BULL$#!+ !
WordPress, at last check, controlled 25% of the web pages out there.  No other single CMS platform comes close. WordPress is the base for (I’m using an educated guess here) about ¼ of the active podcasts.  That would be around 100,000 out of 400,000ish shows.

I am responsible for fielding emails, phone calls and social media questions about the #1 podcasting plugin for WordPress (PowerPress) with somewhere close to 75K active users. (I’m the customer support manager for the maker of PowerPress, Blubrry Podcasting) If WordPress feeds “are a nightmare” as some say, I would be a lot busier than I am.

They will use the argument “Most of the Apple Podcasts Support forum questions are about WordPress feeds”  Well, 2 things about that:

1. With ¼ of the active feeds coming from WordPress, you are going to have more questions about it.
2. If you buy a Ford car, do you go to the Chevy dealer to get it fixed?  NO. So why go to Apple if you are having trouble with WordPress? Come to WordPress.org or your Plugin developer’s support site.

Another argument…  “There are so many ways to mess up a feed from WordPress”.  Sure, but there are just as many ways to screw up an RSS feed from ANY Platform.   If that wasn’t true, then why do most of the “all in one” podcast companies have a support department?  All I’m saying is ANY system can be messed up. WordPress isn’t any different. Just have to be careful about what you do to your site.  It’s YOUR site, so learn a bit about what you are doing and you will be fine.

I just do not want you to fall for the “WordPress sucks for podcasting” BS that you will see out there on Social Media by people that want to control YOUR RSS feed.  (for whatever reason) You, being in control of YOUR website, YOUR feed and YOUR brand is always preferred if you are taking Podcasting at all seriously.

I really want to love the ATR2100 by Audio Techinca that everyone says is the “Best Podcast Microphone” for beginners.  I would think so too if I haven’t had so much trouble with mine letting me down.

For the second time, I’m in the field, wanting to do a podcast recording.  I grab my ATR, the XLR cable and my portable recorder.  No audio 🙁   I didn’t bring a backup mic so I had to use the built-in Mics on the recorder and they suck.   Strike two!   My XM8500 mics never give me this trouble.  So I’ve replaced my ATR2100 with the Behringer XM8500 (which you can have for around $20 and is bullet proof).  It doesn’t have USB but I’ve never used the USB on a mic anyway.

Anyway, I’m going to send it into A/T for another “lifetime warranty” repair/replacement and when it gets back, I’m selling it.  Want a freshly repaired AT2100?  Let me know.

I talk about it a bit on my last Mike Dell’s World Episode.