OK, podcasting. I like listening to talk radio occassionally, particularly NPR and the local CBS affiliate. Podcasting, which seems to have settled into the talk radio/morning radio show groove, seems like a half-decent idea, assuming the folks delivering the podcast are actually, y’know, interesting. Just as blogs prove why not everyone can be a professional writer, podcasts prove that not everyone should work in radio.

But that really shouldn’t keep folks from trying. What I consider time-wasting dreck, another may find compelling, hilarious or otherwise entertaining. That really is the beauty if the cheap distribution enabled by the web – you don’t need something that’s massively commercially viable to be a success at something.

There are, however, some podcasts that really have no business existing. Case in point: Foxcasts. Now, here’s a compelling idea – a brief podcast about the TV shows carried by Fox, including personal favorites The Simpsons and Family Guy. I imagined I’d be listening to the equivalent of a DVD commentary, or get some of the cool “Did you catch this?” things often found on fan sites and in companion books. Instead, I got a three-minute synopsis of the episode that actually told me everything that happened. I mean, if it were just a commercial with teaser info, I can get sort of get down with that (but it would still tick me off that they had the balls to call a commercial a podcast), but it actually contained what you may consider “spoiler” material.

Fox has done something that really makes them look cool and savvy on the surface. Podcasting is all the rage and, but participating in it, they seem edgier and “with it”. Unfortunately, they just don’t “get it”. Scratch beneath that veneer and you see it’s the same old crap always foisted on us by balding entertainment execs who pierce their ears and grow out there hair to “get in touch with today’s youth culture.”

Fox had an opportunity to do something extremely cool. The idea of little “DVD extras” available online as a companion to the shows they produce is a fantastic idea. I’d *love* to hear behidn the scenes stuff about certain episodes, or hear Seth McFarland talk about his inspirations for certain storylines. And, granted, I don’t want to hear about this for *every* show out there, but there are a few that would be cool. And not everyone cares about such DVD extras. Then again, those aren’t the folks who’d visit the Fox website looking for them.

So, Fox: You have a chance to redeem yourself here. Rather than have your smarmy intern read the episode synopses every week, have him throw in some interesting tid bits about the show, the actors, the writers, etc. Have him include interview soundbites from the creators or, for that matter, rabid fans. Give us more than your marketing speal. These Foxcasts, while cheap, can’t be free, and I don’t know of a single company that is willing to waste money, no matter how little it’s perceived to be. You clearly put some time and thought into making this idea a reality, you just blew it on the execution. It’s not too late to prove you’re more than a bunch of corporate robots. You wouldn’t bother with “Foxcasts” if you didn’t want to reach out to the fans in some way. Summarizing the plot lines is not the right way.

I posted the following on Craig’s List yesterday:

Looking for a few good Geeks

I have recently had to turn down a lot of contracting work because I simply don’t have the time to take it all on. As much as I enjoy writing code for new web sites, I’m really far more interested in the architecture, client interaction and business-side of things these days. What I need are a few good geeks to whom I can pass off a lot of the coding work on a contract basis to help free up my schedule and increase the amount of work that can get done. I’m looking for the following skills:

• Experience coding in the LAMP suite (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Perl). Every site I build uses this, and I’m rather persnickety about it.
• Solid HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Knowledge of what the kids call “AJAX” is also handy, but not required.
• Self starters who can accurately estimate the time it takes for them to do something and meet (or beat!) a deadline.
• Decent technical writing skills plus copious code comments. Everything you write will have to eventually be maintained by someone else. Make sure it makes sense.

I’m seeking folks from all walks of life with all levels of experience. I prefer that you live in the East Bay of San Francisco (or can, at least, get there easily) since I prefer face-to-face meetings when they can be managed. If you have some but not all of the skills above, don’t be afraid to apply – some of this work would be ideal for someone trying to get their foot in the door. I’m happy to be a mentor and help you along your way.

I’m looking primarily for coders and graphic designers, here. I’ll find the clients, handle the marketing, collect the bills, send out the paychecks, gather the requirements and lay down the basic architecture. I’ll even still do some of the coding myself. You’ll take on the rest.

If you’re interested, send your resume in PDF or plain text format as well as a cover letter describing your experience, what type of work most interests you, some examples of your work (if you don’t have any, explain why) and where you want to go with your skills to the email address supplied above. Thanks! Rob Z.

The response so far has been pretty decent, but also surprising. I’ve received a number of emails from companies that outsource overseas (an option I’ve considered, but I tend to prefer working with folks I can actually see) as well as a lot of companies who, quite frankly, would be my competitors. That surprises me.

Most of the individuals who have written so far seem pretty talented and qualified. I’m essentially trying to build a good “go-to” team for my contracting work so that I can take a bit more on and focus on the parts I’m growing my interests in, such as marketing, sales and building a business. I still plan on doing a lot of the coding myself and such, but I want somewhere to send the overflow.

If you’re interested in being considered for the Z-Team (I’m not really calling it that – it’s more my own mental mneumonic) drop me a line with the info requested above.

Yes, those are Google ads you now see on the site. Yes, I actually *do* sort of need the money. No, I don’t really feel they do anything to affect the fine quality content you’ve come to expect from RobZazueta.com (it’s not like I’m going to start focusing on asbestos or anything). Like many things on this site, it’s part of a small experiment that will, hopefully, generate a meager income and help this thing finally pay for itself.

If you really feel they get in the way, let me know.

Also, if you’re wondering why I removed the SF Smart Mob sign up… well… Not much interest these days. I’m still coming to grips with that whole experience, so I’ll post my thoughts and feelings on it soon.

I’m still building it, but I figured I’d let you, my oh-so-fanatical and loyal readers, check out the latest and greatest on my plate:

Wine Spotter!

Do you love wine? Do you like wine? Do you… y’know… like like wine? Wine Spotter is the first community wine journal of its kind (I swear, I Googled it). Rather than listen to what some self-proclaimed “wine expert” thinks, you get the chance to write your own reviews, keep track of the wines you’ve had and the impressions they’ve left on you and see what other wines may appeal to your tastes.

Imagine it – a community of folks who love wine, who want to share their experiences with one another and help others discover this wonderful world. Wine lovers of all grades – from the snootiest snob to the newest newbie – are encouraged to share their experiences and learn from one another.

But not yet.

See, I’m building this baby in my “spare time”, which we all know is some mythical era like “the good ol’ days” or “yor”. As with most sites, it’s under constant construction. Unlike most sites, however, the fundamentals are still being built. As a result, membership is currently only available by invitation. So, I’m looking for a few good… people… to help me “kick the tires” on it. Here are the requirements:

• You must enjoy wine. You don’t have to be a connoisseur, nor do you have to be an alcoholic. You just have to be someone who enjoys drinking a good glass of wine now and then
• You have to be willing to put up with what may potentially be a buggy site. You are a true Pioneer, which means you get to land grab and get your notes bubbled to the top, but it also means you’ll have some hardship. Just be patient and super-communicative with me when something goes wrong.
• You have to actually use it. That means that, if you currently keep notes on the wines you drink, I request that you double-enter your notes into this system. Of course, if you don’t currently keep such notes but have been looking for an excuse to start, this is it.
• You must be opinionated. Seriously, I’m not all that interested in hearing, “Wow, what a great site!” quite yet. Right now I want to hear, “Not bad, but I found an error here, a typo here, I’d change this form here…” etc. Be a royal pain in my butt. Tell me where I’ve gone wrong and where the site can improve. Of course, you can also feel free to tell me what I got right once in a while. I do have feelings, you know.

If you want to be one of these fantastic people (whom I call “Pioneers”) please drop me a line and let me know a) why you want to be a part of this, b) your experience with wine (like I said, I’m not looking for wine experts, just wine appreciators) and c) what you hope to get out of the site. This is really a terrific opportunity to get in early on a new online community and have a real effect in making it grow. Imagine being one of the first members of Flickr or My Spaces! It’s your shot at web community glory!

Or, y’know, just a really cool place to learn and talk about wine. Check it out!

You know I’m an acolyte of Seth Godin. I recently read his book All Marketers are Liars which is premised on the idea that all marketing is intended to tell a story. Sometimes it’s about the product a company is selling, as evidenced in seed catalogs. Often times it’s about the company itself, which is often the case with wine producers.

When it comes to websites, this story should be extended throughout their design and content. Most sites at one time or another have attempted to sum up their story in an “About Us” page. The links to these pages are often tucked away near the bottom of the navbar, reflecting their importance to the rest of the site. You may not always notice when they’re there, but lately I’ve been noticing when they’re not.

Case in point: Outrageous Logos. I saw these guys at a recent car show in Pleasanton. I really dug a lot of the stuff they had on display, but was with some folks who weren’t especially tolerant of my lollygagging. I saw they had a website, so I took their business card and told myself I’d look at the site later. I found the business card today. The site is still mostly under construction, which is OK in my eyes as it’s often better to have an incomplete web presence than none at all. The graphics on the site, like those I saw at the show, are fun and full of character. I got to thinking about who formed this company and why, so I looked for the “About Us” link.

No dice.

There is a short “Company” link which currently features caricatures of the principles, but no further information. This is a downright shame. I’m keeping the business card handy, and I’m certain I’ll give the site another look later on because I did like what I saw at the show and may consider using them for one of my projects, but if the site hasn’t improved much by then, I’ll probably toss out the card and never give them a second thought. This is assuming they remain memorable anough in my mind for me to want to make that next visit.

This happened on another site recently. I’d love to tell you the name of that site, the circumstances of my visit and why I was disappointed to not find an “About Us” link. Problem is I don’t remember anything about the site other than I was disappointed by the lack of information.

And that’s the takeaway here: Not everyone is going to visit your “About Us” link. You may feel like the story you put there is a waste of your time and effort, or just so much self-congratulatory preening. And, in some cases, that may be true. But the story you tell about your company, your products and yourself on that link, and throughout your site, may make the difference between being blogged about for your remarkability or being forgotten. It’s such a small, simple and cheap (practically free!) thing to do on your site, and it seems like more and more people are leaving it out. But your story is your company. Your story is you. Share your story at every opportunity. Not everyone will read it, but the few who do are the ones who matter most.

I’m almost positive it’s an indication of some mental deficiency and perversion that this article got me a little hot.

For the record, I don’t hang out by the high schools. Anymore.

You may have noticed that I tossed two new links up on the ol’ link blog today. The first is to a scuba supplies page for diving slates. Seeing as I’m not a diver, this may sound like an odd thing for me to care about.

My interest stems in a long standing problem I’ve had, one I’m sure you share. I’m a total idea rat, constantly playing with concepts and things in my head. It is, in fact, how I spend my idle mental CPU cycles. My greatest moments of “ah-ha!” clarity usually occur in the shower, when I’m sopping wet and have nothing to write with. I have been known to bolt out of a still-running shower to my den, streaming water throughout the house along the way, to write down or flesh out an idea. If I don’t write it down right away, it’s usually gone by the time I get to the “repeat” part of my shampooing cycle.

To keep from forgetting such ideas (and keep my poor wife from yelling at me about the soggy carpet) I’ve been looking for a way to record my ideas while still in the shower. The requirements for such a system are simple:

• The writing instrument (i.e. the pen or pencil) must be waterproof and able to write on wet surfaces while the water is running. It must also not wash away before it can be transferred to a permanent medium.
• The material being written upon must also be waterproof.
• The resulting writings must be legible
• IF the writing surface is, indeed, the very inside of my shower (which would probably be ideal), the stuff I’m writing with absolutely, positively must wash way completely when I want it to, but not a moment before.

To me, the obvious answer was to find some kind of “bath tub pen” that allows kids to scribble while they get clean. Looking around my local toy stores, however, I couldn’t find anything like it (FYI – it looks like Crayola offers something like this. It’s possible that I was just looking in the wrong section).

It’s been on my todo list for a while to find a solution to this problem and, today, I finally remembered to run a quickie Google search on “waterproof notes”. That search turned up a thread at the wonderful David Allen website with like-minded folks discussing the exact same thing. One of the folks on there very early in the discussion pointed out that there’s already a solution developed by a group of folks who have long struggled with this problem: Scuba divers. For about $10, you can get an 8.5″x11″ slate and waterproof pencil used by dive instructors in an environment far less forgiving for taking notes than the shower – under the sea (cue music). This the same forum, by the way, where someone mentioned the Crayolas.

So, having heard this, you’d think the rest of the posters would slap the two message writers on the back, praising their elegant solution to a tricky problem. You’d be wrong. While many did praise them, the discussion took a bizarre turn, discussing ideas for building waterproof PDAs or methods for keeping any variety of electronics (handhelds, laptops, voice recorders, etc.) near or in the shower and keeping them waterproofed.

Now, I love gadgetry of all kinds, I really do. But I love an elegant solution to a tricky problem even more. This is clearly a case of overthinking, leading to a solution that is so complex as to be almost 100 percent unreliable. Consider, for a moment, what should happen if the electronics being mentioned should fail for any reason. What if the waterproof housing began to leak, or the device got dropped in the shower or – as is apparently the case in most cell-phone repair requests, according to John Madden – dropped in the toilet? Then what? More importantly, what’s the return on investment on such a device? Probably zero if it loses all of your million dollar ideas.

For probably $500 you can get a waterproofed PDA that will eventually become obsolete and, potentially, damaged to the point of unusability. For $250 or so I’ll bet you can get a waterproofed voice recorder that has the same risks. Or, for about $10 you can get a writing surface and a pencil that will never become obsolete, never stop working no matter how much water gets on it and record all of your ideas as faithfully as you can write them. For just about $5 you can get a set of multi-colored crayons that offer the same benefits. Now, tell me – which of these sounds like the best investment?

For extra credit, compare the cost, risks and benefits of owning a PDA – any PDA – with that of the simple Hipster PDA. In my eyes, the only things a digial PDA offers over the analog version is rapid digitalization and ubiquitous web access, assuming you buy a PDA with 802.11b/g built in (or EVDO or cell service… you get the idea). The ubiquitous web part is actually compelling enough for me to want to buy one, but I’d be willing to bet that I continue to use my Hipster PDA for tracking the vital stuff. Like I said, I love gadgets, but I love an elegant solution even more.

Random web searching today turned up this item about a bug that will eat a fish’s tounge and replace it with itself, apparently to feed off of whatever the fish eats. Man, knock this up with the mind controlling parasites mentioned over on Slashdot a couple of weeks back and it really makes one want to hermetically seal one’s self in one’s house.

Full Disclosure: A while back, when I first got into this whole marketing gig, I decided to learn as much as I could about my new industry by reading stuff from some ofs luminaries. At the time, I had heard a lot about Seth Godin and figured I should start with him. Since then, I really haven’t strayed too far past him. When it comes to brilliant, mind-shaking ideas presented in a digestible, friendly manner, I truly feel Seth is the king. One of these days, I’ll actually sit down and work out what it is that makes his writing so great so that I can learn how to apply it myself. In the meantime, I’m too busy caught up in digesting the ideas he presents.

So, back to the disclosure… He mentioned on his blog one day that his next book would be available for free through something called BzzAgent, which is a site where you can sign up and, essentially, receive free stuff in exchange for talking it up – good OR bad – to the community at large. Both my wife and I immediately signed up. Since then, we’ve received a lot of cool things that are fairly well targeted to our interests that we’ve buzzed, both good and bad, to everyone we know.

I tell you all of this because I just got my latest BzzAgent package, and you’re about to be buzzed.

Not too long ago, Seth announced a new publication by “The Group of 33″ titled The Big Moo. It’s meant to be an adjunct to his book “The Purple Cow” defining ways to make you and your company, organization, whetever remarkable. The Big Moo is, in itself, remarkable for the following reasons:

• It’s written by 33 people, all of whom are named on the front cover, none of whom have direct by-lines on their contributions. Thus, part of the fun in this book is guessing who wrotoe what (more on that later).
• It’s not yet available for purchase. It will be available for purchase by the public on October 20, 2005. What I have is a galley print – a sort of beta copy that editors use to proof the book, correct any mistakes in printing and get a feel for what the final will look like. This is actually a pretty nice galley compared to ones I’ve had in the past, but I think the idea of spreading the word through galleys not only to book reviewers but to “influencer” as well, like Seth and his team have done, is nothing short of brilliant.
• It’s got a picture of a purple cow on the cover. You must repect anything with a picture of a purple cow on the cover.

So, having literally *just* received it, I haven’t had much of a chance to relly read too much of it. But I already have two guesses as to who wrote what: I believe the chapter titled “They Say I’m Extreme” is by Tom Peters (it’s written in short, declarative, go-get-’em sentences, much like his typical writing) and the chapter titled “Ten Things Smart Start-Ups Know” is by Guy Kawasaki (He tends to write in short information-packed paragraphs that make for easy reading, reference and remembering, much like this chapter).

I’m tremendously excited to finally have this baby in my hot little hands. I’ve been Charlie Brown on Valentine’s Day, waiting by the mailbox for something -anything – to arrive. The difference is I got my Valentine. Seth Godin and his gang choo-choo-choose me.

So, I’m thinking of having a little contest. When this baby goes public, get yourself a copy and start your guessing. If you’re interested in participating, send me a quick email and I’ll set up an area right here on this site for your guesses. Let’s see how smart the RZ.com reading audience is!