| This is happening right before our eyes, in real time. Podcasting is just one of the latest entries into geekdom which precipitate generational gaps in technology.Just to give you an idea:
- Try to find podcasting at dictionary.com or Merriam_Webster Online
- Are you aware that the term has been in use for just over a year now (The Guardian - February 12, 2004)
- It took 7 months following the first use of the word, for someone to scoop up the domain name podcasting.net (now, podcast.net)...and now all variations of .com, .org, etc. are reserved.
- There is no Podcasting for Dummies book...and Todd Cochrane's Podcasting : Do it Yourself Pirate Radio for the Masses isn't set for release until August of this year
So what is the point of all useless this Trivia Pursuit fodder? Podcasting may ultimately be defined as a disruptive technology... a new one-to-many option for the masses, previously controlled and legislated by the FCC. What we are witnessing are the early stages of a technology-era compression of the adoption/difussion timeline. |
Taking a snapshot of where Podcasting stands on the adoption and diffusion/acceptance curve, here are my perceptions of where we are and what will be the generational technology gaps:
The small fraternity of early adopters are still experimenting and talking about applications and uses...these will become the Podcast-vangeslists who lead the way for middle-adopters (the majority)A (generally) younger generation who are embracing the iPod and MP3 players will adopt the rebelious nature of the technology as some sort of generation defining device/voice...but that may fail long term if somethiing more disruptive appears on the radar the portable CD generation will gradually buy into Podcasting for the variety of programs that can be easily downloaded for use while exercising/relaxing and handling information overloadEducational institutions will adopt podcasting sporadically, but adoption will fail from lack of training for educators to integrate the technology and a declining level of technology savy educators entering the marketplacethe older generations (those who haven't embraced the Internet) will be further isolated generationally because Podcasting involves yet another computer-type device/progarm that remains a generation-wide enigma.And if you want to know more about Podcasting, I recommend Julian Bond as a terrific source.
Anyone up for a little Podcasting research to test some of this speculation?
