Podcasts and you

[DoPo]

Well, my fellow Escapees[footnote]I think it sounds better than "Escapists".[/footnote] I've started listening to some podcasts but since I'm new to the whole thing, I was wandering - what are the generally preferred methods and tactics to do it?

I mean, on the surface, it sounds easy enough - play the thing and just listen but I find myself wanting to do something else in between - just listening doesn't seem productive enough. But then again, I can't concentrate on listening to a podcast and doing something else really engaging, like browsing the forums or most stuff that requires some attention. So I thought maybe I'm doing something wrong...or more probably, maybe there is just a better way.

So tell me - anything "special" you do when listening to podcasts? Do you use special software (I'd love something that would let me put "bookmarks" on a track) or maybe something else?

 

[GrandmaFunk]

I download and then listened to them while playing minecraft or to fall asleep to.

 

[Hazy992]

I like to listen to podcasts when I'm travelling or when I'm out and about like if I'm going shopping or something

 

[DoPo]

I like to listen to podcasts when I'm travelling or when I'm out and about like if I'm going shopping or something

That's what I do. I've found they go great with boring repetitive(-ish) tasks - shopping mostly, but I also like to take a stroll and listen to one.

The episodes tend to be quite long, though - between an hour and hour and a half mostly, but the last one I listened to was two and a half hours. I did organise some of my books in the mean time, though, so it wasn't so bad.

I download and then listened to them while playing minecraft or to fall asleep to.

Same here, I pretty much listen to em while playing various games like Minecraft, DOTA, etc.

This I can't seem to do. I get distracted too much, and I miss stuff. Which means I'll have to rewind and I end up missing on both the game and the podcast. I suppose I could try something more casual, though.

 

[Hazy992]

I like to listen to podcasts when I'm travelling or when I'm out and about like if I'm going shopping or something

That's what I do. I've found they go great with boring repetitive(-ish) tasks - shopping mostly, but I also like to take a stroll and listen to one.

The episodes tend to be quite long, though - between an hour and hour and a half mostly, but the last one I listened to was two and a half hours. I did organise some of my books in the mean time, though, so it wasn't so bad.

Yeah they're great for longer journeys. I could listen to one episode of Podtoid on the way to and from uni

 

[Scrustle]

I just listen to them while browsing the internet (including forums) or playing a slow paced game like an RPG, or one which doesn't require me to listen to dialogue. I don't tend to have trouble listening to it. I don't always catch everything but I don't find that I'm missing anything crucial. Then again, podcasts are for entertainment value. There's nothing really "crucial" about any of them.

 

[Thespian]

I listen to them and want to do something else but can't think of anything so I just keep changing the volume meticulously as if I'll find some perfect level of volume that doesn't exist.

 

[Kae]

Yeah, I'm the same way, though I tend to do grinding in RPGs while I'm listening to them or playing racing games, seems to do the trick quite fine, sometimes I just play it over a game I've already beaten a thousand times like MGS Twin Snakes, also if a game has a survival mode like TimeSplitters FP, I will listen to some while I play, works fine over Smash TV too, basically just play something that doesn't require much concentration.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I don't listen to any general podcasts (you know, the typical talk show/rant format), but I listen to a lot of free audio dramas that are distributed as podcasts. I like to listen to them when I'm doing monotonous tasks that don't take a lot of thought, like doing the dishes, laundry, and other house work. They're also good to listen to as I fall asleep, and on long car trips/commutes. I don't use any special software with them, just whatever media player I have on the device I'm listening through.

 

[Alexnader]

Doing any menial chore or anything that doesn't require too much concentration. So that could also be World Of Tanks for me or even Tribes Ascend (heavy on flag does not require too much thought).

 

[Corven]

I just do something else brainless that allows me to occupy my time while still being able to focus on the pod cast.

recently, i'll either just play some dead rising 2: off the record, or alternativley go to the casino in god hand and keep playing the slot machine to get a lot of cash.

 

[malestrithe]

I have an infinite play list going on at all times with the podcasts I've downloaded. Once a week, I remember to download the latest podcaast, set the tuner on play, random and keep it going.