Podcast Archaeology

Introduction

The “Podcast Archaeology” activity provides a way for you to explore some of the earliest media files ever uploaded to the web in the early 2000s.

Steps

  • Read the 2019 Radio Survivor article [Preserving Podcast History] (https://www.radiosurvivor.com/2016/03/preserving-podcast-history/)
  • Listen to Jason Scott’s [The Podsucker Episode](https://www.radiosurvivor.com/2019/01/podcast-prowler-history-archiving-with-jason-scott-talks-his-way-out-of-it (25 min)
  • Open the 2005 Podcast Core Core Sample Internet Archive Collection in a browser
  • Choose 1 podcast from this collection that captures your interest.
    • Get to know your podcast:
      • Look over the podcast’s descriptive metadata
      • Play any available MP3 files (no need to listen to any episode all the way through. Sometimes podcasters have standardized introductions where they say their name, and a little bit about the podcast, which will be helpful for next steps in this activity)
      • Under “Download Options” click “Show All”. Here, you will find a list of all podcast files that the podcast crawler could find, including images, audio files and xml metadata
      • Time to become an internet sleuth: Research and see whether this podcast still exists, in any way, on the web. Note: Your search will sometimes depend on your operating system, so I have generalized the following instructions:
        • If you have a podcast app installed on your phone (i.e. Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, PocketCast, etc.), open it and do a keyword search for your podcast to see if it’s listed in any major podcast catalog
        • Use a podcast search engine such as List Notes, PodSearch, or Podchaser
        • Use a classic search engine like Google (Google started including podcasts in its search engine index a few years ago, so is a good place to start – but feel free to use non-Google search engines too)
        • Try and see if you can find your podcast’s original URL. Some approaches:
          1. Click the “Show All” portion of the podcast’s Internet Archive page. In the list of files that appear, look for any metadata files (XML files are a good place to start). Sometimes within the XML files you will find a legacy URL. For example, the Ongline Podcast has an XML file listed (https://ia800208.us.archive.org/11/items/pcs_Ongline_Podcast/Ongline-2005-07-12_djvu.xml). Here, I was able to figure out its original URL was http://OnqlinePodcast.com
          2. Download an mp3 file from the file list (to do this, right or option-click and select “Save link as”). Right click on the file and click Properties (Windows) or Get Info (Mac) to look at the file’s metadata. Sometimes clues are left there.
          3. Listen to the first 30 seconds of a podcast episode. If you’re lucky, the narrator may announce details (including maybe a URL) with clues.
          4. Perform a cold search using a web search engine using your podcast’s name, creator’s name, or any other details.
      • If you are able to find your podcast’s original URL, try visiting it. Note whether or not the URL resolves. If it does not resolve, search for it using the Wayback Machine. Note whether or not you can find any website captures. Click around some of the captures made on different dates, and note any discernible differences between 2-3 captures. Also, try clicking around the captured websites. Are you able to click into other related sites? Did you notice any broken links or functionality?
      • If you are unable to find your podcast’s original URL, note any traces/remnants of the podcast come up for you at all. For example, the podcast or podcast creator may be mentioned, written about or referenced by someone else in an article, blog, Tweet, or website.

Activity Submission Instructions

Submit your findings in Brightspace with the following details:

Podcast details:

  • Name of the podcast you chose
  • Name of the podcast creator
  • Approximate dates the podcast was up and running
  • Brief description of the podcast subject matter
  • Write an overview of your results. Were you able to find this podcast listed in any contemporaneous platforms such as Apple Podcasts? Were you able to find the podcast’s URL, or any “traces” of the podcast throughout your web searches? If you were able to find its URL, did the URL resolve? What traces or remnants were you able to find?
  • Reflect on your overall experience and on web crawling in general. How did Jason Scott’s “podsucker’’ do in terms of capturing some of the oldest podcasts made? If you were to rebuild this podcast crawler from scratch, what changes would you make to its approach?