Microcasting: A History
Microcasting (cross-posted from CrazyAces)
Throughout history, the creation of new technologies quickly introduces new frontiers ripe for exploration. Brave explorers set out in their sailing vessels in search of better trade routes. The advent of the covered wagon opened the Wild West for the pioneers. Rocket ships led to the exploration of outer space. So it is with the Internet.
Originally, there were no “websites” on the Internet. HTML and XML had not been invented. It was simply a refuel for the “Command Line Cowboy,” bravely exploring each node, each piece of code, and each path just to see what was out there. Soon the graphical interface allowed us to better visualize this electronic superhighway as it coalesced and formed into the World Wide Web.
Just as the early settlers staked out and established their homesteads, the first digirati were equally quick to leave an impression on the world. They created home pages, filling each nook and cranny with their personal collections or trinkets. As these homepages evolved, people began to use the space for journaling. They would share their day’s events, thoughts or feelings on a particular subject, for the rest of the online community to read and enjoy. Over time, these journals became know as weblogs, or “blogs,” as they are commonly referred to today.
As personal computers and connections to the Internet became increasingly faster, a richer, more intimate experience began to emerge. Animations, Sound, Personalized News! Eventually, people began recording their blog entries in a downloadable audio format that was suitable for listening on Apple Computer’s iPod. Hence, the term “podcasting” came about, as a way to better define “broadcasting for the iPod.”
Podcasting usually refers to a personal, commercial or syndicated site with regular, specialized content. Typically, each podcast will roughly follow the same genre and format as the site that it originates from.
Another branch of podcasting has begun to take shape as well, called MicroCasting. Although the term “microcasting” has been around for a while, it wasn’t until the pioneers at CrazyAces started to MicroCast that the medium was truly defined. A MicroCast is a specific form of the audio blog wherein the content of each piece is wholly separate from the next. It is limited in time and scope and -most importantly - consists of only two to four people all contributing equally to the MicroCast.
