The written word is my preferred method of gathering information. I can read at my own pace, as fast or as slow as I want. If I'm interrupted, it's easy to pick up where I left off without missing a beat. Perhaps most important of all, I can skim. Not everything written is worth reading in detail, even if you closely monitor the sources you read from. Skimming lets me choose what gets my attention.
On Podcasts
While on Twitter today, Dave Caolo mentioned how backlogged he was with his podcast subscriptions. The screenshot showed a total of 425 unheard episodes – with who knows how many more lurking below. Even if each episode is very short, at an average of 10 minutes... that's over 70 hours of podcasts to listen to. That's nearly two weeks of full-time work.
Wow.
The real problem here is the inability to skim. A backlog of podcasts gives you just two choices – spend two full work weeks doing nothing but listening to podcasts, or choose what to read without really knowing what you're choosing. You can't skim through the podcast to see if it's worth your time. You are either in or out, based solely on the title.
Use the Subscribe button carefully
So there's a shiny new podcast out – great. Think for a moment before hitting subscribe. Are you sure you want to invest the time? You can't make a 10, 20, or 30 minute podcast speed up. You can't listen faster. It takes as long as it takes, and that's the way it is. It's a fairly inflexible demand on your time. You should take that seriously.