The feed issue you were experiencing was the result of our old media server architecture, but we’ve updated the urls to include unique filenames, so you should definitely give Ze’s show another chance (today’s show is hilarious).

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Asi Behar
Director, Web Services & Experience
Revver Inc.

You are correct, that was my guess re: the “do it right” vidcast. I totally agree with your first alternate interpretation. I really have a hard time understanding why Ze does not address access and documentation. It is OK of course if he wants to make viewers “work” to get his content, it is after all his content, but that does place a person in a very vulnerable position when questioning another’s numbers. As for Rocketboom, I checked and Alexaholic does chart Ze higher but, as you point out Dave, Alexa ain’t the place to hang your hat for accuracy. Ze himself references the fact that currently there are no reliable analytics for measuring audio and video podcasting. So yeah, I’m confused. Maybe Ze did just want to start a fight for attention. But this would not be in keeping with my perception of Ze, based of course solely on his videos. But that is all I have by which to measure the man. And I think you are a helluva’ guy too Dave. Brilliant, creative, sensitive, tolerant and as funny as the day is long. But all of that positive sentiment is based solely upon the words you’ve been speaking into my earbuds for the last couple of years.

Folks like you Dave, and I’m talking here about men and women who create popular citizen media whether in audio or video format, you must understand something. Your fan base, in large part, are still the same sheep that network TV and major media coporations were pushing around and tightly controlling up until very recently. When we feel we’ve made a connection to a person, based upon what we perceive them to be, it becomes very real and very personal. There should be no surprise when you see some funny business, call bullshit on the perpetrator, and suddenly find an army of supporters turn out to defend them, whether they are right or wrong. Anyway, my last words on the matter.

Still a huge fan Dave and loving all that you share,

Danny

I see two possible alternate interpretations:

Like I’ve said above – “If you are going to put out a creative and challenging vidcast, taking the tiny bit of time to make sure the feed is usable and write notes and have links.”

“If you are going to accuse Rocketboom of lying about their stats, you better have something better than fucking Alexa to back that up.”

That’s the basic thrust of my original post. Even if the two shows were identically as good artistically by whatever way it could be measured, I’d have no doubt Rocketboom would have more viewers because it does the little things right for getting people back to it and keeping them sticking around and subscribed.

Danny, I’ll watch this one and see. I’m all for keeping them honest, but when you are making big accusations based on really flimsy evidence, it just makes you look like a jagoff when you are wrong. Maybe Ze was just Rocketbooming all along. Or was the whole thing just Ze’s way of farming controversy to increase interest? I’ll know when I watch, I guess.

You know I am a huge fan of all things EGC and that this is not my first visit. I totally agree with you when you point out that the technological obstacles Ze has allowed to form around his content make access difficult and frustrating, at best. But I must agree with Gordon when he says Ze was pushing for “more of a ‘keepin em honest’ type of thing” with regard to Ze’s Rocketboom comments. But rather than claim that I know what is in another person’s heart, just watch this episode. Ze explains himself. At least IMO.

http://media.revver.com/broadcast/87032/video.mov

Danny

Where did Ze complain about have 30,000 downloads? I watched the show and couldn’t find a complaint. It seemed like he was trying to make a point about the current measurements of popularity.

And I by absolutely no means think you’re an idiot. I’m not qualified to make that determination, as I’m one of those dudes who just rolled up on your blog for the very first time today. Besides, even if I’d been reading you since day one that ain’t the same as knowing you.

But anyway. I’ll own the fact that I got us off on the wrong foot. And, hell, it’s been entertaining to say the least.

Your point about having no time in your day to deal with chasing rolling pennies under the couch is well taken. Perhaps my question is best considered in a different context.

Take it easy and thanks for the responses.

Like I said up a few, there’s a threshold. I LOOOOOOOVE Tiki Bar TV and would go to great lengths to keep getting it, even if the feed breaks. Hell, I’d pay for them to mail me a DVD of each episode, I love it that much. It just hits me right there. I don’t feel that way about Rocketboom or Ze or Mac Break Weekly or any other video show you could name.

Passive is one way to put it, overwhelmed is another way. I’ve got 45 emails in my inbox to answer, podcasts to do, tonight I’ve got a shitload of comments to respond to, etc. I also am the sole person that works on every aspect of AmigoFish, I have a full-time job, even more etc. My Hipster PDA is full of things that aren’t getting done. Y’all seem awfully judgemental that pointing out to Ze his feed doesn’t work right isn’t at the top of my priorities. Sorry guys. Nothing personal but it’s not that important to me. It’s great that it is to you, but my experience is different.

Thanks again for conversing and not just getting all ad hominem. I really appreciate that. If any of your forum-mates wants to send me a Ze Frank bib, I’ll email you a photo of me drooling on it.

Bee, that could be but putting it in his show is an odd way to demonstrate that he doesn’t care about numbers. On the forum, y’all are saying my complaints aren’t about the content of his show. They are, to the extent that I’m not so smitten with it that I felt like pushing back on the brokenness of his feed. When you are watching a TV show and that channel goes black, do you immediately call the cable company or switch to one that works? Yeah, me too. Why so sensitive that one person can watch and yet not become a raving Ze fan? I can take or leave the show, different strokes and all.

But seriously, Dave, my comment wasn’t directed so much at your decision to jettison Ze specifically but at the general subject of passing over good content because of technological hiccups. I should have been more clear on that.

Granted, the person who wants an audience on the web owes that audience a hefty amount of diligence in making sure that the product is accessible as well as worth accessing. No argument there. At the same time, I think the audience owes it to the content creator to speak up when something isn’t working.

You’re saying you stopped bothering with The Show because it ceased to be worth the hassle for you. The bad outweighed the good. I get that (I mean, I get it now that you’ve clarified it, whereas before it seemed more a case of annoyance with accessibility). I guess I find myself wondering about people who would do the same even if they actually still liked a given show. That seems to put them in a passive role more akin to a television audience and that, to me, would defeat the purpose of having an alternative to television.

‘Not laying blame, just asking the question.

When I was poor and couldn’t afford cable, and had to use rabbit ears, I didn’t blame Letterman for having a bad show.

Point being, you can’t fight with someone who doesn’t care what you think. I honestly don’t think Ze worries about the numbers game, except in the way that he would like accurate metrics. Who doesn’t! I’d be pretty upset with my fuel gage if it didn’t give me proper readings!

Tim, I’m with you brother.

Jon, that’s kind of the pissy take on it, now isn’t it? Closer to the truth is that I have a surplus of feeds that work correctly. I have over a hundred audio podcasts and over thirty video ones – on the edge of or slightly more than I can keep up with. It’s not like when Ze’s doesn’t work right, I’m sitting around jonesing for media to consume. There’s plenty that work right filling my queue. If Tiki Bar TV stops working, I’ll drop them an email. You’re making the assumption that I really enjoy Ze, which is stronger than the truth. I liked it all right, but wouldn’t say I loved it or found it essential. For things I find worth the bother, I will reach out but this ain’t one of them.

What I find interesting is that you call him a whiner when you’re the one complaining. Life must be really tough if you have to “wait for them to download” (cause 20 seconds on a highspeed internet connection is way too long) or you can’t conveniently set your RSS feed. You sound like you’re pretty hard to please.

The greatest point you made is that you don’t have to watch. So don’t watch. Watching a three minute video blog shouldn’t be that stressful. It’s meant for enjoyment, if you don’t enjoy Ze Frank, like i said, there’s no obligation. That may be the most attractive part of Ze’s site. You don’t have to watch every day, but you just want to.