I recently posted a list of common mistakes to avoid when planning a corporate podcast. The post appears to have enraged several Digg readers who particularly took offense at my fictional, albeit stereotypical character “Dale the Computer Nerd.”

To you loyal defenders of Dale and his personal hygiene habits, I say this: STAND DOWN, DIGG READERS!

I must admit that I was a bit surprised to get such a backlash from the Digg community. Is using the “computer nerd” stereotype to make a point really that offensive?

And another thing… I know you mean well, and I know you all are very bright in a certain way, but I think your comments on Digg really support my original point.

Let’s review the top corporate podcast mistake to avoid like the plague: “1. Don’t Let the Computer Nerd Do It.”

What I’m warning against here is a natural inclination for management to see podcasting as an IT function because it involves a certain amount of “whiz-bang” technology. I am trying to make the point that podcasting is a marketing function, and to encourage decision-makers not to go with their first instinct of letting Dale the computer guy take on the entire project.

And now to review comments from some of the well-meaning Dale defenders on Digg:

If you want to podcast from within a corporation effectively, don’t hire a podcasting consultant. Just get yourself set up, find the people with the passion within an organisation who are passionate about the product or service that the company provides and let them talk about what you are doing honestly to your customers.

This is the first comment left on Digg. I actually agree with much of what this young fellow is saying. Simple, straightforward talk to your customer base can be a very successful approach in many cases. But I’m afraid his “techie” mindset shines through loud and clear here. “Just get yourself set up.”

A common problem that Dale defenders have is that they are used to knowing more than non-technical folks about the way things work. They have probably tinkered around and read enough to know how to get a crappy mp3 file posted to Odeo and iTunes. What more would you need?!

This is why going to the “computer guy” first when seeking advice on setting up your corporate podcast is so dangerous. He will nearly always tell you how incredibly easy it is. Just know that he means well, but he is coming at it from his own perspective, not a Marketing or PR perspective. Skippy can create his own “podcast” with his laptop and a Radio Shack Skype headset, but that doesn’t do you much good.

So basically this atricle is an ad for ‘podcasting consultants’. God, companies will hire anyone these days, won’t they? Also, how can he call Dale a ‘nerd’s nerd’ is he doesn’t know anything about speaker cable?

I won’t lie. I do hope someone reads this “atricle” and considers hiring my company to produce their podcast.

Again I’m afraid that you make my point for me. You assume that any self-respecting nerd would know much about “speaker cable.” My article specifically said “audio cable,” which anyone with a decent audio engineering background would assume to be referencing balanced vs. unbalanced, etc. used in a recording studio. In fact, one very rarely uses speakers when producing a podcast.

I could go on but I won’t. I would like to appologize to any folks that I may have offended on Digg. I hope you understand that the writing style used in my article was meant to be fun and a bit toungue-in-cheek. I do stand by the advice given though.

Tony