Whilst it might appear to be a technical digression to write a text log entry, I thought it would be quaint to put something down in words. I must admit, I am having a lot of fun with the PodCasts. My interest is whether the PodCasts will bring new users to Noble Ape or act as a nurturing medium for Noble Ape users.

The numbers aren't good currently. Growth was good initially. Some shows got reasonable downloads and the other shows have progressively filled. What do these numbers mean?

Interestingly enough, I launched the Biota.org PodCast and they haven't reached the Noble Ape numbers. To me, this means PodCasting is still a new technology. Scientific American, which reads better in PodCast than in paper, has only been operating since the start of the year. There is a big gulf to fill in technical analytic programming for PodCasting. I'd like to see Biota.org get a solid slot through iTunes.

The feedback I have received so far on Ape Reality from folks like Pedro (who actually noted it online) is that the dynamic element of the topics is working well. My feeling is that I am not running out of topics so much as running out of momentum for Ape Reality. There are a number of topics I would like to cover, but I would also like to find a format that can persist.

In contrast to the Biota and Noble Ape PodCasts, I am feeling disappointed with the angry and confused rhetoric that is coming through Barbalet's Audio Log. I'm thinking unless it levels out, I might pull the weak third PodCast.

Expanding on the new nature of PodCasting, I don't know if this will translate well over time for the topics discussed through Ape Reality or the Biota.org PodCast. My hope is that people will use the technology like a personal radio station where they can pick PodCasts to fill their days. Thus Ape Reality and the Biota.org PodCast will fill fifteen minutes per week of their listening.

Translating or, in contrast, waiting for this to occur is the question. Is it a matter of just recording new content and waiting or should it be something that is watched and tuned.

My current frustration is that a Noble Ape Simulation release would launch Ape Reality to 800+ tech savvy users who already are fans of Noble Ape. With the slow work through to get Mac file handling working right for 10.4 and clear the file handling deprecation (at least), I don't know when 0.680 will be out. It is the nature of the link between Apple and the Simulation.

Good night.

It may seem like there has been no activity on Barbalet's Log for ten days. Actually nothing could be further from the truth, it has just not been visible on the front of the site. For the past ten days I have been recording podcasts for both Barbalet's Log (in the imaginatively titled);

Barbalet's Audio Log

And also the much more normalised;

Ape Reality

Podcast for Noble Ape. I have about 80 minutes of recording for Ape Reality and about fifty minutes total for Barbalet's Audio Log.

It is certainly a different method of delivery for information. I'm not sure of the longterm success of this medium. The Audio Log is considerably more gritty than the text version of the Log. As I point out in the first podcast, this is primarily due to the lack of search-ability.

In terms of style and technique in podcasting I have listened to a broad range of topical podcasts. Per earlier musing, my favourites are;

Australian Gamer, and, Jim Cramer's Real Money.

I have been running a fantasy portfolio which I am tracking through Google Finance. My five companies are;

Peabody Energy Corporation
Caterpillar Inc
The First Marblehead Corporation
Goldcorp Inc
Toyota Motor Corporation

I went in with a fantasy $1,945.19 and after two weeks, I'm currently up to $2,124.69. My plan is to weather a few fantasy trades over three months and then try with real money.

With the split media, it will be interesting to see how I use text in the future. The speed of recording and uploading podcasts make it a clear preference versus text. It could be the case that the Noble Ape Mailout is eventually replaced with a podcast.

Ape Reality currently has six subscribers. This is a phenomenal number for an early podcast. I am hoping this number will increase following the next Simulation release.

Time will tell.

Good night.