cygweb

Over lunch I was listening to the 10/2 Gillmor Gang recording from Gnomedex 4.0 (via IT Conversations). Podcasting, RSS, enclosures and the like were discussed; it got me thinking that another way to consume podcasted content is via streaming. Based on my ICYG back-end, combined with a downloading tool like iPodder, one could automate the download, preparation, and streaming of podcasted content. Code would have to be added to manage the content subject to be streamed at any one time, but that wouldn't take much time at all.

There would certainly be downsides to consuming podcasts via streaming. If there is no way for the user to select what they want to listen to, they may have to wait for content they are interested in. If the streaming platform transcodes the content (in either the audio quality or codec domains), there may be a loss of information (stereo/mono) or quality. However, the upside of not having to manage the podcasted content on a portable device might make it worth it for some.

I may take the initiative to hitch something like this up just to prove the concept. One of the challenges will be parsing and presenting the podcasts' metadata on the stream's website.

It seems to me that a grey area here is whether or not podcasted content is inherently free to redistribute (before or after mangling). I suppose any podcasted content that you can download without agreeing to a license implies that you're free to use it as you please. One innovation in this area might be the introduction and standardization of Creative Commons licenses metadata to communicate a podcast content creator's intent.