Radio Talent Coach Sam Weaver has been diligent in efforts linking traditional and new media. Sam utilizes “Intelligent Gut” when approaching clients inTraditional radio, Podcastings, and Internet radio; it’s the fusion of experience and an appreciation for the realities of modern day  journalism. To become a client, call 1 888 680 7234 or e-mail thecoach@radiocoach.biz.

New media and traditional radio has found language to be important for navigating the Internet. To operate efficiently in the cyber world, it is necessary to understand words and terminology.  Here is a list of information gathered.

Advanced Audio Coding (also MPEG-2 AAC)

An audio compression scheme is a continuation of the mp3 CODEC, but uses better filtering methods, noise shaping and quantization resolution to produce higher-quality audio files at smaller bit rates.  AAC is designed for use in digital broadcasting systems, multi-channel and surround audio (such as 5.1), and based on its capability to support up to 96kHz sampling rates and 48 channels [including LFE], AAC could be the basis for audio in multimedia for the foreseeable future.  Some streaming audio formats (Liquid Audio)  have already adopted the AAC scheme.  The MP4 format is also becoming popular.

Adverblog

Short for “advertising blog”, a blog used for advertising purposes.

Aggregation

The process of gathering and remixing content from multiple websites that provide RSS feeds such as blogs.  The results may be displayed in an aggregator website like Blog-lines, or directly to desktops using software often called a newsreader.

Aggregator

Sites such as Blog-lines or Google Reader, display information related to user+specified keywords.  The information is gathered and remixed from multiple websites via RSS feeds.  Also, the name given the software, often free,  automatically gathers the RSS-based summaries of a set of user-based blogs or sources for easy browsing.

AJAX

An acronym standing for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML.  This is a web development technique for creating interactive web applications.  By shifting a great deal of computation to the web surfer’s computer, web pages doesn’t have to reload when a change is made due to user interaction.  Ajax can increase the web page’s interactivity, speed and usability.

Alerts

A service available from various online news sources and aggregators that will automatically send updates on user-selected topics whenever those topics appear online or in the specific news source.

Architecture of Participation

A phrase coined by open source media advocate Tim O’ Reilly, used to describe the nature of systems created for user contribution, such as Wikipedia.  The phrase has come to define one of the key elements of what’s been called Web 2.0, describing the collection of companies, technologies and projects designed around the culture and economics of openness.

Astroturfing

This describes a supposed grass-roots social site, which is actually supported by some powerful organization, private or public,with an agenda.

Asynchronous Communications

Online communications independent of time or place, such as email lists, bulletin boards and forums.  Messages go to and from rather than appearing in one place nearly simultaneously (synchronous communication).

Audio Blog

Another name for a podcast.  Despite the casual nature implied by the word blog in this term, audio blogs can have a wide range of production value from very casual audio journals to professionally produced shows including music, sound effects,  and other production values.

Audio On-Demand

Another expression for audio podcasting, referencing the ability of listeners to start, stop. Replay, and skip sections or whole recordings at any time, virtually any place in their daily lives.

Avatars

Graphical images used in virtual worlds to represent people.  Users can create Avatar visual personalities selecting a gender, body type, clothing, behaviors, and name.

Bed

Audio that is reused as a background element, such as music or sound effects.

Blegging

Derived from “blog” and “beg”, this term means to send a query through the blogosphere in search of an answer.

Blogcast

Another name for a podcast.

Blogerati or Blogophiles

Two terms used to describe sophisticated blog authors and readers.

Blogosphere

The universe of blogging and bloggers.

Blogroll

A list of sites displayed in the sidebar of a blog, which shows who the blogger, reads with regularity.

Blogs

Shortened from the original term “weblogs,” these self-published websites contain dated material usually written in journal format.  Content such as text, pictures, video and/or audio have URLs plus other ways of identifying them by keywords (tags).  This allows visitors to pull items to their desktop through subscriptions or aggregators without having to visit the actual website.  Blogs often have links to other relevant online content, plus invite feedback through “posts” which are comments from readers.

Bookmarking

Saving a website address or item of content, either in a browser, or on a social bookmarking site such as del.icio.us. Bookmarklets Also called favelets, these are free tools to help with repetitive difficult and/or time-consuming tasks when using a web browser.

Bulletin Boards

An early forum for online collaboration, where users are connected with a central computer to post and read email-like messages.

Business-Class Podcast

A term to describe podcasts directed toward a professional audience.  Business-class podcasts can be casual in nature, although typically don’t have the garage-band feel or outreach that more lifestyle podcasts have.  LCM’s Microphone Messages division produces these for many types of businesses with great success, increasing our client’s visibility and sales almost instantly.  Lifestyle podcasting or trendy casts are generally targeted at the youth market, and have little long-term branding goals.

Buzz

Online “chatter,” or social discussion and interaction characterized by frequent expressed interest and/or mentions of a subject among the online or water-cooler community.

Channel

A group of podcast items, each of which represents one mp3 audio file (or program).  When subscribing to podcasts, it is the channel you subscribe to.

Chat

Real time interaction on a web site, with a number of people adding comments via text entries.

Chat Room

A designated online location for chat to take place.  Unlike forums, chat room conversations are real-time exchanges.

Chicklet

Nickname for the small buttons used as links to RSS files (usually orange with a graphic resembling waves or ripples expanding out).  Many podcatchers allow you to drag chicklets onto them to quickly add a subscription.

Clodpasting

A lame attempt to use online audio programming to launch a career into show business.  Noun: clodpast, a poorly conceived and/or executed digitally broadcast audio message.

Collaboration

Being able to discuss and work with people across physical and temporal boundaries through the sharing of information enabled by a variety of online media (email, blogs, forums, chatrooms, podcasts, websites, and various social networking sites).  Collaboration is considered one of the higher goals of social networking and software.

Communitainment

Coined by investment bank firm, Piper Jaffray, this term describes a trend involving consumers moving communication beyond a mere exchange of information to facilitate an exchange of content, ideas, and entertainment within an online social context.

Compensated Consumer-Generated Media (CCGM)

This is media where marketers pay consumers to do certain things, or when publishers compensate artists or content creators for submissions frequently based on their popularity, i.e. number of unique hits.

Consumer-Generated Media (CGM)

First-person commentary posted or shared across a host of expression venues, including message boards, forums, rating and review sites, groups, social networking sites, blogs, video-sharing sites, etc.

Consumer-Generated Multimedia (CGM2)

Consumer created sight, sound and motion components powered online using sites such as YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, iTunes, etc.

Consumer –Fortified Media (CFM)

Advertiser created digital media shaped and promoted by consumers through online commentary and debate.

Consumer-Solicited Media (CSM)

Often called “co-creation” or “participator advertising”, CSM involves an online advertiser who provides a format and invites visitors to add their content.  Examples include “create your own 30 second commercial”, “upload your sponsor-relevant photo or video”, or “send us your best recorded memory of how our brand impacted your life.”

Content Management Systems (CMS)

These are versatile software suites very important to social media, offering the ability to create static web pages, document stores, blogs, and wikis, among other tools. They allow consumers to make changes to a website  without having to know code.

Creative Commons License

A copyright license that spells out how proprietary online content can be shared, reused or altered.

Crowdsourcing

This refers to harnessing the skills and enthusiasm of those outside an organization who are prepared to volunteer their time contributing content and solving problems.

Directory

There are dozens of directories listing podcasts, serving as vertical search engines for podcasts. Examples include iTunes, Yahoo! Podcast, Podcast Alley, Singing Fish, Podcast Pickle, etc.

Download Fraud

In a pay-per-download podcast-advertising model, there is the possibility that someone could maliciously download a podcast to get advertising fees.

Ear Fatigue

The literal translation is ‘tired ears.’ Ear Fatigue is not really a clinically recognized state, but audio professionals have been referring to it for years.  It’s caused by a combination of TTS (Temporary Threshold Shift) and general fatigue.  The condition we call ear fatigue usually occurs after many hours of listening to or working with audio, especially when working at relatively high volumes.  It causes us to not hear the sound in the same way we do when we are fresh.

Enclosure

An addition to RSS that allows multimedia files (such as those used in podcasts) to be included along with each item in an RSS file.

Feeds

The means by which you can read, view or listen to items from blogs, podcasts and other RSS-enabled sites without visiting the actual site – by subscribing to a directory or aggregator such as iTunes or Bloglines.

Flog

A fake blog frequently created by an agency to look as though consumers created it.  These are often ‘outed’ by vigilant bloggers who dislike the practice.

Folkmind

Described by some as the “virtual mind of humanity,” it represents the dynamic sum of the accumulated intelligence existing and interacting online.

Folksonomy

A term for the collaborative, but unstructured, way in which information is categorized on the web.  Instead of using one centralized form of classification, users are encouraged to assign freely chosen keywords (called tags) to pieces of information or data.

Forums

Discussion areas on websites, where people can post messages or comment on existing messages asynchronously – that is, not part of any real time discussion.  Chat rooms offer the synchronous equivalent.

Imaging

Term for using audio effects, spoken phrases or music to create an “image” or brand for a radio station or show.

Intro

The beginning of a podcast; can include a music lead-in with an announcer naming the show, the episode and possibly the sponsor.

Frogmeat

A neutral term describing a podcast that has a lot of content (meat) to offer but suffers from organizational issues, like jumping around from topic to topic.

Guest

Someone invited to participate in a podcast because of his or her point-of-view, expertise, or experience.  Guests often provide testimonials or experiential stories.  Guests may also be representatives of a sponsor.

Id3 Tag

An addition to MP3 files that allows data such as the file’s title, performer, category and even cover art to be stored directly in the file.

iPodder

One of the original podcast clients, iPodder Is a free program that can automatically download new shows when they become available, and synchronize them with portable digital audio players.

Item

A single entry in a news feed or podcast channel.  In podcasts, each item contains the enclosure linking to the podcast file and various information about the file such as title, author, category, etc.

iTunes

Apple’s multimedia player software.  As well as playing multimedia files, iTunes links to a directory of podcasts and acts as a podcatcher by allowing users to subscribe to podcasts.

Learning Style

There are three basic ways people learn: visual (reading, watching demonstrations, reviewing charts), auditory (listening, making a presentation) and tactile or kinesthetic (performing a task, actively doing). Most people use a combination of all three.  Podcasting, either audio only or video, allows marketers to add depth to their communications and offer prospects more ways to learn about their product or service

Lifestyle Podcast

Typically, these are personal commentaries on what is “cool” for a targeted demographic, psychographic or cultural group.  Topics include music, movies, fashion, gaming, TV and other pop cultural trends.  Because such podcasts rely heavily on fleeting fads, they are not considered long-term branding opportunities.  Marketing strategies, whether a business is considering series sponsorship or podcast commercials, should focus on short-term marketing goals based on the population of the audience.

Lilypod

A derogatory term describing a podcast that doesn’t provide the audience with meaningful information; may be used when a sponsored podcast becomes too commercial; can also describe lifestyle podcasts that are boring or a narcissistic rant of the producer or the host.

Link Baiting

The process by which websites, blogs, etc. encourage links from other sites to improve popularity and raise positions on search engines.  The enticement may include content, online tools, free downloads or anything else that another site owner might find worthy of a link.

Links

The highlighted text or images that, when clicked, jumps from one web page or item of content within a site or to another website or web page.

Listening

The art of skimming feeds in the blogosphere to see what topics are creating buzz, including establishing “alerts” with various aggregators which will automatically monitor when certain topics or terms are mentioned.

Lurkers

People who read but don’t contribute or add comments to forums.

Mashups

An online service or software tool that skilled “techies” develop by combining two or more tools to create an entirely new service.

Meme

A unit of cultural information such as a popular tune, catch phrase, beliefs, or fashions that can virally propagate from one mind to another.  Online, it may be shared among bloggers or participants of social sites as a game, activity or quiz.

Moblog

Abbreviated from “mobile blog”, this is a blog dedicated to the distribution, sharing and/or rating of digital/camera-phone images.

MP3

An audio compression format that allows almost CD-quality fidelity with only 10% of the file size by discarding frequencies not audible to the human ear or that clash with similar frequencies.  The name comes from MP (EG-1 layer) 3.

Narrowcasting

A term used in opposition to “broadcasting” to describe a podcast’s ability to reach a narrowly focused, highly interested audience.

Netroots

A term coined to describe political activism organized through blogs and other online media including wikis, podcasts and various social networking sites.

News Feed

A collection of headlines, news or story highlights, made available on the internet in a standard format, often from a blog or news source made available in RSS format so that other sites and programs can check and download them automatically.  News feeds can be used to publish information about podcasts.  Podcast clients can subscribe to podcast news feeds, and use their information to find new shows to download.

Newsreader

A website or desktop tool that acts as an aggregator, gathering content from blogs and similar sites using RSS feeds, so it can be read  in one place, without having to visit several different sites.

Open-Source Software

Software often developed in a public collaborative manner; the license permits users to study, change, improve,  and share the software in a modified or unmodified form.

Pay-Per-Download

Similar to a pay-per-click ad campaign on a search engine, some companies offer auction models where advertisers upload commercials, content preferences,  and bid for placement.  As spots become available, the auction house coordinates placing the commercials into the podcast.  Advertisers pay only if the podcast is downloaded.  The advertiser’s ability to define placement in a particular podcast depends on the auction house’s stable of podcasts and its willingness and abilities to target individual productions.

Pay-To-Play

Different than pay-per-download, viewers pay the bill. Consumers pay to download a video or audio file.  Pay-to-play podcasts can be training, seminars, movies, concerts, sports programs,  or TV shows.

Permalink

The address (URL) of a specific item of content, such as an individual blog post, rather than the address of a web page where many items or blog posts are located.

Photosharing

The social media practice of uploading digital images to a website such as Flickr, where tags can be added, so that others can comment or even reuse the images under certain stated copyright license conditions.

Ping

An acronym standing for “packet Internet grouper” or “packed Internet Groper,” this is an automatic notification sent when a blog has been updated.  It also describes the automatic communication between networked computers/servers.