Wednesday 14 July 2010

Bye bye Shot of Jaq















On the 24th of November 2009 Jono Bacon and Stuart Langridge started Shot of Jaq a micro podcast that only lasted between 5-10 minutes. They introduced topics and after a brief discussion invited the listeners to post their thoughts on the website regarding the topics of the day.






















The whole show was done in a very laid back and informal manner. Shot of Jaq could be listened to at any time, although it was a tech show it was not boring or 'over your head' in the slightest. Both presenters kept it light hearted and were not afraid of stating their opinions very clearly.

A proposed 'App of Jaq' desktop application was continually talked about and development was started on in which the show would be delivered direct to the desktop, comments could be posted and viewed. However as with everything in this rushed world the guys found keeping a twice weekly podcast along with their everyday jobs a bit of a struggle. The application was never completed and on the 13th of July 2010 the boys did their last Shot of Jaq show.

With over 70 episodes and 3000 comments left the show could not be called a failure, however from their last show there was a sense that both presenters felt like it was a premature termination. I must say that I will miss Shot of Jaq, work being about a twenty minute drive from my house I often used to get in about two shows, usually saved for a Friday morning. Was it a failure; I do not believe so. Shot of Jaq really wanted to emphasise the community rather than the show and they achieved that with discussions often continuing weeks after the podcast was released. Instead of a purely content driven show they often started a discussion that required comments, for those who only listened to the show you truly did miss out on the experience.

The main answer to the shows success will probably not be known for a few months yet. If you are reading this post in 2011 and thinking that this is a new concept then the show probably failed to meet it's targets. However if podcasts start having discussions and these become an integral part of the show rather than simply one off comments left after hearing it then the show can be considered a success.

Bye Shot of Jaq you'll be missed by this blogger.