Blogtalkradio thoughts

So the first live version of the TV, eh? podcast is available now - see the player on the sidebar, subscribe via the iTunes store, or subscribe with any other program via the TV, Eh? feed. I won't dissect the show itself, assuming if you're interested you'll listen, but here's some initial thoughts on the Blogtalkradio system.

1. Live. Eek. Scary. Need cohost so I'm never talking by myself. Still in shock. Writing like Hulk now.
   
2. Did I mention I need a cohost? Or at least technical manager. There's a lot going on behind the scenes. I wanted to keep an eye on the chatroom because people were addressing me and/or the guests in there and that should be as valid a form of participation as calling in. Plus you have to be paying attention to one corner of one screen to see if a caller is on the line, which is really easy to overlook if you're monitoring the chatroom or, you know, listening or talking to your guest. Maybe I just have a puny brain, but it was too distracting to be listening/talking/reading/monitoring all at the same time. If someone else were leading the conversation, or taking care of the behind the scenes stuff, it would free up some room in my brain's harddrive.
   
3. Given a cohost or behind the scenes person, it would be great if Blogtalkradio would introduce a call screening function. You can see the phone numbers of who's calling in, (foiled with Skype, call display blocking, or calling cards, however), but it was painfully obvious I didn't know if it was a guest calling in or a random listener. And if it ever is a random listener, it would be nice if you could pre-screen without cutting into a guest conversation to know they've got something relevant to say.
   
4. I'm sure I'll have more to say on the Blogtalkradio system when I'm more familiar with it, but so far it's really easy to use and makes this podcasting thing so much easier than the "old-fashioned" way I was doing before.
   

Cohost positions are vacant, if you haven't picked up on the hint. Doesn't have to be every week, but it would mean sticking around for a whole show and helping out with the conversation or helping out with the techie stuff (and that role would mean you don't even have to care about Canadian TV). It might also mean I wouldn't have to cancel a week if I weren't available.