Podcasting is the New Napster

I love the smell of disintermediation in the morning.  The new iTunes software update enables a little Podcasts folder.  Suddenly you get a clean aggregation of a selected fat heat of the long tail in an integrated experience.  iNow wonder if a word other than Pod should have arisen in the nomenclature.

Honestly, it's a boon for consumers.  Podcasting is the new Napster.  But I want something more.  Two things, actually, that could be summarized by the statement Podcasting is the New Voicemail:

• Non-proprietary extensions to syndication standards.  How great that a convicted monopolist has co-opted RSS?  How crappy is it that RSS is a standard of one.  Atom attracts users in the know and if Apple had a an inclusionary and fair process to deal with, the extension could be well formatted.  Anywho, I'm not in politics anymore.
• This is personalization, not socialization.  Give me Odeo in a heartbeat over this augmented MSM DJ.  Even if it is legal and free (given recent events, maybe the title of this post should be Podcasting is the New Grokkster), there is no social network here.  I am not a consumer and want to share...
  

Oh, and another very big thing.  Isn't anybody else concerned that Apple has introduced DRM into Podcasting?  Adam Curry's headline PodFinder show is in AAC format! (and I can't link to it).

I guess we should congratulate the company that we really want to love for engaging in social software.  This will be a boon for them.  And it will serve the best amateur producers.  But I don't want my MyTV (haven't talked to Adam Curry yet, sure he is a nice guy) that is TheirTV, I want OurTV.

UPDATE: Please see comments and BoingBoing for how wrong I was.  AAC is not DRM.  The AAC extension .M4P is DRM.  I apologize for any FUD or confusion.  I apologize to Adam Curry and Cory.  Further proof that you can be an idiot blogger, even if you frame things as a question.  But, funny things, those proprietary extensions, which is the first point of this post.