I'm kind of running with this "editor" role, BTW. Hope that's OK with everybody.

 

Anyway, I was thinking about structure. Most of the podcasts I like have two or three "presenters" who just chat about stuff, and introduce extra voices every now and then to talk about specific things. That seems like a format to try.

 

Ideally, there'll be regular sections each week, and we'll crowbar the things we want to cover into those sections. For example, talking about Linux zealots could go into an Operating Systems segment.

 

Feature idea: it occurred to me that we could ask people who are using Beehive to run their own forums if they'd like to be interviewed. It would get publicity for them, and would also encourage their forum members to listen to it. Questions would be about why they like Beehive, but also about their interest area. They'd get the questions in advance so they could have thought about what they want to say.

I'd agree with only having two or three presenters (plus a special guest, maybe), and even then, their voices need to be easily distinguished. Any more than that and it gets harder to track who's talking.

 

Would it be worth trying a couple of different formats out? Maybe a totally free-form chat (though that could easily sound awkward), and then an agenda-led version?

Could we be incredibly pretentious and do it in a quiz style but more like HIGNFY/News Quiz/Mock the Week quiz type where the questions just start the banter?

I like that. Definitely worth a try.

With regard to special guests, I think that's a great idea and could really gain wider interest/publicity for BH.

 

Unfortunately, Ludovic Kennedy's informed his agent that he's no longer available. But perhaps Bill Gates and Linus Torvalds could be persuaded to perform "Who's on first?"