Podcast
After a lot of digital archeology using the Way Back Machine, I found the first episode of my first podcast, published on May 10, 2005 š®. It was my first episode ever, so it’s obviously not good at all. But, honestly, it is not as terrible as I expected š.
Goodbye, Maccast
The news is from December 2023, but Iām still processing it. It is, honestly, more likely that I am in denial.
The Maccast was the very first podcast I discovered when I started listening to them in 2005, and it was the only one I never unsubscribed from. But the streak of 18 years has ended.
Even though Iām still a subscriber, Adam told us thatĀ the December show marked the end of the Maccast.
Community
TheĀ MaccastĀ was more than a mere podcast; it was a genuine community. Adamās expertise, knowledge, and unwavering dedication to research and learning were evident throughout every episode. But if he didnāt know how to do something or answer a listenerās question, he would ask the community for help to share the feedback on the next show.
For example,Ā after replacing my iBook G4 hard drive in 2007, I emailed him about a mistake I made. As usual, he shared it with the community in one of the subsequent episodes. I was in the middle of a run listening to the show, and suddenly, there he was talking about my email. Iām pretty sure the information helped someone out there.
The feedback loop made us feel like we were all part of a group of people who were constantly helping each other. It was as if we met on a weekly basis by listening to Adam, the conductor of the orchestra. It was amazing how passionate he was about the community.
Inspiration
Itās 2005, and Iām halfway into a big change in my life. If you readĀ my recent article, this was when I was working for the ābooming telecommunications industryā after my failure as an entrepreneur.
The iPod Shuffle was released in the same year, and I decided toĀ finally try Appleās new gadget. Because of this, I had to use iTunes all the time and found theĀ Maccast, a podcast produced by Adam Christianson.
I was so blown away by what he was doing that I picked up a cheap microphone, learned how to edit audio, and how to write the RSS feed to get the podcast on iTunes. If I am not mistaken, it was hosted in an evolution of GeoCities, which was at that time owned by Yahoo.
Back then I was unhappy with my day job, and producing my podcast brought me a lot of joy. All my research would happen during the week, sometimes during lunch, and Iād record and edit the podcast on the weekends.
At that moment, I was already a blogger, but my podcast, inspired by Adam, marked a significant shift in the medium I began using to share content. It led to the creation of my firstĀ YouTube channel in PortugueseĀ in 2016 and, more recently,Ā the one in English. In hindsight, it is possible that the sharing and teaching format of the Maccast may have influenced the tutorial format of my podcast and YouTube channels.
Companion
At the same time I discovered the Maccast, I developed the habit of running. The Maccast then kept me going as I ran my first 15K. I took the Maccast with me on numerous flights to remarkable destinations across the globe. It was also a companion in less interesting places, such as traffic jams. But thatās what friendship is supposed to be like, right?
My friend traveled with me on trains and boats. Subways. Buses. We took the Caltrain together to visitĀ 1 Infinite Loop,Ā Evernote, andĀ Flipboard. It followed me when I moved from Brazil to the United States, then Chile, and finally Portugal.
For the past 18 years, it has been a significant presence, and it has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. Iāll eventually come to terms with the fact that my buddy is no longer with me, but I canāt unsubscribe from the Maccast just yet.Ā Itās so hard to let it go.
But Iām also happy for Adam. Heās starting a new chapter in his life, and I wish him all the best!
Thank you, Adam!