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Preserve This Podcast Zine
[behind title] To do list Relisten to APIEN Write script Preserve this podcast Map out season Send email episodes track
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Are you a… ...podcaster? ...Very Experienced Audio Professional? ...person who makes stuff using computers?
Then take these 3 steps 1. Listen to the PTP podcast at preservethispodcast.org 2. Open* up the exercises sandbox at bit.ly/2OHCztK *if you don’t have an internet connection ~no worries~ just skip to Step 3!
3. Read this zine and follow the exercises!
[illustrations] 1. preserv this podcast
3. Your digital stuff is at risk of being lost **ACK** Here’s how to protect your work!
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Table of contents
[illustration] Intros
We’ll start by talking about what Preserve This Podcast and this zine are (page 4)
[illustration] Preserve
Then, we’ll talk about what preservation is (page 5) and what preservation has to do with digital files (page 6)
[illustration] Exercise 1: Get organized!
The first exercise guides you through understanding what types of files you make (page 7) and how to organize those files into folders (page 8) or by naming them descriptively (page 9)
[illustration] Exercise 2: Store, backup or lose!
The second exercise covers the so-called “3-2-1” backup rule (page 10) and provides a sample back-up plan (page 11).
[illustration] Exercise 3: Metadata archaeology
The third (and last!) exercise covers what metadata is (page 12) and why it’s important (page 13). We’ll close with a note on how MP3s have special metadata “shelves” (page 14)
[illustration] Take action!
We’ll end *sniffle* with some steps you can take today to Preserve Your Podcast!
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What is Preserve This Podcast?
Preserve This Podcast is a grant-funded education and outreach project led by a team of three professional archivists. The project entails producing a podcast and supplementary zine addressing how podcasters can preserve their work for the future, and hosting a series of promotional and educational workshops and panel talks.
[illustration] Hey future listeners: can you hear me?
What is this zine?
The zine accompanies the Preserve This Podcast podcast. We encourage you to give that a listen first, then read this zine and follow the exercises. An online version of this zine, and the podcast, can be found at preservethispodcast.org.
Why podcasts?
Podcasts are at risk of disappearing in the face of rapid shifts in platform, delivery, and recording technology. These issues are endemic to mass media technologies to date (such as reel-to-reels, VHS tapes, and CDs). But born-digital content has received less attention - and it's more at risk. Digital files can be easily erased, corrupted, and are at the mercy of the economic viability of third-party streaming and hosting platforms.
[illustration] Page 4
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What is preservation?
Preservation describes any activity performed to prevent damage to either a thing, or to the content a thing holds, to prolong its usable life. Identifying risk is a good first step to understanding what preservation actions to take, and in what order to take them.
[illustration] Ye olde CD mix Exhibit A.
A preservation conundrum in 4 frames
An old mix CD my friend made for me is covered in scratches...but hey, no problem! I’ll just rip it to my....trusty new laptop! But wait...it’s 2018...Laptops don’t come with CD drives anymore!
Warm up exercise: There are a number of actions the protagonist can take to get content off the CD. Can you think of any?
[illustration] Page 5