I met Brian Conley in September at PodCamp Philly. It was one of those meetings and conversations that you always remember because the person is so passionate, so committed to making this world a better place. Brian is one of the forces behind Alive in Baghdad, a video podcast that’s helping to raise awareness of a situation that the world is being misled on and, in many cases, choosing to deny. Brian is also a force behind Alive in Mexico.

I spoke with Brian on the phone as part of my research for one of my Defining Moments columns in Podcast User Magazine. This edition of my Sound Connections podcast features most of that conversation.

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Photo: gpiper

 

 Conversation with Brian Conley [19:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I’m beginning work on my December submission of Defining Moments, my column in Podcast User Magazine.  My theme for this installment is Striking an Emotional Chord.  If you have any stories, experiences or thoughts on podcasts that strike an emotional chord for you — whether you listened to the program or created it — please email me no later than this Wednesday (November 28) at markblevis@gmail.com.

The latest issue of Podcast User Magazine includes a photo of me, taken by Steve Garfield, as the header for my Defining Moments column.

While I submitted the photo as a candidate for the header, I didn’t expect it to run without a credit. More importantly, use of the photo without clearing it with Steve is a problem in this particular case since PUM makes revenue from advertising and the photo is licensed under Creative Commons attribution-non-commercial-share-alike.

Steve’s a cool guy, though, and has assured me that with appropriate credit, he is okay with the use of the photo in this particular case.

Earlier today, I submitted a request to have the PDF updated and posted an acknowledgment through the comment feature on the PUM website. The comment is in moderation.

Thanks, Steve, for taking a cool photo and for sharing it with us!

I’m still looking for a few submissions for my upcoming Podcast User Magazine column on fearless content creation. The best candidates will be ones that involve people taking personal or professional risks in creating content for their podcasts. Those risks could centre around embarrassment, being revealing, going where noone else has gone before (physically and/or figuratively), examining a subject that has either never been examined before, or examining a subject in a very unique (almost risky) way.

Please email me ASAP if you have a submission. I am currently working on my first draft and my deadline is October 15.

For my next Defining Moments column in Podcast User Magazine, I am going to write a piece on fearless content creation.

Fearless content creation can mean many things to many people. For some, it could mean turning an original poem or essay into a provocative audio program. Someone else may feel that speaking openly and honestly about a life event or sharing an embarrassing story would require an element of fearlessness. Another may take an audio recorder with them on a polar expedition. I’m looking for these kinds of stories, and others, to serve as case studies for my column.

If you have a great fearless content creation story and would like to be considered for discussion in my column, please email me by October 8.

I had the privilege of hanging out with Linda Mills, editor of Podcast User Magazine, during PodCamp Philly. Among other things — and perhaps this is obvious — we spoke about podcasting and the challenges that lie ahead for both the community and the technology. Then Linda convinced me to accost unsuspecting students of Drexel University to find out what they know about podcasts.

This episode of my Sound Connections podcast documents that experience and finishes with an animated announcement made over the public address system in the train station. All transportation announcements should be that fun.

 

 Changing the world with Linda Mills [10:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Linda Mills is an amazing person. She’s fun, supportive and (perhaps most significantly) persuasive in the best sense of the word. We had a great time hanging out at PodCamp Philly. Among our antics was a Sunday morning excursion on the Drexel University campus and nearby streets to accost innocent people and find out if they have ever heard of or listened to podcasts.

On Saturday afternoon, Linda asked if I would write an article about Just One More Book for Podcast User Magazine. We talked more about it in the evening and I became increasingly interested in the idea. Forty-five minutes later I found myself committing to being a monthly columnist. And, do you know what? It felt good. It felt good because that’s the kind of person Linda is. Like the podcasting situations Linda and I were discussing, it was a defining moment — a phrase which may become the title of the column.

For my first submission, I am working on an article about making the decision to get started as a podcast producer. I’ll be exploring things like picking a subject that the creator is passionate about, developing a format and strategy, and making it all happen.

I am looking for some examples to cite in my article. If you are a non-music, non-techy podcaster and have an interesting story to tell about the genesis of your podcast, please contact me ASAP. My deadline is September 15.