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For six years, the Internet Nexus served as my technology blog, but I've since started blogging at the SuperSite Blog instead. If you're looking for the blog, please head there. --Paul

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Podcasting Numbers Were Overhyped

DesignTechnica:

Pew Internet and American Life released a survey the other day claiming 30-precent of iPod owners have downloaded a podcast. Now they say those numbers are likely not accurate.

New evidence shows that the survey is most likely not accurate and even Pew Internet and American Life has gone on record stating they do not believe those figures.

"Pew research director Mary Madden believes the numbers of people actually using the Internet to broadcast and/or download pods is smaller than the 6 million figure cited in the organization’s latest study, however.

“Our question to the survey respondents on this was very broad. We asked if they had ever downloaded a podcast or radio Internet program," she says. In other words, the survey also netted affirmatives from people who may have listened to an NPR program on the radio, for example, and then gone to the NPR site to download it."

Good, and I call bullshit. All those fools who posted stories about the success of podcasting are as eager to believe their own hype as any other group of fanatical niche technology lovers. It's sad.

Podcasting, like blogging, is totally over-rated. No one cares what you think, and they surely don't want to listen to your opinions on their iPods. This is a niche of a niche, and hardly worth mentioning. I only posted this one because it squarely refuted all the BS that was published this week about the supposed reach of podcasting.

[ Posted at 9:27 AM | Permalink ]