front: they are looking for a predictable and disciplined company, which means a company that doesn’t miss its deliverables.


a small company need not and should not settle for small-time board members. Executives from highly esteemed companies will gladly agree to serve on a well-run and interesting start-up’s board, for free or for a few stock options.