Re: CNET Radio RIP

[David Moisan <dmoisan@shore.net>]

At 10:32 AM 1/20/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>the chagrin of those who thought they could turn the Net into
>television. Chatter about hot new Web sites and screen savers (remember
>when we found those fascinating?) troubleshooting tips just don't

I always considered CNET radio to be aimed not towards alpha geeks (like 
Aaron and myself) but towards dot-com managers.  Consider where a geek gets 
his or her tech news:  Not newspapers (apart from the Boston Metro and 
DigitalMass), not TV, but the Web.  Think Slashdot, Ars Technica, Extreme 
Tech and even Coursey's AnchorDesk.

By the time I would hear something interesting on CNet Radio, such as a 
virus outbreak or Microsoft outage, I had already seen it on the Web that 
morning.

Worse yet for me, most of the programming was *boring*.  Endless talking 
about market strategies and stocks.  It reminded me of Upside magazine 
(thankfully defunct) and how they would do a photo essay every month 
featuring yet another venture capital company and all the dot-commers lined 
up for the chance to kiss their butt.  Upside and CNet were too often 
meaning-free.

I'm not even sure computers make good radio;  even if you were a geek, 
would you sit still listening to a talk host
talk someone through installing Windows or compiling their Linux 
kernel?  Kim Komando (not a CNet host) is probably the best and most 
successful computer-talk host out there but I squirm when I listen simply 
because if the caller has a problem I've already solved, why listen?  If 
I've already got a problem, I won't wait for Kim's show.

Take care,

Dave



David Moisan, N1KGH   ARES/SKYWARN                dmoisan@shore.net
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