I listen to lots of podcasts as I make my daily four hour commute (two hours each way). Often, I'll share those that I really enjoy here. The RSS Feeds for some of my favorites can be found at:- NBC Nightly NewsUntil today, The Geekcast used to be counted among those favorites. I don't include a link to the site or RSS Feed here because I can no longer recommend The Geekcast. The Geekcast is a technology news, reviews, and how-to's kind of podcast that, though heavily Apple-laden, does touch on several other areas in the tech industry. I have enjoyed The Geekcast for several months.
- Focus on the Family
- This Week in Tech (TWiT)
- The Daily Giz Wiz
- Cranky Geeks
Today I was listening to episode 104 on my drive home from work. Aaron Crocco, host of The Geekcast, was talking about a lawsuit that the RIAA recently dropped because the target of the suit passed away. The RIAA's original response was to suspend the settlement proceedings for sixty days to allow the family time to grieve. They then planned to resume settlement proceedings against the deceased's estate. They have since decided, due to their "abundance of sensitivity," to drop the suit altogether. On the The Geekcast, Aaron Crocco was clearly unhappy that the RIAA had originally intended to continue proceedings against the estate in sixty days. With a very brief warning of, "This is not work safe, so you may want to turn the volume down," Crocco went into a short tirade of expletives about the RIAA and their actions. Inappropriate expletives that I personally don't care to listen to on my drive home. That really gripes me!
The Geekcast host is not the only podcaster to be angry about the RIAA's recent rash of lawsuits against illegal music downloaders. I've heard the same complaints on TWiT, Cnet, and others. But what I didn't hear on those other podcasts was the type of offensive language that came blaring out of my stereo speakers so unexpectedly today. It's one thing to have an opinion, and it's even okay to voice that opinion. But I find it unacceptable to voice one's opinion using such language. Yes, this is America, and we have the right to free speech, but as a podcaster (essentially an Internet broadcaster), I feel that Aaron Crocco has the responsibility to speak professionally and with respect for his listeners.
After all, the target of the RIAA lawsuit did commit a crime, or rather, allowed his step-son to commit a crime using his computer equipment. Whether you agree with the law or not, as Americans we are still bound to obey the law or pay the penalty for violating it. I think it's great that the RIAA has decided to drop the suit in question. It's one less thing for the family of the deceased to have to worry about during their time of grieving.
I don't think it's such a great thing to spout such unexpected profanity over such a petty issue, especially considering that the RIAA did indeed drop the legal action. I have discontinued my subscription to The Geekcast, and suggest that any Average Joe readers who are subscribed do the same.
Joe
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2 comments:
Joe,
Your opinion is very much appreciated. I would like to have an opportunity to respond to you about this. If you were offended in any way, please accept my apologies. I would hope 10 seconds of audio doesn't define a show you've enjoyed for quite a long time. I've e-mailed you to try to talk about this. I look forward to hearing from you.
Aaron Crocco
The Geekcast
I appreciate your comments, Aaron. I will listen to episode 5, which was posted today, and reserve final judgement. My issue with the language is that I choose not to listen to such language, and I select my podcasts based not only upon their content, but also upon the language content. I have listened to The Geekcast in the past because I found the content interesting and the language acceptable. Once both of those tests cannot be passed, I can no longer listen.
Joe
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