TR Past, Present and Future - Podcast Episode 85

[Rob]

Well hello everyone, as the year winds to a close, so do i.
ok, im just kidding. In this show i take a minute (actually about 15) to look at where talkingreef has come from, where we are, and most important, where we are going.

There are some things with the podcast that are going to change, you can listen to the show if you want to know.

As for the future, we are going to spend a lot of time on series shows, and in this episode i give a sneak peak into three upcoming Talkingreef series shows

Finally, i have a lot of ideas for website customization, but implementing them goes beyond my web development knowledge, if you are a web developer familiar with PHP and MySQL, please contact me.. i have some work for ya..




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[JustDavidP]

Yahooo....

Rob, I truly believe that you are doing the right thing; taking the next steps in turning TR into an even better resource!

I really like the idea of revisiting the previous podcasts and the emphasis on the site building!

I would also like to ask all TR family members to "step up". If you do have any "web-talent", please think about whether you have some time to help out. As TR matures, it WILL become a bigger and badder beast. One that is going to be far too difficult for one man to handle. If WE all want to see this community and the TR project thrive, we too need to evolve with it.

Please let Rob know if there is anything you can do to assist in the forums, the podcasts, the "marketing" of the project etc. You may not think that you are "all that", but every little bit of effort counts. Together, we WILL change the way hobbyists research and use information.

Happy Holidays to all!

David

[Astrivian]

I was wondering how much longer the weekly shows would last. Between family, work, and of course taking care of your own tank, and TR i was wondering if you had anytime to actually sleep rob. I'm with david on this, i think more in-depth shows and series would be a good trade-off for weekly shows. Although, i really look forward to getting the next installment of TR! Makes Fridays at work a lot more fun (i broadcast it, unintentionally, to the office). I'll survive i guess.... ()

I'm in! Unfortunately, i do not really have any web experience (just stuff like WebCT and Blackboard), so sorry about that. I will ask around though, I work at a college so i am sure there are some people around that can help

I can, however, help with video. I worked in video for about 9 years, albeit a long time ago. Trust me, if i had anything in my tank, i would be all about a tank tour...kinda empty at the moment though Anyone living in the Denver area (yes this includes you Jake Adams): if you ever want to shoot a video just let me know. I have a digital video camera, a good shotgun mic, access to wireless lapel mics, some studio lights, and lots of digital editing experience.

As for ideas:

Hey David! What would you say to a video on working with acrylic? I can actually help with this, i think, PM me if you are interested.

Hey Fat Walrus and Rob! I would be down hearing even a short series on sharks and rays. Not something i would ever keep i think, but might be cool.

Also, if you are ever wanting to do a Skype round-table i am always in, just give me a buzz.

Oh, and i promise not to bug TR with talk about microworlds and simulations anymore

[christensonjes]

I hope nobody gets upset over this because you are well deserving of a break once in a while

[Rob]

thanks everyone for the support.

i also hope no one is upset either, but i think everything will still work out good, im sure there wills till be many weeks that shows are released regularly.

yes Astrivian, sharks and rays are cool.. im also interested in doing a show on cephs..

[Pinecone_Jeff]

I'm all for this change, Rob! Kudos!!! This way, you can produce the very best show you and your staff can make without feeling rushed or crunched for time. And you get some breathing room for you and your family, life, and all that important stuff.

I also like the focus on you guys doing series! Like the clownfish one. I CAN'T WAIT to hear that series!!! There's so much to talk about and I'm really looking forward to hearing all the new information that you guys collect about those cool fish.

Here's a suggestion for non-series episodes. How about a news type format where you can take the hottest topic on the forum, present that for 10 or 15 minutes. Then do a segment on reefing technology or equipment for like 10 or 15 minutes. Then do a species profile of a fish or coral and go over it's husbandry. And then finally, if you have enough writers on your staff, you guys can do an episode by episode column about anything else related to reefkeeping, industry news, conservation efforts, product reviews/highlights, etc.

Keep up the GREAT WORK, Rob!!!!

[Rob]

hey thanks for the support.
yeah, the clown fish is one i want to do as well, but i still have some preparation for that one, but its coming

as for the new format, one thing i realized is that im building a library of audio article, not really providing weekly entertainment. as much as i want to entertain, i think my shows are more valuable when they have a topic, and there focused. that and i dont have any writers, its only me. if this was a tech show or something staying with current events and stuff would fill my shows weekly, but current news and stuff isn't something i can easily pull off weekly.
hope this all makes sense, it does in my head, hopefully i cam out write..

[BrianPlankis]

I just listened today Rob and I think you are taking Talkingreef in the right direction! Less shows but better quality is the way to go from here I think.

I'm looking forward to the series, especially the clam series, my wife has always wanted one and I simply haven't had the time to read up on them, so a series on them I can listen to on my commute is perfect!

Brian

[Rob]

thanks Brian, i know i announced it, and everyone is happy with it so far, but i still feel awful. this week is going to be the first week since i started i don't have a show. and next week i will probably skip just because of the holidays, i just feel like a letting everyone down.. but thats just in my head i guess..

thanks again for all the support..

[BrianPlankis]

Rob,

You are allowing me to catch up! I still have 30+ shows to listen to! No need to feel bad and I'm sure everyone else is busy this time of year too.

Brian

[Pinecone_Jeff]

Like what Brian says, no need to feel bad. You've announced the new format and heck, it's the holidays... you're supposed to take time off over the holidays. Enjoy!!! You deserve it my man!

[Lew90]

I would like to echo everyone else words, Rob.

You really deserve a break. As much as I look forward of dowloading your feeds and then playing them at work. I think your headed in the right direction.

As far as I can tell I'm the guy that asked for more details on seahorses and now before the series is even out I'm on the edge of my seat for the clown fish and clam series. Talk about a teaser!

I would like to thank you and your staff for all the hard work putting all of this together. THANKS!

Regards,
Lew90

[Lew90]

I shouldn't have wrote the word "STAFF" because I know your the main man but should have wrote helpers!

Thanks,
Lew90

[Rob]

thanks.. just to clarify, i do have many helpers her eon the site, and depending on the specific show, i do get help from others... just want to make sure im not taking ALL the credit, as its not all me..

[gwen_o_lyn]

700 people getting the feed EVERYDAY- WONDERFUL!!!

Almost 1500 registered users on the site - AMAZING!!

All the side projects that have branched off because of Rob & TalkingReef - SPECTACULAR!!!

There was no bad news in this podcast show even though you said there was. Here I go starting trouble. That is my nickname afterall.

Rob, you stated "unfortunately I failed at this" referring to listener involvement. You have nothing to do with this. It's not you, it's US!! Most of us are introverts that spend many hours a week on the PC and no matter how many times you try to pull our arm, we aren't gonna leave a message on your voicemail. Sound familiar?

Also, take in consideration the reef experience we have on our site. I don't think you can argue that we are a huge source for n00bs, which is great. Learning must start somewhere. But asking someone with little experience to be involved prolly won't happen. The n00bs are very involved by asking LOTS of questions otherwise this board would be dead.

I think it just takes time to have a board with more experienced folks who blow your mind with knowledge.

We are growing at a fast rate and once we have the experience and the confidence then we will be the 'high activity' TalkingReef Community you are looking for. "If you build it, they will come!"

Thank-you Rob for everything. You are wonderful and you have helped SO SO SO MANY people. I really look forward to more in depth discussions in the upcoming series shows. And I look even more forward to you coming to ATL for SWU!!!