My Thoughts On WordPress Weekly

As I continue to produce the WordPress Weekly show every week, I’m beginning to notice that some of the greatest aspects of the show are not being put to good use. There are two main reasons why I continue to produce WordPress Weekly. The first is that I’m continuing to learn about the software by interviewing those who know more than me. I also love talking about all aspects of the software and the community around it. The second reason is that unlike any other WordPress based podcast, Talkshoe provides the tools for you, the listener to engage in the show by calling in and being part of the discussion. Don’t get me wrong, the chat room built into the show is a good way to be part of the live audience but actually calling in and having another voice on the air is even better.

Since I’ve switched the show to Tuesday nights, live participation has plummeted. I thought it would have been better since it’s not on a Friday evening, Tuesday evenings are boring, etc. However, I had more participation on Friday evenings than I’ve ever had on Tuesdays. This is disappointing. The way I see it, I bring on guests to the show to learn from them but I also bring them on because it gives you the opportunity to call in and talk to them in person. Due to the busy nature of the guests, it may be damn near impossible to communicate with them, WordPress Weekly gets rid of that barrier, giving you a chance to say what it is that is on your mind to the guest, with no middle man or filter, minus the expletives of course. But people don’t seem to be taking advantage of these opportunities. Some in the community jokingly call me the voice of WordPress but I don’t solely want to be the voice of WordPress. I want to be that person who makes it possible for other voices to be heard. I’m holding up my end of the bargain but the other side, not so much. This has me thinking whether doing the show live is worth the trouble.

Maybe Tuesday evenings are terrible nights for everyone. It doesn’t help that the last season of LOST is on at the same time. So, I’m thinking about making a drastic move.

I’m now setup at work on a schedule of 30 hours or less, 4AM – 10AM. While I hate being tied to the house during the weekend, I feel that doing the show early enough on a Saturday or Sunday negates the risk of having to reschedule the show due to life getting in the way. So my idea now is to possibly move the recording day and time to either Saturday or Sunday between 1-3 PM. It’s the weekend, it’s early enough to not get in the way of anything and I have a hard time understanding why participation would be even less than a Tuesday evening.

I know the show has an international audience and the day and times may not work out for everyone, but this is a game I can not win. I have to do the show when it’s best for me or else there is no show. If I can’t find a way to increase live participation on a regular basis, I’m going to stop doing the show.

Of course, I’m keen to hear how the proposed date and time sound to you.