by Peter Beck on May 26, 2009
in BLOGS
My apologies: I checked the site and found, bizarrely, that it just flat out wasn’t displaying properly. And as I’d done no upgrades or software tweaks for some time, this was puzzling as all get out.
So if you’ve been wondering about the flurry of activity today, hopefully this explains it…and the site looks as it should.
BTW — I have received the hardware I was promising to review (a two-fer that many of you might be able to use, in lieu of a more costly, bulky setup), but am having some difficulty configuring it. I’ll explain in the coming post, after some more testing.
And another trip to Radio Shack 
by Peter Beck on January 13, 2009
in BLOGS
I’ve been chewing on this one for a looong while.
The advantages to medical bloggers of, well, blogging. But especially if you’re a busy medpro, who may want nothing more than to promote your practice online, and provide fresh content for your patients.
I could, for example, fire up the Aphex 230 and its assorted attachments and record a show in the spare bedroom I use as my studio. But I’m typing this quietly after the rest of the house is asleep, because I can:
Lesson #1: Blogging is quick, quiet, and can be done from anywhere there’s an Internet connection (including your cell phone). Busy medpros take heed — this post is a blog post, not an audio show.
You can skim the MedSqod home page quickly for interesting headlines — and admit it, your eyes catch on the jpg images — as well as delve deeply via reading. And the speed control knob is in your brain, via how quickly you move your eyeballs. Want to pause to ponder? Look up and off to the right while you cogitate. No pause button necessary:
Lesson #2: Blogging is a full-spectrum visual medium, from the instant and instinctive (images) to the formless and timeless (concept discussions).
If your audience is made up of your rank-&-file patients, you will draw more eyeballs, at least initially, with a visual approach:
Lesson #3: Most folks get 90+% of their info about the world via their eyes. If you’re looking for numbers, you can’t afford to ignore that demographic.
So:
- easier on you
- immediately accessible to your audience
- broadly appealing to the widest number of patients
Why do anything but blog?
The answer: next time, on Podcasting For Medical Professionals.
by Peter Beck on January 3, 2009
in BLOGS
Another in a spate of updates (I feel like an updating dervish, relative to my recent time away…)
This time, the visual theme of the site has been tweaked to Thesis, or rather, the Thesis theme, which has been tweaked to closely resemble the last theme, Copyblogger.
[click to continue…]
by Peter Beck on December 29, 2008
in BLOGS
Sigh. I’d be one of the last ones to admit it, of course.
But I guess it depends on what you mean by “dead.”
The cart software platform that I use on my PC to record and produce my shows — Podcast Station — is no longer being made or supported by its manufacturer, despite being pretty much the only such product in its affordable price range that I’m aware of.
Then there’s the news about one of the major podcasting networks possibly heading for the Long Kiss Goodnight. It’s a little premature, but the degree of caution put out by the higher ups at Podango (to their eminent credit, btw) is signaling a certain chill in this neck of the woods.
[click to continue…]
by Peter Beck on December 29, 2008
in BLOGS
And once again, it’s courtesy of Chris Pearson. Though it’s NOT his latest creation.
It’s actually an older theme, called Copyblogger, which I use on another of my blogs, The Medical Record Show. There’s just something about those reds and blacks…
More important, perhaps, is that I am, actually, back. Long story short: my work now involves creating educational videos, which has consumed a great deal of time.
The downside has been the geometric increase in time and complexity, both in recording as well as editing/producing these video “shows,” even with the slick Camtasia screen capturing platform. This has translated into my absence these past several months, both in terms of the initial learning curve, and the added workload once I demonstrated competence with the technology.
The upside — and there always is an upside — is that I’ve gotten sufficiently adept at creating these videos that I can finish them in just a few hours (as opposed to a week’s worth of solo effort per vid, in addition to my medical duties). And of course, that creating audio podcasts now seems much easier in comparison.
Has the industry changed while I’ve been away? It sure looks that way…which I’ll be addressing shortly.
For now, Happy Holidays, and here’s to looking forward to a wonderful New Year. The new theme seems to fit the holiday season, too!
