by cameron | Jan 15, 2008 | Melbourne, Podcast, TPN
2007 was a big year for TPN in lots of ways. We grew; we stumbled; we struggled; we survived. Bootstrapping a start-up isn’t glamorous. Trying to keep a fast-growing business alive when revenues are still small and you are funding it organically can be frustrating. Every day brings new challenges. Things you survive by telling yourself “one day it won’t be like this”.
We started off the year with a re-design of the homepage and lots of fast growth. Around the middle of year our server admin quit and I had to put a stop to adding new shows. Then a couple of months later our webdev quit. For the last couple of months we’ve been getting by with favours from friends whenever we need IT support. So it’s been frustrating on lots of levels. In March I thought we would finish the year with a million listeners a month. We missed that goal. Since March we’ve been hovering between 450,000 – 500,000 listeners a month. Now – when I compare that to some of the radio stations in Melbourne or Sydney, I feel pretty good. TPN, currently, one full-time employee. Me. No funding. No sales team. No IT team. Just me and a team of excellent, dedicated and PATIENT podcast producers who have tolerated our bumps over the last couple of years. I want to thank them all for their sense of humour when things go awry (like they did again over the last couple of days when out FTP server flaked on us) and their continued support for the TPN vision.
However, despite the struggles, it was a pretty good year. As you can see from the numbers below, we served nearly 5.5 million listeners during the year (okay, that number is slightly bullshit – it’s our monthly unique visitor numbers added together – but it sounds good so I’m sticking with it), who listened to nearly 7 million TPN podcasts (that number is legit). That’s a HUGE number, especially when you consider that since we launched in early 2005 we’ve only delivered a little over 11 million podcasts. Thinking about that 7 million number for a second – if we assume that each podcast is an average of 30 minutes long, that means you listened to us for 3.5 million hours (145, 833 days or 400 years non-stop) in 2007. No wonder your brain is hurting.
Of course I also want to thank our listeners and supporters. Those of you who listen to our shows, interact with us on the blogs, in Facebook, at MODM, Twitter, Second Life, etc. Without you we really would be what the cynics in the mainstream media think we are – people sitting in our undies, talking to ourselves.
by cameron | Jan 14, 2008 | Podcast
As you many have noticed, I recently launched a new religion which I’m calling “LOTU”, the Laws Of The Universe. If you missed that news, read this. On January 11, 2007, I held the very first church meeting of LOTU. As befits a 21st century religion, I held it in Second Life at TPN HQ. It wasn’t a huge turnout – about 6 people joined me for the session you hear recorded on this podcast and then another 6 or 7 people turned up later on, and we discussed LOTU into the evening.
To join the LOTU Facebook group (where you’ll be notified of upcoming meetings, etc), go here.
To join the LOTU discussion group, go here.
Stick Figures
“Stretch The Truth” (mp3)
from “Future Classic Exclusives Vol 1”
(Future Classic)
Buy at Inertia Distribution (Australia)
Buy at Amazon
More On This Album
Become part of the G’Day World conversation.
TPN now has a HQ in Second Life! Add “Cameron Switchblade” to your friends (that’s me). I’d be happy to show you around and help you find your SL legs.
If you’re a member of Facebook, you can ADD ME AS A FRIEND and then ADD YOURSELF TO THE G’DAY WORLD GROUP.
You can show your love by buying me stuff from my Amazon wish list.
You might DIGG the show.
Get the TPN version of Particls.
Don’t forget to make use of my new comments line – +613 9016 9699.
You can now buy transcripts of this podcast from Pods In Print.
If you enjoyed this podcast, make sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing to our feed and leave us a voice comment!
by cameron | Jan 14, 2008 | Melbourne, yarraville
A couple of blocks up from my house in Yarraville is our local dvd joint, Video Flash. The boss, Mike, has a large wall running down the adjoining street. He said that for years it was covered in just awful graffiti and he spent a lot of time out there with a brush and bucket trying to keep it looking clean. Then a couple of years ago, a couple of young street artists asked his permission to produce some art on his wall. He said it was okay as long as the work wasn’t offensive. Since then, he said he hasn’t had to clean the wall once. Graffiti artists don’t sabotage street art. Then, a week ago, the same guys came back and refreshed the wall with a new work. I watched them work for a while and then went out today to capture the finished work.
I think it looks terrific, adds a lot of character to the store, and I’d love to see more store owners inviting street artists to liven up their places.
by cameron | Jan 11, 2008 | Uncategorized
Want to have a front row seat for the start of a new religion? In a thousand years, do you want them to be writing your name in the histories?
Well tonight is your chance. I’m holding the first ever church service for LOTU. As befitting a 21st century religion, the meeting will be held in Second Life at TPN’s virtual HQ. Starting 9pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time.
by cameron | Jan 11, 2008 | Podcast, TPN
Duncan Riley, TechCrunch writer, entrepreneur, and host of TPN’s On The Pod, has been nominated in the Performancing Awards 2007. Give him your vote!
The Best Blog Podcast – Performancing Awards 2007 Reader’s Choice Poll | Performancing.com
Blogged with Flock
by cameron | Jan 8, 2008 | science
WarWraith sent me this link. Even if it doesn’t prove to be the basis of a Theory of Everything, this E8 is an amazing thing to look at. I’ve printed it out and put it up on my wall. Read the below article for an explanation on the new theory that it could be a mathematical representation of the fabric of the universe.
Surfer dude stuns physicists with theory of everything – Telegraph
Read more on Lisi’s “Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything“.
Blogged with Flock
Tags: e8, physics
by cameron | Jan 8, 2008 | Australian media, Podcast
Today I chat with Bronwen Clune, Founder and CEO of Norg Media, an independent Australian media company that allows anyone to contribute to the news as a Cit J (citizen journalist).
We talk about her vision for Norg (which stands for “news organisation”), how the media landscape is changing, and about being a female entrepreneur (my first ever female entrepreneur guest in 3 years??? WTF?).
It’s great to finally have Australia’s other online media entrepreneur on the show.
Bronwen is very popular on Twitter and you can follow her by clicking the photo below:
Thanks to @m0nty, @jodiem and @glemak for their questions submitted via Twitter during the show. Sorry to everyone else, you were too slow. 🙂
The track on today’s show is:
Burial
“Ghost Hardware” (mp3)
from “Untrue”
(Hyperdub)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Amazon
More On This Album
Become part of the G’Day World conversation.
TPN now has a HQ in Second Life! Add “Cameron Switchblade” to your friends (that’s me). I’d be happy to show you around and help you find your SL legs.
If you’re a member of Facebook, you can ADD ME AS A FRIEND and then ADD YOURSELF TO THE G’DAY WORLD GROUP.
You can show your love by buying me stuff from my Amazon wish list.
You might DIGG the show.
Get the TPN version of Particls.
Don’t forget to make use of my new comments line – +613 9016 9699.
You can now buy transcripts of this podcast from Pods In Print.
If you enjoyed this podcast, make sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing to our feed and leave us a voice comment!
by cameron | Jan 7, 2008 | Uncategorized
… proof!
by cameron | Jan 5, 2008 | Atheism, science
As you know, over the last year I’ve been working on a book about religion. During this time, while I’ve been debating the subject with people on the show and in person, one of the common arguments I’ve heard for keeping religion is “people need something to believe in”. I used to scoff at this statement. I certainly don’t feel that need. I’m happy with my own assessments of what’s right, what’s wrong, what is true and what is false. However, it struck me recently that perhaps other people aren’t like me. Perhaps they do need help figuring answers to the big questions. Perhaps they would like a place to gather on a regular basis with like-minded people to discuss the subjects of life, the universe and everything. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons religion continues to survive in the 21st century.
Atheism doesn’t have such a place. As an atheist, I don’t have a place where I can gather with other atheists to discuss “the big questions”. And, while this isn’t a problem for me, I got to thinking that perhaps it might be a hurdle for the new atheists, the people who are reading Dawkins and Hitchens and are preparing themselves to let go of superstition and mythology to embrace critical thinking and logic.
Scientific literature, and working scientists, rarely seem to attempt to play the role of answering the big questions either. There are exceptions, such as Carl Sagan, but these are truly the exceptions to the rule. Scientists provide us with the best information they have about how it all works and they leave it up to us to decide what that means to our individual lives.
So… I’ve decided to start a new religion which I’m calling
THE CHURCH OF LOTU.
“LOTU” stands for the “Laws Of The Universe”. The idea is that this religion, this church, will be fully based in science and critical thinking. It will not worship any mythological deity but will respect, and try to interpret, the laws of the universe as delivered to us by the latest scientific research. LOTU will also endorse the United Nations Charter on Human Rights. Unlike every other religion on the planet today, LOTU will not condemn people who do not agree with us to an eternity of torture and vilification. LOTU doesn’t care what you believe. LOTU respects your right to believe whatever makes you feel good. We may disagree with you. We may debate you vigorously. We may even chide you for believing in bronze age mythologies in the 21st century. We will also, however, fight for your right to believe whatever you want.
Yes, I know that the words “religion” and “church” seem to be incongruent with atheism but they need not. Wikipedia define ‘religion’ as:
“A religion is a set of common beliefs and practices generally held by a group of people, often codified as prayer, ritual, and religious law. Religion also encompasses ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as personal faith and mystic experience. The term “religion” refers to both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction.”
LOTU may well have all of those things. Note there is no mention of a supernatural deity in that description.
Wikipedia defines ‘church’ as:
“A church is an association of people with a common belief system, especially one that is based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.”
LOTU is definitely the first but also, obviously, NOT the second. Christians have always been fond of stealing ideas from older traditions (Easter, Christians, monotheism… hell, even the Jesus story is a rip-off of Mithra), so I feel quite comfortable stealing one of their words.
At the moment, I’m working on writing the “scripture” for LOTU but, as I’ve leaked word of it to a few people over the last week, I thought I should throw the doors open and let those of you who wish to join me in the creation of the first new religion for the 21st century. This is Religion 2.0.
To start with, I’ve created a Facebook group (I know, BOO! HISS!) for us to discuss the idea. I hope a few of you will join me.
by cameron | Jan 3, 2008 | Podcast
The first show of 2008! My guest today is local Yarraville boy Steve Sammartino, founder of Rentoid.com. I love Steve’s approach to his business and his entrepreneurial spirit in general. He came around to Casa del Reilly this morning to talk about the Rentoid site, why he left his big income corporate marketing job and how he lives on his investment dividends. It’s a great show to start the year with!
**update 2017-05-29** – unfortunately it looks like the audio for this interview disappeared in a server crash many years ago. You might like
this interview with Steve instead.
