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Prolific- Podcasts are ubiquitous! I grew up with them, but these definitely represent an invisible interface for me. Hearing the presentation on their history made me realize how little I knew about them, the staggering number of them, what “magic” (to quote Lori Emerson) goes on when making them, and how that affects a listener’s interaction. Plus… Adam Curry. I don’t listen to many podcasts, but when I do, I don’t think about the interface at all. I think about the content and style of the podcast. I also find it difficult to retain the information in a podcast; I remember better when something is written down and read. The invisible interface produces sounds and ideas that do not stay visible and tangible for long.
I had fun making this podcast. I really liked being able to design the sound and “feel” of it without being “in the weeds” of coding or studio recording. Creating in the abstract was interesting to navigate. Spreaker is a very intuitive application that definitely delivered the organic, natural feel of an invisible interface (Emerson). Simply select or download a sound affect or music clip, hit record, speak, and save. Admittedly, it took more than a few recordings to not mess up or sound “canned,” but it really was Really Simple Syndication (RSS)! The device/app did the compiling and “busy” work for me, so when I hit play, I had a podcast! Instantaneous action just like David Pierce says about the popularity of Snap Chat and QR codes. The app works, and humans enjoy happily uninterested (usually) in how it works.
