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What’s In A Name? Podcaster; Blogger; Writer; New Media; Hoopy Frood?

Posted on May 19, 2007
Filed Under Blogs and Blogging, Personal Posts, Podcasting, Web 2.0 (Observations) |

After listening to last night’s TPN Rock Live, Eric Rice asks a delightful question; Is He A Podcaster? I’m Confused.

…Ewan Spence, specifically, broadcast The Rock Show live, while also recording it for distribution via automatic downloads for his subscribers (we call that podcasting in these here parts)… When podcasters start getting all hybrid-y on us– doing things like live shows, doing vlogs, doing blogs… what exactly are they called? So, I can call Ewan a podcaster, I suppose, but at the end of the day, he’s a guy spinnin’ some rock. I listen to his show from time to time and listened to it while I cleaned my office (big speakers, baby!).

Eric Rice, UMPC, SXSW 2007

Which has me thinking about what I actually do, or more to the point, what I call myself. Well, the first stab, which covers a lot of bases is at the top of this blog; “Ewan Spence, Podcaster, Blogger, Writer, New Media Junkie… He’s that hoopy frood you were warned about…” Which hits most of the points, and gets in a sneaky Douglas Adams quote as well. If everyone grokked hoopy frood I’d probably use that, but a lot of people would be lost at grok.

Then there’s the self-depreciating answer I have when asked in public what I do for a living. “I basically bum off the internet, much like Caine from Kung Fu if he had a broadband connection.” Now that gets over the mechanics of what I do, but doesn’t help with the decriptivness that Rice is looking to capture.

How about we look at some of the activities I’ve been up to in the last week, and see if something springs out?

  • Streamed a two hour music show (TPN Rock Live!)
  • Recorded a music podcast (TPN Rock)
  • Recorded a solo magazine style podcast (The PSP Show)
  • Recorded a multi-correspondant podcast (All About Symbian)
  • Reviewed applications for smartphones (Font Magnifier and Meriam-Webster Dictionaries)
  • Brokered an advertising deal between G’Day World and Joyboost’s Spinword
  • Hosted a two hour talk radio show (Leith FM Grumpies)
  • Did some consulting on a bundle of dedicated broadband / ISDL / carier pigeon infrastructure deals.

    • Recieved an invite to cover the Global Messaging Conference for Corante’s Mobile Messaging 2.0 Blog.

    Add in a whole bundle of behind the scenes stuff, negotiations and talent spotting, business building, secret projects, nefarious planing, and other day to day stuff, and Eric is right to be confused. I know I am! I think Douglas Adamas was right all along with Hoopy Frood. Anyone want to try and outdo that?

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