PodShow who?

I would like to set the record straight. I worked very closely with Adam at PodShow. Though I was laid off by my direct Manager, Adam called me personally to let me know how much he appreciated me and offered to help me anyway he could. Though Adam may not have been physically present, he was certainly there for me emotionally. I worked my ass off for him and PodShow and completely understand why they had to make the difficult lay off choices they did.

PodShow? What's that again? Yet another stupid Web 2.0 thing from Adam "I grew up in Amsterdam" Curry, who thinks people really care about his previous life at MTV?

Headbanger's Ball is the new Columbia MBA

What on earth did they employ 60 people to do there?

Seriously, the product on screen looks like a 10 person company that raised ~$2 million. It's just a bunch of feeds.

Adam Curry did a great deal in 2005 to promote podcasting. I feel we should all appreciate him for his positive contributions. Nevertheless...

At the 2005 Portable Media Expo and Podcasting Conference, I had a conversation with Adam regarding the accessibility of the Podsafe Music Network and other Podshow products and services for the blind and visually impaired. At that time, he indicated that Podshow would make a serious effort toward positive change, make myself and others part of the development and testing processes, and generally work with the disability community to ensure full participation by everyone.

Adam further made this pledge a day later on his Daily Source Code, and in several podcasts in December 2005 into January 2006. The only single act that ever came from this pledge was a Skype conversation between Andrew Grumet, myself and a blind programmer friend of mine concerning ways in which the accessibility of Add to Playlist and other Podsafe Music Network features could be increased.

I feel Adam's total lack of follow through and responses to my requests for ongoing communication have represented a sad state of affairs with respect to his character and, by extension, the company he leads. The issues with PMN continue to exist despite the fact it has been around for almost two years and most of the rest of Podshow contains serious accessibility barriers that inhibit full participation by people with disabilities. When the leadership of a company makes promises to an underserved population, those people believe him in good faith but the promises are never delivered, that should tell everyone a great deal about the character, ethics and lack of good corporate citizenship involved. It should also tell all of you about the quality of customer service and technical support you may not receive when doing business with Podshow.

Keith and The Girl just proved yet again they did the right thing. Peace, love and KATG!

Wow, that's too bad. Podshow has worked hard to try and legitimize podcasting and related technologies, and it's unfortunate to see them have to cut back. I don't necessarily buy in to the way they operate, but they have put out some decent stuff, and have gone a good deal further than most other new media "networks" and initiatives.

I never understood why Curry has been considered some sort of Godfather of Podcasting, especially since his own podcast is of such uninspiring quality. I generally prefer podcasts that are genuinely funny, like Keith and the Girl or CarTalk. No more Curry? Meh.

As a member of the Podshow family, I have to say that until you've worked closely with the people at the Podshow Network, you really have no understanding of the amount of time and effort that goes into forwarding New Media, the content and the delivery of it, and the amount of time that goes into what's next for the producers and consumers of their content. To simply sit back from the outside and say that Podshow is simply another "stupid web 2.0 thing", is just wrong and completely misinformed.

Podshow allows those of us that believe in the future of new media, a place to openly explore what's possible, to connect with people that I never would have met on my own, and a means to distribute fairly, and evenly to a vast number of audience members that I never would have had access to alone.

I don't work for Podshow, but I am a contracted member of the network, and say what you will, I'm proud of being a member of the family, and for having even a little part in the expansion of the company as well as their philosophy. I'm not a "drink the cool aide" kind of guy, and I don't usually voice my opinions on subjects like this, but I feel that until you really look at what Podshow has done as a whole to expand this entirely new world of content delivery and production, you really shouldn't try to judge it.

And LongAgoYahoo, just so you know, that page you claim is nothing more than a bunch of feeds has helped my audience grow by an average of 7% a month so I'm perfectly fine with their decision to make the home page a productive part of the site rather than a landing page to find games and wanna be models.

Mike
UC Radio Podshow
[ucpod.podshow.com]

VC honeymoon is over I guess!
Within the dark can of hairspray // things don't look so hot. //