IT Conversations goes open source

Doug Kaye, founder of the terrific daily interview show IT Conversations, announces the next phase of the site, which involves open-source audio production involving more volunteers:

Open-Source Audio Production at IT Conversations

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I think we're onto something exciting: You might call it open-
source audio production, as there are many similarities to
open-source software development.

It began when IT Conversations listeners pressured me into
creating a tip jar on the site, which I did a few months ago,
and the tips have trickled in steadily ever since. Next, other
producers started to submit audio recordings, hoping they'd be
published on IT Conversations. Most weren't good enough (due to
poor content or audio quality), but some shows like Stowe
Boyd's True Voice and Rob Greenlee's Web Talk made the cut and
have proven to be very popular on the site. Then I put out the
word for help on the software-development side -- to date, I've
written all the code myself -- and immediately heard from three
top-notch programmers that wanted to help.

But I didn't stop there, because I also had audio experts and
writers who got in touch and said they wanted to help, too. So
it finally occurred to me that *this* is what listener-
supported audio was all about. I had added that tag line to the
web site when I posted the tip jar, but I've since learned that
among the nearly 80,000 unique IT Conversations listeners each
month, there are hundreds who not only enjoy what we've done,
but are downright passionate about it. In other words: IT
Conversations has become a community of people whose lives it
has affected.

Today I'm proud to announce a major change here at
IT Conversations. After nearly two years of doing everything
myself, I'm now getting help from a team of experts: the
community of IT Conversations listeners. In addition to the
hosts you already know (Halley, Dave, Moira, Denise, Ernest,
Stowe, Rob, Phil and Scott), we've got a team of three
developers and 11 producers (audio engineers and writer/editors)
who are just now ramping up and learning how to work together
to improve IT Conversations and bring you even more great
content.

I've published the list of the Team ITC members -- they're from
such exotic places as Ireland, India and Kentucky -- and over
time you'll be able to learn more about them, what they do in
their real lives, and so forth. But you can do more than just
check them out...

Starting today (April 1, 2005) 100% of the donations to the tip
jar will go to Team ITC. *This* is what I think a listener-
supported service is all about: people's passions. Team ITC
cares enough about IT Conversations that they want to give some
of their time, skills and reputations to make it even better.
And if you're just as passionate about IT Conversations, you
can say "thank you" to Team ITC by putting your money where
your ears are.

None of us are in this to make a lot of money. We're in it
because we believe in the mission of bringing great programs to
tens of thousands of people around the world for free. I think
we have a real business model here. It's not one that a Harvard
Business School MBA would appreciate, and none of us will be
able to quit our day jobs anytime soon -- wait, this *is* my
day job! -- but I think it will work. I believe that we're
creating enough value that our community will pay enough to
support a small team of developers and producers contributing
their skills part time.

Think of how the great open-source projects like Apache were
built. Apache didn't begin with an infusion of cash. It was
started and has grown due to the passions of some very talented
people who want to make the world a better place by doing what
turns them on, and for an audience of their peers. That's what
a community is all about.

So please donate to Team ITC to keep the audio flowing.

The Tip Jar:
http://ipost.com/rd/9z1zkb7vvc2kglf7f2hqvfqbbv0o4mpv4vg12gjo6m8

Team ITC
http://ipost.com/rd/9z1zds21tv103fr1f8603r0rt51ktubnrami5vlu550