Response to Edu Blog on my Google Reader account

I'm responding to a blog entry by Susan Smith Nash, who speculates about whether mobile learning is a fad that will pass.  In her post, she lists some essentials for an effective podcast.  These are:

*the speakers tell a story and incorporate personal experience -- encourage listener engagement
*optimized for easy download
*variable length
*lively voice -- ideally with a conversation
*narrative and organization easy to follow, even with ambient distractions
*multiple locations / mirror servers / convenient and ubiquitous access

I read this list looking for "background music" but didn't find it in there.  To me, an ipod is something I use when I want instant access to media.  As someone who grew up in an age of multimedia, I can't stand the idea of listening to a lecture through earphones without some other media thrown in there to keep my interest.

Another thing that surprised me about this list was the inclusion of "variable length."  If I'm listening to a podcast for work I would like to know exactly how long it will take so I can plan my day around it.  This is easy if I can see how long the file is, but if I have a podcast to listen to every week, I'd like to know roughly how much time I have to devote to it.