Paul Colligan is an author, blogger and podcaster. Paul is also a dedicated self-promoter who earns his livelihood from stuff he tries to sell by way of direct and web marketing. There may be many who find much of what Paul does is over the top. Too much self-promotion, too hard on the pitch, too anxious to sell. As a result there are probably many in the podcasting sphere who pay no attention to Paul. That would not be smart. I still read Paul even though most of his stuff is "swing and a miss"; occasionally he has a hit. Sounds like writing to me.

Recently, Paul asked "Are podcasters slowing down podcasting's growth?" He answers the questions with 13 succinct points. The answer? Yes, podcasters are not doing themselves any favours. Podcaster, do you see yourself in this:
"Begging for reviews at iTunes, the Pickle, the Alley and more while assuring us that they don’t matter.
Bragging that your show isn’t making money while shouting that “traditional media” should follow your model.
Complaining that none of the “big boys” are in this game but failing to produce a model that the big boys might be interested in."

Podcasting is College Radio writ large. Podcasting is model railroading. Podcasting is a nascent on-demand giant, a possible audio/video killer app. Now, however, podcasting is a hopelessly crowded field of audio and video crap.

Podcasting purists can rant and rave until the cows come home. I don't begrudge the fact that people like Paul Colligan, Leesa Barnes, Robert Scoble and Todd Cochrane are hustling like crazy to make a living and find a place in a field they love. Yes they are selling, selling, selling. Yes they shamelessly self-promote. Have you watched network TV lately? They still seem to be making money and they are selling, selling, selling. Hmmm.....

Reality is a wonderful equalizer. If you want a cottage industry, hobby podcast, like the one here at Current Thinking Radio, then don't begrudge the leaders their much larger slice of the pie. Critique and assess -- I do that all the time with the Podshow folks -- but don't deny the obvious. Commercial, marketable, easily accessed, ubiquitously available podcasting will someday be huge. It will happen and it's going to take place without most of the early adopters, the amateur auteurs and the self-appointed rant manics.