What is a Podcast?

What is a Podcast? I believe that a podcast is an audio file that is recorded and made available for direct download or via RSS for listening later on a computer or portable audio device like a PDA, laptop, MP3 player, etc. The audio content is created as if the host or hosts were talking directly to the listenening audience about a specific subject or subjects.

Lately there have been a couple of "podcasts" that are just re-broadcastings of previously recorded radio shows made available at a later date or time. This type of "podcast" is not a podcast at all and should not be called one. I don't care that people like Rush Limbaugh or Leo Laporte and others are or will be making their radio shows available on the net, but please don't call them podcasts! Are the traditional podcasters going to be drowned out by the influx of this type of content? I surely hope not!

To give credit where credit is due, Leo does do the "This Week In Tech" podcast and the audio for his blogs, all which are available via RSS, and these are real podcasts and are rightly called such.

Thank you for reading this rant as it is my prerogative to do such, and damn it, I will!