Finding and keeping up with quality podcasts is not easy. I have some ideas for a better “podcatching” client that would help with this, but in the meantime it’s a manual process to keep pruning my subscriptions to a manageable level.
Here’s my current subscription list, using the old Sears “good, better, best” lineup and indicating how many of the episodes I listen to completely:
Best
- The Bitterest Pill – a classic with great, funny stories; sometimes runs a bit long (almost all episodes)
- Hanselminutes – one of my favorites; in-depth technology without being overly long (all episodes)
- Reel Reviews Radio – my favorite non-tech podcast, but it’s been quiet this year (all episodes)
Better
- AP Auto Racing – a recent addition; not overdone, but a nice summary of NASCAR news twice weekly (all episodes)
- In the Trenches – has been around for a while but still entertaining; sometimes runs long but I like the guys and the topics (most episodes)
- Killer Innovation – recently started following this podcast from Phil McKinney, CTO at HP (all episodes)
- Ruby on Rails – I don’t do anything with Ruby or Rails, but I like following along with the community on this one (all episodes)
- Run As Radio – relatively new, focusing on IT with Microsoft technologies; shows are on-topic and not too long (all episodes)
- Software As She’s Developed – good stuff on AJAX, design patterns, and usability (all episodes)
- Venture Voice – unique perspective and interviews with entrepreneurs; generally good but you need your ego-deflector for some of these guys (most episodes)
- Windows Weekly – generally good and not too long; was better before Vista launched and took some wind out of their sails (most episodes)
Good
- IT Conversations – in general very good but I pick and choose the episodes; Technometria and Jon Udell are always good, others are mixed (some episodes)
- Net at Nite – entertaining, but can run long; I’m kind of a long-time Leo Laporte fan, so I keep up with it (most episodes)
- Polymorphic Podcast – .Net and other technologies (most episodes)
- Security Now! – when I first found this one I listened to every episode religiously; now I find they can ramble a bit, but the content is generally good (some episodes)
- This Week in Tech – most topics discussions are good quality and entertaining, but at 1 hour 15 minutes or longer, I’m beginning to fade (most episodes)