Category Archives: News

News articles about the dark side of “new media”

Is the DiamondClub.TV Revamp Enough?

Looking good
Looking good

How many times have we at totaldrama been asked to recommend podcasts? Millions if not billions.

In the land of Silicon Valley, if you want to make something new you have to tell your investors that something old is broken. Payments are broken, banks are broken,  and on and on. It’s an annoying habit.

Therefore, I hate to phrase this in said manner but podcasting is broken.

Is there anything more cumbersome than being a podcast fan and bookmarking 30 websites and 30 separate calendars and keeping track of what you have watched and when stuff is on.

Even TWiT understood that viewers need easy. Easy easy easy. All the shows in one spot and recent shows playing 24/7.

For DCTV to grow, they need to do curation.

Liam and Miley will help out!
Liam and Miley

They seem to think “live” should be old reruns of Night Attack 24/7. They need more content, but curation is a word they dislike. Why? [Speculation] Curation means being a “boss” and deciding what are the best shows to put on the schedule and maybe needing to do cancellations.

Cowboys don't have to be on their own.
Cowboys don’t have to be on their own.

The Patreon model has cured a big problem for people looking to curate internet TV. In the past, a creator who used the advertising model, would likely not want to be on DCTV or any curated platform. Viewers watching live on a curated platform are not counted in downloads and so the creator is not paid. The creator also loses website impressions. But if the creator is on the Patreon model he just wants views anywhere he can get them. Additionally, many expert  prognosticators think ancillary revenue streams are a big part of the future of podcasts.

Foxes help too
Foxes help too

There is a ton of shows out there to scoop up. Why not have Eklunds hockey show on DCTV or Ashley’s feminist show and why not pick out two shows from GFQ and two from Frogpants or somewhere else. Air a few amateur shows in the wee hours of the morning, and have you heard of Veronica Belmont, where is she? Fill the schedule.

Yea You
Yea You

Why do all these internet people want to live on their own islands? Just make shows not websites and IRCs. Split the banner ad income. Get Veronica’s book fans checking out DCTV and maybe DTNS fans checking out GFQ, maybe simulcast a Twitch personality and end up discovering some young talent. Maybe one day Frogpants and DCTV and Geekbeat and Hak5 and GFQ and others will combine IRC’s (you can have your own rooms you babies) and websites. Make an app. Apps are pretty big these days I hear.

Leo Comments on Sarah Lane quitting/terminated from Ipad Today

And if you keep this site up with boring, generic tech news, ‘Total Drama’ will no longer refer to Twit. Instead, it will refer to you going back and forth and being a Total Drama Queen.” Holden

/Sigh

The lovely and talented Sarah Lane
The lovely and talented Sarah Lane

There was much ado about the departure of the lovely and talented Sarah Lane from Ipad Today. Founder Leo Laporte thrust himself into chat to rectify what he felt was unfair treatment, we will not deny him his say:

<~Leo> we absolutely did NOT let [Sarah] go  <~Leo> she quit <~Leo> Anytime anyone leaves twit I seem to get blamed

She quit the full time gig but they were talking about the recent firing from doing Ipad Today, and you knew that, but you bent the truth Laporte, again. This is what infuriates people. Why can’t you say that you let her go from IPT, why can’t you be honest?

<~Leo> Techcrunch hired Sarah to compete with TWiT <~Leo> she's already launched a show directly opposite her old show, TN2

And you moved Padre’s Corner directly opposite Night Attack. (backfired as your show cant get sponsored) Don’t you believe in competition? Didn’t you create TNT to compete with BOL?

<~Leo> I don't see how any of this is my fault
<~Leo> all you have to [d]o is take a look at how many times we have had to fill in for her in the last month

Wait, so you did fire her from IPT because she had to miss and reschedule recordings? I thought you just said she quit? Let’s keep the lies consistent please.

<~Leo> Sarah is not an original
<~Leo> she was at twit for about 5 years
<~Leo> Megan started long before Sarah actually
<~Leo> Megan hosted Jumping Monkeys: [link removed]
<~Leo> that was in 2007-2008
<~Leo> Sarah started in 2009 with This Week in Fun [link removed]
<~Leo> and became an employee in 2010

This angers fans. People would like Megan if you didn’t do this. You pit the hosts against each other. And Sarah was on TWIT about 5200 times as many hours as Megan. Knock it off. You did the same thing with Gum, holding him up to be a godsend above Tom. Stop it. As a matter of fact you should have had Megan on with Sarah as friends, Sarah and Megan like each other. That is how you do a transition.

I would like to live in an alternate reality where Leo did a long emotional thank you to people when they leave. One where he is grateful to people for helping him build his business.  That would be cool. I would like that. Thanks Tom for making the highest revenue show on the network, thank you Sarah for two profitable shows and all you did, thanks Iyaz for Know-How. The only person he ever thanked was Colleen.

The original full paste bin which was supplied by a anon source. Unverified
Tell me, am I lying?

Sarah Lane Leaves Twit & Relaunch of Screen Savers

Sources tell #totaldrama that on Sunday March 29th April 19th, TWiT will be (surprise) announcing the relaunch of The Screen Savers in an effort to reinvigorate the fading fan base. [update: I thought that anniversary thing was the 29th]

On an even sadder note, as predicted, the lovely and talented Sarah Lane has been cast off from TWiT for good. In a surprise move, the film pioneer who was thought gone, has returned with a small video in tribute to the lovely and talented Sarah Lane, presented below:

Service Announcement: The long awaited Buzz Out Loud reunion show is scheduled for March 29th 3PM Eastern and 12PM Pacific at diamondclub.tv

The correct opinion about Ellen Pao Verdict

Kleiner Perkins beat the pants off Ellen Pao and her gender discrimination suit. This has become quite the lightning rod for women’s issues much like the Ferguson case was with race issues.

Photo courtesy of Recode
Photo courtesy of Recode (stolen from recode actually)

Whatever your opinion is, make sure of one thing: Do not read the court transcript or look at any evidence. Just form an opinion based on articles or if you’re short on time, just peruse the headlines. And yell passionately at people who disagree with you.

If there is a local rally, make a sign and head on over. Rallys are tons of fun.
Pro-tip:Make out your sign when you get there in case there is an opposing rally and the other side looks like more fun.

FBI too lazy to hunt terrorists.

No Caption
No Caption

The FBI is apparently going after people who say mean things on Twitter. I can’t quote the mean things because @rogermambs is suspended.

What else….

Say What
Say What

(Thanks commenter for the heads up) Folks, do as Scooter says and check out twit.tv/cal and let us know if you see any pre-recordings for IPT scheduled on any Saturdays after this week.

The Reviews Are In – IT’s A Hit!

The reviews flooded in on twitter. One thing is clear, this little lady has a mega hit on her hands.

I came to do two things, drink some beer and make a hit show, and I am out almost out of beer.
I came here  to do two things; drink some beer and make a hit show, and I’m almost outta beer.

Without further ado, the reviews:

Kate Imbach: San Francisco Icon

JR Young:  Comedy Legend

Iyaz Ahktar: CNET Editor

Jason Howell: Risking it

Melody McC: Heiress and CEO

Amber: Canada’s #1 Personality (showing off by linking a picture)

Ligaya Tichy:  Sarah’s friend and Instagram Starlet

Veronica Belmont: Arch Enemy of Comcast

Someone who works with Sarah

Tech Crunch CEO & major asshole: Mike Arrington

Apple Employee: Tim Cook

Gina Trappani: Supportive colleague

Shannon Morse says the show is “AWESOME”

GFQ Network founder: Andrew Zarian

We would Embed the video for you if Techcrunch knew anything about security on the web and used iFrame, instead we can only link it. In the future we are looking for less news about VCing and more info on what is hip and happening.

It is not too late to let the world know you’re in the in crowd. Tweet @sarahlane @techcrunch

Helloworld Used Bad Language on Twitter

People should be respectful on Twitter and not curse. Ethics.

CEO of Personal Capital Bill Harris
CEO of Personal Capital Bill Harris

The Triangulation program featured an interview with the Personal Capital CEO who just happens to be TWiT’s largest sponsor. Move along, move along. Or……

Take ‘native advertising’ and multiply it by 400 and you get this. And I was trying not to discuss TwiT. You try to get out and they pull you back in. (For more info click here)

Does anyone remember the name of the song by the son of the guy who played the dad on Growing Pains?

And now people are emailing me that he is asking a (female) employee, Megan, if it is o.k. to “be salacious” or hit on her and she responds “I don’t mind it, uh……..but I can’t speak for everyone.” Put an employee on air and ask her if it is o.k. to do this and see what she says. THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF DURESS.

Once again we have the victim saying; I don’t mind, I am tough I can take it, it’s cool, don’t worry. No one at twit will do anything, no one will say anything not to the boss and not to his wife the CEO.

UPDATE: The g-mail address is no longer live for tips, I do not want to be notified about this stuff. I don’t watch TWiT so Stop sending me this stuff.

Why GigaOm Failed

This is like so not complicated.

Stop, Listen...Hammertime
Stop, Listen…Hammertime

They spent more money than they made. They needed to make more or spend less.

V C money and journalism don’t mix? I am astonished.

But instead let’s discuss the changing role of media in an increasingly mobile environment that is being preyed upon by different factors competing for mind-share.