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Locked-Out Journalists Turn To Podcasting

An anonymous reader writes "An Interesting Canadian Press article is up on the Macleans website discussing locked out union journalists podcasting to stay on the air. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation locked out 5,500 unionized employees Aug. 15 over a contract dispute. Most of those walking the picket line are radio, TV and internet journalists and technicians. In the last few days, they've been cranking out podcasts - locked out folks in Fredericton, New Brunswick; Regina, Saskatchewan; Vancouver, British Columbia and other cities have all participated. Some have 'real news', music and interviews. Others are more propaganda-like. A whole batch of them are at www.cbcunplugged.com."

146 comments

  1. Two drink minimum by FatRatBastard · · Score: 5, Funny

    Some have 'real news', music and interviews. Others are more propaganda-like.

    So basically it's no different than your normal CBC broadcast.

    [rim shot]

    Thank you.. I'll be here all week.

    1. Re:Two drink minimum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Depends if the propaganda still leans as heavily towards the NDP as when they're "on air" or not.

    2. Re:Two drink minimum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      "Some have 'real news', music and interviews. Others are more propaganda-like."
      Unfortunately, the CBC has long forgotten that they are taxpayer funded organization, and have evolved into being a mouthpiece for special interest groups. http://www.cbcwatch.ca/
      Although I admire the locked out reporters resourcefulness at getting their message out, I can hardly sympathize with this bunch of elitist, narrow minded idiots.

    3. Re:Two drink minimum by techno-vampire · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Although I admire the locked out reporters resourcefulness at getting their message out, I can hardly sympathize with this bunch of elitist, narrow minded idiots.

      I take it, then, that you'd have more sympathy with a bunch of elitist, narrow minded idiots who's politics you agree with?

      --
      Good, inexpensive web hosting
    4. Re:Two drink minimum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A five hour work day????!!!! STRIKE!!!!

    5. Re:Two drink minimum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, absolutely! These people simply aren't elitest, narrow midned or idiotic enough. They're just too smarter and brad minded than I am. Gimme someone I can at least undersand.

    6. Re:Two drink minimum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      [quote]Here's the truth: I discovered that site some time ago, and what hooked me was its 'exposing the bias' tagline. I was earnestly interested in having our bias exposed.

      But it only contains news stories lifted from various sources I can find elsewhere, usually accompanied with a snarky tagline. Ironically, some of the stories are about how unbiased we are. Comments are buried and combative.

      They do, however, copy and paste with precision and dutifully retype print items tat I can't find online. Monkeys can also do this.

      Inexplicably, the 'editors' are anonymous. I may be a gutless coward, but at least I risk getting fired. What could they possibly be risking?

      I guess what disappoints me most is that it could have been better. I rarely expect to get the truth about the CBC when I read the newspaper or some online pundit. Quite often they get it wrong in the first sentence, which saves me from reading the rest of the article. I'm sure you know what I mean. What with this lockout we now have a lot more of it around, 90% of it wrong. Except for John Doyle, who is 90% right, at least this week.

      If I thought it was worth it, I might make my own web site, and poke some holes into some of these news stories. I would choose the big ones, probably, because people read these the most.

      Until then, just read what Tod Maffin has to say. But you knew that already.[/quote]

    7. Re:Two drink minimum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'd have more sympathy for the CBC if they at least tried to remain impartial, and took NO POLITICAL SIDE when it comes to reporting.

      They are funded by ALL Canadian taxpayers, but have a nasty habit of advocating left wing liberal causes. If they acted more like the BBC (yeah, they aren't perfect either)when it came to programming maybe they would have a larger viewing base.

    8. Re:Two drink minimum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's how it usually works, isn't it? Between the insane right with the complaints about the liberal media bias, and the loony left with the vast right-wing conspiracy, it's a wonder there aren't vast civil wars going on right now.

    9. Re:Two drink minimum by antiMStroll · · Score: 1
      "CBC to continue with property development during strike"

      "CBC picket walker mentions teens across street cheering Canadian Idol fave."

      "CBC personalites consider appearance on college radio."

      Thanks for the chuckle. It appears we Canadians have a very low scandal threshold. Another bookmark for the Raelian crank file.

    10. Re:Two drink minimum by PsiPsiStar · · Score: 1

      What specific changes do you want made?

      --

      ___
      It's the end of my comment as I know it and I feel fine.
    11. Re:Two drink minimum by Liam+Slider · · Score: 1
      Some have 'real news', music and interviews. Others are more propaganda-like. So basically it's no different than your normal CBC broadcast.
      It isn't? I wasn't aware that any broadcasters carried "real news" these days...
    12. Re:Two drink minimum by IgnoramusMaximus · · Score: 1
      I take it, then, that you'd have more sympathy with a bunch of elitist, narrow minded idiots who's politics you agree with?

      But of course, he would like CBC TV replaced with the FOX channel and CBC Radio with Clear Channel + Rush Limbaugh. Then he would sing praises of the new arrangement being "fair and balanced" and "open minded", like, say, Ann Coulter.

    13. Re:Two drink minimum by IgnoramusMaximus · · Score: 2, Informative

      Also, cbcwatch.ca is run and operated by Wayne MacLaurin, one of the Canadian dot.com con artists (he owned more dot.com busts then I can count, all of which appear to have served the purpose of "asset conversion" of that of shareholders to his pocket), and whose political stance can be described as "you cant fucking tax meee! I am too fucking important!!! Down with the commie Canada!" or something to that effect. Naturally a public broadcaster (or public health or public roads) is somewheat contrary to that ideology as are all other things which interfere with Mr. MacLaurin raking in money, like laws for example, a true Libertarian that he is.

    14. Re:Two drink minimum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "left wing liberal causes" you know in the dictionary under redundant it says "see redundant"?

    15. Re:Two drink minimum by IgnoramusMaximus · · Score: 2, Insightful
      They are funded by ALL Canadian taxpayers, but have a nasty habit of advocating left wing liberal causes.

      Damn those darn facts which have "left wing liberal" bias. And damn the CBC for reporting them! How dare they!

      If they acted more like the BBC (yeah, they aren't perfect either)when it came to programming maybe they would have a larger viewing base

      BBC also has a nasty habit of sticking to facts thus "yeah, they aren't perfect either" but it can be brown beaten by rigged "inquiries" and its executives made to resign for reporting them darn inconvenient facts, thus you like it more. And if you want "viewing base" then CBC should be showing "Survivor" 24/7, execpt that is not its mission.

    16. Re:Two drink minimum by lamz · · Score: 1

      That sounds awesome!

      --

      Mike van Lammeren
      It will challenge your head, your brain, and your mind.

    17. Re:Two drink minimum by IgnoramusMaximus · · Score: 1
      That sounds awesome!

      Put that, whatever you are smoking, down or you might walk out of the window thinking its the way to the bathroom.

    18. Re:Two drink minimum by saforrest · · Score: 1

      If they acted more like the BBC (yeah, the aren't perfect either)when it came to programming maybe they would have a larger viewing base.

      Funny, I hear that same charge with the same vehemence made against the BBC (and against NPR in the U.S). Maybe the reason BBC seems more neutral to you is because the issues being reported on are less close to home.

      Just to know what sort of thing you're talking about, can you name a specific issue that CBC reported on, which a truly unbiased media would have reported differently?

  2. I can see them... by all204 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm in Fredericton, and I can see them out my appartment. They get a lot of honks from cars passing by, thats how they keep my attention, errrrr....

  3. Bush says.. by peculiarmethod · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I suggest we go in there, drop a few EMP bombs, throw a few ICBMs (to remind the world we still have 'em), and go in there and LIBERATE THOSE JOURNALISTS!

    I hear there's oil, too. LET'S ROLL!!

    --
    ** "It's not my job to stand between the people talking to me, and the ones listening to me." -- Pego the Jerk
    1. Re:Bush says.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      lol, ur are teh funny!!!

    2. Re:Bush says.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But then I laugh at everything! Brak rulez! I wnna suk hiz feet

  4. Some have "real news" by ectotherm · · Score: 0

    So, it sounds like CBS wasn't part of the lock out... ;)

    --
    "Nature bats last..."
  5. RIP Quirks and Quarks by Average_Joe_Sixpack · · Score: 1

    Can't even browse old programs

    1. Re:RIP Quirks and Quarks by Omnieiunium · · Score: 1

      Really? They took that down as well. Shucks. I really enjoyed that show. I have a few of their podcasts if you need them.

  6. CPB? by Snoolas · · Score: 2, Funny

    Am I the only one who mistaked this for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting?
    This podcast made possible by listeners like you. Thank You!

    1. Re:CPB? by hungrygrue · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yes, in fact I believe you may be the first person to have ever "mistaked".

    2. Re:CPB? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So there's 8,720-ish hits for "mistaked"

      What about the word that our illiterate OP was groping for - "mistook"?

      About 769,000. The votes are in, the OP is a 'tard, and so are you.

    3. Re:CPB? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Indeed, you are.

      That makes you an idiot.

    4. Re:CPB? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ..and so am I. I am the gratest! Being a 'tard is teh funnest. every1 should want to be a ;tard

  7. Procrasting by ZeroExistenZ · · Score: 2, Funny

    am I the only one who read "Locked-Out Journalists Turn To Procrasting"

    --
    I think we can keep recursing like this until someone returns 1
    1. Re:Procrasting by jazzman251 · · Score: 1

      I read this as: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation locked out 5,500 un-ionized employees Aug. 15 over a contract dispute.

    2. Re:Procrasting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes.

    3. Re:Procrasting by fm6 · · Score: 1

      Yes, you are.

  8. Critical Mass? by jarich · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Could this event be the one that shows people how much Podcasting can replace traditional broadcasting? A critical mass moment showing the established media types how effect Podcasting can be? Or creating enough content for force more organization to the content (like a newspaper or a TV newscast)?

    Turning a large group of professionals loose with a medium like this would make me very nervous if I owned a TV station! :)

    1. Re:Critical Mass? by grazzy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Or.. show the world how useless it is, and realize absolutely nobody is going to give a sh*t.. much like blogs.

    2. Re:Critical Mass? by Seumas · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Only if we give it a different, less stupid, name.

      I love it.

      A frequently updated website is called "blogging" and considered a whole new revolution again after over a decade.

      Streaming/downloadable MP3s are called "podcasting" and considered a whole new revolution again after almost a decade.

      What's next? Calling online gaming "active fantasy excercise" and claiming it's a new, revolutionary fad, too?

      *eyeroll*

      Speaking of which, I have yet to find a podcast that is worthwhile. I've tried listening to quite a few and they honestly just flat out suck. And every dipshit has one. Look, I can check my RSS feed in two seconds and see your Engadget news. I don't also need a stupid regularly scheduled podcast from a fricking gadget meme site just so they can jump on the "we're cool and hip" bandwagon.

      If podcasting quality stays the same, I hope it fails just like videologging... or... videoblogging... or... vlogging... or blideovlogging.. or whatever the fuck this is called... is going to fail.

    3. Re:Critical Mass? by wasted+time · · Score: 1

      Could this event be the one that shows people how much Podcasting can replace traditional broadcasting?

      Sure, it could - but once the journalists realize they can't make enough money to eat, they'll all turn around to bash it as a mindless, useless medium, with no journalistic integrity. Oh, wait...

      --
      The Stone Age did not end because humans ran out of stones. - William McDonough
    4. Re:Critical Mass? by Aeiri · · Score: 1

      I've been hearing a lot about this word, "podcast". I have never actually been able to find a definition or anywhere that explains what the hell anyone is talking about until now.

      So, is a "podcast" Apple's branding of internet radio broadcasting?

      I've been listening to internet radio for over 7 years now, why do we need a catch phrase such as "podcast" to describe it? Is it any different when said broadcasts are sent through Apple's servers are not?

    5. Re:Critical Mass? by Neop2Lemus · · Score: 1
      Only good ones are from the CBC (well, were...), and the BBC.

      Please excuse no html,

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/downloadtrial/

      No CBC link right now.

      --
      Needle Nardle Noo
    6. Re:Critical Mass? by Seumas · · Score: 1

      As best I can tell, a "podcast" just means "an mp3 that automatically downloads when it's available".

      It would be about the same as sticking an mp3 on a server and having cronjobs that automatically downloaded the file every so often. So basically.. a podcast delivers an mp3 that you've subscribe to, when it's available... as long as you're connected to the internet and running the podcasting client in the background... and are too lasty to just punch in a single URL and click on a link to download it manually.

      Geektalk was doing "podcasts" years ago with Geeks in Space. *shrug*

    7. Re:Critical Mass? by jarich · · Score: 1
      With an RSS reader tracking your blogs, websites or news sites (like Google or CNN), you don't have to visit every site and look for new content. Your RSS reader just shows you the new stuff.

      Podcasting is exactly the same. You podcasting client tracks a large number of sites and lets you know when something new is published.

      Most of the people I know that are into podcasting have long commutes and they use the car time to catch up on various topics. Not a bad use of time... but I live 5 miles from work. I don't know when I'd find time to listen to a wide variety of audio tracks.

    8. Re:Critical Mass? by Norman+Lorrain · · Score: 1

      Like the blog you're reading now?

    9. Re:Critical Mass? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How many CBC broadcasting professionals does it take to make one crappy podcast?

      5,500 apparently.

    10. Re:Critical Mass? by grazzy · · Score: 1

      No.

      Slashdot, nor any other page with a "comment"-function was blogs before someone invented the word and made it fit roughly 50% of the nets webpages.

      Web log = daily posts/rants/comments from a private person. Lets stick to that, shall we?

  9. Hmm by Dirtside · · Score: 5, Funny
    An Interesting Canadian Press article
    Ah yes, the Interesting Canadian Press. Much preferable to the Staid Tedious Canadian Press.
    --
    "Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
  10. Defending Free Speech by brianopp · · Score: 2, Interesting

    this is just further proving that podcasting is enhancing free speech

    1. Re:Defending Free Speech by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, thank God that podcasting turned up right when I was despairing of ever being able to air my views in public again without fear of reprisal. Seriously, it's just another medium. Get over it.

    2. Re:Defending Free Speech by FinestLittleSpace · · Score: 1

      Die.

    3. Re:Defending Free Speech by FinestLittleSpace · · Score: 1

      Or rather... grandparent should die.

    4. Re:Defending Free Speech by FinestLittleSpace · · Score: 1

      Die.

    5. Re:Defending Free Speech by wasted+time · · Score: 1

      this is just further proving that podcasting is enhancing free speech

      While I agree that any self-published medium can be a good tool for free speech; I must say that the only thing worse than reading the drivel spewed by most "free speech activist" is hearing their whiny, annoying voices. Thank god we haven't "advanced" far enough for slashdot to offer audio comments.

      --
      The Stone Age did not end because humans ran out of stones. - William McDonough
    6. Re:Defending Free Speech by Halfbaked+Plan · · Score: 1

      Slashdot had an audio program for a short while.
      "Nerds from space" was what it was called. You got to discover what squeaky pubescent voices Malda and the gang had.

      --
      resigned
  11. Hate the term "podcasting" by lakcaj · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I don't know why, but I hate the buzz word "podcasting". It's streaming audio, and it was streaming audio years before the blog generation even discovered it existed. I'm still amazed by people's reactions when I tell them the ambient music in my apartment is being streamed from an online radio station from shoutcast.

    1. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by hungrygrue · · Score: 5, Informative

      It is not "streaming audio". Streaming requires enormous bandwidth in order to play in real time. A Podcast is downloaded and saved to the subscriber's disk for playback at a later time. It does not matter, therefore, if limited bandwidth means that a twenty minute episode will take fourty minutes to download

      Streaming audio also has the same limitation that radio does, and which podcasting provides a solution to: the listener must tune in on the day and time of the broadcast in order to hear it. There are a large number of Public Radio programs which I enjoy but my schedule does not allow me to listen to live. Even more programs that I listen to are not offered by stations in my area. Podcasts allow me to subscribe to the feeds that I want and listen to them whenever and wherever I want, including on my mp3 player when I am away from my computer.
    2. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      It's not streaming audio, and it's not shoutcast. I hate the term too, but at least do your homework before shooting your mouth off.

    3. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by lakcaj · · Score: 1

      I stand corrected... thank you for the clarification

    4. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Although we all may hate the term "podcasting", one thing it's NOT is streaming audio.

      It's subscription downloadable audio. Move the audio files to my computer so I can put them on my iPod or burn them to a CD to listen to them at my leisure.

      The whole point of podcasting is TIVO-like control of your audio content. To listen to your audio content where and when you want to, to not be at the mercy of the broadcast schedule or availability of a net connection, and to be notified via RSS of new content.

      While streaming audio is great, it doesn't provide any of the defining characteristics of podcasting.

    5. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by hungrygrue · · Score: 1

      That being said, I do agree that the term is rather annoying. Podcasting has nothing to do with the ipod, and 'casting' suggests broadcasting which is likewise inappropriate terminology.

    6. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by interiot · · Score: 1
      Podcasting is distinct from other types of online media delivery because of its subscription model, which uses a feed (such as RSS or Atom) to deliver an enclosed file.

      In other words, because the files are automatically downloaded, before you listen, the technique can be used to watch full-screen video, or other high-bitrate media that users don't have the bandwidth to stream in real-time. Also, it can be used for disconnected devices that have no internet connection to stream at all.

      So, no, it's not streaming.

    7. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by Xzzy · · Score: 1

      So, no, it's not streaming.

      Yeah, it's even more basic. Us internet veterans call it "downloading a file".

      The energy the tech industry invests in rebranding benign ideas into something flashy and new is laughable.

    8. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So..

      I don't know why, but I hate the buzz word "podcasting". It's [downloadable MP3 files], and it was [downloadable MP3 files] years before the blog generation even discovered it existed. I'm still amazed by people's reactions when I tell them the ambient music in my apartment is [MP3 files downloaded from the internet].

      Point still valid.

    9. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by wasted+time · · Score: 1

      But sometimes the energy invested pays off handsomely.

      Apple's laughing all the way to the bank and they didn't even come up with the word podcasting.

      --
      The Stone Age did not end because humans ran out of stones. - William McDonough
    10. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It is not "streaming audio"... A Podcast is downloaded and saved to the subscriber's disk for playback at a later time.

      Which makes it even stupider to give it a new name like podcasting.

      It's the original evil sourge of the internet known as "file downloading" - the progenitor of "file sharing!"

      --
      When information is power, privacy is freedom.
    11. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by interiot · · Score: 1

      Yeah, and blogs are called "editing a website" and RSS is called "downloading a page" and aggregators are called "mail readers", and all of this blog nonsense has no added value whatsoever. 13 different versions of RSS, why would anyone spend time on that junk!?

    12. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by hattig · · Score: 1

      Do podcasts (and future video podcasts) utilise a mechanism like bittorrent for distribution (it makes sense to me), or does the server have to serve all the bandwidth?

      This personal access to pseudo-broadcast is the future. Great for libel/slander lawyers I'm sure, but how can you monitor all broadcasts? I'm sure that automated tools that check for occurrences of certain words in podcasts and flag ones that match will become a popular way to check for your company name (or your own name if you are lucky enough to be that well known) over thousands, if not hundreds of thousand podcasts.

    13. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 3, Informative

      Point still valid.

      I'm surprised that people on a geek site wave technical ideas away before even bothering to spend any time understand them. It is more than just an audio file on a web site somewhere.

      What makes "podcasts" an improvement over just audio files on a web site somewhere is that you can subscribe to them using a podcast aggregator. An aggregator lets the user subscribe to a bunch of different feeds, when a feed has a new file, it automatically downloads the latest files. It then takes those files and puts them in the user's media library, and also can copy them to the user's portable audio device. Then the user can play the "recently added files" on the media player in the way to work while driving or riding.

      That whole automated chain of events is what makes podcasting a vastly improved delivery system over manually checking every site, downloading every single file and them manually copying them to their portable audio device. I think it is a great improvement over radio. While most of radio, and most podcasts are garbage, with podcasts, I can pick and chose when and where I can play the recordings.

    14. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 1

      Yeah, it's even more basic. Us internet veterans call it "downloading a file".

      The energy the tech industry invests in rebranding benign ideas into something flashy and new is laughable.


      The lack of energy some tech users invest in actually understanding the entire concept leads to ignorant statements like this.

      I think podcast aggregators are to manually downloading files are fuel injection to manaully adjusting a model-T's carburetor. In that comparison, the engine gets the air and fuel, but FI is a lot simpler, in the same way, "keeping up" by manually downloading files is tedious and time wasting, whereas a podcast aggregator does all the work for you.

    15. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by nacturation · · Score: 1

      Us internet veterans call it "downloading a file".

      Pfft... you whippersnappers don't know how good you have it. Us real veterans call it encapsulating data in ethernet frames.

      --
      Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
    16. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by fm6 · · Score: 1

      There's more to podcasting than mp3 file downloading. There's an RSS-based syndication mechanism, so that your favorite programs get automatically copied to your audio player. Online "broadcasting" has been around for years now, but it never attracted so many avid listeners -- and amateur producers -- before the podcast mechanism was invented. So a new name is called for, even if the name is just a little lame.

    17. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by Halfbaked+Plan · · Score: 1

      Ethernet!?!

      Back when I got my first MSDOS machine, I transferred all the stuff over from my CP/M system using three ordinary pieces of copper wire (transmit, receive, ground) between the machines.

      Modem7 on the CP/M side, Procomm 2.4.2 on the 'Pee Cee' side.

      --
      resigned
    18. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by Xarius · · Score: 2, Insightful

      A Podcast is downloaded and saved to the subscriber's disk for playback at a later time.

      So, in fact, it's downloading files, another term that existed long before the bloggers got hold of it...

      Where exactly does the casting come into it?

      --
      C17H21NO4
    19. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by sploxx · · Score: 1

      It is not "streaming audio". Streaming requires enormous bandwidth in order to play in real time.

      Well, but the overall volume of data transferred is roughly the same. Most providers I know today bill in bits and not in bits per second.

      A Podcast is downloaded and saved to the subscriber's disk for playback at a later time.
      It does not matter, therefore, if limited bandwidth means that a twenty minute episode will take fourty minutes to download

      So, it is an advantage that you first have to download everything until you can play it?

      No, podcasting is not the solution for poor man's
      radio. Properly supported and implemented multicasting would be the first thing to do on the lower level protocols to support more grass root 'broadcasting', but people are somehow unwilling/too stupid to realize this.

      Instead, buzzword loaded 'technologies' like "podcast-torrents" are taken are seen as the holy grail.

    20. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by hungrygrue · · Score: 1

      Yup. Exactly. It's downloading files, just like always. Just select a file to download and automatically recieve any updates or new versions, along with show notes, title, and other information, until you unsubscribe. Come to think of it, that doesn't sound much like what I'm used to as far as downloading files from sites goes. In fact, it sound rather different enough to diserve the coining of a new term. It is unfortunate that the term coined is "podcasting", but frankly I lack the creativity to suggest anything better myself so I won't gripe.

    21. Re:Hate the term "podcasting" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      What makes "podcasts" an improvement over just audio files on a web site somewhere is that you can subscribe to them using a podcast aggregator.
      Just because I can subscribe doesn't mean that it warrants a new word.
  12. My spoon is too big. by ichigo+2.0 · · Score: 3, Funny

    1. Create a mp3
    2. Put it on a website
    3. ???
    4. Postcast podpod castpost castpod!

  13. Just remember its a lockout not a strike by Noclar7 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A good friend of mine works with the cbc, and trust me, they want to work! Its especially depressing to see here in nothern New Brunswick since on the same street in Bathurst, there are also hotel workers on strike, nurses and healthcare workers on strike, and a mill that just shut down with a days notice, laying off about 500 people just down the road.

    1. Re:Just remember its a lockout not a strike by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      tabarnac!

  14. Re:Rackspace ads? by SILIZIUMM · · Score: 2, Informative

    Two words: firefox + adblock

  15. unionized? by Yonatanz · · Score: 5, Funny
    The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation locked out 5,500 unionized employees

    Good thing too, you don't want those un-ionized employees going about stealing everybody's ions.

    I wonder where they were locked though... In a Faraday cage, maybe?

    1. Re:unionized? by wasted+time · · Score: 2, Funny

      I believe they've been locked out of the cage. Which only means one thing - they're now on the loose!

      --
      The Stone Age did not end because humans ran out of stones. - William McDonough
    2. Re:unionized? by otomo_1001 · · Score: 1

      I know a way to re-ionize them. how about a million volt tesla coil Now whether unionized employees are like herding cats when you try to re-ionize them. I don't know. Lets create a crack squad of tesla coil ionizing squads and go to Canada! Least us americans can do for our neighbors north. We shock them in other ways, why not with electricity?

  16. Re:Rackspace ads? by Sparr0 · · Score: 1
  17. Improved ratings by FatRatBastard · · Score: 4, Interesting

    One of the funniest things I've read about the lockout is how the CFL broadcasts have improved their ratings since they've gone play-by-playless.

    1. Re:Improved ratings by pkhuong · · Score: 1

      The same happened with hockey a couple years ago. (I can't remember if it was SRC, CBC or both that were commentary-less). Of course, the best part about this is that at least one radio station (CHOI, the one that almost got shut down) would have its own play by play, by completely random people.

      --
      Try Corewar @ www.koth.org - rec.games.corewar
    2. Re:Improved ratings by pipingguy · · Score: 1


      "Play-by-play" commentators in most TV-worthy sports are just time-fillers/shills.

      They are the equivalent to a sitcom's phony laugh track. The best example of this is professional wrestling, where the hype exceeds the performances to a ridiculous (over the top to the point of being an absurd sideshow) degree.

      This won't change, as pre and post adolescent males are easily scammed into "xtreme!" stuff because of excess testosterone and the invulnerability phenomenon.

      I'd love to see more sports broadcast without commentary, let it stand on its own worth.

    3. Re:Improved ratings by sik0fewl · · Score: 1

      That's because we don't have to listen to Chris Walby anymore.

      --
      I remember when legal used to mean lawful, now it means some kind of loophole. - Leo Kessler
  18. Re:Rackspace ads? by hungrygrue · · Score: 1
  19. Re:Rackspace ads? by Aranth+Brainfire · · Score: 2, Informative

    Or get a browser that doesn't run slow as molasses. CoughOperaCough

    --
    "Quoting yourself is stupid." -Me
  20. Re:Rackspace ads? by FatRatBastard · · Score: 1

    Also look up flashblock.

  21. I too am disgusted by the term "podcasting" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I hate the way it sounds, and I hate the way it makes me think that Apple came up with it (ie: PODcasting). Just because you can download low quality radio-like blathering and shitty playlists doesn't mean that's better than streaming. If you want to hear the top 40 bullshit that the radio station is pushing down your throat, you TUNE IN to the damn station WHEN THEY'RE airing it. That's the whole point.

    Normal radio streams, and "podcasting" is for people who are used to how their TiVo/MythTV/etc. magically lets them watch shit after its original broadcast date.

    I do understand that the word "podcasting" was chosen not for Apple but because "pod" sounds a hell of a lot like "broad", but it still fucking makes me angrier than words can express. I'd love to choke the blogger that first spewed this filthy word from his or her mouth.

    Oh, I'm sorry, did I offend all of you that listen to this 32 kbps bullshit at work?! Holy fuck. I'm not ALLOWED to listen to anything at work since I have a job where I actually TALK with people all the goddamn time!

    I can't believe how fucking angry I am over a stupid word! I think I'm going to go podcast about it right now..

    1. Re:I too am disgusted by the term "podcasting" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You work in customer service, right?

  22. Inept website by OpenGLFan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They need to totally redo that website. Right now it's definitely got a "we're mad, and we're podcasting" feel to it. I thought, hey, let's see what the journalists are reporting about! Maybe they're some creative people who've been locked out! Let's listen to them. And the message I got was "We're mad, and we're podcasting."

    They've missed the important point: you have to podcast about something. You can't just podcast. Look at the links on the right -- do you see all the journalists? All listed right there. Hey! They're podcasting! Yes, but what the frack are you podcasting about? It's like looking at a TV guide that says:

    7pm: Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping
    8pm: Joe Flanigan, David Hewlett
    9pm: Edward James Olmos, Katee Sackhoff

    which, if you're not already fans of Stargate and Battlestar Galactica, gives you no information and doesn't compel you to watch the show.

    1. Re:Inept website by sanctimonius+hypocrt · · Score: 1

      you have to podcast about something. You can't just podcast.

      They could have avoided that difficulty by starting web logs instead.

    2. Re:Inept website by mcc · · Score: 3, Insightful

      They've missed the important point: you have to podcast about something. You can't just podcast.

      See, and that's where you're wrong. It's like "blogs". You'd think they'd have to "blog" about something? Nope, it turns out "I'm blogging!" and "blogs are important!" are both perfectly sufficient messages to sustain a blog.

      Your insistence that you need content to broadcast is outmoded thinking. Blogs and podcasts, and with them the internet, have moved beyond that. "New Journalism" doesn't need content, or quality, or accuracy, or informative value, or entertainment value; it just needs to be there. What we are observing here is a revolution, and its goal is to revolutionize. It's not revolutionizing anything in particular, mind you. It's just revolutionizing.

    3. Re:Inept website by andrewbaldwin · · Score: 1

      Sad but so very, very true !

    4. Re:Inept website by darklordyoda · · Score: 1

      Ooh, it looks like MacGuyver's on! Who's the other one? :P

    5. Re:Inept website by tumbleweedsi · · Score: 0

      Yeah, the trend started when the standards of the articles on /. took a radical nosedive and users found themselves to be bitching rather than bitching *about* something, just bitching for the sake of it.

      --
      Be nice, sponsor me: http://jailbreak.ragabonds.org.uk
    6. Re:Inept website by pkhuong · · Score: 1

      Stargate, not MacGyver, I believe.

      --
      Try Corewar @ www.koth.org - rec.games.corewar
    7. Re:Inept website by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Miami Vice, and something from Lifetime.

    8. Re:Inept website by TeknoHog · · Score: 1
      I share your fury concerning blogs, podcasting and whatever today's new media technology is. However, I don't see any problem or anything new with this; the same thing happened with all of our existing communications tech when they were introduced.

      For example, about ten years ago in Finland cell phones began to be affordable for widespread consumer use. People got crazy about the new technology and started calling/texting each other from the most inappropriate places, often just because they could. They would talk about their newest phone and their whereabouts, for example. It's taken several years for cell phones to lose the gadget factor and become tools that are used when/where appropriate.

      On the other hand, human communication has never been solely about the content, especially with friends and SOs. People do blog for this reason too.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    9. Re:Inept website by Halfbaked+Plan · · Score: 1

      These are the 'talking heads' not the writers and journalists.

      You know, the people who like listening to their own voices.

      I went to Tech School at an old-line trade school that also had a Broadcasting division. We techies considered the 'Broadcast' students to be out and out flakes. The impression I got was that to be a 'broadcaster' the resonant quality of your cranium was more important that whatever else might be in it.

      --
      resigned
    10. Re:Inept website by Nasarius · · Score: 1
      It's taken several years for cell phones to lose the gadget factor and become tools that are used when/where appropriate.

      You're lucky. People in the US still haven't gotten over it.

      --
      LOAD "SIG",8,1
  23. Re:Charged Issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Un-ionized? Yeah, that' the last thing you'd want in journalism... neutrality.

  24. Re:Rackspace ads? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ads? You must be new here...

  25. Ionized Journalists by Original+Replica · · Score: 3, Funny

    Working in tandem with the un-ionized journalists they will canada the first plasma screen visable from space. But they still won't have anything to say.

    --
    We are all just people.
  26. Re:Rackspace ads? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

    I don't think it makes a difference. The Flash plugin uses 100% of my CPU on that and a few other ads. Well, it did. Now it's motivated me to just disable Flash unless I actually want to use it (the occasional Flash game).

    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  27. Re:Rackspace ads? by otomo_1001 · · Score: 1

    It is the flash ad, not the browser.

    As for flash ads, they need to be burned a million times over.

  28. My father works for CBC and is part of the lockout by merauder · · Score: 2, Informative

    I too am also in Fredericton, here is the link to the local blog on the issue: http://frederictonguild.blogspot.com/ What caused this lockout is this, the management wants to bust the union and be able to hire contract/short term workers for half the salary or less than that of current workers. The current workers are not fighting for more money, but for job security, for themselves and new people comming into the workplace. Its the same thing that happened to a lot of industries/companies in the 90's. What irks me the most, is that this is paid for by TAXPAYERS! They have been simulcasting the BBC news in the place of CBC news, and now that the workers at the BBC have found out, they are furious, as this says that they support the lockout, which they do not! Its low, and underhanded management that are trying to make a profit on a taxpayer based system.

    --

    ..and knowing is half the battle.

  29. i for one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    i for one welcome out new outcast podcasting overlords

  30. Re:My father works for CBC and is part of the lock by all204 · · Score: 1

    Thats great info. Thanks. I'll be reading through the blog a little later. Its a shame what they are doing. I come from a union family (IBEW), so I know what all this is about and how it affect not only the employees but their family as well. Good luck to them.

  31. Three Cheers for Labor Strife! by dskoll · · Score: 2, Funny

    When the NHL players were locked out, we got to see decent movies every Saturday night.

    Now that the CBC reporters are locked out, the quality of CBC programming has improved immensely.

    I love it!

    1. Re:Three Cheers for Labor Strife! by canuck57 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I love it!

      I do too. But admittedly I didn't even know they were on strike until it was slashdot'ed. And I live in Canada!

      Maybe if CBC closes down we will see some real investigative journalism and less liberal feel good. Bet the liberals increase CBC's budget before the next election.

      Maybe I should see what is on the new CBC tonight.

    2. Re:Three Cheers for Labor Strife! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do you even watch the CBC or are you one of those brain washed proles who watches one of the CanWest propaganda factories?

    3. Re:Three Cheers for Labor Strife! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I bet he watches HBO because the government tells him it's immoral to watch that stuff.

      And you all think I'm joking that watching HBO is an Canadian anarchist's thing to do. Heh.

      Welcome to TV for the masses, controlled by the masses, paid for by the masses.

    4. Re:Three Cheers for Labor Strife! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hardly ever watch CBC TV, but that's because I hardly ever watch TV.

      I listen to CBC radio all the time, though.

    5. Re:Three Cheers for Labor Strife! by phukraut · · Score: 1

      Close down the TV broadcasting, fine. But leave Radio 1 and 2 alone. I'd be pretty upset if Brave New Waves and Radio Overnight were cancelled, not to mention the commercial free classical music during the day.

    6. Re:Three Cheers for Labor Strife! by dskoll · · Score: 1

      Close down the TV broadcasting, fine. But leave Radio 1 and 2 alone.

      I agree. CBC-TV is basically worthless except for the kids' shows. My kids really like them, and they're actually pretty good.

      I listen to CBC radio a lot, and as long as you stay away from the occasional smug left-wing commentary, it's generally quite decent. On Radio 1, they're playing the "Best of..." past shows, and they're as good as new material.

    7. Re:Three Cheers for Labor Strife! by dskoll · · Score: 1

      ...are you one of those brain washed proles who...

      Ah, I see you are a dedicated CBC viewer. Solidarity!

    8. Re:Three Cheers for Labor Strife! by updatelee · · Score: 1

      how has reruns of old cbc shows improved the quality of the service ? so if slashdot decided there would be no new stories, only re-runs of old stories would slashdot improve ?

    9. Re:Three Cheers for Labor Strife! by dskoll · · Score: 1

      If slashdot just re-ran old stories, you wouldn't notice.

      Re-running "best of" shows improves CBC because they really do pick the best shows, AND they seem to skip the annoying ones like "The Current".

    10. Re:Three Cheers for Labor Strife! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      With a budget of nearly a billion dollars in TAX PAYERS MONEY, I'll all in favor of shutting down the CBC--permanently. My tax money should NOT go towards government-funded "entertainment". I should be able to spend my own entertainment money the way *I* want it.

    11. Re:Three Cheers for Labor Strife! by smcavoy · · Score: 1

      I'm always interested to hear about the CBC liberal bias. What would constitute a liberal feel good story? And in general how does the the CBC have an overall liberal bias?

  32. There's audio? by msobkow · · Score: 1

    Looked to me like a blog, with a bunch of CBC staff babbling about irrelevant trivia like most bloggers do. I can't see why anyone would want to download an audio version of the same inane comments that were in text.

    Guess I just must be too old. I still phone people instead of texting, I read forums and news sites instead of blogs, and I expect "news" to have some validity and fact-checking behind it. Guess I'd have to be young and "cool" to understand why downloaded MP3 talk-only audio is a "podcast" instead of just being an MP3.

    Unless the POD part stands for "Piece Of Drek" -- then it makes sense. ;)

    --
    I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
    1. Re:There's audio? by Halfbaked+Plan · · Score: 1

      I read forums and news sites instead of blogs, and I expect "news" to have some validity and fact-checking behind it.

      You're contradicting yourself.

      Or do you go exclusively to 'three letter acronym' sites based on the old NBC/CBS/ABC hierarchy?

      Didn't you know that old time journalists always said 'when you flunk out of Calculus, you can always switch to Journalism School' (meaning- all the high-falutin' 'integrity' blather from 'professional journalists' is hot air. The old time reporters started as copy boys)

      --
      resigned
  33. Re:Rackspace ads? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I know. It happens to me, too. And it's ONLY the Rackspace ad. None of the other Flash ads do it. Why?

  34. ahm tard too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    all y'all intarweb folks is makin' mee tard!

  35. subvert the MSM by Halfbaked+Plan · · Score: 1

    It's good to see these former minions of the Mainstream Media cutting loose and popularizing freer forms of communication and reporting.

    However, they're probably cutting their own throats, since they're the folks benefiting most from the old way of doing things. They're propagating themselves out of jobs.

    Which is fine by some of us. Probably not their intent. Watch them all scurry right back to 'credible big broadcast' mediums as soon as they can.

    --
    resigned
  36. Bitrate hogs, too by msobkow · · Score: 1

    I found the few MP3s that are actually on the site, and it seems that these goofs think you need 128KBit near-CD quality stereo MP3s for someone to talk! 20KBit mono is more than adequate for talk-only MP3s, and would save huge amounts of bandwidth.

    --
    I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
  37. CBC and Podcasting by Omnieiunium · · Score: 1

    The CBC seems to really enjoy making their stuff avaliable. I mean they have a bunch of shows on podcasts such as Quirks and Quarks. Heck they even have one of their comedy shows (royal canadian air farce) avaliable online a few days after it was aired so you can watch it online.

  38. Shutup with the gay lingo already. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    because you are crapcasting on my screen.

  39. Re:Canada News = Snooze by Ilikeions · · Score: 2, Informative

    Any Slashdot story mentioning Canada or Canadians always results in less than 259 comments, so why bother posting them? They're about on par with response to games.slashdot.org.

    A quick search of Slashdot with the word Canada brings up 9 Canadian stories in the last two months alone (2 are sort of multinational) that have greater than 259 comments.

    Instead of bitching about it, I suggest you simply don't click on Canadian-related stories.

  40. I bet .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    .. they are getting an equal amount of finger to go along with these honks. That's given how actively these freaking unions milking everyone left and right.

  41. the first one to ever mistake? i don't know by Savatte · · Score: 1

    One time i tried to plant a camping tent on gravel.

  42. Mod parent up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm not sure where brianopp comes from, but we've had pretty good free speech here in Canada for quite some time. You only need to look at weekly papers like Georgia Straight or Westender (in Vancouver) to see how free speech has never left the country. Podcasting is just an audio form of personal websites, useful for a minority of tech-oriented people, but sitll a long way off from free local papers. As such, it affects free speech as much as a spit affects a high-rise fire.

  43. FF extension please by Intocabile · · Score: 1

    Can someone make a Firefox extension that replaces words with other less obnoxious words so I don't have to look at the buzzword and many others ever again You could create it under the guise of protection children from harsh language.

    1. Re:FF extension please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you're that jealous of the iPod? Just get one, man. It's been long enough.

  44. Re:One question... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Simple, really; the Party spends your money on a soapbox for the far left so that they look positively reasonable by comparison.

  45. It's a sad day by marcus · · Score: 1

    When you use a slogan made popular by a true hero for petty partisan purposes, and doubly so when you get modded up as insightful.

    --
    Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement.
    - W. Wriston, former Citibank CEO