What am I meant to listen to now?
Posted in Boagworld Bites, Reviews on: Thursday, June 24, 2010 by Paul Boag
Although the Boagworld podcast will return with a new format in 6 months, the question still remains – what are you mean’t to listen to now?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:09 — 11.2MB)
Subscribe to Boagworld Bitesize
As you will have gathered we are taking a break from the Boagworld Podcast after 5 years of recording.
You guys have been so incredibly supportive about this decision. Many of you have expressed your sadness about the show ending, but equally understandd our desire to do something new.
However, Mike from New Zealand asked a very pertinent question…
What am I meant to listen to now?
Somehow this seemed a fitting question for the last listener segment of the show. So here is my answer…
We will still be putting out audio
Although we will not be publishing a regular show over the next few months, we will still be releasing the occasional piece of audio. In particular I am intending to produce the odd interview and release audio from some of my presentations.
Because these will not be ‘full shows’ I won’t be releasing them as part of the main boagworld podcast feed. Instead they will appear on the Bitesize feed, so if you aren’t already subscribed then now would be a good time.
Subscribe to Boagworld Bitesize
Also don’t forget the daily Audioboo’s I record where I give short audio tips on running a successful website.
Other web design podcasts
Obviously nothing is going to match the professionalism, entertainment and pure polish of the Boagworld podcast ;-) but there are actually quite a few web design shows out there.
In fact there are so many now that I cannot mention them all. We have come along way over the past 5 years. There was none when I started Boagworld.
Although I cannot mention them all I will highlight the ones I personally listen to…
The Big Web Show
This relatively new show is fronted by Jeffrey Zeldman and is shaping up to the a good one. Most episodes run to about 50 minutes and consist of an informal discussion with various ‘web celebs’.
Think Vitamin Radio
Produced by the guys at Carsonified this show feels more like a glimpse behind the scenes of their business. Hosted by Ryan Carson, Keir Whitaker and Mike Kus it focuses mainly on web design news and lasts about 30 minutes.
Sitepoint
Recorded by various people from the Sitepoint.com community this show is essentially a round table discussion of web related topics and news. Shows tend to run at about one hour long and probably are the closest in style to Boagworld.
Spoolcast
Spoolcast is produced by Brian Christiansen and Jared Spool. This long running show focuses largely on usability and primarily seems to feature excerpts from various events run by User Interface Engineering. Because the show mainly consists of presentations most run for about 30-40 minutes.
There are also loads of video podcasts which are worth mentioning. However, video cannot replace audio when it comes to commuting, walking the dog or going to the gym. Bearing in mind we are looking to replace boagworld I will leave the video shows for another time.
But if we are looking for audio education we do not need to limit ourselves to podcasts.
Audiobooks
I have become a massive fan of audiobooks. Rarely do I have time to sit and read a book, but there are always opportunities to listen to one. Whether mowing the lawn, driving to work or even doing the ironing, audiobooks are a great way of making mundane tasks more interesting and educational.
Although there are not many web design related audiobooks, there are some related titles which will help broaden your knowledge. What follows are a random selection of my personal favourites…
Made to Stick
Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas? In Made to Stick, accomplished educators and idea collectors Chip and Dan Heath tackle head-on these vexing questions.
A perfect book for website owners and web designers who are striving to make their websites more engaging and to communicate better with users.
Crush it!
Do you have a hobby you wish you could indulge in all day? An obsession that keeps you up at night? Now is the perfect time to take that passion and make a living doing what you love. In Crush It! Gary Vaynerchuk shows you how to use the power of the Internet to turn your real interests into real businesses.
Because Gary narrates this audiobook himself, it bristles with energy and enthusiasm. If you want a crash course in how to make the web work as a marketing and business tool then this is a great place to start.
Nudge
Thaler and Sunstein show that by knowing how people think, we can design choice environments that make it easier for people to choose what is best for themselves, their families, and their society.
This superb book is so applicable to us as web designers. It shows us how to guide users through a website by nudging them in the right direction. I have learnt so much from this book and it has changed the way I design and run websites.
The Tipping Point
Like the best social dynamics professor you never had, Malcolm Gladwell deconstructs a wide range of phenomena (from the reduction of crime in New York to the rise of Sesame Street) to deliver a fascinating understanding of how “social epidemics” spread.
All of Malcolm Gladwell’s books are well worth a read but the Tipping Point is the most appropriate to us as website owners and designers. If you are looking to build brand online or spread the word about a project you are working on, then The Tipping Point is a ‘must read’.
Conferences
Finally I wanted to mention conference talks. The majority of web design conferences now release audio versions of their presentations.
Although this is an amazing educational resources for any web designer or website owner, it does come with two inherent problems…
- It can often be hard to find out who is releasing what. This means it is easy to miss incredibly valuable and free content.
- A lot of these conferences stagger the release of their talks and fail to provide an RSS feed you can subscribe to in itunes or your podcatcher of choice.
Fortunately Jeremy Keith has solved these problems with his amazing Huffduffer app.
Huffduffer provides a bookmarklet that can be used on any page with an audio file. The bookmarklet grabs the audio and add it to your own custom RSS feed.
You can subscribe to this RSS feed in iTunes and hey presto you have your own custom podcast made up of any random audio you find on the web.
However even better is the fact that HuffDuffer recommends content. It shows the most popular content and content from those who share a similar interest. It truly is a superb application and perfect for tracking down and listening to conference material.
But don’t forget us
Of course, all of this is only a stop gap measure! We will be back with something new and exciting very soon. We just want to experiment with some ideas before we do.
11 Comments
Comments are for the discussion of this post. If you have other questions / comments then post them to the forum or send me an email
In Paul’s defense, when the dolphins said their goodbyes they thought the Earth was gone forever but, in fact, it was rebuilt as a new and improved earth (Now with twice as many Fjords!) later on.
So, if anything, Paul gets double-points for making a DNA reference and for choosing one that was quite apt.
Where will I get my weekly dose of web design and bickertainment? Thanks for the effort you have put in over the years.
Great book tips there Paul, thanks! Best of luck with your new endeavors.
Man I was actually sad when I listened to last boagworld bite, I just sat there thinking… It’s really ended.
I’ve listened to you guys for years, you were what I was inspired by while working my way up in this career. You got 16 year old from Australia to be full time staff at a big company in Sydney and become one of the people they listen to most, and get to do most of the big names! I’d feel proud if I was you guys, your inspiration got me here :) Thank you so very much for years of amazing content, and awesome laughs.
I’m very excited to hear what comes out over the next 6 months and am even more excited about the return of the all new “radically different” boagworld, with Relly as ruler of Boagworld :)
Thank you again guys, I hope you have an awesome time.
All the way from Australia. Jack
Hey Paul,
Thanks for the mention of Think Vitamin Radio. We haven’t recorded a show for a few weeks for a number of reasons but will be back behind the mics soon.
Personally I am very much looking forward to see what you all come up with when you return.
I’m super bummed out!
I just found this podcast about a month ago & was stoked on each new episode! I guess I will have to dig into the archives more.
Look forward to hearing the new format!
Paul, Marcus and everyone else who made the show possible:
Thank you! I’ve listed for several years and your show has always helped me find inspiration and motivation (not to mention good jokes).
Also wanted to mention Dan Benjamin’s podcasts – I particularly like the Pipeline (an interview-based show). See all his shows here: http://hivelogic.com/
And for now, I’ll eagerly away the ‘next big thing’, always making sure I know where my towel is.
Cheers,
Jason
Paul and Marcus. You suck – I can’t believe you’re bailing out on the one podcast I listen to religiously week after week.
Those other podcasts may be alright, but I doubt they’re as self-deprecating and childish as you two, which is 80% of the reason why I listened. :)
On a serious note – I understand why you’re recommending Cass Sunstein’s playbook on persuasive manipulation – but I can’t stand that man. Our govt over here in the US is using many of those same ‘persuasion’ methods to destroy our way of life and tear us apart from within.
Thanks for the list, I was very worried when you announced you were going to stop podcasting that I’d have nothing to listen to. I have been listening to Boagworld for so long that I honestly hadn’t even noticed Think Vitamin or Sitepoint coming about.
I’m glad to hear that you’ll be coming back with a new format in 6 months, at least I’ve got plenty to listen to until then.
Thanks for the years of effort and hard work! I will miss the show tremendously…
So long. Thank you for sharing 5 years of excellent advice, helpful information, and candid wisdom. The informal, conversational, format helped to make otherwise complex topics seem much more approachable, and you did it all without ever screaming “look at me…look at me…”. You achieved something rare and valuable, a true sense of “community”. I look forward to great things ahead…perhaps a BoagUniverse?