Of Geeks, TWiTs, and Podcasting

I love all things tech related and I’m proud to consider myself a Geek but it has not always been so. Seven years ago I was pitifully computerphobic, afraid of my computer. I could turn it on, send and receive e-mail (barely), and do a basic Word document, that was about it. So how did I get from that point to where I am today you may ask (well even if you don’t ask I’m going to tell you anyway), would you believe a TV show? It’s a weird little story but every word is true.

Now I’ve mentioned I’m a creature of the night. I do my best work between midnight and four AM, always thought I should have a night job but one’s never come along. One night seven years ago, almost to the day to be precise, I was channel surfing looking for something interesting around 2 AM when I landed on a strange TV show. It looked like it took place in someones basement and it was all about technology. It was hosted by two guys who not only obviously knew what they were doing but seemed to be having the time of their lives. I almost hit FF (technology ick!) but these two were so immensely entertaining I stayed. That first night I only caught the last twenty minutes or so and when it was over I said to myself “What the heck was that!” The show’s name turned out to be The Screen Savers (fondly known to it’s fans as TSS), the hosts were Leo Laporte and Patrick Norton, the network was TechTV.

So fascinated was I by the antics of these two guys that I went back the next night and watch a whole show. I understood about a 1/2% of what they were saying but they were so much fun to watch I kept going back. I thought I was just being entertained but sneakily, little by little, not even knowing it, I was learning. Back then Leo use to say if you gave him six weeks he could turn you into a Geek. I’m a slow learner, it took me eight before I realized the 1/2% of understanding had turned into 20% and was growing all the time. Wow!!

I watched TSS, as well as Leo’s other show Call for Help (CFH), for three and a half years and I became not only knowledgeable but bold and fearless with my computer. Leo’s mantra if something goes wrong with a computer is, It’s Not Your Fault! Leo has a personal message board called Leoville and when I realized I was on the road to Geekdom I made a post on it thanking him. I’d never done anything like that before and it was going to be my one and only post. I was surprised when, the next day, Leo posted a personal reply back to me, I was hooked. Long story short I became a member of the board, an e-mail friend of Leo’s (even got to talk to him on the phone once) and am now one of the moderators of Leoville.

Alas TechTV is no more, Comcast bought it from then owner Paul Allen and turned it into the G4 network. Leo still does CFH, now known as The Lab with Leo, but in Canada and the only way I can watch it is to download it with a BitTorrent. Now you may be wondering where the heck this is all going, I sure would be at this point. Well this whole story leads to podcasting. Over the last several years Leo has established a podcasting network online. The TWiT Network is named for it’s founding podcast (Leo calls them netcasts), This Week in Tech, and has blossomed into all sorts of tech related podcasts. Security, gadgets, Windows, the law, Macs, even Geek food and more all have their own netcasts. I’ve been a card carrying member of the TWiT army from day one and use Juice to download them then I burn most to CDs so I can listen to them in the car.

By the way, one day while sitting in a SEMLS workshop on Web 2.0 which Linda Braun was conducting she pulled up her Facebook page and I was jolted to find Leo’s name listed under people she would like to meet someday. Small world! Lucky girl got Leo to do the introduction to her Podcating book that was published last year.

So these are my Geek roots. Leo is a wonderful teacher, if you ever want to see him in action let me know I can send you one of the Lab shows to sample. Or you can listen to his weekend radio show, The Tech Guy, heard on the Premiere Radio Networks and XM Channel 158. Or better yet, download the podcasts of the radio show from that link.