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TWiT in on the way out?

twit.tv — Leo LaPorte hints that the flagship show of the TWiT network may end soon.

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  • temporal, on 10/12/2007, -20/+121damn typo
    • fusionFactor, on 10/12/2007, -209/+22See what happens when you try to differentiate yourself from the crowd (changing to "netcasting")? Let this be a lesson to you all. Call them podcasts...or perish!
    • FishyJoe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+392Do Patrick and John even realize that the only reason anyone knows about dl.tv or cranky geeks is because of TWiT? How many podcasts would be in the dumper if not for the free publicity that TWiT gave them. This even goes for digg. I found out about digg from TWiT as did many others.
    • diggapleaze, on 10/12/2007, -1/+223you are absolutely right about that.

      I heard about YouTube, Digg, and plenty others first on TWiT. The influence TWiT has over the tech community is incalculable. It would be a dirty shame if Leo cancels TWiT.
    • MikeCerm, on 10/12/2007, -13/+267dvorak.org/blog
    • Zippo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+89Say it ain't so, Leo... say it ain't so. :(
    • texpundit, on 10/12/2007, -67/+10"This even goes for digg. I found out about digg from TWiT as did many others."

      I honestly can't even remember where I found out about Digg. I think it might have been from a TechCrunch post.
    • CTRaider, on 10/12/2007, -3/+60@FishyJoe.
      I agree, BUT...It comes down to the fact that the show IS: Leo, Kevin, Patrick, Dvorak and the guys need to get their heads out of their asses and show up.
    • godsfilth, on 10/12/2007, -34/+4the main draw of the show may be Kevin (when was he there last) Dvorak Leo and Patrick but they have their own stuff too and the entire twit network seems to be having some issues in my opinion anyway shows are late (security now) shorter on actual content (last couple of twit's, security now) and all around kinda getting stale

      though windows weekly is bad but its also new so cant be stale yet
    • cypher35, on 10/12/2007, -4/+81"the main draw of the show may be Kevin"

      Who gives a ***** if Kevin is there? I personally prefer it when he is not. All he ever does on the show is plug Digg, Rev3, or some news item relating to him. And when he's not, he still doesn't add anything useful. The show has gotten along just fine without him since he stopped being a regular.

      Dvorak and Leo are the real reasons i tune in each week.
    • Darxide, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14Common Leo Dont Leave us hangin'. If TWiT gets shut down I'll have nothing to do at work on mondays :(
    • jtjenn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I found out about Digg from TWIT too. It also led me to Diggnation, Buzz Out Loud, everything on Rev3 and many other podcasts and sites. Leo can not give up on something this awesome.
    • splatnik, on 10/12/2007, -0/+38Man, shot off an angry email to DL.TV complaining to Patrick and Robert about this mess and ended up recieving a phone call back today (that's what happens when you put a number in your signature).

      Patrick was super cool on the phone and explained that it was just a mixup between them all. They thought leo was already on his cruise and that it wouldn't be a problem to miss this week. Apparently leo got the wrong impression and jumped to the horrendous conclusion that twit was done because these guys were bailing. His post was premature and it wasn't because there was some sort of talent mutany.

      BTW, Patrick Norton was super friendly on the phone and it was really cool that he would take the time to speak with one of his listeners personally like that. Mad props to the guys at DL.TV and twit....
  • 23r17i05o42n, on 10/12/2007, -10/+236Holy crap, I hope it doesn't go away.
    • kingfoot, on 10/12/2007, -82/+21noooooo! leo can't go away. he's the reason i started liking computers!!!! DAMN YOU g4 AND YOUR ***** ON THE LIL GUY!
    • dotuplink, on 10/12/2007, -45/+31First it was The Screen Savers..
      Now this!
    • diggapleaze, on 10/12/2007, -71/+17I posted this in the other front page story, sorry for the dupe, but i feel it's really important:

      What the hell?

      Guys, seriously, I know a bunch of you are TWiT fans...someone start up a TWiT donation page and let's show Leo how much the podcast means to us.

      https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr
      Donate here^^

      And send Leo an email with the subject: "Why I donated..."
      Tell him how much you've donated, and that you specifically want it to promote This Week in Tech.

      If enough of us rally around it we might change his mood about things!
    • seventoes, on 10/12/2007, -2/+27Yeah.. we cant donate without an email to donate to..
    • recipher, on 10/12/2007, -1/+56leo (at) leoville.com is his address. There is also a button that goes directly to the Paypal page from http://twit.tv
    • diggapleaze, on 10/12/2007, -8/+83OK guys, I hate to see I'm being dugg down for my suggestion, but here goes anyway:

      The Official Save TWiT Blog
      http://savetwit.wordpress.com/2006/10/23/save-twit/

      Spread the word! Donate to Leo, email him, leave comments on the TWiT site! We gotta do something!
    • leonbev, on 10/12/2007, -12/+42Wow, I bet that the sponsors and donating subscribers are *****. They're paying good money for this show, and Leo isn't making good on his contract. If the sponsors pull out of their flagship show, the whole TWiT network as a whole might be in trouble.
    • FishyJoe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+49Don't just contact Leo. Contact all the people that benefitted from TWiT. Digg, dl.tv, cranky geeks and many others benefitted from the free publicity they got from TWiT. Don't let them forget it.
    • MrLobster, on 10/12/2007, -3/+23Leo's just having a bad day. He may change the show a bit and maybe he should but I don't think he'll seriously pull the plug.
    • titanass, on 10/12/2007, -27/+2I stopped listening to Twit about 4 months ago just after they abandonded the videocasts idea. The show became a John and Leo bitch and moan fest. I still watch DL.tv diggnation and have picked up on geekdrome. all because they are actual tv shows not just netcasts.
    • PurpleNurple, on 10/12/2007, -12/+22I've been a monthly subscriber since RTSS. TWiT has gone down hill. I haven't enjoyed listening to it as much lately. The guests have lost their enthusiasm lately. It just doesn't have the energy/momentum it started with.

      Leo has done a great job, but things can't last forever. Things change, people grow, people move on. I'm not putting any pressure on Leo to do something he doesn't want to do. TWiT was awesome because hosts and guests wanted to do it. It really came through on the end product. Now that they don't want to do it anymore, that comes through on the end product as well. We fans/subscribers can't change what's in the participant's hearts.

      Personally, I'll continue to support the TWiT network through my monthly subscription as long as they produce shows I enjoy. It's the best $2/month I spend. Security Now is excellent, and I'm really looking forward to This Week in Law.

      I'd like to point my finger at all the leeches a little. I read somewhere that only 2% of listeners donated to TWiT. Come on folks, $2/month? If the fans who supposedly love the content won't pony up the pittance that Leo's asking for, can you really blame the guys for loosing interest?
  • digitalvision, on 10/12/2007, -7/+137Nothing would hurt the podcast/netcast community more - it's the ultimate ammo for naysayers about podcasting. It would be a sad day to see it go, but it records on a Sunday (I've never gotten anyone to do anything professional on a Sunday, so the fact they're having trouble getting folks together isn't surprising). I also think the whole Twit-network concept is very shaky if the flagship goes away - but, there are other alternatives like DL.TV and cnet.

    If Leos' having that much trouble with the infrastructure all on his lonesome (which wouldn't be surprising, I can only imagine it is a ton of work), maybe the DLTV and the TWIT folks should consider joining up together. Dvorak, Heron and Norton are already there and they produce good content... I know absolutely nothing and could be wrong for a myriad of reasons I don't even know, I'm just theorizing in my underwear as the electronic peanut gallery.
    • temporal, on 10/12/2007, -5/+139My theory is that Leo's whole network has gotten too big too fast and that this is a symptom of that. If there were a core of maybe 5 shows rather than the dozen plus shotgun approach things might be better.
    • chrisgeleven, on 10/12/2007, -3/+108Man this is a shocker.

      I agree that perhaps the TWiT network grew way too fast. After all, there are only so many hours a week, so many guests/co-hosts, and only so many tech topics to cover.

      For example, if there is a major security flaw related to Windows, it could in theory be covered by 3 of the TWiT network shows in one week (TWiT, Security Now, and Windows Weekly). Likewise any Mac announcement can easily be covered by 3 or 4 of the shows on the network (TWiT, TWiM, Macbreak Weekly, Macbreak video). With many of the TWiT co-hosts/guests participating in the other shows, there is only so many times you can hear the same opinions.

      I think that they need to rotate the guest list more often. More diverse opinions are always good.

      I don't think they should end TWiT though. That is their prime attraction, one of the best podcasts (eh, netcasts) out there, and the gateway show for all of their other shows.
    • neoporcupine, on 10/12/2007, -12/+100To me it sounds like Leo is having a grumpy day because his friends aren't turning up and he is chucking a hissy fit and threatening to close it all down. Some sleep, a coffee and all will be well. He should just have a pool of people to call upon. Most people should be up for chatting for an hour (+ some minor skype setup time).
    • TenebrousX, on 10/12/2007, -5/+19especially since now (since Leo started doing ads) they are getting paid for it
    • seemsArtless, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9Leo had some good advice over one of the U.S. holidays (Flag Day? President's Day?): listen to some of the other podcasts at twit.tv... I've found Floss Weekly and the Bio-tech podcasts great -- in my opinion WAY better than Twit. These two other podcasts make you realize just how light, and speculative Twit is. I also think they play to Leo's strength as an 'everyman' like us just trying to figure out the GPL, etc... I'd hate to see Twit go, sure, but if it meant he would add really good podcasts like the other two, I'd accept that.
    • GraceMolloy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10------------------
      maybe the DLTV and the TWIT folks should consider joining up together
      ------------------

      Leo doesn't want to give Ziff Davis the satisfaction. Nor can anyone blame him.

      Not that I wouldn't LOVE to see it.
  • SlashNot, on 10/12/2007, -6/+62That seems a bit of a drastic move just because the next few weeks will have no twit.

    "I'll decide what happens to TWiT, the show, when I come back, but at this point it looks like it's on life support and the heart monitor is flatlining."

    But that doesnt come across very good. Maybe we are just taking it out of context?
    • Nothlit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+65The two-week break is not what he's talking about. I think Leo's had a hard time herding all the TWiT "regulars" into doing a show every Sunday for a while now, it just hasn't been noticeable to us because he's good at getting guest hosts to fill in, etc. I think Leo just needs to realize that if these guys don't share his dedication to the show, he needs to find different co-hosts who do. I'm not saying he should fire these guys, but if they don't want to do TWiT every week, then get a rotation going so they don't have to do TWiT every week!
    • usherzx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8@Nothlit
      You are exactly right.
  • Justin6512, on 10/12/2007, -3/+29it's gotta be the most commonly known tech (audio) podcast, I hope it doesn't go away!
  • BPShirase, on 10/12/2007, -14/+8well that's a shame....
  • Klisk, on 10/12/2007, -33/+10Maybe it just means he plans to do something even bigger for netcasting.

    I hope.
    • Klisk, on 10/12/2007, -19/+4I got modded for saying something POSITIVE?

      Weird.
  • aleahey, on 10/12/2007, -25/+6They could just cut it back to a manageable amount of time, like maybe ~40 minutes.
  • porplem, on 10/12/2007, -5/+70That would suck. I've been listening since the first episode of "Return of The Screen Savers".
    • adml_shake, on 10/12/2007, -2/+23I feel you....I still have the first one on my PC. Wow, it was bad enough losing TechTV...now this too? I mean is he just sick of doing it? Can't get the guests? The regulars arn't on so he just figures he's gonna bail? I mean what the hell is going on? TWIT is the only podcast on that network that I listen too.
    • Nothlit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+21The problem seems to be that the co-hosts don't share Leo's fierce dedication to the show, and that's discouraging for him. It's not that Leo is flagging, it's that Dvorak et al. seem to be losing interest.
  • hayovrheerz, on 10/12/2007, -56/+4I think he's only talking about TWiT being off the air for a little while while he's on the cruise. His absence this week and the next one explains TWiT being on life support.

    Buried as inaccurate.
    • AZTriGuy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+39Um, when Leo says:

      "I'll decide what happens to TWiT, the show, when I come back, but at this point it looks like it's on life support and the heart monitor is flatlining."

      That sounds pretty damn accurate to me. He'll decide what happens when he gets back in two weeks, why would he decide what happens if the show was safe? And being on life support with a flatlining heart monitor sure sounds like evidence of "dying" to me. Buried your comment, which it had an option for "inaccurate".
  • mesostinky, on 10/12/2007, -7/+42WTF?! Nooooo. I love TWiT!

    Leo said

    "At this point I have a couple of choices. I could re-cast the show with people who will actually show up, but is it a TWiT without Patrick and John? "

    Get somebody to invest in TWit and pay John and Patrick to be available. There is still plently of VC money out there and if the #1 netcasting show can't make it then no one can. That or replace them. I love both of them but there are plently of other fish in the sea and it's more important that TWiT lives on as opposed to keeping Patrick and John on board. Here's a hint Leo, we love the rest of the hosts but YOU are TWiT. Don't ever forget that.
    • adml_shake, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18Hey these guys are both busy....they can't be there for every episode and there are going to be stretches where they can't show up. So what? You have pleanty of other people who are more than willing to show up and fill in the spots. And yes, it can be a twit with out Pat or John. And you can't dump the show with out havnig megan on at least once! I really hope he reads this and sees how upset people are going to be.
    • regeya, on 10/12/2007, -14/+20Patrick would be a big loss. John was a giant among men in the 80s and early 90s, but really, are there any regular TWiT listeners who see John as anything other than the crabby old bastard that ***** in everyone's Cheerios?

      Good riddance, I say, if he doesn't come back.
    • wesball, on 10/12/2007, -4/+36John is an important aspect to the show.

      Like him or hate him, I think he rounds out TWiT's cast of unique characters.

      Every show needs a curmudgeon.

    • MrObjectional, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11John is the one with the history to give effective commentary on the business side of things. He's always remembering old products or the dot-com bubble or whatever in so much more detail and is able to use this to make sound (though sometimes wrong) predictions. He really is the reality check for the business perspective, and in an industry so fast-paced and extravagant, he plays an important role for the show. Personally I think he's my fave TWiT to listen to.
    • GraceMolloy, on 10/12/2007, -6/+7I personally would weep more over the loss of Patrick. That said, he's already paying them $500 a week if they show up.

      I mean seriously, $500, for maybe 2 hours of "work". I'll take that deal ANY DAY.
    • mike32716, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7These guys are not THAT busy! it only takes 80 minutes or so to do a show which can be called in from ANYWHERE. And it seems that Leo is setting the topic agenda so its not like these guys are doing any research beforehand.
  • DEEZED, on 10/12/2007, -52/+8Its an ok show, but it tends to drag on. Leo and John are just getting too old, and they don't have the ability to keep up with the ever changing technology. Time to pass on the torch.

    Diggnation is the best podcast hands down
    • alex.will, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16Uh, Prager, you do realize that we can see you dugg that comment (with it's anti-Leo/Dvorak content) right? I thought you were a TWiT dude!
    • schwegler, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I remember seeing Kevin on the Tom Greene show a while ago... and I remember him playing the dumb card about TWiT.

      Kevin would be still a greasy hacker if it wasn't for TechTV... Leo... and the others. So, REv3 is now dead to me.

      And sure it may have been a joke... but in bad taste sir.
    • schwegler, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Oh, I almost forgot... Diggnation ignores every Leo-involved story that gets massive diggs.
    • steamedlice, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Diggnation? What are you talking about? Two drunks rambling about whatever crap people submit to them vs. Leo's funny, fast-moving and always interesting podcasts? You have gotta be kidding... if you aren't, there is no hope for the future.
  • n8zgr8, on 10/12/2007, -6/+13Please say it isn't so. I have enjoyed Leo and gang for a very long time and this is great asset to the tech world...
  • glumgaygeek4god, on 10/12/2007, -13/+4if TWiT goes away, i'll be even glummer :-(
  • saxjazman9, on 10/12/2007, -3/+16I think you're right, it did grow too fast, I think at this point Leo needs to learn how to delegate this out. He needs a big list and people who want to be on the show. He should tap the local universities of students out there who are trying to get into broadcasting, use them as free cheap labor allowing him to sit back and do what he does best, meet, greet and build a bigger network.

    Just a thought. I think he takes on too much and gets stretched too thin. He's got a great thing going, its just time to get it to the next step.
  • AZTriGuy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+30He's got 13 pod . . . uh, netcasts in the TWiT network now. I think he's diluted himself too much between all of those. Rather than adding new ones for each individual listening group (Mac, PC, Law, Security, BioTech, Media), stick with your core tech audience as a whole. TWiT is by far my favorite podcast, always starts my week on the right note. I'll listen to This Week in Law to give it a chance (since it loaded in instead of TWiT this week), but personally I don't think it will interest me that much.
    • TheTSArt, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4What does this have to do with diluting himself? If he just stuck with the TWiT podcast, we wouldn't have anything at all because the cast isn't showing up.
  • ckr4282, on 10/12/2007, -15/+2I sure ***** hope not. It would be cool if Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht could join.
  • MobbyG, on 10/12/2007, -13/+3Maybe a more informal relaxed setting is what's needed? Do it in a bar or cafe while havign a drink or 2 and be more relaxed. Like friends hanging out.

    I hope Leo can do something.
  • wfmk, on 10/12/2007, -9/+23Devastated. TWiT was the pod/netcast that got me into pod/netcasts.

    I do hope they come back, although the last few seem to have lacked inspiration from the panellists, especially Dvorak.

    Maybe there's been a falling out? I noticed a veiled dig against Dvorak from Leo and Paul Thurrott during a recent Windows Weekly pod/netcast.

  • JorgeGonzalez, on 10/12/2007, -13/+4Is there any more info to this aside from his post on TWiT.tv? I'd like to know WHY he thinks its dying and what does that mean for all the other podcasts.

    From my point of view, it's not surprising. Myself and one of my co-workers were avid listeners since the first TWiT but not long after the infamous lasers episode, we both stopped listening. They had a string of bad shows and we never bothered with it again. Same for diggnation when the new site launched.

    Infected, though... pure awesomeness.
    • wisewaif, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Yeah, it's interesting. I've been listening to Twit since the beginning, but a couple of weeks ago I deleted TWit off my podcast list, and haven't missed it.

      I'm very happy with This Week in Media, though. It's excellent.
  • bennop, on 10/12/2007, -4/+28Twit was the first podcast I ever listened to. It introduced me to Digg, Delicious, YouTube, and the new web as I experience it. This show has tremendous value and it would be such a disappointment and loss if it went. However, its ironic that we would expect a product of the most rapidly changing marketplace/environment (the web) to remain the same, or remain around indefinitely.

    Things are only beautiful because they are impermanent.

    Twit is dead. Long live Twit.

    Here's hoping it stays around for longer though.
    • nstanosheck, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16Likewise I only found digg through TWIT. I wonder hom many others learned of Digg this way?
    • TheThing, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Man this was the first podcast I've listened to. It will be a shame if it dies. Like many others it led me to digg and other sites as well.
  • powerbook86, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13I hope they don't stop TWiT. I think they just need to have a break for a few weeks. This was the first podcast I listened to and it's basically the only one I keep track of. I think park of the problem is that Leo has too many podcasts to keep track of! I'm sure the others are good too but, TWiT is the only one I'm really interested in. I'd rather have no TWiT for a few weeks than no more TWiT. Maybe stop some of the other podcasts for a bit or, if Patrick and John can't appear on a show have someone else fill in. I mean I know everyone else has things to do but, it would still be nice if everyone could get together.

    TWiT will be missed very much if it dies, it's basically the only part of TechTV left.
  • UltimaNut, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11An another thing in the world changes....and not for the better.

    *sigh*

    Its like the whole G4 thing again.

    *in cartman voice*

    Dammit!
    • TheTSArt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7... and this time they can blame nobody but themselves. It's really ashame that Leo put so much work into it, helped put so many of them back on the map and then they just stop showing up.
  • justdot, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4"I'll decide what happens to TWiT, the SHOW, when I come back, but at this point it looks like it's on life support and the heart monitor is flatlining."

    I think he is talking about the show, not the network
    • telielio, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8I think you're right, the network seems to still be going strong (anyone catch the last macbreak weekly, it's freaking hillarious!).

      If there's two podcasts I look forward to every week, they're diggnation and this week in tech.
  • fydor, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13Bad idea getting rid of it. It is the show that gives all the others weight. A real shame if these clowns can't pull it together and come up with a way to share the show. It must be a "this show's become too big and I don't get enough out of it" thing.
    They should lead the way by putting even more, not less into it.
  • Crid, on 10/12/2007, -2/+20At a podcasting seminar in June, LaPorte made a number of comments to the effect that the Twit netcast was something that he does because it's expected of him. (Twit #58 was recorderd there, but the comment might not be in the show.) He didn't sound bitter about it, exactly. But let's face it, only Google has the power to do things for free. Several times we've heard Norton talking about how much he'd like to own a house someday. If we who enjoy these shows were will to put up a few pennies per episode, they'd never go away. And it wouldn't take very many pennies, either!
  • f00xx0riz3r, on 10/12/2007, -25/+2Honestly, that guy just sounds like a whiny bitch, but then again I have no idea what TWiT is all about.
  • wonky73, on 10/12/2007, -6/+31"
    Leo Laporte's picture
    Submitted by Leo Laporte on Mon, 2006-10-23 00:15

    It's not I who want to take a break. I'm here every week ready to record, edit, and post a show. I gladly put in more time on the show than all the other TWiTs put together, but if the other TWiTs decide not to show there's not much I can do about it.

    At this point I have a couple of choices. I could re-cast the show with people who will actually show up, but is it a TWiT without Patrick and John?

    Or I could put TWiT to rest and come up with something to replace it. Neither choice is desirable, especially since we have a sponsor who is paying to be on this show in particular, but frankly it's more than I can handle trying to keep this cast together.

    As I said, I'm going to defer a decision until I come back fromt the cruise.

    -- Leo Laporte, Chief TWiT
    "


    He doesn't seem to understand that twit is twit.tv. Without Twit the network dies and he's back to working for someone else.
    • xinul, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3spoiler he already does work for someone else... they all do they are not making livings off this.
  • kyleknutson, on 10/12/2007, -12/+6I think he has been waiting around to cash in on the network - and it hasn't happened yet. The show has become nothing more than some inaccurate predictions and a venue for self-promotion. It will go away, and someone else will come uo with something better.
  • AlexMarar, on 10/12/2007, -22/+3Why do people even give him money!
  • Jeffrey903, on 10/12/2007, -6/+30I don't buy this. The following people have all been on one of the past 3 TWiT's (71, 72, or 73):
    John C. Dvorak
    Alex Lindsay
    Wil Harris
    Jerry E. Pournelle
    David Prager
    Patrick Norton
    Paul Thurrot
    Steve Gibson
    Alex Lindsay
    Scott Bourne
    Doug Kaye
    Denise Howell
    Martin Sargent

    That doesn't include Leo, but out of those 13 people, Leo can't find 2 or 3 of them to do TWiT with? I find that hard to believe. Also, this is just 1 instance in a long time since when there hasn't been a TWiT. There never would've been an episode next week because of the Leo's cruise. I personally don't think 1 missed episode is cause for alarm.

    That being said, I would be very sad if TWiT was stopped.
    • JJP0223, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Yes, you are right, but we don't know if Leo was receiving resistance from these people to be on the show.
    • jccalhoun, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3That includes the one they did at a podcast convention and had a million guest hosts. I don't think for example that Martin Sargeant has ever been a guest for a whole episode.
  • kenshabby, on 10/12/2007, -4/+17I used to be a huge fan of this show.

    I think this lack of inspiration by the panelists has been happening gradually for months. The humor seems forced most of the time, and its become too conservative of a show. I used to really get the idea that these guys were enjoying themselves shooting the ***** about tech. Now they are just any old panelists - with John forcing "controversy" and Patrick being a completely whiny waste of airtime. Is it me? or just he just complain about everything?

    I'd get him out in a big hurry -

    Leo Laporte made his entire career because of the screensavers - and he acts like being on the show is a big pain in his ass.

    I like the idea posted above about bringing in fresh meat - and making NEW talent. Bring back the crowd favorites from time to time - but forget about needing them every week.

    Long live TWiT
    • Raian, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I completely agree with you-- although John Dvorak is a good addition, his role does seem a little cliché at times... And does anyone like Patrick Norton? He seems like a such a jack-ass at times it becomes difficult to listen to.

      Leo would be just as well served to have guests from the audience-- there are a lot of intelligent people, working in technology who would bring unique perspectives to the show without the cliché, pretentious attitudes of some of the hosts.

      It's time for the show to either grow or die-- and I think Leo can't be afraid of letting "personalities" do their thing and strive forward with what twit is really about: tech.
    • pantload, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I completely agree with the characterization of Patrick Norton as whiny. Sometimes it's really overbearing and he rarely has any relevant observations about anything. I much prefer it when he's not around.
  • marcus_r, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10I started listening to Leo's podcast when it was still known as The Return of the S***** S***** and I even donated to support what was once a great show. When it started, there was so much enthusiasm. They tried recorded .mp3s for viewer calls, even offered up incentives for goodies from the cast (the infamous box of crap comes to mind)... after a while, at around 50 or so episodes, you can tell that it just was not the same anymore. It was as though the show became of victim of it's own success, and everything Leo had in mind to do never was able to reach fruition... and as opposed to developing TWiT, he started tertiary podcasts that were really unnecessary. It was as though TWiT was fragmenting into other shows "just because" and with that, shows like Diggnation, DL, Cranky Geeks, and so on started picking up steam from the former fans of TWiT who preferred some of the (former) TWiT personalities. With all that said, I haven't listened to TWiT in months. I check every now and again, but I never hear of the exhuberance that used to be TWiT. If it's really going down... maybe it's for the best, before Leo gets too burned out with the notion of podcasting. He will always have a place in my mind as a pioneer, but he needs to pick up the pieces and do something fresh again.
  • Crid, on 10/12/2007, -11/+3What's the source of these Leo quotes people are posting?
    • JnOrris, on 10/12/2007, -14/+2the multiple twit sites, if you read closely you can find them.
    • LordRahl72, on 10/12/2007, -7/+9Those that are posting these quotes from the private forum should be ashamed of themselves.
    • jccalhoun, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7It is from the TWit.tv main page, but also from the TWiT forums which the terms of service say that you cannot repost any of the information from that site on other sites. So the people posting that infor are just asking for a baninnation...
    • alex.will, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7JnOrris has been banned. Teaches you to ALWAYS read the TOS.
  • sodypop, on 10/12/2007, -33/+3who cares, leo's a tool.
  • kingygk, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Say it isnt so. Twit is great. I started with TWIT from the first episode. Its great.
  • diggn_it, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9IF TWIT goes, im not sure what Im going to do with podcasts. Right now, I subscribe to about 8, but only two are necessary. one twit, and the other is Gamespot's podcast. If twit goes, its like one of the big five networks shutting down, except for me there are only two networks and a bunch of white noise. Keep it together leo, because if you go, then good tech podcasts in general may not be far behind.
  • offcenter, on 10/12/2007, -21/+2Leo and Co. need to bite the bullet: Put TWIT behind the $1 a show barrier, and start kicking some cash to Dvorak, Norton, etc.. They all _might_ have their pulse on industry --- regardless --- it's not arguable whether a good bull session on what's going on, done by industry regulars is _valuable_ -- it is.


    _Raise the price until it sells._
    • JnOrris, on 10/12/2007, -9/+35they are getting $500 a show.... thats 20K+ per year. for 2 hours of work a week, i wouldn't be complaining.
    • spudnic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11To put that into perspective, that's more than I earn working 9-5 5 days a week
  • troublein212, on 10/12/2007, -10/+1Seems odd in that he's hinting that the end of TWIT is imminent. Each week there seemed to be another high profile sponsor. Sorry to see TWIT go, but sure something else will step-up to fill its boots.
  • eliomar, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16i'm with Wonky, Twit is the heart of the network. Who cares about patrick and john, its all leo. Its always been about leo. i mean, he can have different people, we would understand, times change and so does the cast. But the show must go on for the sake of the network.

    i, like many, started with TWIT. Hell i knew nothing about Podcasting untill TWIT. i thought it was not possible. But it lies in that People like Leo. We are willing to sacrifice castmembers, just not the host and the show.
  • milkandcookies, on 10/12/2007, -9/+1Most of you are over reacting this is what leo life long dream is !!!
  • Spazkake, on 10/12/2007, -1/+23My first podcast, it introduced me to digg and diggnation!
    • greekgoat91, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10same here, it was around the time that iTunes introduced Podcasts. It introduced me to everything tech related. All I really knew about was Engadget. Then soon after I learned about TWiT, dl.tv, diggnation, and I eventually joined digg. TWiT is one of the reasons I got into tech culture.
  • johnnyrocket, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Seems to be a lot of this going around in the podcast world, podcast fatigue. Or podfading.

    Shows are dropping left and right, I've lost about 6 so far in a last month or so I used to subscribe to.

    The MSM is moving into the podcast world more and more, and maybe that's crowding the pioneers out, but it would be a real shame to lose a show like Twit.
  • _skin_, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4Its the end of the friggin world again... First TechTV and now this!!!?
  • crackhead, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15As far as I'm concerned, Leo makes TWiT what it is. Having Patrick on is OK, and Dvorak has own silly show. It's not like he adds anything to the discussion other than a bit of unintentional comic relief mixed with far too much bile. Leo has the most insight, is the most eloquent, and exhibits the more passion than any other TWiTs. It wouldn't matter to me one bit if they only showed up every once in a while...I'm sure there are plenty of other people who would love to be regulars on the most well known tech netcast with the largest audience.

    TWiT the show is now a brand, and it would be a poor business decision to just kill it.
  • Mark_DeRidder, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8Fod goodness sake, please don't cancel TWiT! I can't handle another Screensaver fiasco.
    -Mark
  • bpapa, on 10/12/2007, -9/+9Wow, this is pretty surprising! It'd be a shame for TWiT to die.

    On the bright side, it will hopefully be the death of the most retarded new tech word of 2006 - "netcast."
    • greekgoat91, on 10/12/2007, -8/+3netcast sounds better than podcast. I keep telling people about Podcasts, they know what they are but they all think that you need an iPod to listen to them. Microsoft should talk to Leo and through the term Netcast into the Zune and Vista. It would introduce a lot more people to "podcasts"
    • bpapa, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4Oh well. Too bad "podcast" has already been the word in use for 2 years. Also wasn't in named "word of the year" last year or something?

      It's stupid. It'd be like if Kevin woke up in the morning and decide that Digg.com should become Tekk.com or something.
    • greekgoat91, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7yea but there are reasons to change the name

      1. Apple is starting to sue people who use the term podcast and want to trade mark the term "iPodcast". Last time I remembered, Apple didn't invent the use of RSS to distribute talk shows in mp3 format.

      2. When people hear the word Podcast, they seem to think that they need an iPod to listen to them. A name change to Netcast would introduce more people to these shows.

      Sure guys, keep using the word Podcast I don't care. But I think Microsoft should implement it into their products (Vista, Zune) and not with the word Podcast. Why not have them use the term Netcast?
    • bpapa, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1The answer is simple and I've already said it - Podcast is an established word. It's too late to change it.
    • Jaxon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0When was the last time you referred to your fridge as an "ice box". Concepts, ideas, and names can all be changed. Remember, Vista was known for the longest time as Longhorn.....and i don't see any apocalyptic fallout from that name change. Yes, we in the know understand that "podcast" is multi-platform. Netcast is a much more apt descriptor. Heck, it seems to me that i heard this term years ago, to refer to online streaming radio shows, so it may just be getting back to *casting roots.
  • tastypastry, on 10/12/2007, -9/+4Settle down, I'm sure its just a little break. They've been doing TWiT almost every week for a long time. Don't be surprised when Diggnation takes a week or two off either.
  • Tonyisbad, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Jesus if TWiT (the reason i started listening to pod/netcasts in the first place) leaves the air um errr tube-ways? It would be a huge shock to me, that would only leave Diggnation and Geekdrome for my casts, and that sucks... I need my TWiT its the only thing that gets me through my Mondays ever since i swore off coffee, with out it i may just burn down my firm, no lie. So Leo if you reading this don't just think of yourself but think of the many people who will be unemployed at our Stamford, Ct branch of my firm if you end TWiT. Do it for the kids Leo, do it for the Kids...
    • greekgoat91, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3same here, I need TWiT on Mondays. Digg I always watch on the weekends, and Geekdrome doesn't come out until Thursday I think.
  • buzzcoffee, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I like TWiT, warts and all. It's a spontaneous discussion, which can be good sometimes and bad others. I hope they keep it going.
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