Dukasaur wrote:
Okay, I don't have an "Apple App" or an iPod or anything like that. I do have iTunes on my computer, and I do see a menu option where it says "subscribe to a podcast" but when I click that option it asks me for the URL of the podcast, so it presupposes that I know the URL of some podcast I want to "subscribe" to. Furthermore, even the very term "subscribe" turns me off, because I presume they'll send me shit on their schedule, not on mine. I want to get them a la carte, when I'm ready, not when they feel like sending them.
I don't have a data plan on my phone because I think it's a colossal waste of money. I do have a data plan on my company phone, but they've been cracking down on people who use too much data so I'm careful not to waste it. I know it's theoretically possible to connect my phone to my computer, download something on the computer and load it into the phone. Anyway, I'm sure I can cross that technological hurdle when I come to it. (I'm trying not to go off on one of my Luddite rants.) My question is more about how do I find and evaluate good sources for these things so I'm not wasting time listening to bullshit.
I have tons of wasted time at work where I'm just driving around doing nothing. I could be spending that time learning shit. I just don't want to waste it. I know sometimes I'm desperate enough to listen to talk radio, and almost always I'm disappointed. Almost always it's just jackasses proving that they're not as smart as they think they are.
You have a bunch of questions.
1) How to find good podcasts?
So I started by using the the Podcast App on my phone. I understand that's not an option for you.
You could use the recommendations I've mad here... I was hoping other people would make suggestions too, but there aren't a lot coming in.
You can Google search things like "Top History Podcasts" or "Top Pop Culture Podcasts". You'll find links of course, some are better than others. There are a LOT of good casts out there... but there are a lot of terrible one's as well.
2) Many Podcasts also have supporting websites. I don't visit these often but they exist. I know some of the History Podcasts I've mentioned have supporting info on their sites... things like maps or family trees of royals etc. Many of the podcasts also allow you to download the podcasts directly from their site.
3) Subscribing
In most cases subscribing is not a cost thing... it's just a way of setting your app (or application on your computer) to notify you when new podcasts are released. So for example, if I subscribe to the British History Podcast it'll notify me every time a new episode is released. You don't have to subscribe but I find ti's helpful.
There are about 250 old episodes from that podcast... so you can start with episode one, and manually download like the first five or ten episodes. There's no need to subscribe immediately, because it'll take you awhile to catch up. A podcast like that, you probably want to start at the beginning. There are other podcasts I listen to where each episode (or maybe a group of episodes) is it's own story. In those cases you don't need to listen to episode one. Make sense.
Now... when you subscribe that doesn't mean the episode is always automatically downloaded. At least not with the application I use. You can select to 'notify' new episodes or to 'download' new episodes. If you select download, then you have a further option to choose to use wifi only or data. So it won't eat up your data... at least not with the applications I use.
4) Downloading to a PC and transferring to phone or other device...
Yes this is possible. I had to do it when I PURCHASED some older episodes of a podcast I liked. In this case I couldn't do it from my phone, and had to use my PC... I then transferred the podcast episodes to my phone manually. It was a little cumbersome... but once I figured it out it wasn't hard. I presume if t's the only way to do it for you, and if you do it often enough, then it'll be routine and no big deal.
5) Cost... you didn't ask about this, but I figure I'd mention it.
Most of the podcasts I listen to are free.
That said, some offer additional "special' episodes they charge you to get. Some will give new episodes free but will charge for older episodes. Every podcast is different in this way.
Hope that's helpful.
