One of the topics during lunch Saturday with the workshop crew centered around how I assemble the TDS podcast.

If you're a regular listener, you know it's changed dramatically over the years. In the early days, I would settle upon a topic, then yammer into a mic for 30 minutes or so. In those times, podcasts were more casual. It was our version of the "early days."

As the NPR broadcasts (and those like it) grew in popularity, the medium evolved. The episodes had real structure, sponsors, and talent. Yammering was out. Segments were in.

The TDS show today has seven distinct parts: the billboard, personal introduction, Weekly Update, feature story, Screening Room, Nimbleosity Report, and Virtual Camera Club News. That's a far cry from my cobbled-together monologues.

I write the show before I record. That serves as a loose script for the discussion and is also published as the Show Notes on The Digital Story.

Originally, I spent 15-30 minutes working on the notes. Yesterday (Mondays are recording days for the show), I invested a bit over 3 hours for research and writing. Added another hour for recording, then 90 minutes for editing out any ridiculous gaffes -- there goes the first day of the work week. And that's before production and posting.

In truth, I like the current episodes much better than the original shows. I've evolved along with the medium. And I think the future is bright for podcasting.

We've come a long ways from jamming a microphone into an iPod and hitting record. I love listening to podcasts by others these days.

I like creating mine even more.

-Derrick