Social networks are hot right now; not just in that venture capital, big names are talking, new conferences are springing up kind of way, but in a way that users can see and enjoy. We are enjoying that blissful time in the tech cycle when great ideas are turning into things we can play with, and perhaps use to enhance our work as bloggers and podcasters. and they’re coming faster than most of us can track em.

The most visible social network explosion is happening over at Facebook. And by the way, you’ll find a Blogger & Podcaster group there, so please join us.

First, Facebook opened its doors to people without an .edu email address. Some “older” users jumped at the opportunity to connect with friends and colleagues, without all the spam and other baggage of MySpace.

Next, Facebook shared its API with developers who are now adding new applications daily. Facebook isn’t just a place to collect friends: it’s a hub of activity and tools that brings people back, even when they don’t have a new photo to share. The dizzying array of apps may not all stick, but the presence of apps itself is great for users who can customize their experience and bring the things they already do online into the Facebook universe.

For bloggers and podcasters–podcasters epecially have stuggled with, and in some cases, embraced the collaboration possibilities of MySpace–Facebook seems to be quickly gaining traction. Producers can offer listeners membership in a group devoted to the show, message listeners as a group to promote activities and events and even use the new applications to create a collaborative experience with their audienec. How about an iLike channel for your music podcast, that people can join from your Facebook group?

If you want to follow the explosive growth of Facebook apps, try allfacebook, the unofficial Facebook blog.

Yep, I admit it, in some ways, I’m a luddite. I don’t own a cell phone. I don’t want one. No TV, either. Gasp.

Before you write me off as a lost subscriber to the Stone Age Times, let me assure you that yes, I own a computer and I’m as addicted to email as the best, or perhaps worst, of them. I’m an inveterate scribbler, sometimes in random (paper) journals I carry with me at almost all times, more often in lengthy e-missives describing my absolutely fascinating life in gritty and hilarious detail.

As a musician, and a mostly folk musician at that, I tend to go for the earthy crunchy acoustic stuff, played on instruments made of wood, whose only required wires are tightly wound strings. (I do have a very nice pickup in my octave mandolin, and in the absence of a lovely old upright piano, I have been known to settle for an electronic keyboard.)

Fear not, I’m not a total dinosaur. In between music-magazine gigs, I’ve put in my time editing and writing for several tech publications. I’ve attended the trade shows, schmoozed with the geeks, waded knee-deep in products that would revolutionize the industry.

I’ve written only one, or perhaps two blog posts before, in a not particularly intuitive civic-sponsored system to which I do not feel compelled to return.

But really, I’ve been blogging all my life, I just didn’t know it.

So here I am, your newly appointed managing editor, poised to polish podcasters’ prose and buff bloggers’ briefs, reaching ever further for outrageous alliteration, ready to serve up tasty text for your eager consumption.

In the coming weeks I will no doubt be acquiring an iPod, and perhaps I will relent and buy a cell phone, too. But a TV? Last century’s technology as far as I’m concerned.

Meanwhile I will be learning all I can about the blog beat. Please be nice to me.

I first “met” Mignon Fogarty in the forums over at Podcast Pickle. Later, we ended up as members of the same—sadly defunct—podcast network. We have mutual friends in the podosphere, too. I guess what I’m sayin’ here is that when I got to know Mignon, she was “one of us”, a fairly new podcaster trying to improve her show and grow her audience like we all were, and who dealt with the same basic stuff: how do you make phone interviews not sound like crap, how do you get the word out about your show, what’s the best Web site platform?

And now she’s done what the people who saw podcasting as a business right from the start have dreamed of doing. She’s quit her day job, expanded her listenership to thousands of people, and even appeared on national TV. For those of us whose podcasting goals were in the modest range, but who love to see a nice person succeed, she is a hero. To those who started out with a plan and perhaps a bigger budget, she’s a case study.

I talked with Mignon in April, just after she appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and just before she was featured in Business Week. I asked her all the burning questions about how Grammar Girl had become so successful, what you have to do to get in the door at Oprah, etc. But the answers I found most interesting had to do with how she has handled sudden success. It’s one thing to work toward a large audience and great publicity, but what do you do when you get them? Will your Internet infrasturcture be ready? How about the content of your show? Are you prepared to take that leap and quit your job, hire people to help you or add more podcasts to your network? Mignon seems to have understood that this “background stuff” is just as important as being available for a photo shoot. In fact, she always sounds perfectly calm. I should have asked her how she does that.

Read “10 Questions with Mignon Fogarty” in the June issue of Blogger & Podcaster, and listen to the full interview on the B&P podcast.

-shelly

Well friends, it’s the time of the month around here when we work on the news section. I’m doing what I always do: reading lots and lots of blogs, talking to people I know who keep their fingers on the pulse of the new media world, and fielding inquiries from PR folks with new (and not so new) things to promote.

It’s fun. I like that a part of my job is opening an RSS reader several times a day, and another part is jumping on skype or the phone to ask people questions about what they do. But I also know that I don’t hear or read everything that’s going on out there. On one or two occasions, I’ve found out about juicy stories just as we’ve closed the news section. I hate when that happens.

In the interest of making our news section better, I’m looking for a little help; a few eyes and ears in the blogging and podcasting world who are willing to drop me a line when they hear or read something that Blogger & Podcaster readers need to know. Don’t worry: you don’t need to buy a fedora or start drinking Scotch in the daytime to be a good news gatherer. (At least I hope not.)

I’m looking for news about trends, cool technology, new media events, and stories about what interesting people are doing to build their blogs or podcasts. I’m not so much interested in “hey, I just started my first blog or podcast” but rather “hey, there’s something going on with music podcasts, or political blogs.” Or maybe there’s a blogging conference in Maui. Hey, can I go to that one?

If you have news for us, send it to feedback at bloggerandpodcaster dot com. No guarantees your tip will make the magazine, but we will take a look at what you send and get in touch if it’s something cool.

Thanks to everyone who’s said such nice things about the magazine. I hope you’re enjoying reading the JUne issue as much as we did making it.

Here’s a peek at the subject of my July 2007 Editor’s Note….

Beginning Friday, June 1, Shelly Brisbin takes over as editor-in-chief. Shelly’s well known in the podcast world as producer of Shelly’s Podcast and Hollywood on the Radio, and she’s been a guiding force here at Blogger & Podcaster since joining our staff in January. This Texan has a good grasp of new media, at least enough to ask tough questions of our developers as we continue to expand offerings and tweak we’ve already brought online.

Joining her will be Elisa Welch, a San Francisco-based editor and musician who worked with Shelly at a previous technology publication. We’re hoping, among many other things, that Elisa will help keep this blog’s content fresh and updated often.

Why the change in the magazine’s leadership? For that, you’ll have to wait for the July issue to arrive.

–Anne

My RSS reader needs a rest! So much news has been flooding in from so many places.

We’ve got a little bit of everything: big media companies acquiring podcasts, well-known personalities joining forces with networks, new positioning in the aggregation of technology news and another rumor about Google buying someone.

I’m not going to attempt to weave all of these business events into a trend story, or even reach for a tortured metaphor. It’s just interesting that so much has happened all at once, particularly in the podcasting corner of the world, where it’s been awhile since anything truly meaty has crossed our radar. As a writer, it’s always better for me if things are happening than when they’re not. You too, I’m guessing. Let’s run down the news, shall we?

• CBS Interactive has purchased Wallstrip. We mention Wallstrip in a story that will appear in the next issue of Blogger & Podcaster. If you don’t know it, Wallstrip is a Web site, video podcast and blog with a really big following in the Wall Street world. Both parties have denied the rumored $5 million pricetag. It’s been suggested that CBS scooped it up in order to have access to the talents tf Lindsay Campbell, the show’s popular host. It’s a tantalizing story for podcasters who see their path to success iluminated by personality. That’s not to diminish the content of Wallstrip, but just as Amanda Congdon’s talents as a performer brought her to the attention of ABC last year, Campbell has skipped the cattle call phase and jumped into a prominant, lucrative gig. Wallstrip will remain its own brand, according to CBS.
• In a part of the world I know somewhat better than either finance or TV, the tech journalism sector, John C. Dvorak, the industry’s number one curmudgeon, has inked a deal with PodShow to form a tech “channel” for the podcast network. Dvorak currently has his own podcast, Cranky Geeks. Most tech people who have ben around more than a few years know Dvorak as a prolific “old media” columnist with strong opinions and a desire to stir things up for the sake of doing it. Dvorak is an interesting choice to head up a tech podcssting initiative. He certainly knows a lot of people, and has super-high name ID. But his brand is his opinion, not news, analysis or even new media. Should be interesting to see who he taps to join him.
• Technorati’s making news again, too. We cover the new “authority” blog rankings in the upcoming Blogger & Podcaster. But this morning dawned with a bigger change; a major update to the site, and a refocus away from blog-centrism and toward direct competition with Google search. Here’s Technorati chief David Sifry’s explanation.
• And finally, because one mention of Google isn’t enough, comes the rumor (reprinted everywhere, so it’s gotta happen, right?) that the search beheameth might be planning to buy FeedBurner, the Chicago startup podcasters and bloggers have been relying on for nifty RSS management tools for the past two years. UPDATE: TechChrunch is calling this one “confirmed”, at a price of $100 million. Some have written about how exciting this is for the people who have built, and continuously improve FeedBurner’s tools. The FeedBurner guys have been visible in the RSS community and enjoy excellent personal reputations. They have been innovative and accessible, even to indie podcasters who don’t pay much attention to financial intrigue. The dominant keyword among writers covering the potential story has been “congrats!” Personally, I would like to see more attention paid to how such a combination would affect FeedBurner customers. Combining FeedBurner’s great RSS stats with Google Analytics would be cool, and I’m sure there are many other tools Google could bring to the table. But when big company scoops up little company, change is sure, and FeedBurner users should watch carefully, and not necessarily count on the acquisition-minded tech business press to have their point of view at heart when reporting this story. I’m a FeedBurner customer. I just want my feed to work, and my stats to be accurate and I want that to remain true if and when Google opens its wallet. Oh, and I’d also like to keep seeing the FeedBurner guys at Portable Media Expo, answering questions and taking feature requests.

-shelly

I spent last Saturday in San Antonio, attending the latest installment of the podcamp unconference series. I arrived with a stack of Blogger & Podcasters for the crowd, and left with an empty bag and many kind words from the folks who had a chance to check out the magazine.

Podcamp, for the uninitiated, is modeled after the communally-organized barcamp metaphor. ‘camps feature presentations by anyone who signs up to speak, not a select few chosen by event organizers. Participants are free to listen, contribute to the conversation or to get up and walk away, perhaps starting their own discussion. Advocates of the unconfoerence way of doing things prize the dynamism of the format: everyone has a chance to speak if they want to, and no one need sit still for a presentation that isn’t interesting. And an unconference is a great way to exchange knowledge and make connections with other excited practitioners or hobbyists.

There’s a lot going on in Texas, though the state’s communities of podcasters have not had the high profile of groups in other parts of the country. The greatest surprise for me was that the 50+ folks who filled the beautiful Sunset Station on Saturday included many experienced, highly-motivated podcasters who are and have been thinking about “the next level”. The curious came too, but this was a gathering whose critical mass centered around people who have been using podcasting to enhance their businesses, or who offer podcasting ervices. There was a lot of talk about how to market podcasts and podcasters, and we heard a few product pitches toward the end of the day.

The podcamp format feeds podcasters’ seemingly natural desire for community, but I also think regional events, whether they follow an unconference format or not, are a great opportunity for people who might never trek across country for Podcast and New Media Expo. Locals can meet one another, learn, and form new alliance.

Podcasting is growing up and taking root in all sorts of unexpected places. And its community spirit is still strong.

Finally, thanks to everyone who offered great suggestions about what they want to see in future issues of Blogger & Podcaster. Your ideas are terrific.

-shelly

Our Shelly Brisbin is scheduled to appear live on The David Lawrence Show on XM Radio tonight at 9 on the West Coast and midnight on the East. She’ll be talking with the popular talk show host about the magazine in what should be a lively conversation.

If you can’t listen as the show airs (maybe you need to sleep; maybe you need a Grey’s Anatomy or CSI fix), the show’s three-hour programs are turned into archived podcasts.

–Anne

Congratulations to Hethir Rodgriguez and Tom Kim winners of our launch issue contest sponsored by Sonic Distribution. Hethir is the winner of Electronics Class A Cardioid Condensor Microphone ($399 value), the first truly professional USB microphone. Tom is the winner of an sE Electronics Reflexion Filter ($399 value) that eliminates reflections to deliver a tighter, punchier sound to your recordings. Congratulations Hethir & Tom, enjoy your new gear!

- Larry

Today’s the last day to submit entries to NPR’s Public Radio Talent Quest, a competition that seeks “the next public radio star”. Based on votes from Talent Quest site visitors, and a team of judges, the field of contestants will be narrowed to semi-final and final rounds, culminating in the crowning of winners later this year. Hmm. Does that remind you of a certain Fox TV show? NPR is not immune from the lure of copycat promotional efforts, apparently.

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised to find that a lot of my fellow podcasters had already submitted entries, and that many had made the very smart decision to enlist their audiences to vote for them. Some have created edited snippets (contest entries can’t exceed two minutes) from their shows, while others have written and produced original entries.

I would really like to see podcasters move forward in this competition. Podcasters have already demonstrated a high level of commitment to producing audio on a regular basis. Many have earned loyal listeners, and have become accomplished producers and performers. and they’ve bootstrapped themselves into this position through their own creativity and craft. The same can’t necessarily be said for people who chose careers in radio, and who have never had the chance to build their own program and audience completely from scratch. Nor could it be said for folks who nurse dreams of stardom, but feel no particular pull toward self-expression or communicating with an audience

The contrarian part of me is a little disdainful of a contest in which the ultimate prize is not a larger platform for a show that you create and control, but a job as host of a program produced under the auspices of a large network: a network with sponsors and contributors to answer to. I guess I have to wonder whether the price of becoming a star in public radio includes conforming to a large organization’s notion of what it wants, rather than plowing through with a vision of your own.

But my contrarian will probably keep quiet if one or more of podcasting’s own makes the Talent Quest grade. If public radio really wants to open its ranks to amateurs with big dreams, let’s hope those amateurs make the essential creativity and DIY spirit felt in the halls of NPR. Good luck, podcasters.

-shelly