The Bottom Line

So, you're thinking to yourself, what does Chris have to gain from all this cheerleading about Abacast? The answer is nothing really. I am not affiliated with the company in any way. In fact, I only heard about them when I had a similar idea a while back and started to research its feasibility. Then I saw that not only had they thought of it first and patented it back in 2001 - they have it up and working. So, basically, I'm just jealous that I didn't come up with it first. But don't worry about me - I may still get my patent if our application for a patent on Preppermint is approved.

Mostly, as a full-fledged geek I appreciate efficiency. I see the beauty in an elegant solution. Abacast has done a lot to reduce the unecessary duplication of audio streams that were thought to be inherent in internet streaming. The more streaming costs come down, the more stations will begin streaming online - a crucial step in maintaining the strength of radio in the coming age of wrieless internet access. And that's good for everyone who's invested in radio, from the companies to the employees.

As always, AllAccess has my "The Net Untangled Tip of the Day" each weekday and a column on Website Wednesdays. So check back and together we'll get our internet presence focused on keeping radio strong in this world of increasing competition.

Do you agree with me? Or am I full of hot air? If you have comments or any questions about radio websites -- either general questions relating to the industry or the web or even specific (HTML, PHP, .NET, Javascript, etc.) questions, send me an email through http://Preppermint.net/contact . I'll answer your question quickly and maybe even use it for a future column.