The ipod is dead. Too bad it lives on.

Now that the iPod is officially dead, it’s probably time to change the name “podcast,” but “self-promotional drivel” is probably too long. 

Of course, the name has become generic for any long-form (or longish) content that’s delivered digitally. The list extends from brazenly self-serving “thought leadership” blather to documentary, drama, and comedy series, most of which reveal that listeners have nothing else better to do. Or don’t know how to read.

Decades ago, when the Walkman was considered leading edge, I worked with a colleague to develop concise, clear audio explanations of new or emerging technologies — the kind of stuff that was challengingly new then but is considered basic (or obsolete) today. It was scripted, performed by three people, put on cassettes, and distributed with complementary printed content. That won’t work today, in part because it wasn’t free, though it’s likely that advertisers in 2022 would find the targeting ideal. 

Podcast is now as meaningful as “music” — not everyone wants every kind of music, which is why there are specific categories: vocal, instrumental, experimental, orchestral, band, dance, classical, operatic, folk, country, urban, rap…. Even radio is divided into music radio, talk radio, news radio, religious programming…. 

I’ve got alternatives: 
• bodcast (fitness)
• codcast (phallusy)
• godcast (religion)
• hodcast (masonry)
• modcast (fashion)
• nodcast (relaxation)
• oddcast (unusual facts)
• prodcast (product information)
• quadcast (college)
• rodcast (fishing)
• shodcast (shoes)
• sodcast (lawns)
• trodcast (hiking)
• vodcast (video on demand)
• zodcast (enemies of superheroes)

Or not.

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