Podcast

meep

When did 'Podcast' become a verb meaning 'to listen to or to consume digital audio files or streams'?

Surely Podcasting is the act of creating and disseminating such audio? A play on broadcasdting to iPods, it's all about the distribution, not the consumption.

RTE are running radio ads encouraging listeners to podcast this or that show. Shouldn't they instead be asking the audience to download the material which they themselves have Podcast?

looksee

I suppose when you have invented a new word, you get freedom to decide how to use it! I would agree with you that the rte ads seem a bit back to front, it sounds as though they are inviting people to re-distribute the downloads. To download, a download...there is no end to it!

meep

The RTE ad is just the example that prompted me to post. I've seen the word used in this way a good bit over the past few years. It irks me.

I've always taken podcasting to be the act of creating and publishing the audio. Not consuming it.

My own pet unpopular fact, folks : The majority of Irish people listening to a podcast are not using an iPod. And half of them would'nt knnow what an iPod was, or that once, there were a range of iPod's to choose from: Mini, Touch, Classic, Nano, Shuffle

Yakuza

"Podcast" itself is less than 20 years old - as it is a portmanteau of iPod and broadcast I would consider that it's more of a noun than a verb (but seeing as broadcast is both perhaps it's me that's being too narrow?)

On a separate but related note, I've noticed (mostly on LBC radio) that Brexit is being used as a verb "Will we Brexit by January 31st?" whereas I'd clearly have thought it only in terms of a noun (but, again, exit is both so why not Brexit).

looksee

Sounds ok to me as a verb, looking back I think I would have taken it to be a verb from the start.

meep

looksee wrote: »

Sounds ok to me as a verb, looking back I think I would have taken it to be a verb from the start.

Oh, I’ve no problem with it being a verb, it’s the meaning that’s morphed from the act of production to the act of consumption that bugs me.

looksee

Its only on re-reading this thread that I have realised what you are talking about (no idea where my brain was the first time ). Yes I totally agree, you can't use it as a consumer, any more than asking an audience to broadcast something when you are asking them to listen to a broadcast.