it's too late. this conversation has been had a million times, with podcasting gaining more strength with every failed attempt. i suspect the cause may be dead. good luck though.

Good start, I'm aware the conversation has been had many times, but too late for what exactly? What is going to be missed if something is not called a podcast, and called something else, such as, oh let's say radio over IP, or IPcast, or whatever, what will be missed, does it matter at all?

...that the old word will win out. I saw this with Vlogging, Video Weblogging, Video Podcast, etc. I think that we are stuck with podcast. Not such a bad thing, but it is true that there are a lot of different phenomena that now fit under this stretched circus tent of a term.

At the same time, there may be a window of opportunity for the live streaming phenomena, that it wont' be called live podcasting, but "live stream" or "live video stream". The use of the term "show" also has a sense that there is a date/time to it, and therefore live and possibly interactive.

All the best,
Jeff

Lets not forget that podcast was a term created by apple coming from ipod. I think it is used in a more general term, the same as people saying do you have an ipod, alot of people mean do you have a n mp3 player.
I like apple alot but I think the podcast name should be different and not as connected to apple.

Where did blogging come from?

I believe that the term "podcast" may be here to stay, only because we in the discipline seem to continue to perpetuate it. For us, it is jargon that will probably become household. I'm not the biggest fan of the label, but certainly haven't heard anything else that creates a catchy, recognizable label that I believe will stick.

Many of the potential audience for our product have yet to even discover it. So do we get a chance to move the label to another term? I think if somebody were able to perpetuate a catchy name through a very popular channel of influence we could see change.

Who was it that suggested that we explain the "pod" to be "portable-on-demand" media? I can't recall, but it sure helps explain it a bit better. Is "pod" in Apple's "iPod" the same? Was it meant to be "portable-on-demand"?

I agree, we do need to try to use a term, regardless of what, that separates the product from a manufacturer. As is often stated, most of the listeners/viewers lean north of 50% use through PC consumption.

Still a great topic; I don't think we should abandon it just yet.

I own Apple Stock, todays price 119.65 USD per.... Love it ... Get in there!!!

Ok lets say you had a magic wand. You could change podcast to another term by the wave of your wand. Would you really choose netcast? I think not.

By the way Apple did not create the term podcast. That is about equal to the people that think Apple invented podcasting.

I don't know if podcast will stay, but I definitely don't like just plain audio or streaming. Streaming is confusing to many as something magical and professional that they need an IT department to deploy; in addition, it sounds endless (at least until you reach the sea). Casts of whatever color give the sense of a finite unit, a completed piece, a thing. Cast is a good word, suggesting distribution, especially in the sense of a hand throwing out, as in cast upon the water. It also suggests to me the idea of the broad audience, unknown and heterogeneous.

I'm not that fond of the pod prefix, but Net isn't doing it for me, either.

It's never time to stop discussing words and their meanings and connotations/baggage.

Some good comments here so far.

Just to quickly round-up, I'm also not a huge fan of NetCast (I prefer it though), although of course Leo Laporte (http://www.twit.tv/) has used the term for some time, and isn't he one of the most listened to shows which would be considered a cast?

Yes, I agree podcasting was not invented by apple, but an editor in the Guardian newspaper I believe?

Let's have some more views digging into repercussions, more importantly, what difference would it make if I no longer called my content podcasts, and let's say NewRadio instead, or RadioCast? Would more people outside of the "fishbowl", or people in the know, more likely know what that meant?

Three words, and a quick paragraph: horse - stable door.

I started Netcast Ltd (still going strong) in 1996 so you can hardly call me late to the game either - but this is not about precedent, this is about cultural dominance. We Brits may have once owned the language of English, but no longer. These days, the Americans rule, and they more-or-less determine what words get used, especially in the tech culture arena. Our only hope for change lies with that great and beautiful nation, India, whose use of the language is often better constructed and richer in vocabulary than ours... if you can establish Netcasting in India, then one day, who knows...

I wouldn't say we've seen the real scope of podcasting yet, as a lot of people still don't understand what it actually is and it's benefits - especially within this society and it's general lack of acceptance for new technology. And by that I mean the general public, the majority it would seem. I'm ever optimistic though.

I'm Only Beginning to Understand Podcasting, and now it's 'going out of style?" ok...goood cuz it was confusing me 'NO POD NEEDED" for all us literal people...we never did quite get that, haaa.
As you said Chris, live streaming...seems to be what is most convenient..people seem to want what is 'quickest and most convenient.' Hell people will PAY for things that convenient Just Cuz they are.
You have an incredible thing going for you, and those that you help(admires audio again)...and I'm not a 'tech head' but I do go with what is most simple for me, as a musician, using Live Stream (took me a bit of time to Understand that) it's an immediate connection, easy to set up, and instant for the audience..or the 'listeners'....as long as they know how to click on the stream and access it.
Not all of it 'easy' for everyone right off, I know of several musicians, including me, that were borderlining tears tryin to set up that FLIPPIN Stream, but once it's set up, it's there and ready and the next thing you know there are 40-100 listeners OR MORE (thanks C.C. for U Turn Cafe, Thanks Audio for 'podcasting me', thanks Mark Forman for podcast...and ok ok on and on )....I don't understand where all this technology is going, but I know it can't be a bad thing, at all.

I tend to stay stick with what people know. Podcasting has survived challenges before. The Leo Laporte "Netcast" thing came out about the time we learned Apple was trying to defend its trademark application for "Pod" and "iPod" against people filing trademarks for podcast-related "pod" words, like "Podcast Ready." He launched the idea at Podcast Expo last year, but I don't know that anyone but Leo himself adopted it.

In the end, it doesn't matter a ton, but I think the podcasting term has the most recognition among the names proffered-- except "streaming," but that is limiting by definition.

Some very good opinions put forward here so far, and Doug you've hit on my thoughts, that is doesn't matter a ton, not a great deal anyway, the term I choose.

It is without doubt that there will be more connectivity everywhere in the future and content will be streamed more and more over networks, in various forms, indeed, much like internet TV needs to be (I don't mean youtube clips), the future will surely be about reaching the masses, which still ultimately means selecting from a menu, pressing go on a button and hearing/seeing it immediately, and in shared experience, portable media, take-away style, hmmm, not convinced at all, not for mass markets anyway.

I don't doubt "user-generated content" will be massive, but I still think that content will be "streamed" in the future, on demand, and only partially taken-away, for very niche subjects, just as audiobooks on cassette tape were 30 years ago..

anyone?

As has been stated before... this conversation has been had a zillion times already. First some points of clarity.

1. The term "podcasting" was NOT created by Apple. It was in use LONG before Apple came into the game.
2. Every major media and internet player has acknowledged and use the term "podcast". This includes Microsoft, Apple, Google, Yahoo, etc.
3. Apple DID NOT trademark the word podcasting, nor are they sending cease and desist letters to people who use the term. In fact, Shae Spencer Management in New York attempted, and failed, to trademark the term in September of 2005... well before the bad journalism that had everyone scared to use the term for fear of an Apple lawsuit in Sept of 2006.
4. Netcasting had been used well before the advent of podcasting for streaming media. One could argue that the two are just content and can be thought of the same way. I personally believe that's like saying an email and a hand delivered letter are the same. Different delivery mechanisms.

Yes, to new listeners the term creates the assumption of "I need an iPod." BUT, it's widely used, getting more and more known as a generic term, and still describes the technology. One could argue that netcast would make people assume you to be connected at all times to the internet to listen. NewRadio? No, but I do introduce myself to people as a "New Media Producer" ... and then refine by mentioning podcasting.

It's not going to change, despite what Leo Laporte would like. Plus, trying to change it will only confuse people more at this point. The ONLY company that has a hair's chance to change the term is Microsoft.... and they're already using the term podcasting.

Thanks Ed, always good to have passion in the posts.

Just to clarify, I'm talking here about MY content, what I do, and what I as a company, wish to call MY content, certainly not interested in changing the "world" or what YOU call yours, or anyone elses, I'm posting here to get opinion, and it is appreciated.

:)

Some have mentioned already it makes not a lot of difference, and I'm starting to align with that really, I don't think it does make too much difference, as long as my current internet traffic base, in terms of the largest percentage of that base understand it, and don't need educating, too intensively.

The other thing of course is that as I stated most of MY listeners listen over the net, and do not use portable media, so technically netcast is probably closer (symantically speaking) to what I do, or what takes place with my created content.

I was also thinking about the prefixes people use, for example.

Chillcast
Beercast
Pubcast
Mommycast

Etc. et all, all very descriptive, and I really like those terms.

Anyone else?

a tight focus on something specific each and every cast would be the best bet. I could listen to an interview with a favorite musician and a couple of their songs several times making it worth my while to download the 'cast. I could also listen to a 'cast of something like quantum physics where i am fascinated but might need to listen several times to get it all.