Recently I’ve been enjoying podcasting, a technique whereby sound files are delivered to people via RSS. The sound files are collected by programs such as iPodder and then added to your iPod library (I assume it works for other MP3 players too.

This wonderful tool means I need no longer listen to the radio at all. With the BBC getting involved already I will soon be able to tailor any audio entertainment to my exact tastes. I can be going to work, at the gym or at home and by listening to a documentary on quantum physics, a news show on new technology, a Spanish lesson or any one of hundreds of Podcast feeds.

Right now Podcasting is pretty new but I expect it to become very popular quite quickly. It’s almost like a TiVo for radio or the internet and it’s a lot of fun so far.

But this leads us to the question, is it better to have a wide range sources or information or to be able to tailor exactly what one wants to hear. This challenge to our collective understanding of the world, indeed, this challenge to society itself, is something we will have to tackle this century and I’m not sure we can handle it just yet.