All my life I’ve been a tech junkie. Though I resented being required to learn to type in the summer after third grade before being allowed to go out to play, I’d now thank my mother for this. It was the beginning of the addiction perhaps.
It’s important to have a a source of inspiration that compels you further into what you already love. For me, that’s been a long list of great tech news websites to scour daily, as well as watching a few shows. My brain started spinning when watching a satellite and cable only channel, TechTV. Throughout college and my early teaching career I often tuned in to the show, The Screen Savers. I learned more about technology during this show in particular than anything my programming and computer networking degree ever taught me. Take a peak at one of the earliest clips I can find:
Unfortunately the best shows were lost during a buyout process, leaving many hosts to go on to create other avenues of sharing this great content. Kevin Rose went on from The Screen Savers to launch Digg and it’s podcast, Diggnation. Patrick Norton went on to kick off Techzilla. Both of these shows are part of the podcast network, Revision 3.
While I love both of these shows, I spend more time on the TWiT podcast network. Leo Laporte launched this with just his pilot show, This Week in Tech. He expanded then into the TWiT network of now nearly two dozen shows with weekly episodes.
A lot has changed, not just in the news covered, but the format and delivery as well. Podcasts have been a thriving niche in social media and Web 2.0. Now not just iTunes or other podcatcher systems, but also gaming consoles and internet based television are picking up the content.
This evening I’m writing this as I’m watching Leo and the cornerstone TWiT show broadcast as they always do live but now from a new studio. It’s a large launch, and many long time co-host friends have appeared.
I find myself feeling a part of this launch. While I do watch many shows on the network live while working from home, but I also see it as an inspiration. When much of the anticipation of Tech TV fell apart and everyone split into separate careers, they each forged a new path. They have reshaped how much content is delivered and how the average people understand breaking technology.
What I’ve realized today – that as the uber tech geeks that I look to for my news and inspiration are all moving up and advancing themselves and technology. It motivates me to stay on top of what is happening now and to likewise share that knowledge with others. It also gives me ideas for forging my own new path and confidently leading into new technology.
Rather than rely upon an old system that hasn’t worked, it’s time to take charge and move forward. It is time to become the catalyst and not a reactionary.
