Darlings of the podcast age

GCN Insider | Trends and technologies that affect the way government does IT

• By Brad Grimes, Joab Jackson
• Oct 04, 2006

Every form of media turns up new and unlikely celebrities. Public radio, for instance, turned two wisecracking New England mechanics into the world-famous Click and Clack brothers of 'Car Talk.' Now podcasting is doing the same for IT gurus. The best podcasters entertain so effectively you forget you're also gaining valuable information.

Top of our play list of late has been BoagWorld (www.boagworld.com), a weekly, hour-long show hosted by Paul Boag, who runs U.K. Web site design firm Headscape Ltd., and partner Marcus Lillington. Leave it to the Brits to do a really funny show about improving Web sites. The two offer lots of pragmatic advice and a minimum of technobabble, plus enough wisecracks to keep you tuned in.

Those following security matters probably already know of pundit Steve Gibson, who runs security software firm Gibson Research Corp. Gibson is no stranger to media sensationalism: He trumpeted the Microsoft Windows XP open-sockets scare a few years back. In his Security Now podcasts (www.grc.com/SecurityNow.htm), he thoroughly explains'with irrepressible enthusiasm'security basics in a way that most gurus can't be bothered to do, making most episodes an enlightening listen.

In the open-source realm, Chris DiBona's weekly interviews at FLOSS Weekly (ww.twit.tv/FLOSS) make for informative listening as well. DiBona was an open-source insider long before he signed on as open-source program manager for Google Inc. For FLOSS, he pulls in and grills some of open source's prime movers and shakers.

In fact, there is probably a Podcast out there for every specialty. Others of interest we have found include JavaPosse
(javaposse.com), the Web 2.0 Show (www.web20show.com), the Ruby on Rails Podcast (podcast.rubyonrails.org) and Pro:PHP Newscast (podcast.phparch.com). All feature a lively mix of news, commentary, interviews and tips. If only our commute were longer.