I agree

oops

download file not your best work

Hmmm, not quite a full post?

guerilla tactics, forcing us to download the podcast?

If this is a choice, I pick "Hate'...

A shining example of minimalist communication.

Hate it. Would rather read than listen.

Maybe Bob's lyw is getting the download.

To read the column, click on the Love-Hate link to the right of "The Pulpit"

Maybe Steve Jobs ego is overshadowing this pulpit post.

So where is Steve going to get a successor from in this model? Recent rumours about his ill health have been unfounded but the massive dependency on one person in such a large company is extremely dangerous.

An audio edition of your column is a great idea. I don't know the cost or tech involved, but what about making the audio column available as a podcast? THIS AMERICAN LIFE does this every week as does A PRARIE HOME COMPANION. Even the trance channel's A STATE OF TRANCE has a cast of their show.

This way, iTunes would automatically download the next cast and delete ones that have been listened to automatically. It makes this whole new thing easy.

And, btw, the"spin" you put on the reading is a lot better than the inner voice of you reading the column when I just read it.

32 kbps - that seems (and sounds) low. Go with 64 minimum, I'd say...

And for those of us who are deaf...?

I disagree with Michael Vilain's take on your spin. I found myself having to translate what I was hearing into your visual writing style in order to understand it. I kept trying to figure out where your paragraph breaks are. When you write a thoughtful column, you want to give people time to pause and think it over, hm?

Also, you need to get a decent audio engineer to edit this. Your punch-in retakes are obvious and clicky. It took you several passes to get it right, huh?

JimEL hit the nail on the head. I am hearing impaired, so podcasts and videos are absolutely useless for me. I even bugged you about your TV series -- maybe closed captioning is what has held that project up for the past two years?

While it is sometimes good to experiment and try new things, there is also something to be said for audience expectations. Was there a reason for not being able to post the article as text in addition to the audio file? Changing one's format is a time-proven method of shedding readership. What is it you were trying to do here, Bob?

transcript please.

Well, you lost me.
I'm on the Web because I read 800 words per minute. Even people who don''t can usually read faster than they can listen.
Post the text, or it's goodbye.

Funny. I didn't know you were a chipmunk... At least that's what you sound like the mp3 I got.

HATE!

Please post a transcript.

Thanks

LIKE.

Try it again next time.

I've been reading your column for more what must be close to 15 years. But, I have to say you lost me with this -- literally and figuratively.
RJF

Transcript please. I would much rather read the article than listen to it. Audio takes much longer than reading the article.

This blows. I listen to several podcasts regularly, but they all involve 2 or more people. This is boring, it sounds like someone reading a newspaper article. Cringely is a read, I'd just as soon stop following you Bob, than listen to another column read aloud. Chalk this one up as an experiment that went down in flames.

I can read. I don't need you to do it for me.

I was under the impression when writers read their own material publicly, they were looking to get laid. So you want to cyber snap your bean? I'm coming !

Fail. I prefer different kinds of information presented in different formats.

When it comes to technology news I'm prone to stopping mid-article to hit Google if there are concepts or companies I want to know more about. That becomes highly inconvenient when the information is presented via audio - with or without a pause button. Cut & paste is a stable of googling new subjects.

If you provide a readable version of the this column I will read it. However I have no plans to start downloading content in a format I am not interested in.

Can I have a transcript, please? It's a good courtesy for the hearing impaired who've been enjoying your column up until now.

OK, found the transcript at another link on the front page, but that was confusing. not user friendly at all. :(

Hello Bob,
long time reader (since 2000 anyway) first time commenter... Sorry my first comment has to be negative. I think I have to agree with some of the other posters here. I do listen to podcasts but I have to admit that your article is something I'd rather have available in print. I can search for content in a text version, with an audio file I have to guess where you made that spectacular prediction about some new google technology, I even have to guess which file. The old way I could search your archives and fairly quickly find what I was looking for. It's way easier to retrieve and share ideas in some form of print media than what you're doing now. Plus I could read your article while my kids were drifting off to sleep without having to put on headphones. I will probably start downloading your mp3's if that's what you stick with but the information will become more transient to me. Anyway, I enjoy your content even if the format is less flexible.

I loved listening to the podcast while reading the transcript. Compression artifacts in the mp3 file were prominent but tolerable. Consider putting the transcript and podcast in the same post. Great job.

I don't do podcasts.

A lot of times I read this on my phone. I'm not going to listen to an mp3 version. My laptop is connected to the internet through T-mobile using said phone. The connection is too slow to download mp3 files.

I agree. I never comment, but I feel I have to in hopes you will abandon this format, or at least post a transcript simultaneously. I usually print out and read the column. I have no interest in listening to the podcast. I haven't listened to this one and won't.

Sorry Bob, I'm one of those hearing impaired guys too, I can only do the transcript.

I was a bit perplexed at first by the need to "connect to file." However, I had nearly forgot the pleasure of being read to. For the non hearing impaired with DSL or cable connections this is an excellent way to receive the column. Yet I would have naturally selected the written column initially. I suspect the reason for audio first is to force listeners/ readers past their inertial bias and try something new. I believe you should post a transcript simultaneously after you have tried this a few times. Force us to "Drink the Cool-Aid" - most will be hooked after the first swig.

Please bring back the transcripts. I can read it a LOT faster than I can listen to it. Hell, I wasn't even aware that there WAS a podcast until now. If you want to make the podcast available fine, but if the transcripts don't come back, I won't be coming back either.

Agree. While I like the podcast format OK, it takes 3-4 times to sit and listen to it as to read it, and is not feasible for me to do so at work.

Bobby

I'll stick my central-Ohioan neck out and say that, yes, I thoroughly enjoyed the podcast format. Your vocal inflections and comic timing add nicely to the insights and impact of the column. Keep it coming homeboy.

- Russ

Can't listen it takes to long please bring back
the transcript......... thanks on the behalf of
the old folk who still likes reading.

I say post it as text and get PBS to add a "text to speech" option like Youtube.

If Nerd TV season 2 doesn't show up soon I nominate it for top 10 vaporware of 2008, it's been over TWO YEARS since the last episode of season one.

Either release what you have now, or let it die on the table, or give us some more detail about why it is taking so long. Loved the first season, dying for the second.

Yes, podcast only sucks.

Transcript, transcript, transcript.

I came here to read your weekly column, not listen to it.

Looking forward to your next text column.

Thank you.

LOVE the column
HATE podcasts

I don't have sound on my PC - discriminating against deaf readers!

Hate. If you want to post a link to an audio file, that's OK, but don't hide the link to the text file unless you want to lose all your readers. Why you even thought this was a good idea defies all reason.

You can read the text version of the column here:
http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/2008/pulpit_20081107_005502.html

Why is the heading for two topics the same? Why not make one of them "Love-Hate Audio"?

Well, the heading is "Survival of the Nerdiest", so I guess that explains it.

Very confusing blog entry this time.

Based on the other comments, I presume it is 2 versions of the same story but I am conditioned NOT to click a link to "download file...." when I expect read a blog. I still haven't clicked in the link.

My first reaction was the site had been hacked.

If it is an mp3 of the Jobs story it is a very lazy way to present it. Why not link it at the top of the original story?

ps: I also got a 404 when I posted the last comment... however in spite of that, my comment made it through..

as I hope this one does.

Is this the start of Nerd TV series 2 Bob's been talking about for, oh, years?

Doh! You forgot the pictures!

Reading is so much better. You can take in the information at the speed that you want, and can reread a sentence effortlessly. I fell asleep listening to the sound file, but have never fallen asleep reading your collumn.