Introduction
Simply speaking, podcasts are audio (or video) recordings that you can listen to from a website on your computer, or save to a “podcatcher” (such as iTunes, an iPod or other mp3 player) and then play any time you want.
Finding Podcasts
There are thousands of podcasts out there in the internet on various websites and blogs, and they can be about anything anyone wants to record. People find podcasts using internet search engines (like Google), podcast directories (like The Podcast Pickle), or with iTunes. This website happens to host a podcast about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).
Listening to Episodes of the FASD ElephantTM Podcast
You can listen to any episode of the FASD Elephant™ Podcast right from the website. Just click the gray triangular arrow icon (like the one shown immediately below this line):
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (0.0KB)
There is one under every episode title, so you can listen to any episode. The one above this line is a short example. Try clicking it with your mouse to test it out.Subscribing to the FASD ElephantTM Podcast
The best way to listen to the podcast, though, is by ‘subscribing.’ Just as with a magazine subscription, you’ll receive the latest, up-to-date episode without having to remember to check the website–And, it’s free!
If you are thinking about listening to the podcast regularly, I would like to encourage you to subscribe through iTunes (more info below)… by doing so, the podcast will become noticed by iTunes and eventually could be featured at the iTunes store–this would greatly increase the interest and number of listeners, which, in turn, will increase awareness of FASD. So, if you’re going to listen anyway, consider the iTunes option.
Subscribe Through iTunes (no iPod even needed!)
Receiving the FASD Elephant™ Podcast via iTunes is the easiest and most popular subscription method–you don’t even need an iPod–but you do need iTunes. iTunes is simply a program that plays audio files–it comes pre-loaded on any Apple computer, but you’ll need to download it if you have a PC that uses Microsoft Windows.
If you already have iTunes…
Just click on this link: 
Subscribe with iTunes!
If you want to download iTunes…
Here’s how: Click on this sentence, which will take you to the Apple Store and provide instructions.
Subscribe by Email
This is the simplest way to subscribe if you don’t have–or don’t want to bother with–a podcatcher. To subscribe by email, simply enter your email address in the box below. You will be taken to a separate webpage to enroll. There is no mailing list involved–other than receiving the podcast–and you will not get solicitations from any other website.
When you receive the email, you can then double-click the attached podcast and automatically listen in your preferred media player (e.g., Windows Media Player for PC users). The only challenge with an email subscription is that the attached podcast will be large (usually 15-20 MB) and may take a while to load into your email program.
Other podcatchers
If you have another podcatcher, you probably already have enough experience to know how to do this, so the appropriate icons are listed below:
Subscribe to The FASD Elephant Podcast
(If your preferred podcatcher is not listed, please feel free to send me an email, and I will investigate how to get the icon and link added to these pages.)
Interacting with the Podcast and the Blog
Feedback, comments, questions, and additional points of view make us all better people, and everyone who listens to the FASD Elephant Podcast is invited to share their thoughts. There are three convenient ways to share:
- Leave a comment on the blog: At the end of the show notes for each episode, there is a small link to add any comments you might have about the show. If you are the first to leave a response, then look for the “No Comments >>” link and click on that to leave a comment. If there are already one or more responses, then a space will already be available for your comment–just type it up then click “Submit Comment.”
- Leave an audio comment: Yep, that’s right! Moba-Talk and MyChingo have developed an embedded program that let’s you record an audio comment right from the website. Click on the “Insert Audio Comment” link and try it out. In case there are any problems (it does seem to be a beta, or test-phase, product), there is a help button that will show on the pop-out recorder.
- Send an email: Michael__at__FASDElephant__dot__com (Websites now have to display email addresses like this to avoid spammers… just delete the underscores and substitute in the @ and .)
Thinking about Podcasting Yourself?
There are many fine websites and podcasts that can teach you how–that’s how I learned. I will put a few links to good podcasting books in the bookstore page (under “Resources,” when it is set up), but in the meantime, there is one podcast that tops them all for helping new podcasters learn the ropes. I’m talking about “podCast 411.” Rob Walch is the host, and he interviews podcasters each week to find out what they do in their own podcasts–technical information, basic information, and interesting podcasts every time. Check it out at www.podcast411.com. Thanks, Rob.
