I am a little confused. I have just learnt that Cape Town is going to get it's own PodCamp.

For me it's an exciting development. I have been a consumer of Podcasts since just a few months after Adam Curry's Daily Source Code became what is generally accepted as the first podcast to be offered for download. I have found this form of new media refreshing and a necessary antidote to some of the mainstream media available here in South Africa, particularly radio.

In fact, I even ventured into the world of podcasting myself, with an experimental show in 2005/6, but decided to leave that sphere of the New Media revolution to those with voices worth listening to. Voices such as Rob Walch @ Podcast411 & Michael Butler @ The Rock & Roll Geek Show, both of whom have from time to time mentioned this thing called Podcamp. They have had me salivating as they described the meeting of like-minded people at an 'unconference' discussing all things 'New Media' in a relaxed manner, no airs and graces, no heirarchy, simply sharing ideas as to what can be achieved using this remarkable vehicle, the internet.

Here's the reason for my confusion. Is it just me, or has their been very little coverage of this event? The first I heard of it was when my Facebook feed showed that Vinny & Jeremy were going to be attending this thing called PodcampCapeTown. I did a quick Amatomu, Muti & Google search and besides Glenn of The ZA Show (the engine behind this initiative), ClickKliek & Ernst Kuschke, I don't see any mention of PodcampCapeTown anywhere? Glen's announcement was on the 29th June, and age ago in web terms.

So hopefully Eish!! blogging about it will help create a little more traction. It's difficult to tell exactly how many have committed to go as there are two places to register, the wiki www.podcampcapetown.com & FaceBook.com, but perhaps it's not so much the number of attendees that count rather what is discussed and how what is discussed filters through into the various New Media entities currently generating content and how it spawns new ventures. Perhaps it's not so much the number of attendees that count but the number of individuals who wish they could've attended. Perhaps it's not so much the number of attendees that count rather the quality of the presentations. And perhaps it's not so much the number of attendees that count rather the amount of fun that those attending will have. In fact let's be honest, it's not so much the number of attendees that counts, rather the amount of hype!

The broadband explosion here in SA is very close. Telkom has put us in a unique position to be ready and waiting when it does.

I can't help but think that this could be an answer to Fred @ Ideate's musing "Cape Town, wake up!"

Register @ www.podcampcapetown.com or www.facebook.com

Labels: cape town, eish, new media, podcamp, podcampcapetown, podcast411

Posted by eishman at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

Podcast411, a podcast I have been listening to since early 1995, aims to help podcasters podcast. Rob uses the experiences of his guests to educate those either podcasting or thinking of podcasting, as well as motivating them to keep going, market themselves and, most importantly raise the standard of their show.
I use the podcast more as a listener. It's a great way to find those little gems that you would otherwise not be able to find in the massive podcast directories.
As a side note, he always starts out his interviews with the question, "So what was your first computer?" The answers bring back memories of BBC's, ZX Sinclairs & Commodores.
Anyways, I digress...

His focus is usually US-centric, but the last show featured none other than Cape Town's Glen Verran from "The ZA Show." It was really cool ,and a bit weird, hearing a SA accent for a change.

The ZA Show is hosted by Glen & his wife Bridgitte. I have to admit to being only an extremely infrequent listener. With our limited bandwidth I tend to listen to podcasts to get international perspectives, but if that were not a factor I would most definitely be a subscriber. The format is loose, and consists of banter between the two, occasional interviews and outside broadcast. I also like the fact that they encourage SA bands to register their music on the Podsafe Music Network, so as to help them get international exposure. It does of course allow them to play the music on their podcast as well. And as an added bonus, they podcast out of Cape Town, and are proudly South African.

Check out the interview. It was fun hearing Glen explaining things like the origin of Afrikaans and the state of telecoms in SA.

Links : Podcast411 - Direct link to mp3 here
The ZA Show

Labels: eish, podcast411, podcasting, thezashow

Posted by eishman at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments