What have we learned from Rocketboom?

July 21, 2006 By

Patrick and I just watched the latest Rocketboom. What did we learn? Well, a new way to tie our shoes, certainly. But, what I’ve learned is that Rocketboom will survive its little bit of drama. I’ve also learned that a good creative person BEHIND the camera is worth just as much as a good creative person in front of it.

How did Andrew Barron find the latest person in front of it? I hear it was through a Craig’s List advertisement. I tell ya, that guy Craig sure knows how to find anything.

Congrats Andrew, you exceeded expectations.

Filed Under: 1
  • http://range.wordpress.com/ range

    New RB is good and getting better with each episode. Soon, the viewers will forget Amanda. The ball is now in her court.

  • http://range.wordpress.com/ range

    New RB is good and getting better with each episode. Soon, the viewers will forget Amanda. The ball is now in her court.

  • http://www.realverse.com/ Steve over at realVerse

    AMEN to that my brutha!

  • http://www.realverse.com Steve over at realVerse

    AMEN to that my brutha!

  • http://volatilechar.spaces.msn.com/ Dileepa P

    I subscribed!

  • http://volatilechar.spaces.msn.com Dileepa P

    I subscribed!

  • http://jonwoodsc.blogspot.com/ Jonathan

    I concur, Robert. I figured it would survive after I saw last Friday’s episode where the cast from Tiki Bar TV made an apperance.

  • http://jonwoodsc.blogspot.com Jonathan

    I concur, Robert. I figured it would survive after I saw last Friday’s episode where the cast from Tiki Bar TV made an apperance.

  • http://inluminent.com/ John

    agreed, great show still

  • http://inluminent.com John

    agreed, great show still

  • http://bizofshowbiz.com/ Gary Bourgeault (bizofshowbiz.

    Other than if there would have been a terrible pick to replace Amanda, this was a no-brainer. It reminds me of Saturday Night Live, which was a format that created stars, not the othe way around.

    After the little hoopla was over, we are already starting to ask “Amanda who?”

  • http://bizofshowbiz.com Gary Bourgeault (bizofshowbiz.com)

    Other than if there would have been a terrible pick to replace Amanda, this was a no-brainer. It reminds me of Saturday Night Live, which was a format that created stars, not the othe way around.

    After the little hoopla was over, we are already starting to ask “Amanda who?”

  • http://familyoralhistory.us/ Susan Kitchens

    and did you see the director’s cut?

  • http://familyoralhistory.us/ Susan Kitchens

    and did you see the director’s cut?

  • Nab

    In the entertainment industry the “face” always gets a lot of credit for success. The fans forget about all the talent that is off-screen, and believe that the Star is indispensable. The trouble starts when the Star agrees.

    So what did I learn? Be careful when you hire a star. You may have to massage an ego while trying to set expectations. Look for maturity and humility.

    And don’t hire someone who is given to public outbursts and publishes private emails.

    Nor someone who goes nuclear as an act of self-destructive revenge.

  • Nab

    In the entertainment industry the “face” always gets a lot of credit for success. The fans forget about all the talent that is off-screen, and believe that the Star is indispensable. The trouble starts when the Star agrees.

    So what did I learn? Be careful when you hire a star. You may have to massage an ego while trying to set expectations. Look for maturity and humility.

    And don’t hire someone who is given to public outbursts and publishes private emails.

    Nor someone who goes nuclear as an act of self-destructive revenge.

  • http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ Robert Scoble

    Susan, nope, missed that! Thanks for pointing that out to me.

  • http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ Robert Scoble

    Susan, nope, missed that! Thanks for pointing that out to me.

  • http://shawnsblog.wordpress.com/ shawnsblog

    Robert, sorry no, I have to disagree…

    Joanne looks more and more like Amanda with each episode that she is doing. If I am correct Amanda helped establish Rocketboom, it’s like if Bill Gates started another computer company, would people still buy Microsoft?

    Also she’s just covering *bleh* no content really, if you want to really find out technews with a personal twist, check out ZeFrank…

    http://shawnsblog.wordpress.com/2006/07/21/my-netscape-fix/

  • http://shawnsblog.wordpress.com/ shawnsblog

    Robert, sorry no, I have to disagree…

    Joanne looks more and more like Amanda with each episode that she is doing. If I am correct Amanda helped establish Rocketboom, it’s like if Bill Gates started another computer company, would people still buy Microsoft?

    Also she’s just covering *bleh* no content really, if you want to really find out technews with a personal twist, check out ZeFrank…

    http://shawnsblog.wordpress.com/2006/07/21/my-netscape-fix/

  • http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ Robert Scoble

    Shawn: You’ll hear no arguments from me if you say Ze Frank is better.

    And, it will also be interesting to see what Amanda does next.

  • http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ Robert Scoble

    Shawn: You’ll hear no arguments from me if you say Ze Frank is better.

    And, it will also be interesting to see what Amanda does next.

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  • Christopher Coulter

    What have we learned from Rocketboom? That bloggers have a very low threshold for quality and play up drama games for sheer side-show amusements.

  • Christopher Coulter

    What have we learned from Rocketboom? That bloggers have a very low threshold for quality and play up drama games for sheer side-show amusements.

  • Jim Mulrony

    Interesting.

    Nab seems to describe Amanda as a “face” run amok.

    As I read the “stuff” out there, Amanda’s complaint was being demoted from a multi-faceted contributor to a “face”. Nab’s nasty pontificating adds nothing to the conversation.

    And Robert, throwing a fish to Amanda in the comments while being clearly pro-Baron in the body of your multiple posts on this subject is kinda cheap.

    But you’re right about one thing, it will be interesting to see what Amanda does next. Check out today’s Alexa numbers. Amanda’s personal blog, amandaunboomed.blogspot.com, with very little on it has higher numbers than Rocketboom.

    Guess you won’t be alone watching her.

  • Jim Mulrony

    Interesting.

    Nab seems to describe Amanda as a “face” run amok.

    As I read the “stuff” out there, Amanda’s complaint was being demoted from a multi-faceted contributor to a “face”. Nab’s nasty pontificating adds nothing to the conversation.

    And Robert, throwing a fish to Amanda in the comments while being clearly pro-Baron in the body of your multiple posts on this subject is kinda cheap.

    But you’re right about one thing, it will be interesting to see what Amanda does next. Check out today’s Alexa numbers. Amanda’s personal blog, amandaunboomed.blogspot.com, with very little on it has higher numbers than Rocketboom.

    Guess you won’t be alone watching her.

  • http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ Robert Scoble

    Jim: you just nailed why being around people going through a divorce is so tough! If you compliment one person, are you saying the other doesn’t matter? I like both Andrew and Amanda. It’s just that Andrew got back to his life a lot faster than Amanda did. I think that was smart.

  • http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ Robert Scoble

    Jim: you just nailed why being around people going through a divorce is so tough! If you compliment one person, are you saying the other doesn’t matter? I like both Andrew and Amanda. It’s just that Andrew got back to his life a lot faster than Amanda did. I think that was smart.

  • http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ Robert Scoble

    Christopher: define quality.

    I watch the Discovery Channel cause it’s beautiful, not cause the content is any good.

    I watched Rocketboom because they brought me cool stuff from around the Internet in a fun format. Mainstream media isn’t doing that for me.

    Even yesterday they brought me a YouTube star who got famous for showing how to tie shoelaces and it was well done for the format (small video).

    Not everything has to look like Superman.

  • http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ Robert Scoble

    Christopher: define quality.

    I watch the Discovery Channel cause it’s beautiful, not cause the content is any good.

    I watched Rocketboom because they brought me cool stuff from around the Internet in a fun format. Mainstream media isn’t doing that for me.

    Even yesterday they brought me a YouTube star who got famous for showing how to tie shoelaces and it was well done for the format (small video).

    Not everything has to look like Superman.

  • Jim Mulrony

    Hey, Robert,

    Sure he “got back faster”. Andrew has the site.

    As for Amanda, stay tuned.

  • Jim Mulrony

    Hey, Robert,

    Sure he “got back faster”. Andrew has the site.

    As for Amanda, stay tuned.

  • Christopher Coulter

    I watch the Discovery Channel cause it’s beautiful, not cause the content is any good.

    Then it’s art. But FutureWeapons, Mythbusyers, Deadliest Catch, Extreme Engineering, It Takes a Thief and many many others are much more than just pretty pictures, heck the Mythbusters guys are downright ugly. ;)

    Mainstream media isn’t doing that for me.

    This is where ratings come into play. There are not enough of “you’s” to matter, even TechTV went G4 Video Game TV and cable re-syndicational kick-up. So Rocketbloom be niche, extreme narrowcasting, fine…but the presentation level was so Junior High, and the real attraction was Codename 34D.

  • Christopher Coulter

    I watch the Discovery Channel cause it’s beautiful, not cause the content is any good.

    Then it’s art. But FutureWeapons, Mythbusyers, Deadliest Catch, Extreme Engineering, It Takes a Thief and many many others are much more than just pretty pictures, heck the Mythbusters guys are downright ugly. ;)

    Mainstream media isn’t doing that for me.

    This is where ratings come into play. There are not enough of “you’s” to matter, even TechTV went G4 Video Game TV and cable re-syndicational kick-up. So Rocketbloom be niche, extreme narrowcasting, fine…but the presentation level was so Junior High, and the real attraction was Codename 34D.

  • Christopher Coulter

    Hey, Fey is leaving SNL’s ‘Weekend Update’…job opening for Miss BoomBoom. Fey was a good writer tho, if too episodic, but the nature of SNL…will watch her 30 Rock…or at least give it a whirl.

    But does anyone still watch SNL?

  • Christopher Coulter

    Hey, Fey is leaving SNL’s ‘Weekend Update’…job opening for Miss BoomBoom. Fey was a good writer tho, if too episodic, but the nature of SNL…will watch her 30 Rock…or at least give it a whirl.

    But does anyone still watch SNL?

  • http://jonwoodsc.blogspot.com/ Jonathan

    “This is where ratings come into play. There are not enough of “you’s” to matter…”

    I think you’re right. A lot of people are watching online stuff like Rocketbook, but even more people don’t even know you can download good and independent content online. I think people just are unaware that there’s something better out there and because of that, they don’t look for it.

  • http://jonwoodsc.blogspot.com Jonathan

    “This is where ratings come into play. There are not enough of “you’s” to matter…”

    I think you’re right. A lot of people are watching online stuff like Rocketbook, but even more people don’t even know you can download good and independent content online. I think people just are unaware that there’s something better out there and because of that, they don’t look for it.

  • Christopher Coulter

    Whenever something fails, blame is always placed on the marketing, people were ‘unaware’, but sometimes, maybe just the content is not interesting enough. not well-written and doesn’t command enough attention…for people to bother. Good stuff breaks out, eventually. And where is this supposed ‘word of mouth’ blogger network now?

  • Christopher Coulter

    Whenever something fails, blame is always placed on the marketing, people were ‘unaware’, but sometimes, maybe just the content is not interesting enough. not well-written and doesn’t command enough attention…for people to bother. Good stuff breaks out, eventually. And where is this supposed ‘word of mouth’ blogger network now?