I've just finished listening to the CarPool episode featuring Richard Herring, which is probably where my story ends. I've had an odd and complete turnaround in opinion of the man, which all began over a year ago.

I've been a subscriber to the Collings and Herrin podcast since late 2008, despite having never really enjoyed it up until recently. The problem I had with it - and still have to a certain extent - is that, I thought I knew what podcasts were and should be, and this podcast does almost everything "wrong". It doesn't have its own website, it's really badly recorded and there's little attention paid to the audio quality or production value. There's no simple line of communication to get in touch, and no format.

Apparently that's wrong. Apparently what you're supposed to do, is the opposite of those, like what I did. I put time, effort, sweat and stress into my first series of podcasts back in early 2008, and have toiled over Back of the (Inter)net to play my part to the best of my ability. But in reality, these things matter little. OK, programmes need to be audible, ordered and available easily, but every other aspect pales into insignificance if the content isn't good (I'm making no comparison content-wise with BOTIN, the podcast I produced for Richard Summerfield and Phil Davis).

Despite never really being offended by anything Herring said, I really didn't like him. I'd enjoyed Fist of Fun as a kid, and respected his transparency in the podcast (listeners heard the ideas behind his latest show, Hitler Mustache before the show had been written, and were often treated to thoughts and ideas which were later firmed up into a script), but I just didn't like him all that much.

But it had nothing to do with his "output", to use a generic phrase. It was because I thought I was playing by the rules of podcasting, and he wasn't. It wasn't jealousy, it's just the very nature of being a reluctant pedant (ie: a pedant who knows it's wrong to be a pedant, but can't help it).

You might know that I ran a podcast review site for a bit, in-between (unpaid) podding work, in which I slated his and Andrew Collins' oeuvre. This is the classic mistake made by those who are frustrated that, for one reason or another they can't do the thing they love, so they critique others' work instead of creating their own.

So although not jealous, I was probably a little bitter. Then I heard As it Occurs to Me, Herring's solo project, enjoyed it and looked forward to each weekly installment. In-between that, I'd heard - as many of us had - a lot about him through coverage in the press, and his interviews by way of rebuttal, and come to have a lot of respect for the man and his views, to the point at which I now really want to see his show.

It's odd how hubris can cloud one's judgment, but in many respects Collings and Herrin know a lot more about podcasting than I do. Now, as I move into my own hopefully formative and exciting project, I have a greater understanding of the importance of just being funny and entertaining. Yes I want it to sound good and be interactive and packed full of little extras 'cos that's what I'm into, but it's the on-mic talent, not the edited slickness that will make or break it.

The Collings and Herrin podcast is a shambles, but what has come out of it (Herring's tour and solo podcast) is brilliant, and if in my project - which starts at the end of Feb; charge your iTunes engines now - can achieve some of that, I'll be a very happy man.