As a new user of the free blog platform Tumblr, I can honestly say that the service is quickly winning me over.

One of my favorite features is the ease in which multi-media elements such as audio and video can be added. As a guy who has been podcasting since 2005, I have a special place in my heart for audio content.

But the numbers don’t lie: text content is king. read more

Audio Version: Preparing for the Voice Web by Lorelle VanFossen

Abhijit Nadgouda of iface thoughts recently talked about the new Hyperspeech Transfer Protocol (HSTP) for the future of the web. Pushing HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), HSTP is designed to incorporate voice applications.

Here is his reaction:

My immediate reaction was that it would really ease the mobile usage, where you need to navigate through the cumbersome keypad to use the Web. The voice Web will be a heaven-sent alternative. Some more thought and the skeptic start thinking about various other issues. What about identification and authentication? What about security? The HTTP Web is still struggling with these things.

He goes on to bring up some very good points, playing devil’s advocate on the issue, but he got me thinking about how voice would change the face, and sound, of the web from a blogger’s perspective. read more

Paul Boutin — “Very Special Correspondent” at Valleywag — has written what I can only assume is linkbait over at WIRED Magazine. It’s working, anyway.

While I don’t disagree with some of his opening words, I do take issue with his black-and-white stance: that blogging is dead and microblogging (or whatever Boutin might call it, given that “blogging” itself is now a dirty word) is the way forward — linked in to social networks like Facebook.

“Thinking about launching your own blog? Here’s some friendly advice: Don’t. And if you’ve already got one, pull the plug.

Writing a weblog today isn’t the bright idea it was four years ago. The blogosphere, once a freshwater oasis of folksy self-expression and clever thought, has been flooded by a tsunami of paid bilge. Cut-rate journalists and underground marketing campaigns now drown out the authentic voices of amateur wordsmiths. It’s almost impossible to get noticed, except by hecklers. And why bother? The time it takes to craft sharp, witty blog prose is better spent expressing yourself on Flickr, Facebook, or Twitter.”

Clearly this is only one opinion of many, but because Boutin has been granted a very public soapbox at WIRED, he’s making the most of it. Others believe that blogging is a vital part of corporate branding, while Six Apart’s leader reckons blogging will ride the economic downturn. read more

If you think text blog entries are too one-dimensional, and don’t have the time or patience to produce a podcast, BNarrator could be for you.

Simply place a widget on your blog and the Website will be notified every time you update content. This text is then sent to a human narrator (aka voiceover person) to read. Voila! Once you approve the audio, people can listen to the content on your blog.

The service is free, relying on an ad-supported model to pay the bills. A brief ad will be played before your entry is read.

I certainly can see the benefit for elderly visitors and the visually impaired. However, unless your topic appeals to these audiences, I don’t think the widget will bring a sizable amount of traffic. Knowing that, there is another benefit to adding BNarrator to you blog. The company shares the revenue, giving site owners 30% of the take – with 5% supporting charities for the blind.

If you decide to give the widget a try, let us know how it works out.