I believe the ‘fight’ on the PodgeCast was staged. I think that between some pre-show publicity and a sense of fun on behalf of the hosts, it was aimed at eliciting a visceral reaction from their listeners and having a bit of an inside joke at our expense. I also expect them to come back in episode 50 and either never acknowledge that anything happened at all (perpetuating the joke) or to play it off and offer to include the listeners in on it.

First, the fight was contextless. David and Luke began sniping at each other, unrelated to the topic being discussed, from the very beginning of the episode. In other words, there was no context for why there may have been an enmity between them. Perhaps we’re to believe that ’something’ happened before the mic’s went hot – but then why continue with the episode and continue discussing such seemingly mundane topics, while secretly brooding and seething?

Second, we have the character’s of the hosts themselves. David has specifically stated that he went to an all male school and that constant ribbing and teasing was de rigour. If we know that, then how can the other hosts – such as Luke – not know it? Further, if his merciless teasing was so offensive, then how have they remained friends as long as they have? Further yet, from the exchange we heard, we’re to believe that Luke takes the matter very seriously and is very sensitive on the subject of his business closing, and that he’s the kind of man that would wear that sensitivity on his sleeve in the presence of a person who he knows loves to tease his friends. That’s a bit hard to believe. Luke comes across as someone who does NOT take himself so seriously and who is not nearly as sensitive or prone to be wounded, as shown.

Third, this was episode 49 … and the upcoming episode, 50, is a milestone. In fact, David addressed that by saying, “We’re not making it to episode 50.” In which Luke answered, “But that’s next week!” So, the fact that a little fun could be had and some interest stirred and some controversy raised in time for a milestone episode seems like too much of a coincidence. It’s sort of like those cliff hanger episodes that seem to always crop up in the season finale. Funny how they’re timed like that, huh?

Fourth, the movie “Brüno” (starring Sasha Baron Cohen) is out at the theaters and is a good current example of the “Comedy of the Real” and may have put the idea into the hosts heads of pulling a real-seeming practical joke like this. In fact, this exact episode is a reminder of one of the brilliant pioneers of “comedy of the real”, Andy Kaufman. There is the much remembered interview on David Letterman’s Tonight Show, in which wrestler Jerry Lawler smacks a seemingly injured Andy Kaufman right out of his chair and then storms off the set. There was a great deal of discussion afterwards, whether this was real or staged and what the purpose could be. In the end, Jerry Lawler had to admit that it was a prank, and that Andy Kaufman had put him up to it – and that neither had included David Letterman.

Fifth, and finally, is the beautiful coincidence of the topic of episode 49 – intrigue and mystery! What a better way to express that then to get the listeners involved in a mystery and to (possibly) choose sides in an intrigue. Again, like the occurrence of the upcoming milestone episode, it’s too much of a coincidence that the episode about intrigue is capped off with a fight and a mystery.

So, in conclusion, I believe that we have -  in the best tradition of Eshu the Trickster – some  boundary challenging, barrier smashing, confusion producing pranksters that are stirring things up and getting everyone to talk about the show as much as what the show is about. In which case I applaud the amazing level of foresight and planning needed, and hope that the joke is revealed for what it is and that we can laugh along with them when it’s through, as opposed to just being laughed at while casting about for a clue.

[Sophistic & Man-About-Town]

We discussed his work (media associated with college textbooks), his commute (a long one), his writing (especially the plot for his novel-in-progress Jehovah’s Hitlist), and even a little about his association with the PodgeCast and the other PodgeCast hosts.

It was a lot of fun for me to meet in real life, someone who was little more then a voice over my car speakers and an online presence. Among other things, it reinforces the “there are people in there” feelings about the Internet. Further more, the world is a smaller place then we suspect and the RPG hobby is smaller still.

Unfortunately Joe will not be able to attend JiffyCon this year, but if you’re going you’ll see Tresi and I! (Maybe Joe can go during a JiffyCon held in his industries off-season.)

PS: Thank you, Joe, for being gracious and taking time to talk to a total stranger. When you’re rich and famous I can tell everyone “I knew him when …” and when I end up on America’s Most Wanted you can point and exclaim “that was a close call!” (Just kidding )

Hello, podcaster. I really appreciate the work you do, honestly. If I’m listening to your podcast, then it means that I’m spending my most valuable commodity on something you’ve produced – time. More then time, I’m spending attention, memory, and even a measure of involvement. Those that know me, also know that I tend to get involved in the communities I care about and join. It’s not enough to listen – I’ll join your forums and post and write emails or send in voicemails or any of a number of things to help support you and the community you’ve created.

That’s the kind of guy I am – I’m a joiner.

I’m also a little hard-of-hearing. My hearing isn’t so great, and I need to turn things up. I’m not deaf (yet) and I don’t know why my hearing is poor. It could be the tinittus in my ears, or the years of listening to Simon and Garfunkel on my Sony Walkman … or more likely it’s just a genetic condition I inherited from my mother, who also has to turn the volume way up on TV’s and radios. Just one more less-then-pleasant aspect of aging and genetics that I have to deal with. You know, like the hair growing out of my nose.

So, I’m writing to ask you to PLEASE check and correctly set the levels of your podcasts. I’ve had a hard time recently with certain podcasts having extremely low sound levels. By low, I mean that if I turn the volume on my iPod all the way up to max, and then turn the sound of my car stereo all the way up to max – all I hear are quiet mutterings that are just barely above the background noise and static that also gets amplified. This is incredibly frustrating. I may really want to hear what you have to say. I may be really, really interested in the subject you’re discussing. But, I cannot listen for an hour while straining to make out your words above the static and background noise while driving to work. At some point I give up, and just turn you off.

That’s not what you wanted, is it? I mean, you didn’t put all that effort into recording your content, editing it, adding bumpers, and then uploading it just to have someone shut it off five minutes in and never return … did you? Because if that’s not what you had in mind when you began all that work, then perhaps it would be best for both of us if you adjusted your volume levels.

Now, before someone mentions my crappy listening equipment (and I’m not talking about my ears, this time) I’d like to point out that: 1) I use a good condition 5th gen iPod, 2) an excellent quality FM re-transmitter, and 3) a great car stereo. Further, the majority of podcasts I listen to are correctly levelled and I have no problem listening to them at all. Week after week, I enjoy their content because I can comfortably hear them. Even when I have to turn my stereo volume waaaay up, as long as I can hear them I can learn something and enjoy them.

So, what are you doing wrong?

While we’re on this subject, let me please point out that some of the damage to my hearing may well be from the massively unbalanced sound levels some of you produce. One person is either using Skype or sitting too far away from their microphone, or is whispering – and I can barely make out what they’re saying. So, I turn up the volume. Then, the next person in your round-table-discussion formatted podcast is sitting right in front of their mic and is speaking loudly. Guess what? My speakers start popping! So, I have to either turn down the volume to comfortably hear Mister Loud, and then miss entirely what Mister Mumble is saying, or I turn the volume up to catch Missus Whispery and then get my speakers blown when Miss Bellows starts up. Or, I can just throw up my hands and turn you off.

Now, I know that being a sound mixer is it’s own technology / art and that people go to school to become sound engineers and that you’re free-to-the-masses podcast cannot afford anything like that. I got it. This is a labor of love. Even so, I’d like you to know that your skill and ability to balance and level your recordings, as unsexy as that is, makes a HUGE impact on my ability to hear much less enjoy the work you’ve done.

Please, give a care and try to do it right. Listen to it afterwards, the way we do; we don’t all listen with high quality headphones. Listen in a car or over a home stereo. Can you hear everything? How are the different people speaking, balanced? How high do you have to turn your stereo before you can hear what they’re saying? While content remains king, technique and quality are queen and knight errant.

Thank you, Sincerely;

~runester~

Podcasts seem to be following the same acceptance path as blogs (as predicted by Dan in his Ennie MC’ing Dan’ecture). Which means, everyone and their mothers therapist will have one. But, the quality shows with meaningful listener-ships will be few and far between and stand head-and-shoulders above the riff-raff.

If I’ve learned anything about “new” marketing, web 2.0, and social networks … it’s that the “how” of content creation and publishing is fast becoming commoditized and the “what” and “why” now rule. Remember when having a web site was both expensive and required specialized knowledge? Now you can have a great website for $5/mo or less, and a free content management system that allows you to update, skin, and publish it with no special knowledge or skills. In this new modal, it’s not that you have a website, it’s that you have something of value on your website that draws visitors. Well, blogs are the same way, and so are podcasts. if we’re not there yet, we soon will be – total commoditization of the podcast hardware / software / hosting. The only thing that will matter is what you say, not the whiz bang that you’re in this new medium.

This means that gaming podcasts which do little more then drop a microphone in front of their friends and ‘gab’ for an hour, or who refuse to edit their episodes or add any polish at all, or regurgitate content heard elsewhere; will all fall into the well of no/low listener-ships, and will probably fade.

The other side of the equation, is that as sites & blogs became commoditized they also became mainstream, and were used as marketing tools of major corporations and celebrities. The total available audience went up, and those that were successful started getting unique visitors in the tens or hundreds of thousands, each month. if (when) this happens to podcasts, you can expect the phenomenon of the vanguard (those few who listen on their iPods or PC based podcatchers) to shift, and masses to begin subscribing in waves; podcasts will become an influential new medium. With adoption comes audiences, and successful shows will have a much larger pie from which to carve their share.

These sure are exciting times! But it means that getting in early (too late, for that!), building a brand (FtB has done an excellent job), and producing quality content will enable a podcast to ride the coming wave. if content and quality matter now, then they will become ever more important as this medium matures.

The “Dan’ecture” I refer to is available via YouTube, here’s the video as an embed.