Podcast Review - February 2008
Since I changed jobs this past summer, I've had less time on the road and therefore less time to listen to audiobooks and podcasts. With my commute time cut so dramatically, I've had to make some choices about which podcasts are going to get my attention and which I'm even going to continue to bother downloading.
If you have spend time commuting to work, I strongly recommend checking out some of these podcasts. If you can learn a thing or two on the way to and from work, it is worth it. Anyway, here is my current podcast list.
Must Listen to Group
This is still my favorite podcast. Scott Hanselman is a gifted communicator and his passion for technology comes through in each show. I listen to just about every episode, although I have turned it off in mid episode if I'm just not interested in the topic of the week. This is very rare. The production quality is usually great and the length is perfect for my commute most of the time. The topics are varied but usually are the type of things a Microsoft-centric developer would find interesting.
Craig Shoemaker has really done a great job with Polymorphic Podcast. I've found myself listening to Craig's show almost as faithfully as Hanselminutes over the past few months. The topics and guests have interested me recently, and each show is informative and I feel like I pick up something from most every show.
Pick and Choose
There isn't much left to say about the original .NET podcast. Carl and Richard put together a great program twice a week on topics of general interest to .NET developers. The audio quality of each show is superb. Easily the best of the podcasts on the list. However, between the amount of shows being pumped out, the varied topics, the longer length, and occasional disappointment, I listen to very few of these. I listen only when the speaker or topic is particularly interesting to me.
Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
These short podcasts aren't something I'm hugely into, but I listen to them frequently because they are short and I usually learn something. I can listen to a months worth in 15 to 20 minutes, but usually will start my trip with one before I jump into an audiobook if that was my planned listening for the morning. While it is hard to pick these based on topic, I usually just choose these randomly.
ThoughtWorks - IT Matters Podcast
There have only been 3 episodes since it appeared in November 2007 and I've listened to the first two. It is interesting and I'm sure I'll listen to the 3rd episode soon. The quality is not as good as the others on the list. The presentation seems a bit dry, but the material is interesting so far. The podcast is a tougher to follow then the others on the list. I'm guessing this was a combination of slightly poorer quality and each episode having a 4 or 5 people sharing. I'm guessing it will end up in this category, so I'm putting it here.
This is a video podcast I keep in my podcast list as my kids just love it. It is not something I listen to during the commute, I watch about 75% of shows with my kids.
When the mood strikes
I used to just love this show in the days before I got into podcasts. It is 30 minutes every day on business news and I used to catch it on National Public Radio (NPR) on the way home from work. Now, I just don't have the time and with other options it just isn't too high on my list. I still listen to them every now and again, but it has been less and less.
A daily Bible teaching program that I occasionally listen to.
This fits in the same category as Marketplace. I used to really enjoy these segments of technology news on NPR. I find I listen to these more often than Marketplace, but again not consistently.