phpBB Weekly

UPDATE 10/16: We now have a new Clerk! (Actually, we’re changing the name to Executive Assistant.) A big thanks to Sam Jackson (aka sljaxon) who is now helping us out, and doing a great job!

Huh? Is this a joke?
Nope, it’s no joke. Here’s the deal. As you know, our recent changes to phpBB Weekly’s technical setup included moving our show to uStream, and now releasing the show in an Enhanced AAC version, with embedded links and chapter markers and stuff. And although we’ve been dealing with a few bumps along the way, overall this change is a good one which will help make our show more accessible to our listeners.

But there is a catch: for us, hosting the show on uStream is actually a bit harder for us to pull off than TalkShoe was. And as you can probably imagine, it’s not easy trying to split our attention between what we’re talking about on the show and what’s going on with uStream. Hence why we are now soliciting some help.

So what’s this Clerk supposed to do?
The Clerk would be expected to be present during most live recordings of phpBB Weekly. In addition to having moderator privileges in phpBB Weekly’s uStream chat room, he/she will also be responsible for logging the chat room during the live show. (Unlike TalkShoe, messages in the uStream chat room overflow and disappear after awhile, hence why logging is now a full-time job, not just something copied at the end of the show.)

The Clerk will also help keep a timestamped record of the content discussed during the show. (Timestamped means that they will run a timer starting when we hit the record button.) This won’t have to be too detailed; mainly just noting when during the recording we change topics, or noting down any new link or topic that might be brought up in the middle of a show.

So wait, he’ll/she’ll be doing your job for you?
Only while we’re actually in the middle of recording live shows. We will still be prepping all of our show notes, managing all of the technical stuff to get the show streaming live, doing all the editing and releasing, etc. The main purpose here is to get another set of eyes on the chat room, and the timestamped record of the show content will help make the editing process go much faster, so that it won’t be necessary to listen to the whole episode over again to add the enhanced podcast features. Oh, and the Clerk won’t have to do anything on non-live episodes.

So what are the requirements to do this again?
• You need to be able to listen live to every episode of phpBB Weekly and participate in the chat room (if you occasionally have unexpected circumstances forcing you to miss, that’s okay).
• Be present at least 5 minutes before each episode’s scheduled start time.
• Be familiar with the stuff we talk about on the show.
• Have a stopwatch timer handy.
• Be attentive and be able to take notes (not too detailed).

Sure, I could do that. How do I apply?
Just send a private message to webmacster87 on StarTrekGuide explaining why you want to help fill this position by Wednesday, October 14. The person selected will be notified on Thursday and will get right to work on Saturday during episode #125.

Thanks for your interest in helping us out!