Penn State on iTunes U and Podcasting Talk

I gave a talk at the ITS Forum yesterday with a colleague here at Penn State related to Podcasting and Penn State on iTunes U yesterday. Jimmy V focused on the hard core technology behind making the iTunes U system work in our environment, while I did a more general talk focusing on why we would do podcasting at the Institutional level, an update on the state of podcasting in general, and a full on demo of our iTunes U space. Reaction was fairly positive … at any rate here is a QuickTime file of the slides without audio or any real content, but there they are … there is a podcast and a videocast of the session being produced — I’ll link that when it is available.

Email Reduction Redux

Last week I wrote a post about reducing the reliance on email within the organization … I got quite a bit of feedback on that one and wanted to see if people out there would be interested in discussing more about what they are doing to combat the email inbox bloat that continues to happen. I figure since the post got a strong reaction and judging by some of the comments we are all beginning to notice that email is failing as a primary communications channel. As an aside I sat in a meeting yesterday morning listening to a guy talk about how he only checks his mail three times a day … WTF! “How do you get away with that,” I asked. He just said that email isn’t important and if people want an answer, “they’ll just have to call me.” Wow … I wouldn’t be able to that off … how about you?

I have also really started to think about what our array of tools should look like to support a collaboration platform that doesn’t rely solely on email. I asked the question of some friends last night that we discussed for quite some time — how long did it take us to convince each other, our bosses, family, friends, etc that email should be the way we communicate and do business? I am going to say the adoption curve for me was right around 2-3 years … now keep in mind when I got on email it was all new, shiny, and not many people knew what the hell I was talking about. But now email is the primary communication platform. What made the conversation interesting was that it pushed to the realization that it make take us 2-3 years to move an organization away from the email paradigm. It honestly stands to reason if you subscribe to the notion that culture takes three years to change.

So, long post about not much more than the original, but with a real set of questions that I would like to generate some discussion around … what should the tools be (both for an intranet and internet) to support an environment where email is minimized? What are the right kinds of strategies for making that transition happen in a compressed time frame? And finally, can we really expect to change the behavior of not only our own organizations, but other ones out there? Is email to embedded in what our organizational cultures have become? Thoughts?

Podcasting on the Rise

Now that the Turkey Coma has worn off, I am back to reading a little bit. In my feeds this morning is a pointer to a new podcasting report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Instead of pulling it apart for you here, I’ll link to it and quote the research brief’s abstract …

Some 12% of internet users say they have downloaded a podcast so they can listen to it or view it at a later time. However, few internet users are downloading podcasts with great frequency; just 1% report downloading a podcast on a typical day.

Even though 12% seems low, let’s not forget that it was somewhere around 7% last year. As I am a part of the 12% I think it is a good thing as more and more good content hits the scene. One thing I am curious about is if I am in the 1% or not … I don’t listen to podcasts everyday, but my iTunes Podcast client certainly does. I wonder what that really means. I didn’t see that question answered in the report.

On top of it all, the short report wraps up with a discussion of iPod or other MP3 ownership …

While an iPod or MP3 player is not necessary to listen to or view podcasts, the proliferation of mobile media gadgets has helped fuel the demand for digital content that can be both time-shifted and place-shifted for listening and viewing on-the-go. According to our February-April 2006 survey, 20% of American adults and 26% of internet users report ownership of an iPod or MP3 player. Young adults, those with broadband access and parents are considerably more likely to have an iPod or MP3 player.

That last little bit there suggests to me that we are on the verge of a “perfect podcasting” storm of sorts … with a huge percentage of our students showing up on campus with MP3 playing mobile devices the interest in ways to fill them will continue to rise. I don’t care if it podcasting lecture materials or not, the fact of the matter is that the mobile education market may be one filled with opportunity for growth. The questions I have are around the types of content that will be delivered. When will audio versions of textbooks in chapter versions become common? I am wondering why more foreign language courses aren’t taking advantage of the excellent podcasts that are freely available? I know there are other ways, but what are they and what will they mean to us? Now that the pieces are lining up I am excited to know many of us have built an infrastructure to support it. No idea what “it” will ultimately be, but it is exciting.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. My family has grown with the birth of my little boy, everyone is healthy, and we continue to enjoy wonderful opportunities to share our lives with friends and families. I just wanted to wish a very Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there!

I also wanted to share a little love from our good friend Bill O’Reilly about us iPod users and geeks — what is it with these people and their hate for the little MP3 player (yes, that is all it really is)? After the CEO of Universal called me a criminal, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that Bill’s Thanksgiving wish for me is to compare me to a terrorist because I listen to an iPod and share a passion for technology. Enjoy Bill’s iPod Thanksgiving wishes:

“I don’t own an iPod. I would never wear an iPod … If this is your primary focus in life — the machines … it’s going to have a staggeringly negative effect, all of this, for America. Did you ever talk to these computer geeks? I mean, can you carry on a conversation with them? I really fear for the United States because, believe me, the jihadists? They’re not playing the video games. They’re killing real people over there.”

Reducing the Reliance on Email

Last week I was in a very interesting meeting here on campus with our new CIO, Deputy CIO, and two ITS Senior Directors to talk about blogging. Not the PSU Blog project that is really taking shape, but organizational blogging. I have been spending a lot of my time looking at how organizations can use tools like blogs, wikis, and podcasts to share information within the walls of the unit. It started several months ago with some podcasts that I listened to dealing with enabling direct internal communication within a company — you know, a President or CEO podcasting short weekly updates that people within the company could listen to understand mission, goals, changes, or whatever else. This meeting was designed to get us talking about how we could put a tool like blogs in the middle of a close to 500 person IT department to encourage and enable more authentic and active communication.

The real winner from the meeting was a comment my new CIO made that really struck me … he was talking about email and how it was used. In my own world email has become a real drag on time. I get way too much, it is filled with confusing spam messages, and really doesn’t do a great job at providing context for complex issues. He mentioned a goal that I instantly locked onto — what if we could reduce the total number of emails we send each other by 50% within three years? I was thinking that we could but it would require changing the culture of communication and putting good tools in people’s hands. I thought long and hard about and I think I have an example that I think illustrates the opportunity very well … take the process required to reach a decision on the image below:

This is a proposed poster for our TLT Symposium to be held in April. The way this poster came into existence follows a typical pattern … for this example, this is how it happens. I send an email (1) to Dave Stong, our graphic artist, explaining what I am thinking. Dave replies to me via email (2) telling me he understands what I am after and maybe to clarify a few points. I respond to him (3) to clean up a few communication issues. An hour or so later he sends me an email (4) with a link to a comp graphic for me to check out. I click the link and it opens the image in my browser for me to review and think about. I look it over, notice some things I don’t like and send him a note (5) with my thoughts and ask him to explain something to me. He responds (6) with his thoughts and sets off on creating a revised image. He sends me another note (7) that asks me to review it again with a couple more questions. I reply (8) even before looking at the comp to answer his question … I then review the second comp and send him more feedback (9). I finally get another note (10) saying he has implemented the final changes and to review it. I check it out and link it so I send him a note (11) to say it is perfect. He then replies (12) with a thank you and maybe a question about printing it, or size, or some little nuance that requires me to send a final note (13). I then send an email (14) to my Leadership Group to gain feedback and all hell breaks lose (15-30).

If he were to simply post his initial understanding to his blog along with a link to the comp we could have done this whole thing with three emails. Do you know how much time that would save me? Do you realize that we would then have a real trail saved in digital form that is searchable and that answers the questions I will get from Leadership Group? So, on a simple poster, I could save somewhere between 12 to 27 emails. That is what the CIO is asking for … tools that support workflow, increases productivity, and allows us to collaborate in an authentic way. Is anyone feeling this way about email and what are you doing to stop it?

New Look

I spent the better part of today working on a couple of things … the first was my garage. I can now not only get a car in there, but we can still make it to the fridge, Madeline’s bike, my bike, the tools, the winter supply of fire wood, and everything else we need.

The other thing is a new look and feel. I started with the idea that I was going to switch to MovableType, but I couldn’t get it to work on my host. After fighting with their tech support people via their live chat service I simply gave up — there is a blog post about that interaction for the future. You see the blog has blown up with MySQL errors twice this week so I was hoping to try out something else. After wasting too much time on that project I switched gears trying to get my database and my WP up to date and stable. It pushed me to make a bunch of changes under the hood. I also decided it was time to make a move away from the K2 world.

I’d love to know what you all think of the new theme … there are still a few issues to work out, but it is time to spend some time with the family. Please let me know what you think!

This is What is Wrong with the Music Industry

We all know the music industry is a mess … I offer no advice other than don’t assume I am a criminal. According to Universal CEO Doug Morris us iPod and non-Zune owners are thieves, “These devices are just repositories for stolen music, and they all know it. So it’s time to get paid for it.” Jeez, talk about loving your customers. I don’t steal music hard as it may be to believe … I know all to well the deep dark corner I have painted myself in as it relates to DRM trapped music. At the end of the day I feel ok with it only because it is legal, easy, and the right thing to do. The fact that Microsoft is handing Universal a piece of the action every time someone buys a Zune seems to make stealing music ok. UMG is expected to receive more than $1 for each $250 device … Just a bit screwed up and could set a dangerous precedent.

Once upon a time I made software (and I guess given what ETS does I still do in many ways) and I never wanted people to just rip it off. I got a paycheck every month that was supported in part by the sales of this software. Sometimes we’d find out that a company would purchase a license and then put the software across the organization … that always made us feel terrible. I never would come out and say “all computers are repositories for stolen software and we all know it!” Doug, here’s the deal, if the music you produced didn’t suck so bad more people would see value in it … I think the whole industry is a disaster, but I love music and it is a part of who I am so I am going to continue to show up at the party.

Like my good friends the Grateful Dead say, “Law come to get you if you don’t walk right.” Assuming I am criminal makes me feel bad.

The Podcast About My Zune

Now that I have had the Zune for a whole day the true nature of it is starting to become apparent.  Not that I don’t like it … I’m not a huge fan, but it isn’t bad.  I haven’t had a chance to test what I feel is the most compelling aspect of it, the social networking capabilities.  The device itself is an MP3 player that, to me, doesn’t evoke an emotional response on any level.  It is a device that is a utility … no statements or anything, just a device.

I do like the hardware, it is the software that is a real pain for me.  Maybe it is because I am so comfortable with the iTunes and iPod integration, but it just doesn’t speak to me.  Having to log into all those damn Microsoft accounts just to purchase Zune Points is really something that I am not interested in.  It is so clear to me now just how much of an advantage Apple has when it comes to the user experience related to the software/hardware integration.  I wonder how someone who doesn’t like Apple feels?  I am sure the Zune is so much better for so many people, but this is my space and that is my impression.  At the end of the day it is a good device and honestly only the second non-Apple MP3 player I have owned.  Before my iPod I had a Rio … I felt the same about that as I do the Zune.  It works, but nothing else.  At least the Rio connected to iTunes.

So I sat down and recorded some thoughts about the device yesterday and tried to give a balanced report — a lot like Fox News … I also sat down with a few ETS people and got their reactions.  Keep in mind this is the first time I have ever tried to create a podcast like this — just me editing a lot of stuff together.  It may be annoying, but I am trying to get better at this.  At any rate, here is a link to the ETS Special Edition Zune podcast at Penn State on iTunes U.  Thoughts?