In this last podcast of the summer, we were joined for a special LOST skypecast by about 50 listeners and several LOST podcasters including Jay, of the Jay & Jack podcast and Ryan Ozawa from the Transmission. Heck, the LOST Chicks even showed up! Most of the discussion centered around unanswered questions from season 2, as well as what we might see happen in season 3. There were a few technical glitches with Skype, including a rather bizarre problem around 10 minutes into the Skypecast where everyone suddenly became un-muted, and chaos ensued. However, it only lasted for a short time, and we came out with a nice podcast.
Thanks to all of you who joined us. Hopefully the next time we give this a try, the listeners who joined us can actually make good use of their microphones, instead of having to send us questions via chat.
Next week, we'll be podcasting about the season 3. It's about time!
Stay LOST.
Thanks everyone!
Can't wait until this time next week - First Podcast of Season 3!!!!
Posted by: Matt Beale | September 30, 2006 at 03:14 PM
first couple of mintues of Season 3....
http://www.dharmasecrets.com/forum/index.php/topic,8286.0.html
Want to... but i'm not watching it - i'll (try) and wait!
Posted by: matt beale | September 30, 2006 at 03:44 PM
Just heard the new podcast and have to say what a cool idea it was, to get other podcaster's to share there views all in one place. its just a shame skype kept playing up.
Really looking forward to season three.
At the end of the podcast John said they would be working with jay and jack a bit more so does this mean we will see you guys on the video podcasts they do, would be great to see what you guys look like after all this time.
Again great idea with the Podcast
Posted by: Carl, UK | September 30, 2006 at 04:56 PM
Hey guys, my name is sam, and I'm an high school student who is an aspiring actor. I was reading a play that will be performed in S.F., when I saw this quote that was in the script. Check this out:
"It is certain that compassion is a natural feeling, which by moderating the activity of love of self in each individual, contributes to THE PRESERVATION OF THE WHOLE SPECIES" Jean Jaques ROUSSEAU!!!
I duno, but this sounds like a phylosophy that Rousseau from LOST might have, expecially about preservation of the whole species, which is pretty much her from her origional group. Just thought that this was awsome and should tell you guys. Ohh, and it was fun on the skypecast, especially when we all got to talk. Lets do it again!!!
Posted by: sam | October 01, 2006 at 12:15 AM
The Skypecast was awesome its good to see your looking for more ways to involve your listners please do one again in the future.
Posted by: Chris Mavis-UK | October 01, 2006 at 03:59 AM
I liked the podcast and the topics that were discussd but through no fault of your own I think my ear drums exploded firsly with the hilarious un-muting episode and secondly through whenever Ryan spoke, his microphone must have been set on Maria Sharapova volume...Despite this, good job on the Skypecast guys.
Jon
Posted by: Jon W | October 01, 2006 at 07:03 AM
Sorry guys but this podcast was a mess. Kudos for trying something new but it didn't really work. You could have at least edited out the parts when Skype went nuts.
I'm afraid I had to turn it off. Looking forward to the normal podcast for season 3.
Posted by: C Rider | October 01, 2006 at 10:36 AM
Hey C Rider, you have to try these things for them to get better, just listen to Lostcasts podcast one and look how much they have come on, it will get better.
******Spoiler Start********
Has anyone read the spolier reports coming in about season three, only thing i seen was the song that starts season three off is 'Downtown' by Petula Clark, seems a good song as its in the same vain of 'make your own kinda music' frm season 2
******Spolier End*************
Posted by: Carl, UK | October 01, 2006 at 12:20 PM
Sorry if we blew anyone's eardrums out with the unmuting episode. Just trying something new...
I did talk to Jay about perhaps participating in some of the video stuff they're doing, so it's likely you'll see some video this season!
Posted by: John | October 01, 2006 at 01:14 PM
I dont blame you for trying something new, thats what will keep the podcast from loosing listeners. It was just a observation and inconvenience surfing my volume control for an hour, but Im sure you guys will improve on everything if another Skypecast was to happen. Which I hope it does
3 Days to go
Jon
Posted by: Jon W | October 01, 2006 at 02:36 PM
Was a nice idea and in general a good show, but the different audio levels for just about everyone made it very difficult to listen too.
Looking forward to Wednesday.
James
Posted by: James Wicks | October 01, 2006 at 02:43 PM
I've just watched the Lost Catchup from last week...
Wierd how some things left out, and what was added - obviously bits in will feature in S3 to remind people...
BUT!
Why the hell was the Short Wave Radio bit with Hurley & Sayid in there?!?!??!?!!?!?
Posted by: matt beale | October 01, 2006 at 02:48 PM
ABC just dumbing it down a little?
Posted by: Jon W | October 01, 2006 at 02:53 PM
Regarding the Skypecast. Great idea, but please *please* promise you won't do that again!
Posted by: Arbernaut | October 01, 2006 at 09:05 PM
I don't think it's likely, but couldn't we meet relatives of the survivors in the real world along with Penny? It's easy too imagine a family member of one of the victims of the crash to be searching for answers as well.
Posted by: Mike | October 01, 2006 at 11:02 PM
im glad to hear that the skype cast went well. i was really looking foward to participating, but my saturday ended up being completely booked. hopefully ill be able to be a part of your next skype cast. cant wait for the s3 premiere, and the next amazing lost cast.
stay lost.
Posted by: anthony | October 01, 2006 at 11:55 PM
About Watchmen:
I posted before about Watchmen symbols used in Lost - specifically the Ozymandias statue (the 4 toed leg) in the concluding episode of season 2 (a character in watchmen is called ozymandias). But I missed the most glaringly obvious one:
Henry Gales balloon has a big yellow smiley face on it!
The cover of watchmen is a big yellow smiley, in fact it was this book that helped make the smiley such a famous icon in the eighties and nineties. The Books author, Alan Moore even had one character draw a giant smiley face on mars. Subsequently Nasa actually photographed what looked like a smiley face on mars. Moore was reportedly "spooked" by the co-incidence. The symbol is used throughout the book, part "brave new world" motif and part ironic joke on the part of one Edward BLAKE.
Posted by: Wisdo | October 02, 2006 at 04:33 AM
About the Valenzetti equation:
This is a fictional version of an ACTUAL mathemathical argument known as the Carter or Carter-Leslie Doomsday argument. You may be dismayed to hear that there is a fairly sound rigorously mathematical argument that states that humanity may not have long to go before it becomes extinct. The argument predicts, with 95% "confidence", that humanity will disappear within 9120 years.
you can read the book:
The End of the World:
The Science and Ethics of Human Extinction
by John Leslie
Routledge, 1996
ISBN: 0-415-14043-9
Or go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomsday_argument
By the way this is NON FICTION, but there are many rebuttals to the argument.
Posted by: Wisdo | October 02, 2006 at 04:50 AM
I thought the skypecast was ok and the approach certainly has potential. If you could sort out the volume issues and get the voice from question askers working I think it would be very worthwhile. Perhaps people could pre-record their questions ? Whilst that may take away from the 'instant access' it would remove the aparrent problems with skype. If the problems were with the number of people in the skype 'room' then why not do a by invitation only skype cast and see how that goes ?
To be honest I found the 'plink-plonk' of people (I assume)joining/leaving the skype room more annoying than the volume issues.
Posted by: mark b | October 02, 2006 at 08:03 AM
good idea guys, but it seems like a lot of people had the same problems i did. could you not notice how loud/quiet people were coming in? anyways, hopefully if you do it again it'll run smoother, i couldn't even finish listening to it this time. i don't mean to come off as a jerk but maybe you should have had a dry run beforehand to the hang of the software (at least turn the notification sounds off under options!).
Posted by: jon | October 02, 2006 at 09:05 AM
Arg. I know LostCasts is almost always an upbeat place to post, so I'll try and keep on my smiley face (oh, GREAT catch about the smiley face in Watchmen, Wisdo!). Our hosts, along with Jay and Ryan, took time out of their Saturday to make a free podcast for us. Also, it's not like they were talking about a season finale or something: there hasn't been a new episode of Lost for about 100 days. Once again, LostCasts was thinking of the fans and trying something new while trying to keep the discussion alive. Also, according to previous postings, John and Jay DID test it out the day before.
The simple rule of technology is that the first time you need it to work perfectly it doesn't. This is, perhaps, why the Dharma Initiative :P decided to forego an automated button pushing device and instead decided to have two guys sitting in front of the computer--much like our hosts who have been kind enough to sit in front of their computers and push the "podcast button" 35 times in the last year, all without pulling a Radzynski. (ha ha!)
Speaking of future podcasts, if the book club returns during the long break, please oh please let's do Watchmen!
Posted by: Matt Lafferty | October 02, 2006 at 10:31 AM
Hey... big fan of the podcast here. It was a very interesting idea to do a Skypecast, but wow... that was hard to listen to. I found it more annoying than entertaining or informational.
Anyway, I look forward to keeping up with Season 3 of Lost with everyone here at Lostcasts.com!
Posted by: Popmerchant | October 02, 2006 at 11:02 AM
hey, kirsten over at eonline.com posted some interesting tidbits about the upcoming lost episode.
---spoiler---
http://www.eonline.com/Gossip/Kristin/Archive2006/060929b.html
im so excited.
Posted by: delilah | October 02, 2006 at 12:06 PM
WHY IN THE WORLD DID YOU NOT EDIT THIS PODCAST? I really wanted to enjoy the podcast but half the time was spent with you guys "working out your issues". If you do it again, edit it before you post!
Posted by: mel | October 02, 2006 at 12:11 PM
The quality of this podcast has deteriorated beyond belief. Your latest "skypecast" is perhaps the worst podcast in the history of podcasting. If you're not going to take the production seriously and, at least, edit out the glaring examples of your technical ineptitude, why even bother with the podcast. Clearly, you have no respect for your listeners.
Posted by: a pissed off listener | October 02, 2006 at 02:22 PM
Wow. Pissed off - first off, it was not the "worst podcast in the history of podcasting." I can send you to some examples of those if you like. One of the reasons this podcast is so great is because they actually care about their listeners. This was an attempt to include more of them so that more people could contribute. Yes, it didn't work perfectly, but no where did they say that this would be the way it would be from now on so saying it's deteroriated is a bit extreme. This was one episode. They tried something new to be more inclusive and it didn't work. They are all about respecting their listeners or they wouldn't have even tried. So cut them a little slack. Don't judge the whole podcast on one episode.
Otherwise, I just have to say whoever said "No, we're the survivors of Flight 815" when all the mics lit up - rocked. I laughed myself silly and that made this skype experiment worth getting up that early for.
Posted by: Kathy aka Fangirl | October 02, 2006 at 02:45 PM
Agreed! That was a fantastic comment! :D I listened to the skypecast before work today and dug it. The levels did seem a bit off and so I'd turn it up when I was away from my desk only to run back and turn it down when someone else talked.
As for the Doomsday Argument...I find that stuff fascinating. I can only hope they address the Valenzetti Eq in the show. I'm gonna have to look up that book. :)
Can't wait for Wednesday and can't wait to hear everyone's reactions!!!
Posted by: Taylor | October 02, 2006 at 02:54 PM
Kathy,
My sentiments, exactly! Thanks for saying it so well. I truly love this podcast and although there are occassional bumps in the road, it really is one of the best out there!
I would also like to thank whoever made the 815 survivors comment! You had me laughing for the rest of the chaotic period of the skypecast. :)
I cannot cannot cannot wait for Wednesday or the next podcast!
Posted by: Loren | October 02, 2006 at 05:02 PM
Let's ease up on the "worst podcast ever" negativity and remember that a bunch of people took a lot of time out of their busy lives to do this, for free, for our entertainment. Yeah, there were some technical issues, but it wasn't a big deal for me. Just laugh it off and hope next time goes more smoothly. I was just glad to hear all the major stars of the Lost podcasting world together, digging on their favorite show. Thanks, guys.
Posted by: Black Fonzie | October 02, 2006 at 05:09 PM
Black Fonzie said it best^^
And that no respect for your listeners comment is total BS. This whole thing was to get the listeners involved in the podcast. Too bad it didn't work out just right. Nothing really works out the first time.
Posted by: Juggs | October 02, 2006 at 05:41 PM
"And that no respect for your listeners comment is total BS."
agreed, although i was a bit disappointed that the skyecap LOSTcast was only (really) about thirty minutes of content...
but i have a feeling that this weekend's LOSTcast'd be... hmm... maybe a little under two hours? yeah... stay LOST!
Posted by: adam! | October 02, 2006 at 08:41 PM
I find something endearing about not editing errors as that proves it is homemade, but it is a little hard to listen to due to varying volumes of mics and background bleeps. Hoever this is your first attempt and I do encourage Lostcasts to try again and I appreciate the step forward in trying something new. Practice makes perfect!
Posted by: rachel_in_sg | October 03, 2006 at 06:09 AM
To be honest, I couldn’t listen to the Skypecast either. It was a mess, but we had fun making it. Look, we knew going in that the likelihood of a train wreck was high. I wouldn’t call this a train wreck - a twelve-car pileup on the turnpike maybe, but not a train wreck.
I thought the crosstalk with Jay and Ryan was cool. We need to work on the levels - obviously. I also liked being able to respond to questions in real time. I wish we could have heard your voices, but we improvised. Seems to me that the best use of a Skypecast would be to include guests from time to time. Possibly during the season breaks.
I think overall it was a worthy experiment gone awry - like the DHARMA project. We didn’t edit the feed because we bring you the show warts and all. Plus, I thought the audio meltdown was funny. It gave me an opening for one of my rare good jokes.
As a listener I would be pissed if this was one of our regular shows covering an episode, but this was just a lark - something different to kick-off the season. Not to get all Dane Cook on you, but we really do care about our fans. I’m sorry if the Skypecast was amateurish, but I’m sure our longtime fans get what we were trying to do. Rest assured that we’ll be back to or regular, un-professional presentation this weekend. Also, rest assured that there will be multiple train wrecks, twelve car pile-ups and nuclear meltdowns in the future as we continue to experiment with new ways to get the fans involved.
Posted by: Matt Jones | October 03, 2006 at 10:33 AM
I wish people would shut up about the podcast being bad. We admit it was bad!. For crying out loud. Sorry to get annoyed but people should just shut the fuck up!. :(
Posted by: Jay | October 03, 2006 at 10:38 AM
Hey that person that posted before wasnt me, dont know who it was but it was not me.
As for the episode, we did the best with what we had. I thought it was something fresh, and through time when the Skypecast system can work a little more smoothly. We can make a true skypecast maybe.
So a big thanks goes to John who set all this up, and took the time to figure it out, and invite us to be a part of it. It was not an easy task at all, and he took the challenge. To me thats the hallmark of a great podcaster.
Jay
Posted by: The Real Jay | October 03, 2006 at 02:11 PM
You guys rock as usural!
Thanks for the show...it made my day.
Posted by: I_Love_Sayid | October 03, 2006 at 06:06 PM
Yeah I agree with Matt the part where Skype fucked up was really funny. I think it would be a good idea to use Skype for the Theory Casts if your going to do them this year.
Posted by: Chris Mavis-UK | October 04, 2006 at 11:20 AM
Hey guys,
It was fun listening to the podcast. Good to hear from Ryan especially as I've missed his show with Jen.Good experiment in trying something new. Next what about a session meeting up in Second Life (could be done free I believe). Anyway hope to hear another skypecast.
Did everyone see this NY Times article on how Cuse and Lindelof's job has morphed into running a Lost conglomerate:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/arts/television/01manl.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
More fuel for the debate over whether Lost is spreading itself too thin.
Posted by: Andrew | October 04, 2006 at 11:57 AM
Hey guys,
It was fun listening to the podcast. Good to hear from Ryan especially as I've missed his show with Jen.Good experiment in trying something new. Next what about a session meeting up in Second Life (could be done free I believe). Anyway hope to hear another skypecast.
Did everyone see this NY Times article on how Cuse and Lindelof's job has morphed into running a Lost conglomerate:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/arts/television/01manl.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
More fuel for the debate over whether Lost is spreading itself too thin.
Posted by: Andrew | October 04, 2006 at 12:01 PM
Regarding the Skypecast, I had the same issues as everyone else. The plink plonk sound was really bothersome and the volume issue was so bad that to hear one person I had to turn my Ipod way up and to tolerate another I had to turn it way down.
I know the guys do it for fun, for our enjoyment.
As another commenter said, the LostCasts have come along way from the first podcast. Personally, I really like the normal format. I like the lay out and the information relayed. I don't listen to hear other people's questions. I want to hear what the forums are talking about and the guys opinions.
I hope the skypecasts are limited to situations where listener involvement is the basis of the show, such as the TheoryCasts.
Otherwise, I just like listening to you guys! Thanks for all the casts so far! Can't wait for next week!
Posted by: Joni | October 04, 2006 at 09:40 PM
Hello friends! i new on your forum!
see ya:))
Posted by: Jamsona | August 10, 2007 at 03:16 AM