Really, my main involvement was telling them where the “Record” button was.

Don’t try this at home, our cartoon character is a paid professional stunt diver.

This week’s subject of choice?  A friend of mine recently had some computer problems.

I think my students were encouraged by the fact that my friend would actually listen to this netcast.  It shows that this isn’t just a show for us, but a way of reaching out to a wider audience.

I hope you had a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving.  I know I did, but then I got all my Black Friday shopping done online.

I’m sure there’s some confusion as to why I’m calling this show a netcast, so I thought I would explain that before I turn the show over to the Art Club kids.

You see, a while back people figured out how to put audio files on the internet in such a way that home computers could automatically look for and download them when new ones were released.  The downloaded audio, usually saved as an MP3, could then be listened to whenever.  This was a big step up from radio because:

1. You couldn’t miss your favorite internet show, since YOU decided when it would play, and
2. Now anyone with a computer and a microphone could make their own show.

This new form of internet radio was named “podcasting,” after the most popular MP3 player and the word “broadcasting.”

Podcasting took off, thanks in part to big names like the Discovery Channel and NPR jumping on the bandwagon.  Almost from the beginning, however, some people weren’t happy with the word “podcast.”

I myself have had to spend a lot of time explaining to people that no, they don’t need an iPod to listen to a podcast.  In fact, anything that can play an MP3 (including computers, palm pilots, and even certain phones) can play a podcast.

So when Leo Laporte, a great guy who is a TV host, radio host, and podcast host recently suggested the name be changed to “netcast,” I leapt at the chance.  I think it’s more appropriate to call it something that means “broadcast over the internet” than “broadcast to your iPod.”  One is always true, the other’s only true if you happen to have an iPod.

But enough from me, let’s listen to what the Art Club members have to say!  This week, in addition to the questions I asked last time I introduced the students to the works of Marcel Duchamp.  I was careful to not tell them my own opinion about Duchamp’s artworks before they turned on the recorder, so what you hear in this episode are really their opinions.  You can use the little flash player at the top of this post to listen to what the students have to say.

And if you want to subscribe to this netcast for free in iTunes, just click here.

I got lots of good answers, so I’m spreading them out over more than one netcast.