Podcasts are seen as a platform for polemic, opinions, reviews, and more. But they can do so much more. Starting off with a look at what podcasts are and how to create one, Aaron Davis and Scott Nesbitt will examine how you can tap into the power of podcasts -- as the next step beyond blogging and as a powerful platform for training and user assistance.

Whether you're a technical writer explaining how to use a new feature of an application, or a marketing person expounding on the benefits of a product, you'll discover how valuable an addition podcasts can be to your tool kit. You'll learn how podcasts:

• Can help maintain an ongoing dialogue about a particular domain or topic
• Are a great way to disseminate new developments
• Are available anytime, anywhere, at the user's convenience
• Make supplementary material more interesting

In addition to outlining the mechanics of podcasting, Aaron and Scott will look at some of the popular training and educational podcasts on the Web. They'll analyze why these podcasts are successful, and how you can use the same techniques with your audio materials.

About the presenters: Aaron Davis and Scott Nesbitt are partners in DMN Communications, a technical communications consultancy based in Toronto. Their podcast, Communications from DMN, has been entertaining, informing, and occasionally annoying a diverse global audience since 2006.