Sunday, August 9, 2009

Okay, Folks...We're Going to Have a Friendly Little Podcast Contest Here...

Over the past several months, I've been doing the updates for the Disney-related podcasts on here. While I haven't been as successful as I was hoping to be in trying to do a weekly update, I've been plugging away and trying not to miss any episodes, all the while adding new podcasts to the list. I've been watching the Feedjit feed and have seen the occasional new reader click on all the links, so the updates are pretty much doing what I had hoped for them to do...provide the updates for episodes with a little bit of detail (and perhaps occasional humor), have the web searches find them, and get people to check out and hopefully become regular listeners to new shows that they might otherwise not try.



To those shows that promoted this blog when I first sent out an e-mail inquiry for your podcast to be included...I wanted to say a heartfelt "Thanks!" While I wasn't intending the e-mails to be read on air, it was actually a little funny to hear the same basic letter read on different podcasts about 20 times (making it sound like I'm even more conceited than I already am). Those that follow multiple podcasts probably got sick of that letter!



As I listen to the shows every week (and yes, I do listen to the majority of them...on the rare occasion I skim or just look at the show notes), I get curious as to what the most popular Disney podcast out there is. I decided that I've got a decent list...I've got Twitter...I've got Facebook...WHAT THE HECK...LET'S TRY IT! I don't know if this has been done before, but this again can help the podcasts potentially get some new listeners...especially some of the newer ones that get a few votes.



For those getting this via e-mail, RSS feed, aggregator, reader, etc, you'll have to head over to the actual URL to vote. That's at http://blogdumush.blogspot.com. The poll is on the right-hand side of the page, part-way down. For those wondering, yes, I have included some of the podcasts that I don't follow on the blog. I know the list still isn't completely inclusive, but, to make sure any that I've missed aren't left out, I've included a selection for "Other" with the request to e-mail me the name of any show that I don't have listed so they can be counted. I'll occasionally provide a blog post with a current tally that includes podcasts that I've missed.


To accommodate for those podcasts that are more intermittent in their releases or follow a monthly/bi-monthly release, I'm going to have this poll up until November 3rd (when a normal election day in the U.S. would be). That's nearly 3 months to drum up votes.


Now...as for what is meant by "regularly" listening to...this isn't a publishable methodology! If you've listened to more than one episode of a podcast and like it, count it! It's not like I'm hiring a bunch of surveyors to canvass the country with a solid instrument of data collection...it's for fun! Oh, and the prize for being the "most popular"???? The winner receives the knowledge that more people get to hear your screw-ups than anyone else's!!!



Again, have fun with it...that's the main point. One of the things that I've noticed as I've listened to the various shows out there is that the Disney podcasting community seems to get along really well together, with people filling in on other casts, sitting in as guests, making fun of each other in a friendly, almost sibling-like way, promoting each others' shows on their own podcasts, and more! The cooperation among these podcasts makes them all better, and I applaud the comraderie that we hear with each download.



This idea may go absolutely nowhere, or it may take off like crazy...I don't know. If it fails miserably, no problem...it was just an idea I came up with (no, I don't have any ad revenue on the blog, so I'm not trying to increase readership). If it gets really popular, then GREAT!!! I hope the podcasters and the listeners have fun with this (sound familiar?). If you want to e-mail me with a speech on why people should vote for a particular podcast, go for it. (It will help me actually get more material posted on this thing as I am woefully behind in updating the blog.) If you want to create bumper stickers and buttons with "VOTE FOR ______(insert podcast)!" on it, go for it! If you want to promote this on your podcast, go for it!!! (just please paraphrase this instead of reading the whole thing...I don't want to lose the 30 readers I have). If you want to challenge another podcast to a debate in a town hall meeting format, well, you're on your own.




With that...Let the contest BEGIN!!!!!


Addendum...
I can't @#$%)@#$%#$ believe I left out WTTM!!!!!! Sorry about that Paul. When I was adding more podcasts to the selection, I must have overwritten it. Nobody's mentioned that one yet (I see 2 'others' but no e-mails). Luckily, you can change your vote on this one. If you want to add A Window to the Magic to your selection, just add 'other' and let me know at cemushr@hotmail.com.

5 comments:

Mush said...

I had one vote within 6 hours (WOOHOO!) When I saw the results, however, I noticed the format was messed up a bit (couldn't see the name with the result). When I tried to modify a name of a selection, I was unable to. I decided that, since there was only one vote, I'd create a new poll and try to contact the one who voted (looks like they're from around Hamilton, OH and voted around 7:05 am Eastern on Monday). This should be the only time this happens as I've shortened a couple entries to make it a bit more readable on the results page.

Sorry!

CewTwo said...

I vote for Running To Disney. I love the podcast! It is located at http://www.runtodisney.com/

Extreme Films said...

Polls like this make me wonder why I am trying to keep BMS (beyond main street) going? It was an awesome 5 years though.

Good luck with this blog & have a great week :o)

-BMSLou

Mush said...

Lou, I wonder if a bunch of people don't realize that BMS is still releasing shows after the November 8th show sign-off. I didn't know it until just a couple months ago when you tweeted a new show (that's why I included it in here...when I catch my breath, I'll get BMS/IYEE in my list of updates). Hopefully something like this gets some folks resubscribing to your feeds.


Chris

Timberline said...

Great idea, Mush. Now I have to decide...