8 Responses to “Episode 215 Presentation to GLBT Group”

1. David-That Blue Jeans Guy Says:
   May 19th, 2008 at 8:53 am

   Tom,

   It was a great pleasure meeting you in person again and helping spread the news about the media revolution of which we are both a part. (Sounds so butch being a revolutionary, but I digress…)

   Thanks so much for the many compliments about my show as well as for your friendship. It’s been great doing the American Idol Update with you and I hope we can work together in the future.

   The show sounds great, and I’ll be sure to post a link on my blog so people can give it a listen.

   Take care, and I’ll be listening!

2. (F)reddy Says:
   May 19th, 2008 at 1:14 pm

   Thanks for sharing this Tom. You and David did a really great job. I know you mentioned to me prior to posting this that you thought you may have sounded nervous during the production, but trust me, it didn’t show. You sounded really strong in the presentation, and I’m sure you’ll get lots of new content from the attendees as well as some of your listeners. Y’all made it sound all so very easy! Thanks for sharing this experience with us.

   I thought it was really great of y’all to pimp all the other podcasters out there. I’m going to have to check some of them out. I wish there was more discussion about the technical/logistics of putting out content, but hearing about all the content available was interesting.

3. Fausto Fernos Says:
   May 20th, 2008 at 12:25 am

   Saying you don’t need quality audio to potential podcasters is like telling broadcast news journalists you don’t need a good video camera. It’s ridiculous. The better your audio sounds, the more the audience may enjoy what you do.

   Compelling content, audio/video quality and consistency are the ingredients to a successful show. And luck doesn’t hurt either.

   You can decide for yourself what quality means. Obviously some of the most well recived video bloggers on YouTube have the cheapest video cameras. (Think Chris Crocker, he shot his famous “Leave Britney Alone” video on a Canon a520 camera which retails for about $150 dollars.

   Never ask people to settle for less. Aim high. Demand the best for yourself and of yourself. Enoucrage them to do the best they can do, instead of giving them excuses to limit themselves.

   As Madonna sang: Don’t settle for second best baby! Put your love to the test.

   What we’re really talking about here is how GLBT people are being able to communicate on a mass level without the need of large companies getting in the way.

   There is a LGBT category on iTunes:
   http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=218185265

   its on the bottom right hand side of the main podcast directory on iTunes.

4. (F)reddy Says:
   May 22nd, 2008 at 8:54 pm

   WOW, Fausto. Seems like you either missed the point of the podcast or didn’t hear the entire thing. It sounded to me like Tom and David were trying to introduce people unfamiliar with the podcasting media, particularly the queer podcasting community, to the various media options available to them. Granted they did try to give the participants a generalized idea what to do if they wanted to take a stab at posting their own little audio diaries by letting them know they didn’t have to have some bath-house sponsored studio space with all their fancy equipment to put out some radio-quality media.

   It’s true. We CAN decide for ourselves what quality means. And there are PLENTY of podcasters out there who podcast “on a budget” that put out some really entertaining shit. Are you suggesting that everyone who might be interested in trying a new HOBBY drop bank on expensive equipment? Only to be shit on later by the professionals? How noble of you.

5. Tim Corrimal Says:
   May 22nd, 2008 at 11:30 pm

   Excellent presentation and thanks for the shout out! You guys did a great job with the presentation.

6. David-That Blue Jeans Guy Says:
   May 23rd, 2008 at 12:02 am

   (F)reddy,

   You hit the nail right on the head with your comments. Tom and I were introducing the podcasting medium to a group of people who were completely unfamiliar with what it was or how it worked. Not to stereotype, but the median age of the group was in the late 50s-60s, and most had never even loaded up iTunes on their computers. To give you an idea, we were still (enthusiastically) explaining things one-on-one with a few of the Perceptions members after our main talk was done, and I still had questions asked of me at the Friday night dinner.

   My main point about sound quality was that it isn’t necessary to go out and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars for expensive equipment if a person is not completely sure he or she is even going to like doing a show week in and week out. I drove my point home when I showed that I was using a $99 iRiver to record the presentation and that I use a $35 microphone–which several other podcasters use as well–and free Audacity software. I felt that anybody who was feeling the “itch” to podcast needed to know that it wouldn’t take much to get set up–and I have subsequently made it known that I will help anybody in the group get started.

   As far as the technical and logistical stuff, I personally felt that we did about the right amount for the group’s level of experience and technical knowhow. If we had “geeked out” too much, we would have lost the audience. We gave them what they needed to get started on the listening end, and if they feel the urge to produce, then the other stuff can be explained.

   Thanks again for listening and commenting, (F)reddy!

7. Arthur (AmeriNZ) Says:
   May 25th, 2008 at 11:41 pm

   Thanks SO MUCH for your kind words, Tom! I really appreciated what you said.

   I thought you guys did really well. Had it been a different audience, say representatives of community groups wanting to start podcasts, I’m sure it would’ve been a different presentation, probably with more emphasis on the technical things (F)reddy would’ve liked, and probably something about how improving sound quality is really important, too, as Fausto would’ve liked.

   I agree with Fausto that better sound is important, especially if we want larger audiences. But David’s point is a good one: When I started out, I had an inexpensive Logitech headset that I could still use with Skype if I decided to quit podcasting. Over time, I’ve been upgrading my audio equipment so I can improve my sound, and I’m sure I’ll keep doing that as my knowledge–and budget–allow.

   I think that when someone is starting out in what is essentially a hobby, as personal journal podcasts really are, there’s no need to spend huge sums of money on professional equipment when relatively inexpensive equipment produces an okay sound to start out with. However, starting out with the best sound possible is important for advocacy groups (don’t want any barriers to getting the message out) or for those who hope to make money from their podcast. In all cases, the thing that matters most for getting listeners is content–if you say something people want to hear, they’ll keep coming back and will even overlook less-than-perfect sound as you get established.

   In any case, I think you guys did a great job addressing that audience and evangelising, as it were, for podcasts generally. Thanks for that, and for the kind words about me!

8. Jim K Says:
   May 30th, 2008 at 3:00 pm

   Hi Tom,

   I posted a comment here when you first posted this episode, but somehow it got lost in the shuffle. Anyway, just wanted to let you know how grateful I was that you and David spoke to Perceptions about podcasting and that you both did an outstanding job as I know anyone listening to this episode can see. I got a lot of positive feedback from the people who attended. I’m sure there will be several new listeners to podcasting and maybe even a new podcast will come of it.

   As for Fausto’s comment, Tom and David had just the right tone for the audience they were addressing. I completely agree with the comments that David, (F)reddy, and Arthur posted. Someone who doesn’t even know what podcasting is will be turned off before even getting started if they feel they have to spend a lot of money to either listen to or produce podcasts. Podcasting was a foreign concept to the majority of the audience. To encourage them that they need to buy expensive equipment (which they may find they don’t even want if podcasting isn’t for them) would do them a disservice. Once people find out about it and find they have a passion for it, THEN is the time for them to decide how much they want to invest in what is usually a hobby. From what I’ve heard from several podcasters, this appears to be a natural progression…as the person becomes more involved in doing shows, they naturally want to make it better and will upgrade their equipment accordingly. The Feast of Fools is an awesome podcast and always has great sound, but if David and Tom had told the group how much is spent to achieve that quality, I believe every ear in the house would have went dead. There definitely is a time and place for that discussion, but I don’t believe that was it.

   When I asked Tom and David to speak, it was with the intention of getting more people involved with podcasting as listeners. They did an awesome job in that regard. I believe that’s the first step in the process, not being told that to have a voice you need to make a big investment.

   Fausto, I have a great deal of respect for your opinion, and I agree that having high expectations for oneself is great. You and Marc have proved this with your show. But scaring people off before they have a chance to know about something would defeat the purpose of the presentation.

   Once again, Tom and David, you did a great thing by introducing podcasting to an audience who would otherwise not have been exposed to it. Thank you, Thank you , Thank you!

   JimK in Michigan

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