Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Listener Contest: 5 Reasons You Know You?re A Buzz Fan!

Feb 19, 2006 1:33PM PST

Hi all,

A short time before Christmas I decided I wanted to give a gift as thanks for the countless hours of informative entertainment that Buzz has provided me with since its inception. I?ve been listening live since the 2nd show and it?s gotten me through many an 11 hour weekend shift! As somebody that has 10% regular vision I?ve relied on audio books for both study and leisure reading for as long as I can remember. When I heard that Molly was an audible.com subscriber I thought this would be the perfect token of thanks so I purchased and sent her 3 months of platinum service for the site. But, after 2 months, a couple of emails and one voicemail to the team, the gift certificate remains unclaimed. Not sure why that is, but I figure if Molly won?t be claiming it then it might be fun to give it away here on the forum in honor of our favorite podcast!

So for those interested, here?s the contest! The person that comes up with the best ?5 reasons you know you?re a Buzz Out Loud fan? will be given the gift certificate (3 months of platinum service at audible.com valued at 75$USD). This certificate entitles you to 6 audio credits on the site (2 per month).

As a disclaimer, this contest is something I?m doing on my own as I thought it would be fun for everyone. It has absolutely no affiliation with Buzz Out Loud or CNET whatsoever.

I?ll check back on the evening of Sunday Feb 26th and choose an entry that stands out. In the meantime, happy listening!

Take care,

Shawn

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
A shame
Feb 19, 2006 4:10PM PST

Shawn,

That was a really thoughtful and personally significant gift you presented to one of the Buzz crew. It's a shame to hear that she/they have not claimed or accepted it, especially after following up on it. Perhaps there is a company policy in place about accepting such things. Then again, I know that they enjoyed a lunch of pizza from the ''Boys from Boston'' one afternoon. Perhaps the amount of the gift was considered a bit excessive. But they should have at least respectfully declined it after your inquiry.

The disheartening bit about hearing this is that I too hoped to send a small thank you gift to the crew for the t-shirt. But if such things end up in the discard bin...

I'm sure there is a good explanation.

(I don't know how to make a furled brow emoticon)

-Kevin S.

- Collapse -
Don?t be disheartened!
Feb 19, 2006 5:16PM PST

It?s funny you mention the pizza! I think that was what gave me the idea in the first place now that you mention it. I wouldn?t let this dissuade you from showing your appreciation to the team for the work they do to bring the show. Since you?ve already been acknowledged on the podcast several times I?m sure anything from you would stand out. I thought about a possible company policy too but decided I?d go ahead and send something anyways. I figured that maybe my emails got caught in the spam filter or have been automatically blacklisted as I once sent them a small mp3 file attachment instead of a voicemail back in May of last year. But that aside, I?m sure somebody must have heard the voicemail I left. For me that?s good enough as it means they know the effort was made ? that?s what really counts imo. Whatever the reason I haven?t heard back from them, I?m sure it?s a valid one as they seem like good people ? and I?m fine with that.

At any rate, I hope nobody takes this thread in the wrong way. By offering this here I don?t mean to dishearten anyone, rather, to encourage a bit of fun and strengthen the community that?s been developing here over the past several months. It?s fantastic to see such a large number of people grouping together to share their interests and insights ? that?s what it?s really about... so bring on the entries!

Shawn

- Collapse -
Site
Feb 20, 2006 12:52AM PST

Audible.com is a great place, if your little give-away doesn't get axed by CNet here, it certainly is a nice gesture, well worth the time to come up with a good top 5 list. I'll watch this thread and submit my own shortly.

- Collapse -
okay, I'll enter
Feb 20, 2006 1:02AM PST

Maybe they're not allowed to accept gifts like this, or maybe Molly already has a year's subscription so she did't need 3 more months? I've never tried audible, but it sounds interesting. Here's my entry, I hope others enter too because I'm sure there will be people with better ideas than mine and I'd like to read them.

5-You find yourself wanting to own the products that Molly and Tom own (Razr, pink iPod, Treo, etc.)

4-You check the Frappr map every day, hoping someone who lives near you joins it.

3-You talk about Tom, Molly and Veronica as if they're people you know in real life.

2-Every weekday, starting around 1:45 Pacific time, you start checking for the new podcast and basically can't get anything done until it's finally been posted and you've downloaded it.

1-You have the Buzz Out Loud phone number programmed into your cell phone (and/or the email address in your list of contacts).

- Collapse -
I love those
Feb 20, 2006 1:33AM PST

2-Every weekday, starting around 1:45 Pacific time, you start checking for the new podcast and basically can't get anything done until it's finally been posted and you've downloaded it.

I do that one.

- Collapse -
My entry into the contest.
Feb 20, 2006 1:18AM PST

I'll give it a shot.

5. You rock out your air guitar to the BOL theme music.

4. You describe everything as "awwww-sum!"

3. You and your buddies drink every time you hear someone say "PaulnotRon."

2. You shake your head in defeat when you don't get called in the Frappr map shout-out.

1. Snakes on a plane!!

- Collapse -
great list!
Feb 20, 2006 1:33AM PST

See, I knew someone would come up with a better list than mine. Very good with the in-jokes.

- Collapse -
My Countdown
Feb 20, 2006 3:05AM PST

My top 5 (I've adopted barret's countdown format):

5. You want ''Snakes on a Plane'' to die Die DIE!!, yet you find yourself hoping the company you work for will get the trailer job so you can work on it.

4. You readdicted yourself to the crack that is World of Warcraft in the hopes of playing with BOLers, even though the server they all play on on was FULL and would not take new characters.

3. You'd proudly wear that hideously green t-shirt in public even though you'd never be caught dead in such a color except on St. Patty's Day.

2. The Buzz link to the BOL Lounge in the Bookmark bar has been moved all the way over to the coveted far left position in your browser.

1. You listen to the podcast so often, you know exactly how far to click in the iTunes window to skip past the Earthlink ad without cutting off Molly, Tom or Veronica.

-Kevin S.

- Collapse -
Ha ha! #1 is funny!
Feb 20, 2006 3:12AM PST

I haven't quite gotten it down yet, but I'm working on it. Happy

- Collapse -
Five Reason you know you are a Buzz out Loud Fan
Feb 20, 2006 4:21AM PST

5. Your references to buzz out loud in your everyday conversations has had a serious negative impact on your love life.

4. Whenever you get hungry right around lunch time, you take a second to feel sorry for Tom, Molly, and Veronica who suffer every day while making the podcast.

3. Tom's skill at segways have caused you to pause in reverent awe at least once or twice a week.

2. When you think, "Rant", you think, "Molly Wood".

1. You know everything there is to know about DRM and why it is evil.

- Collapse -
How about two more times
Feb 20, 2006 5:17AM PST

If you post it two more times, Ajurina, you will have 5 times 5 reasons why you love Buzz Out Loud Silly

-Kevin S.

- Collapse -
I wonder how he did it?
Feb 20, 2006 5:26AM PST

If I try to post the same message more than once, the forum tells me I can't post a repeat of my last post .. (Not that I try to post more than once mind you. Happy )

- Collapse -
Lag
Feb 20, 2006 5:29AM PST

The forum seems to be really laggy today. I'm guessing Ajurina probably tried to post and it gave that error message just as it did when I put up my smart-**** folowup to his post. He posted a second and then third time until it went through. My guess, anyhow.

-Kevin S.

- Collapse -
Let me clarify a little ...
Feb 20, 2006 5:56AM PST

It wasn't that the system WOULDN'T let me re-post my thread, but more like it added a message that said that your message wasn't posted because it is a duplicate of your last post. It's not hard to miss, as it's in small red lettering, much like that Note: you see in red lettering up there ^^^ when you post something.

- Collapse -
Dang!
Feb 20, 2006 5:58AM PST

Of course, as I say that, it doesn't work, and now I have a duplicate post!

Sheesh!

- Collapse -
that's actually what happened
Feb 21, 2006 10:21PM PST

I tried to post and it didn't seem like anything was happening, so I clicked the submit button again..but nothing happened...then finally again, and it worked.

- Collapse -
My 5
Feb 20, 2006 10:10AM PST

5. A BOL t-shirt is on my list of most-coveted items

4. The BOL crew isn't so much "show hosts" as much as they are my "afternoon tech friends gathering"

3. When you hear the name Molly Wood; you DON'T think of the adult film industry

2. I would rather communicate with the BOL crew and forum folks; than my in-laws Happy

1. I'm torn between BOL and The Daily Show w/ Jon Stewart as my favorite show. (That's a high compliment from me)

Scott

- Collapse -
My 5
Feb 20, 2006 1:50PM PST

5. You'd rather be a BOL than a TWiT
4. Whenever you hear someone say "Sony", you get that look on your face; you know, the one like when your mother would say "but cauliflower is good for you".
3. GUBUNTU!
2. You know that the Buzz Report is to Buzz Out Loud like the candy coating is to M&Ms.
1. Caffine gets you going in the morning, but the great thing about the day is catching that afternoon Buzz!

- Collapse -
Derek's Top Five
Feb 21, 2006 11:24PM PST

1. You relate to Tom, understand what he is saying and feel a rapport with him, but after visiting Veronica and Molly's profile, wish you had more in common with them. Wink

2. Starting to use the phrase "awesome" in my dialect more. Impresses the boss, impresses the ladies, impresses the homies when playing D&D as I roll another 20 and kill off another player, ahh the bliss.

3. Tea, coffee can do wonders to the bladder, but when listening to BOL, nothing moves until the show is over, pause key is for wimps. Gang going for coffee break, no thanks, BOL is playing, give me a few.

4. Looking at new headphones, just because Veronica is a big proponent of hearing loss, huh? HUH? Speak up! Tom and I will be the ones with hearing aids in a few years, ya well wait till you whippersnappers turn 30! hehe

5. Have switched to listening to the BOL podcast and checking the message boards before actually checking out the Olympics.

BOL is still the first podcast I have listened to and still listen to today

- Collapse -
My thoughts
Feb 22, 2006 3:02AM PST

First, Shawn, I'm sure that Molly appreciates the gift but, like people mentioned, I think there is a prohibition on CNET staff from accepting gifts. Journalistic integrity and all that. Altough I'm sure Molly would LOVE a new Creative Zen Vision M for free, she couldn't take it. Although bad Molly for not writing back with at least a thanks but I can't.

So, my top 5.

5) You have to go in the internet to come up with some odd disease in order to explain your frequent "doctor's appointments", which in reality were times that you forgot to/couldn't snyc the night before, so you had to be late for work rather than go without BOL.

4) You have nearly been arrested/committed for screaming "Buzz off RIAA!" at the top of your voice while on the bus, running alone, or in church.

3) You hear a good piece of watercooler gossip and sing out "Dishyiee" like Molly does. Unfortunately, you are a guy.

2) You have your own Buzz out Loud Frappr map at home.

1) You go to shelter and rescue 4 cats, and name the Tom, Molly, Veronica, and The Earthlink Guy.

- Collapse -
LOL! Those are good!
Feb 22, 2006 4:12AM PST

Much better than mine, IMO.

- Collapse -
omg!

"1) You go to shelter and rescue 4 cats, and name the Tom, Molly, Veronica, and The Earthlink Guy."

HAHAHAHAHA!

- Collapse -
The Earthlink Cat
Feb 24, 2006 12:40PM PST

...I can just hear it now....

"C'mon little Earlink.... c'mon Earthie - want some tuna???"

Classic. Happy

- Collapse -
Poor Hunter ...
Feb 24, 2006 12:44PM PST

He's been stereotyped for life.

-Terry

- Collapse -
Damn Forum Gremlins!!!!
Feb 22, 2006 3:07AM PST

Sorry about the double post. Bugs still not worked out of the new forum software, evidentally.

- Collapse -
I was a jerk
Feb 23, 2006 7:42AM PST

Just for the record, I want to apologize to Shawn for not accepting his Audible gift and not replying quickly in response. (I've emailed him personally, too.) This whole issue raises a good point -- and I was a jerk because, basically, I didn't know what to do. Happy We do have a policy about not accepting gifts over a certain amount, and in general, although we obviously appreciate those gestures, we're professionally bound to like, be professional. But the best gifts we can get from you guys is your continued support, forum threads like these (seriously, you guys are SLAYING me with these ''5 reasons'' lists), and of course, you fulfilling your SACRED DUTY to convert every single one of your friends into BOLers. (Should that be pronounced ''bowlers''? Hmm ...

In sum, thank you, Shawn, I'm sorry, and I hope to see the grand prize winner declared soon!

- Collapse -
Bolers like Bowlers
Feb 23, 2006 7:54AM PST

Sure, why not? I've struggled with how to type it in posts. I usually type it:

BOLers.

And in my head I pronounce it "Bowlers."

-Kevin S.

PS thanks for clearing up the policies/line-crossing with regard to gifts for the Boler crew. And of course, as always, we'll continue to evangelize the podcast.

- Collapse -
My head has always said it as "ballers" ..
Feb 23, 2006 7:57AM PST

Seems like another case of

To-MAY-to, to-MAH-to

or

Po-TAY-to, po-TAH-to

-TerrynotTerri

- Collapse -
Keep the lists coming!
Feb 23, 2006 8:45AM PST

Whoa! Lots of activity here since I last checked the thread! I did indeed hear from Molly the other day (thanks Molly!) and all is well. The lists are awesome so keep?em coming! I?ll check back on Sunday night to announce the winner.

Cheers,

Shawn

- Collapse -
I acually go with BOLers
Feb 25, 2006 10:53PM PST

I've always pronounced it BeeOhElers ,but that's just me

-Jake