What are the 10 Bottom Rated Shows?

[TINKOFF RADIO]

It would be really great if we had a section with the bottom ten as they do on music and movie rating sites. Is there anyway we can determine what that is? I would relish the title of being the bottom rung on the PodCast Alley ladder. I relish the fact that I'm 1817th at last check and hope to learn something by listening to the success of the 1816 podcasts above and the how ever many below me.

We should hold up the bottom to the light and celebrate the honor!

The meek shall inherit...

Adam Tinkoff

[jeffoest]

The problem I see with looking at the bottom 10 is that there are probably hundreds of podcasts tied with 0, 1 or 2 votes.... Most of those podcasts are either not active here or simply podcasts that stopped. So it would be more of a 'random' list than anything that indicates poor reception.

[theFerf]

You are right jeffoest, it wouldnt be that good of a list. most of the bottom podcasts would be ones who were just approved (i just finished approving about 140 new ones, and those would be the bottom 10).

the idea is great, but the implementation from my side would leave you with a lot of emptiness.

[mental-escher]

How about a top 10 or 25 list for each of the 15 categories?

That would seem pretty useful (?)

(preferably all on one screen page!)

M-E

[Hittman]

How about a "Podcasts that Suck" list?

I don't mean casts that are at the bottom – they may be there for many reasons other than suckage. And I'm not referring to podcasts that are well done but just don't appeal to you for some reason or other. I mean podcasts that really and truly suhhhh-uhhhh-UUUUK!

Before designing my first web site, I spent a lot of time on a now defunct site called "Mersky's Worst Of The Web." Some of the pages sucked so badly they were laugh out loud funny. But it was also educational. I learned a lot about what not to do.

(There is now a site out there called webpagesthatsuck.com, which isn't bad, but not nearly as much fun as Mersky's was.)

Watching someone who is great at an art you're unfamiliar with can be perplexing. Because they're so good, you can't see how they're making it work. But watching sucky artists help you find out what you need to eliminate, and while that may not be a path to greatness, it can be a path to competency. (Which could be defined as "not sucking.)

[sheridan]

How about a "Podcasts that Suck" list?

I don't mean casts that are at the bottom – they may be there for many reasons other than suckage. And I'm not referring to podcasts that are well done but just don't appeal to you for some reason or other. I mean podcasts that really and truly suhhhh-uhhhh-UUUUK!

But suck according to who? There are people who think Dawn and Drew truly suck. Good and bad is all opinion really.

You would almost have to put in a second voting system where you could vote for the worst podcasts as well as the best and build a tally. Which could lead to some really interesting results as a show could conceivably be in the top ten on both lists!

[dcolanduno]

Which could lead to some really interesting results as a show could conceivably be in the top ten on both lists!

Oh man,

I'd love that experiment. Might lead to some real interesting discussions. And might cause more voting in general. People that vote that show sucks, might make the fans of that show vote for it as the 'best'. And drive up the vote numbers a bit, or at least expose a new twist on what people really think as a whole.

Not that I believe any P'Cast directory would actually do this, since it might seem risky to some podcasters to post their show, because they fear the 'bad' votes.

And what if you worked really hard to put a show together and came on this site to find that you've been given the honor of "a show that sucks". If I thought a show sucked but had potential, I'd offer the podcaster my help instead of just bashing their show for all to laugh at.

[dcolanduno]

If I thought a show sucked but had potential, I'd offer the podcaster my help instead of just bashing their show for all to laugh at.

I think that was a better way to express why I think it would never happen on one of the big directory sites like this.

I actually believe that, for the most part, people would only vote a show 'sucks' if they care enough to want it not to suck. I say that because in all cases when someone has made a 'web pages that suck' type site, or a 'T.V. that sucks' site, it is usually stuff that is quite popular, or becomes quite popular just off of that publicity alone, and with the popularity usually comes vast improvement.

There is a reason why all the heads of industry still attend those 'anti-award' shows for commercials and movies. It actually generates money, publicity and honor of a type.

But, yes, it would be oft used to make fun of someone, and podcasting is such a personal investment for most people. I'm not sure it would turn out as well as it has in other big industries.

[allthewhile]

That show with that guy from singapore, is quite awesome. Man I love listening to that show. What's the name of that show again?

[Hittman]

But suck according to who? There are people who think Dawn and Drew truly suck. Good and bad is all opinion really.

I don't like Dawn and Drew. I have yet to find a Couplescast that I like. I find listening to a couple talk about their day imensaly boring. It might be fun to have the same conversation with them, over a beer and wings, but listening to it is snoozville. I've tried a half dozen of the genera and they just bore me to tears.

But they don't suck. I don't care for them, but they don't suck. Their show has good production values and does what it sets out to do very well. It just bores me. I don't like opera either, but I wouldn't say it sucks. In fact, I admire the talent and hard work that goes into it. But I still don't like it.

No, suck goes way beyond "I don't like it." Suck is something that is just horribly bad. Two casts I listened to recently come to mind.

The first was a music show by someone from England. He spoke in a monotone, and there were long pauses between his mumbling and the music. There were also long pauses between each piece of music he played. (He had evidently never hear of a segue.) The volume of the music was all over the place. I liked the music, but the show really, really sucked. It was a good example of how not to do a music podcast.

The second caught my eye while browsing the Alley directory. The description sounded interesting, but it turned out to be the nearly incoherent ramblings of a tin-foil hat guy who couldn't stay on point for more than two sentences in a row. Major suckage.

So voting wouldn't work, because too many voters don't really have the concept of Suck down. They'll just vote against shows they don't happen to like, which is not the point at all. You'd need it to be a person, or a small team of people, who really understood the concept.

And what if you worked really hard to put a show together and came on this site to find that you've been given the honor of "a show that sucks". If I thought a show sucked but had potential, I'd offer the podcaster my help instead of just bashing their show for all to laugh at.

If someone really sucks, they're not going to realize it, and are likely to be offended at any offer to help. In my experience, the really truly sucky performers are super confident in their imagined skills and abilities.

Unless someone is a natural talent (a very rare thing) most people suck at any artform when they first try it out. But they know that, want to get better, and usually do. How about limiting the designation to someone who has, say, less than five or six podcasts under their belt? I certainly wouldn't want to be judged by my first two shows. They kinda sucked.

How about letting the tried and true way remove the problem, just don't listen if you don't like it. I put at least 2-3 hours of work into every single show I do. That's for a 35 minute show. I am constantly writing down stuff, I bust my *** to do what I do. Yeah I know my show could improve but I would be devastated if someone thought so low of my show that they'd lambast me in public like that. I'd rather if someone didn't like what I had to say or the music I played or just hated my voice that they either politely tell me what to improve or just don't listen. Maybe some shows out there royally suck. I listened to a show that I thought the audio quality was just horrible, I wrote the guy and just politely let him know my concerns, within a week, his show sounded much better and he's on his way to doing some great stuff. Now imagine what would happen if I just clowned the guy on here, not only do I look bad, but I tear him down too. To me, this is just a bad bad idea. This is a community of really smart, creative people, let's stay that way and not tear each other apart.

[Hittman]

Aaron, your show sucks. Really sucks bad. You should rename it the "Suckity Suckity Suck Show."


Did that hurt?


It shouldn't.


I haven't listened to your show. From the description of the care you put into it, I'm guessing it's pretty good, and I'll be checking it out. The above statement was just to make a point. If I really did think it sucked, and said so, would you stop doing it? Would you take my opinion personally? Or seriously? Who the hell am I? What difference does one person's opinion make? Especially if they aren’t offering any constructive criticism, just an uninformed opinion?

You notice I didn't name the sucky shows I mentioned.

And I reiterate – there is a huge difference between a problematic show that's still working out the kinks, and Real Suck. Real Suck will never get better, because the "artist" has no idea how badly they suck. The very concept is beyond their grasp.

I'll bet you the refreshing beverage of your choice that within a month of iTunes offering podcasts we'll see a "Podcasts That Suck" web site. Hell, make that two weeks.

Ooops, it's already evidently on its way. It just occurred to me I might want to own that name, (podcaststhatsuck.com) just for fun, but it's already owned by Paul Colligan of Portland Or. He's not using it, it's parked at Blue Razor. He also has a blog that appears, with just a quick glance, to be mostly about podcasts, so I'm guessing we'll see "podcasts that suck " site fairly soon.

Further reading – it looks like he's the clown behind The Big Seminar. If that's true, he's got an inside track on suck.

Depressing note: podcasts.com redirects you to a site full of spamcasts.

If you feel it sucks and must name it anything other than The Big Show, please go with 35 minutes you'll never get back, not even if HG Wells was right. I'll get the domain name ready.

I wouldn't take your opinion seriously but if Michelle Trachtenberg (that hot chick from Eurotrip) thought it sucked, then I'd be very sad. MMMMM....Michelle.....oops I digress. Sorry.

[Patrick]

If you REALLY want the skinny on what podcasts to avoid, check out the Nobody Likes Onions "Bad Podcast of the Week". Once per week we review and digest a really sucky podcast, make fun of it and make ourselves feel better in the meantime.

We are, after all, shallow, and trying to overcompensate for our lack of self-esteem.

The "Bad Podcast of the Week" is also now syndicated every week over at Vox Monitor (www.voxmonitor.com) so if you hate our show you can just listen to the abridged bad podcast segment there.

[Hittman]

I have no interest in doing this (I'd rather offer constructive criticism when it is requested and simply avoid the Suckers) but just for fun spent a few more minutes on godaddy looking for domain names.


Totalsuck.com – wasted on a sloppy site (one which sucks?) condemning the Totalnic domain name registrar.
Suckage.com – in use by a web designer
Suckypodcasts.com – Available! Run and grab it now!
Podcastssuck.com – also available. It might be good for someone who wanted to complain about the entire phenomena.

I rather like the irony of "suckypodcasts" dot com. The name sounds juvenile.

[sheridan]

If I thought a show sucked but had potential, I'd offer the podcaster my help instead of just bashing their show for all to laugh at.

I think that was a better way to express why I think it would never happen on one of the big directory sites like this.

I actually believe that, for the most part, people would only vote a show 'sucks' if they care enough to want it not to suck. I say that because in all cases when someone has made a 'web pages that suck' type site, or a 'T.V. that sucks' site, it is usually stuff that is quite popular, or becomes quite popular just off of that publicity alone, and with the popularity usually comes vast improvement.

There is a reason why all the heads of industry still attend those 'anti-award' shows for commercials and movies. It actually generates money, publicity and honor of a type.

But, yes, it would be oft used to make fun of someone, and podcasting is such a personal investment for most people. I'm not sure it would turn out as well as it has in other big industries.

And, of course, you would also have some people that started making podcasts which were intentionally bad in an attempt to get on the list!

[sheridan]

If someone really sucks, they're not going to realize it, and are likely to be offended at any offer to help. In my experience, the really truly sucky performers are super confident in their imagined skills and abilities.

Not necessarily. I think I suck, to be honest, but I also think that I am getting better. If you were to offer me help I would greatly appreciate it. But, at this point, I wouldn't even know what to ask.

One of the biggest problems Sarah and I have right now is that we have one crappy mic which we have to pass back and forth. Getting some actual equipment (mixer, couple of decent mics) is number 1 on my list for the podcast, but it will have to wait for a month or so until I have the money for that.

Other than that, I don't really know what to do to improve the show (though we are getting ready to change the format a little bit which will, in my opinion, make it better) other than just keep doing the show and learning from the experience as best as I can.

Radio Shack has a mixer for 50 dollars and you an buy a mic for 20. I know that's more than free but it's not outrageous.

[sheridan]

Radio Shack has a mixer for 50 dollars and you an buy a mic for 20. I know that's more than free but it's not outrageous.

Well, I started my new job last week. I have to take care of bills with my first paycheck, so it is pretty much already accounted for. I told myself I would set aside $150 or so from my second paycheck for podcasting hardware.

So the few weeks thing is the time it will be before I have ANY money to spend. Once I do I have already found a $50 mixer that will run two mics. I figured I would spend around $50 per mic because even though that won't get me into the professional grade equipment I think it will be noticably better than the stuff at the $20 range.

I need the two mic setup because My fiancé and I do the show together and the biggest problem we have right now is having to share one mic.

[Hittman]

If someone really sucks, they're not going to realize it, and are likely to be offended at any offer to help. In my experience, the really truly sucky performers are super confident in their imagined skills and abilities.

Not necessarily. I think I suck, to be honest, but I also think that I am getting better. If you were to offer me help I would greatly appreciate it. But, at this point, I wouldn't even know what to ask.

You're not the kind of person we're talking about.

You think you suck, which means you're critical of yourself, which is the first step to getting better. And everyone sucks when they start out.

I'm talking about people who suck and don't know it. They think they're great, and so will never improve. I know several performers in this category. Some have been at it for twenty years, and still don't get it. OTOH, I know some very talented performers who think they suck. One is a woman in my improv troupe. She's been performing for 15 years, she's smart and funny and amazing at it, and she has no confidence at all. She thinks she sucks. I wish I was half as good at it as she is.

I'm not the guy to give you advice, for two reasons. First off, I don't like couplecasts. They just don't appeal to me. Secondly, I've only done one more podcast than you, so I'm hardly the voice of experience. The only advice I have is to get a better name, one that says something about who you are or what you're doing.

One of the biggest problems Sarah and I have right now is that we have one crappy mic which we have to pass back and forth. Getting some actual equipment (mixer, couple of decent mics) is number 1 on my list for the podcast, but it will have to wait for a month or so until I have the money for that.

I almost bought a Sure SM 58, which has been a standard vocal mike forever. It goes for about $100. But I read some reviews that said the Bheringer XM 8500 was just as good, and goes for $25, so I bought it. It's a terrific mike, very solid, and very good sounding. It's also available in a three pack. When you're ready to buy, check it out.

Other than that, I don't really know what to do to improve the show (though we are getting ready to change the format a little bit which will, in my opinion, make it better) other than just keep doing the show and learning from the experience as best as I can.

That's the ticket. Keep experimenting. Listen to shows you like and figure out what you like about them. And listen to shows that suck, and see if you're doing anything they're doing. Avoiding Suck is an easy way to improve your show.

Another couple cast huh....you'll find that sea is filled with all sorts of fish. Good luck in your endeavor.

[sheridan]

The only advice I have is to get a better name, one that says something about who you are or what you're doing.

Actually, the idea was just to get something up and running and worry about the name later (since Sarah and I couldn't agree on one) and even solicit ideas from listeners. Sarah, being the smarter one in the couple, however just recently came up with a new twist on the idea. Instead of it being Name This Podcast (the show) it will be Name This Podcast (the episode). That is to say that we will take all of the names people submit (well, all of the ones we like anyway :wink: ) and make themed episodes with them.

Sarah and I are kicking around ideas for the first of these: Name This Podcast - Dare to be StuPod! right now.

So, suddenly, I like the name now with the new twist she came up with. But, of course, this is all in the very new experimental phase right now so who knows what we'll be calling ourselves a year from now!

I almost bought a Sure SM 58, which has been a standard vocal mike forever. It goes for about $100. But I read some reviews that said the Bheringer XM 8500 was just as good, and goes for $25, so I bought it. It's a terrific mike, very solid, and very good sounding. It's also available in a three pack. When you're ready to buy, check it out.

Thanks, I'll definitely check it out.

That's the ticket. Keep experimenting.Listen to shows you like and figure out what you like about them. And listen to shows that suck, and see if you're doing anything they're doing. Avoiding Suck is an easy way to improve your show.

Will do! Thanks for the advice. :-)

[Craig]

So the few weeks thing is the time it will be before I have ANY money to spend. Once I do I have already found a $50 mixer that will run two mics. I figured I would spend around $50 per mic because even though that won't get me into the professional grade equipment I think it will be noticably better than the stuff at the $20 range.
Sheridan, make sure you spend those two weeks poking around here and asking questions...there are a lot of us who have already done the equipment research and who can help you get the most out of that $150.

Craig

[alissa]

i'm hijacking this thread.

howcome all we ever talk about is ratings.

hasn't anyone seen the new jessica simpson video?

[spewkie]

i'm hijacking this thread.

howcome all we ever talk about is ratings.

hasn't anyone seen the new jessica simpson video?

I hated the video but her eating chicken of the sea was awesome. :lol:

[alissa]

i never really saw it.

i heard about it though.

[Art a GoGo]

Another couple cast huh....you'll find that sea is filled with all sorts of fish. Good luck in your endeavor.

There's also a sea of music, tech, and general "let me tell you what's on my mind" podcasts out there. If you enjoy it, do it! Nobody's going to get rich, except the people selling bandwidth, MP3 players, recording equipment. Oh yeah, Art a GoGo is another couples cast.

Doug

[Just Some Dude]

I don't want to smack anyone down, but let me comment on the state of tech podcasts out there.

First off, if you are going to do a techie news show, forget it. Unless you are an industry insider and can provide information outside of Digg or /. forget it. Most of the tech news shows seem like they are just reading the Tech section off of google or yahoo. It's boring.

Second, if you are going to answer questions, make sure they are good questions, questions you can't Google for.

For those of you doing Mac casts, please don't treat all Mac users like we are idiots. Some of use live in Darwin more than the UI and it would be nice to hear some content that has to deal with under the hood stuff.

As it stands there are 3 good tech shows, TWiT, Lug Radio and Engadget. Diggnation, IMO, is over rated. It's better watching the video than listening to the audio. Alex's voice just grates my nerves a bit too much to really be able to listen to it.