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Podcasting Staffers
Posted in: General by Swoopy on September 2, 2010
You should know – not only because they are awesome, but because you might need them, who the Podcasting: Now and Beyond staffers are. To be a track staffer means you become a Dragon*Con volunteer. Volunteers receive a badge for their time, but they must work at least 25 hours during the Convention. Our staffers actually average closer to 35 hours each during the Convention. That’s almost a full work week over three and a half days. If you see a tired staffer, maybe you should give them a hug – and maybe a coffee.
This year’s Podcasting track staff are:
Robynn McCarthy (aka Swoopy), Track Director. Responsible for shenanigans AND good stuff too. Host of Skepticality: The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine.
Thomas Gideon (aka CMDLN), Second in Command. If this track was about Star Trek, he’d be Number 1. Which we all agree is better than Number 2. Tireless tech advisor, fixer of problems. Works the morning shift. Claim to fame is the Command Line Podcast.
Jonathan Strickland, who you may have seen in the recent PBS documentary Four Days at Dragon*Con is a Senior Writer at How Stuff Works.Com blogging about Tech Stuff. Thus, when Stuff breaks during Dragon*Con, he’ll be charged with fixing it. Because it’s literally his job to know Stuff.
Sam Chupp is a veteran podcaster and the author of the podcast novel Heart of the Hunter, and is also an avid gamer with several podcasts like The Bear’s Grove, Square One and the Bear’s Cast because he’s obviously nuts and has too much free time.
Laura Ross is a veteran podcaster whose shows include The Flyswatter Show, and the Coffee and Tea Show and local skeptical activist with the Atlanta Skeptics. She has been volunteering at Dragon*Con since before most of us had ever heard of it.
Kreg Steppe is hilarious. He provides not only technical expertise but comic relief when needed. You can verify this hilarity by listening to the Technorama podcast. You may want to put on an absorbent undergarment first, just in case.
Andrew Wilson looks good in a Fez. He’s a skeptic. That’s all you’re allowed to know – for now.
These folks may well be wearing a T-shirt that says STAFF – just like that in huge letters on the back. They probably won’t be wearing a Fez. But it was discussed. Because Fezzes are cool. But then the new Doctor figured that out – and we didn’t want people getting us confused with Time Travelers. We don’t have a Tardis. Yet.
There are usually at least two of them around during any given panel. If you need something, if you have presentation materials, if you have a problem – and you can find them, you absolutely should ask the Podcasting Track staffers.
T-Minus 24 Hours
Posted in: General by Swoopy on
Howdy Dragon*Con Podcasting track peeps. We are pretty much down to the wire on time here, so let me just give you a few reminders that might help make your Con experience nifty. I cannot guarantee that you won’t get Con crud – but it’ll make getting it a lot more fun.
Podcasting: Now and Beyond is in it’s 5th year at Dragon*Con. We’ve gotten the particulars of running the track down to a science – which is convenient since our room is sandwiched between the Science track room and the Skeptrack room (of which I am also co-Director).
If you have to pick up your badge or buy a badge, get in line as soon as you possibly can. This means starting around 2pm on Thursday you can get your badge, and you should. Lines last year for badge pick-up were long, and I know registration actually closed before everyone could get their badge on Thursday night. The lines are shorter if you already purchased your membership. Do note the differences between the lines for badge purchase and badge pick up, if you’re at all unsure – ask. Don’t end up standing in the wrong line for an hour.
I will be available in the Podcasting track room after 2pm today (Thursday, September 2nd 2010). Feel free to to come say hi. Shoot me an email if you need something or hit me on Twitter. Panels officially begin at 1pm Friday. I will have an unofficial event in the track room at 9am Friday, so there isn’t any reason to show up there (if you’re not staff) before 11am.
We record all the panels that are part of the Podcasting track. The recordings are done as Multi Track (one for each mic) in Garage Band. After your panel is over you can get a copy of the recording from us, either as the Garage Band raw file or as an AIF exported Garage Band file. The file size for the raw file will depend on the number of tracks but can be around 2 Gigs large. The exported file is usual a couple hundred Megs. Make sure you have a portable device that will handle the file size. If you don’t need your file ASAP, I can put the file for you on a site like MediaFire where you can then pull it down later on.
You are also welcome to attach a recording device with an aux in or line in, that will be run from the Main aux out on the mixing board. You won’t get multiple tracks, but you’ll have the file already with you. We do have a projector that you can attach your laptop to (we have adapters for most macs/pcs video out) and we can also run your presentation or video for you.
What I cannot guarantee you’ll find in our track room is an internet connection. The Hilton does offer wireless internet to Guests in their rooms for a fee of around $14 for 24 hours. I usually can log you in to my wireless account with the hotel on your computer for your panel if needed, however the signal strength in conference rooms for Guest wi-fi (which is different from conference wi-fi which we don’t have access to) can vary widely. Your results may vary. If you need something from an online source for your panel – you should pull it down ahead of time, buffer video etc. just to be safe.
For now, I’ll also remind you – pace yourselves. Each panel is an hour, there is half hour passing time between panels. This means if you have a panel in our room at the Hilton at 10am, and you have a panel in the Hyatt at 11:30 – you’ll need to hustle a little. The time it takes to get from point A to point B takes longer than you think because of crowd navigation. For example, the Parsec Awards are held in the Hyatt Regency V ballroom, which is the same place it is every year, but instead of being at 7pm, they will be at 4pm. Panels resume in the Podcasting track room in Hilton 204 at 7pm, following the awards.
The Dragon*Con main hotels (Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton) are now a series of hamster tubes. You can go from A to B to C without going outside – but it will take longer. If you’re in a hurry – go out the lobby level and find your next destination by going around buildings, not through them.
Eat when you can. There is a cafe in the lobby of the Hilton, and there is a Starbucks in the Marriott near where the tube from the Hilton lets out. The lines for Frappucino will be long. There are maps in the Dragon*Con 2010 pocket program which can be downloaded at the Dragon*Con website. See you all soon!
Girls Rules Convention Survival Guide Podcast
Posted in: General by Swoopy on August 31, 2010
Recently, I was honored to be asked to participate in an episode of the Girls Rules Podcast about Convention survival and tips, with special attention to the needs and safety of women at Conventions, like Dragon*Con.
Girls Rules is hosted by Vivid Muse (who has been a Panelist on the Podcasting track in years past along with her husband Chooch) and features commentary by Andrea Gideon (of the New Vintage Wardrobe Blog, also wife of Command Line who is invaluable to running Podcasting track at Dragon*Con), Jett Micheyl (who writes for The Nerd Signal ) and M.A. in the PA who blogs at The Modern Domestic Geek).
Three Days Left?!
Posted in: General by Swoopy on
Hey Podcasting Track Panelists/Guests/Attendees!
I know I’ve been a little behind – okay monumentally, guinness book of world records quality behind in keeping up with information on this site. However – watch this space, I’ll be good about posting updates this week leading up to and any changing events happening THROUGH the duration of Dragon*Con which is only-three-days-away. (best Shatner voice)
Again – the pocket program for Dragon*Con featuring the schedule grids and official scheduling is out and you can download the PDF of the schedule grids or the whole gosh-darn thing here. The difference you’ll note immediately – all you fine people who are going to be on panels who are not official “big G” Guests, is that your names are NOT in the pocket program. See the word is, that you’re all so fabulous that there isn’t room for all your names. The program itself would combust with your combined hotness – so you’re not in there.
For the official schedule of panels in the Podcasting: Now and Beyond track for Dragon*Con 2010 (which are the same and start at the same time as the official schedule) that includes not only Guests (those special people chosen by Dragon*Con for their awesomeness) and Participants (who were chosen mostly by me because they were too cool to be Guests) utilize the schedule here at dragon-pod.com.
I will be available for your amusement or rebuke in the Podcasting Track room which is in the Hilton, room 204 (top of the escalator) starting Thursday afternoon. If you have questions, want a hug, or have tech expertise and want to help in the shenanigans feel free to come by. Until then – again watch this space, I will be posting updates. You can also catch me on Twitter if you’re so inclined.
Tentative Schedule for Dragon*Pod 2010 Is Available
Posted in: General by admin on July 29, 2010
We now have the tentative schedule for Dragon*Pod 2010 online for your review. As always, the schedule is not ‘final’ until you actually get your hot little hands on the schedule when you get to the convention itself! 