Dec

22

Odeo’s Reaction to My Prediction

December 22, 2005 |

I just noticed the guys over at odeo.com took note of my post on Podcast directories last week. Here is their reaction:
The Last Podcast: “Podcasting is not blogging. The cost of entry is so much higher in term of time invested and soul bared. There are only so many people out there comfortable enough with their voice to broadcast it around the world.”
There’s truth to this “soul bared” stuff and that’s one of the strengths of voice–the vast amounts of nuanced metadata along for the ride. You don’t need a smiley made out of assorted punctuation at the end of a sarcastic comment when you’re actually speaking.

It’s also why we’ve created ways for people to record their voice and share it with just one or a few other people. Check back with us next summer and see if we’ve closed our doors ;-)

Now let me say that I had great hopes for odeo after reading about them in the New York Times and signing up early to get my early (now defunct) podcast listed. However, their directory never took off, even though it was far better executed than Podcast Alley or even iTunes. It is a shame that the directory is now basically buried.
 
I agree that voice allows for more nuanced communication. Yet, while voicemail attachments to email have been available forever, they never caught on.
 
At the end of the day, I just don’t see much of a market for what they are doing right now. Creating a way “for people to record their voice and share it with just one or a few other people” sounds good. But hey - just give them a call. Leave a voicemail. Send an email. A handwritten letter.
 
I just can’t see myself using it beyond as a novelty - maybe others do? Am I out of the loop?
 
Besides, when we write, we have a lot more time to think about what we are saying. When speaking and recording, we are often highly aware of what we say and how stupid it might sound. So I stick to my “soul barred” argument here.
 
Also, let’s not forget that the amount of work is not just on the creator’s side, the listener also invests time into listening to the message - far more than in reading (or skimming through) an email. And what about those who can’t listen at work. Maybe there are even no speakers attached to the computer…
 
After all is said and done, I wish them the best of luck - their product is great for what it wants to do - I just don’t think a lot of people will use it. With that, I stand by my prediction of them going under by the middle of 2006.
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