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General discussion

Does anyone else think that Molly takes over on the show?

Mar 9, 2006 7:46PM PST

I dont know, its not that bad, but yesterday's episode was all about Molly's opinion. I I dont know, its not that bad, but yesterday's episode was one example of a few more, where Molly always seems to get the last word. Tom does an admirable job and i really really really love how he tries to play devil's advocate. But dont back down Tom! i can't tell you how many times a mini argument comes up and Tom has great points but it always ends up that Molly has the last word.
Having a dominating person on a show like this isn't a bad thing, you just need to have another person that is an equal and gives the balance. Like when Molly was on Twit... she didn't dominate, she held her own, but all the other guys balanced it out.

Also, i am not sure i like the format so much anymore... we need a change. For example, Tom reads the headline, molly dives in deeper and sets the tone, then they both jump in randomly to give opinion and then Tom provides segue. Switch it up a bit, OR ... how about Veronica read the headlines and then Tom and Molly can just dive in.

i dont know, i am in a bad mood this morning and the downtrodden show today brought me down more...

just thought we needed a change!

and for the record, i am a complete fan, i get in a complete horrible mood when i can't listen to my BOL on my morning commute (even driving back home 20 minutes when i forget to sync up my iPod.)

sorry for the rant...

Eric

Discussion is locked

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non-equilateral triangle?
Mar 9, 2006 9:16PM PST

I respect your opinion, but I have a different take. I enjoy Molly's getting fired up, because she's opinionated and articulate. As are Tom & Veronica. You may not agree, but you know how they arrive at their opinion. I for one like that they can occasionally rant, but that it's not a formuliac feature (5 minutes in - time to bloviate).
There's still much more light than heat, and the roles change depending on the subject. We're not talking about a hannity/colmes dynamic here. There's no alpha dog & punching bag.
I for one say, keep it passionate. It's good to hear people really engaged in the discussion. There are plenty of subdued folks doing yawn-casts if that's your preference.
As for Tom Molly & Veronica, I say occasionally do the cast before lunch, hunger & low blood sugar can make for animated conversations.... and if that's not enough, try snacking on chocolate covered coffee beans & Red Bull. :
Grin

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I think it's perfect
Mar 10, 2006 6:31AM PST

Sometimes they agree, sometimes they disagree. They are never rude to each other and I don't think anyone dominates. It's just right -- the two of them with Veronica, are just enough voices and opinions. More would be too many and doing some kind of rotation where another extra was added, wouldn't be good either. We've gotten to know these three, and I think it's a great mix. Happy

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My point of view
Mar 9, 2006 9:19PM PST

I don't think Molly dominates the show and even when she does break out into a mega-rant it is always entertaining. I would have liked to hear more of her on TWIT. I think that the guys were dominating the conversation a little too much.

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here's the thing...
Mar 9, 2006 11:25PM PST

whenever there is a debate between molly and tom (not rants, not simple discussions... but debates.. which may only happen once per show or less) then molly always seems to get the last word.

also, you dont see that molly talks more than Tom? and its not just word count, but overall dominance. dont get me wrong, i like her rants and all that and i like enthusiasm for the topics, but i like to hear tom a bit more and equal things out. it just doesn't seem equal is all.

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Seriously,
Mar 9, 2006 11:48PM PST

After listening to Molly hold her own with the heavyweights on TWIT, in my honest opinion, she can talk as much as she wants. She's obviously informed enough to talk her opinion whenever she wants, and if Tom had a problem with it, I'm sure he'd work with her on it. I don't always agree with Molly's opinion, but I think she brings enough clout to the table to give it whenever she wants.

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Why it works
Mar 10, 2006 1:27AM PST

I actually love it when Molly and Tom go at it a little bit. He loves playing Devil's Advocate to Molly's "stubborn child." (That sounds unflattering but it's strangely not meant to). Her rants always dredge up great points for debate.

I personally weight Tom and Molly in my head as having equal airtime. Veronica's contribution has slowly grown over the episodes to be a third voice of increasingly equal weight. But I don't keep a counter on them. That's silly. Even if it were two to one this way or that for any given person, it works well. I definitely miss the episodes when Molly is not there or on a phone and not really talking as much.

-Kevin S.

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last two shows
Mar 10, 2006 2:31AM PST

I really enjoyed the last two shows where Tom and Molly were going at it. My only complaint is that it went on just a little too long...

But I was laughing this morning when I was listening during breakfast.

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I agree...
Mar 10, 2006 8:25AM PST

Molly does always dominate the debates, but that is just her personality. It's only annoying when you don't agree with her, and you wish there was someone there to take up the other side. Thankfully, it doesn't happen too often, but yesterday's podcast was one of those times.

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No way the show is just right the way it is!
Mar 10, 2006 1:11PM PST

I don't think so at all. I know what you are talking about, how Molly often ends up with the last word but Tom mostly seems to get a final ''eh okay if you say so'' in there. I don't think that anyone could argue that anyone's opinion is being suppressed on the show, to me most of it is just fun banter that makes the show even better than if it was just constantly even. What fun would it be if it was like okay well Molly got the last word with that story now Tom it's you're turn. I think, or at lest hope, they are adult enough to not care about such silly things... LOL Okay no I really don't, just so then there would be behind the scenes drama to talk about ! (evil chuckle)

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(NT) (NT) UM. NO!
Mar 10, 2006 2:18AM PST
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Molly is Queen of the Universe
Mar 10, 2006 2:49AM PST

not only does Molly take over (natural leadership ability) Buzz Out Loud, she also did a pretty darn good job on TWIT. GO MOLLY! (Tom and Veronica ROCK though)

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Molly's Opinions and Arguments
Mar 10, 2006 3:54AM PST

Molly's opinions dominate some episodes, but that's fair. In other episodes, they do not. Balance is struck over the long term.

However, I have noticed that Tom and Molly are having strong disagreements more often. Haven't really heard resentment in their voices, but I will be paying closer attention.

We don't want animosity to destroy the best darn podcast team on the 'Net.

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Molly just has the gift of gab
Mar 10, 2006 3:56AM PST

I think it's as simple as that Molly has a stronger gift of gab than Tom or Veronica. She states her opinions very straight-forward and is obviously passionate about her ideas. Tom is a good talker too, but his aim seems to be of the counter-balance amongst discussion, helping everyone see the opposite side of a debatable issue.

I definitely am curious about Veronica as her voice has become more frequent in the podcasts over time. I'm hoping to actually see one day Veronica and Molly go at it with as much fervor as Tom v. Molly are like. I think it's quite fun actually.

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Heh,Heh
Mar 10, 2006 6:55AM PST

ok, do you not want a T-shirt? Happy

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Love the Ranting Molly
Mar 10, 2006 10:37AM PST

She can only take the floor when the other two give her the floor. It's all good. It's fun and entertaining to listen to Molly get all worked up. Tom and V have had their moments as well.

Scott

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Y'all rock
Mar 10, 2006 12:09PM PST

This is what makes this podcast so fun. We have the best audience in the world. Seriously.

You've taken an issue at the heart of the podcast since day one and given expert analysis with various opinions, and really helped me understand better how our dynamic works, how it comes across, and what people like about it. This is what the Internet is all about IMHO.

I don't think we thank y'all enough for your contribution. Every time someone higher up on the corporate chain gets a glimpse of what's going on here they're just amazed.

A little behind the scenes note here. After the very first podcast recording, which was never posted, and is only recoverable now by the CIA, our uber-boss, Candy Meyers gave us this feedback: (not a verbatim quote, but close)

"Don't let Tom dominate the conversation so much. He interrupted Molly too often and didn't let her talk. We need to bring Molly's voice more to the fore and let her personality shine through more."

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Oh, the irony...
Mar 10, 2006 12:33PM PST

So the initial feedback has had a lasting effect on Tom, holding him back from dominating the podcast in any way. Poor guy.

-Ryan

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maybe.....
Mar 10, 2006 3:55PM PST

But like anything, the Buzz Out Loud crew has their crests and troughs. Ride the waves and be happy!

Tom and Molly did disagree an awful lot the other day. Some amount of that keeps the show lively, but I started to wonder if they (like every set of co-workers) were annoyed with each other.

On another note, Veronica: the gas pies dialogue definitely belongs in the best of Buzz Out Loud.

Take Care,
Andrew with Shinn Photo

--
Shinn Photography
get the picture? get the picture.
www.shinnphoto.com

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It's Mostly A Tone Thing
Mar 11, 2006 11:50AM PST

I'm big on the show for its conversational tone. It does a great job of staying energetic, which LOTS of tech podcasts could do to learn from. I see it as a collection of different vectors represented by different tones of voice.

Tom is thoughtful, and comes at this from a deeper geek level. Molly is passionate and comes at this from the power user's viewpoint, as well as the voice of the "done wrong" consumer. Veronica is the "new guy" to lots of these technologies and makes for a great point-of-view for folks who might not have as much tech street cred.

Snakes on the post!

--Chris...

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Rant Out Loud?
Mar 11, 2006 6:36PM PST

Eric - fellow morning commuter who values BOL right up there with coffee as the start to a good day....

Try...okay - I'll try to not sound this out in my head like a relaxation CD...think of the rants and discussions/arguments/debates in terms of the topics and not so much one person over another. The flavor of the whole show changes with what's going on in the tech world, and sometimes someone is going to be more fired up. It's not so much that Molly "gets her way" or "gets the last word in"...sometimes I think that Tom really does understand both sides, and believes both sides of an arguement but is willing to wait and see what happens. Part of the show is speculation, so you just have to go for the ride and let the show push one way or the other. It's the variety that makes it a great podcast. It's Buzz Out Loud, not Buzz Quietly Humming out of politeness. Because it's a subject we care about, it's going to tweak our ears sometimes. Happy

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One more thought!
Mar 11, 2006 6:44PM PST

Isn't that the way it happens? You compile thoughts, hit Preview, hit Submit (without really looking at the Preview), and then another thought occurs to you.

We love BOL, and any way you look at it, it's still a near perfect combination of the three personalities (four if you count Earthlink guy...five, six, nine if you count the snakes). If you want to hear a show that is dominated by one personality, go back and listen to the free episodes of the Karl Pilkington...err, the Ricky Gervais show. Funny, sure, but 80% of the show is about Karl, and 15% is Ricky bursting your eardrums announcing the next Karl skit.

Then again, that's just my opinion, and I could be wrong. Silly

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Yeah, somethimes Molly pushes it
Mar 12, 2006 2:46AM PST

I think it's part of her personality, and it is very fun. She is one of those persons that can be really annoying sometimes, but everybody loves her. I think sometimes Tom is a little full of her.

For instance, I was a little annoyed with her before, when she talked for like 3 or 4 shows in a row that she kind of felt sorry that we had to listen to the podcast's sponsor. Once she said that the coolest part of being on the podcast recording was the fact that the people there didn't have to listen to the comercial. Come on, the sponsor pays for the podcast. That was a little unrespectfull with the sponsor.

Molly, sometimes you go too far trying to be cool. I mean, she is cool and I really like her, but sometimes she tries to hard and ruins it.

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Is Molly a Marxist?
Mar 12, 2006 7:02AM PST

Yes Leo I heard the same thing. "sorry that we had to listen to the podcast's sponsor". But that's part of being a CNET editor in my view. Pretending that you're not a sales person. Other than Tom Moffit who openly states that he's a shill on his profile--- few CNET editors care to admit as much.

Molly wants to give the impression that she's above the commercial side and is pure editor. How silly! CNET is as commercial a site as Sony/Amazon or Wal-Mart. And were I Earthlink (the Daily Buzz Sponsor of late)...... I'd be on the horn to the head of Cnet's Sales division and busting on Molly for her open disdain of commercial sponsorship. If she were a professional, she'd warmly embrace the sponsors that pay her salary. For their success, contributes to CNet's success.

It is amusing and pathetic.

Cheers,
Mike

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hold on
Mar 12, 2006 9:17AM PST

First off, what does not liking an ad in the middle of a podcast relate to being a Marxist?

Next, do you like ads? I sure don't. I don't necessarily mind the Earthlink ad in the middle of the show, but I certainly don't like it. Besides, you guys are talking about when they first started putting the ad in, which was a considerable change from how the podcast once was. Would you rather the podcast apologize to the listeners or promote the sponsors? I am always of the mind to please the consumers (listeners). The ad that is paid for gets played when it is supposed to, and that's all that Earthlink should care about.

-Ryan

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Should Ryan be fired?
Mar 12, 2006 12:41PM PST

Ryan...

You work in a commercial enterprise that is driven by the advertising model. If you're not helping CNET's business model, then you should be fired in my view.

If you don't want to work in a commercial environment, go to a non-profit.

You ask whether I would "rather the podcast apologize to the listeners or promote the sponsors" reflects your naivet

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Maybe I am naive...
Mar 12, 2006 1:25PM PST

However, I am a college student, so naivet

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argh, a little clarification
Mar 12, 2006 1:31PM PST

My little bit on capitalism is meant to show that capitalism is meant to benefit the little guy, not corporations.

Also, I'm not saying that advertising shouldn't exist. I realize it's a necessary evil of the world, but anybody and everybody should be able to express their disdain with it.

-Ryan

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Should someone constantly criticize others?
Mar 12, 2006 3:30PM PST

Mr. Whatley,

Why do you feel it necessary to criticize Buzz Out Loud and the associated editors to such a degree? Criticism is acceptable, but in your 8 (only) posts today you have clearly indicated that you have a problem with BOL in a way that crosses the line of professionalism, and perhaps more. So far you've called Molly a Marxist, equated BOL to a sub-high school production, questioned the education and credentials of the staff, and suggested on multiple occasions that those on the Cnet staff are not doing their jobs, culminating with this suggestion that Ryan be fired. As a television executive (if you are one) you may talk to your employees this way, but as a professional you should know this is not appropriate. If you feel Cnet's productions and staff are so inept and inadequate, perhaps you would prefer listening to other podcasts that meet you high standards a little better.

Regards,
John


P.S. I case you're wondering, I am not on the Cnet staff; I am a volunteer moderator.

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Love it or Leave it?
Mar 12, 2006 11:21PM PST

Excellent John...I do Volunteer work myself.

I haven't called Molly a ''marxist'' though I did ask if she was one. (And I have known many very fine Marxists).....Yes, I did equate the production with sub high school level work (as it is) and yes, I have questioned the backgrounds of the staff. What are they hiding? Ryan is young and doesn't know any better. I don't feel CNET's staff is inadequate -- just a bit silly in their Podcast production.---I do as you observe, feel their productions are weak.

Thanks for the note. The ''love it or leave it'' mentality left many years ago.

Cheers,
Mike

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That mentality will kill any company
Mar 13, 2006 10:50PM PST

When you serve the ad clients at the expense of the users you die. When you serve the users then business can capitalize on it. You see it over and over.