Let It Be Gang
I’m in Washington for a workshop on attention and gestures. In the cab on the way to the hotel I called in to the Gillmor Gang recording, as did Mike Arrington, Jason Calacanis, Robert Anderson, Hugh MacLeod, Dan Farber, and Doc Searls. There’s a lot of nice moments in between the cell phone noise and intermittencies, including a funny section where we all reminisce about our favorite Gang moments.
It’s no secret that the Gang has gotten polarized around what Doc calls two factions, those who enjoy the dance of the startups and gorillas of the enterprise space, and those who don’t. At some point Jason arrived from the airport at his destination, and dropped off the call with his version of my now-familiar “see you next time if there is a next time.” What followed was pretty intense.
I’m not going to release that part of the show, even though the dropped segments shorten the show from its required length to what will likely be 3 episodes. Failing to deliver the full complement of 5 shows may force me to produce 2 additional segments, but I will evaluate that while editing the show on the flight back on Sunday. After 3 days of Web 2.0. an AttentionTrust board meeting, a cross-country flight, and many months of turmoil on and around the Gang, frankly, I snapped.
Fundamentally, the reason I am redacting the show is that I don’t like what I was saying and thinking on this show, at least the part after Jason signed off. What Nick Douglas called hyper reality the other night in describing the show may be entertaining, but when I find myself not liking me all that much…. After the show I called my friend Hank Barry up and did all I could to not break down and cry about it. I just can’t stand what I’m doing, no matter how well it works.
Luckily for me, the Gang are generous and gentle in the face of my manipulative behavior. I couldn’t ask for a more supportive set of friends and colleagues. They deserve better than me losing my way. They lend their celebrity, their expertise, their generosity of spirit, their time. And, when the chips are down, the blunt truth. Couldn’t ask for better friends.
I’ll figure it out. Over and over at Web 2.0 I heard from friends and strangers how much they enjoy the Gang adventures. When it works it’s thrilling to be a part of. Today it worked for a while and then it went south. You get the first part. Maybe I’ll get Phil Spector to put strings on the other stuff.
November 11th, 2006 at 6:55 pm
Hang in there Steve. I don’t know what and why but I think it might help if you decide where you are. If you see yourself somewhere in the middle of ocean with storms ahead, you’ll finding yourself expecting trouble. If you see yourself moving downstream in a slow moving river, all you have to do is calmly steer. Frankly, I prefer to be on the river without a paddle because I am lazy.
If this bite-size bulls**t doesn’t help, let me know. I got thousands like it in the backroom and you only need one to turn your suave mojo back on.
November 12th, 2006 at 1:17 am
I hope this wont be the last Gillmor Gang, they are excellent and I have been a keen listener for a very long time.
Everyone who listens knows the milleage may vary per episode, but in the final analysis it’s invariably entertaining and if you listen there are always moments of great insight.
Steve, I do hope you work out how to be happy about the whole thing because most of the time it’s your navigating/directing the gang that takes us to those moments of real clarity!!
November 12th, 2006 at 2:21 am
While I respect your decision not to put out a part of the show that you’re not proud of, one of the things I have always enjoyed about the Gillmor Gang is the spontaneous combustion — or at least, the possibility of it. Even when everyone is yelling at one another, there is something to be learned.
On the other hand, having recently had my own public blog meltdown only to regret that behavior later, I do understand redacting it. (But the part of me that wants to look past the ambulances gathered around an accident wishes you’d reconsider.)
DnW
November 12th, 2006 at 2:23 am
How about a (not-for-release) ‘We Can Work It Out Gang’? These chaps are your friends, so why not talk it through with them? Maybe you already have, but somehow I doubt it.
November 12th, 2006 at 6:49 am
Let’s take a look at facts: Calacanis decides to leave the Gang and then immediately you close the gang. Is it coincidence? I don’t think so. Steve if you are in love with Calacanis and then say it in public, but you act wrongly by basing your decisions on this what Calacanis said. Now it looks that you are doing a favor to Calacanis by closing the gang and redirecting listeners to his podcast.
Shortly speaking: resume the gang, and this time don’t split it into annoying parts and try to use Skype or Gizmo Project to have high voice quality instead of low quality phone calls as in the past.
November 12th, 2006 at 1:44 pm
I just want to say that it was great to hear your views on web office “live” from the web 20 summit press room. You have an original take on the tech world and so I always enjoy your pov. So keep doing original stuff, it is appreciated.
November 12th, 2006 at 1:53 pm
Talking about missing the point, what in the heck does splitting-up the show, Skype or Calacanis have to do with this? Nothing. Read this post, Listen to the shows (yeah, all 300 parts… who really cares, it doesn’t change a thing) and it’s obvious: This is about flesh & blood & an Idea, & the Courage, the 3 o’clock in the morning type of Courage, that it takes to defend that Idea. Sticking your neck out every week, whether it’s with a “supportive set of friends and colleagues,” or with your fiercest competitors, is what it’s about, and that’s enough to make anyone “break down and cry about it.” I know some form of the Gillmor Gang will re-emerge. For me, it has been an essential source of Inspiration for the past year. Steve, perhaps it is too fragile to continue, but it is also too important not to.
November 12th, 2006 at 4:23 pm
Steve
You know the West Wing at its best … a show you desparately looked forward to every week, a show that left you feeling cheated when it ended …
the Gillmor Gang’s like that for many of us. TWIT is twee. Gillmor Gang is podcasting crack.
Reinvent, but don’t stop.
November 12th, 2006 at 4:23 pm
I listen to the show especially to listen to Mike and Jason, but reluctantly because of the slant that Gillmor puts on it. Honestly, think it’s ridiculous to not release the second part, talk about manipulation. Anyways, it’s become hard to listen to, but I do someone else can pick up on the concept and make some progress on it.
November 12th, 2006 at 5:27 pm
Here it is, the nurturing feminine point of view: lots of egos on display here. Life is short, and to some degree, we can’t afford to hurt each other too much.
Civilized discourse about different views is always welcome, but name-calling isn’t journalism here, any more than it is on the Beltway Boys. I think you guys should get in a room together, with or without a facilitator, and decide what the purpose is of what you are doing. When that becomes clear, the abrasive moments will vanish into the common purpose.
–A yoga teacher
November 12th, 2006 at 5:33 pm
“Maybe I’ll get Phil Spector to put strings on the other stuff.”
Release the whole damn thing UNCUT!—or years later it’ll be the “Let It Be Gang: Naked”—uggghhhh!
Listening to a show go south is the best part sometimes—or maybe if Jason quits you can get Eric Clapton……:}
November 12th, 2006 at 8:47 pm
Been a listener to the show since the very beginning, and the ITConversations days.
Thanks for the years of knowledge, laughter, and thought. Steve, I hope you can muster together just one more show, and bring back some of the other guests and members you’ve had over the years, like Jon Udell. Just a “It’s a Wrap” Gang. The show deserves a better exit.
Best wishes.
November 12th, 2006 at 9:02 pm
[…] The latest Gillmor Gang must have ended in some kind of fiasco we listeners will never hear about (and even Jason Calacanis has been quiet about it - though I gather he wasn’t on the show anymore when all hell broke loose), but Dana Gardner today spills some other beans that hint at some potential reasons why Steve Gillmor might have been unhappy with the direction the Gang was taking: An exclusive content model is anathema to blogging, to the Cluetrain Manifesto, to the bazaar vs. cathedral. I’m pretty sure this is why Steve Gillmor is so unhappy doing Gillmor Gang at Podshow, and why that show may be history, at least at that venue. Steve should have gone indy after IT Conversations, no doubt. Learn from his mistake. […]
November 13th, 2006 at 8:48 am
If this is true, it is also sad. I’ll really miss the show. But, it’s your show, after all!
Thanks for what you’ve done so far, it’s been an inspiration.
Panayotis
Athens, Greece.
November 13th, 2006 at 9:57 am
RIP Gillmor Gang?
So is that it?
I hope not, as the Gillmor Gang proved to be one of the most thought provoking nuggets of wisdom (and BS) in the podosphere.
It must have been pretty special to have maintained any sort of regular listenership due to…. well count t…
November 13th, 2006 at 11:18 am
Steve,
I think your ‘cast is one of the best i’ve heard. Please stay with it. My guess is that you are more critical of yourself than your audience is. If the polarization is that deep, divide your show into two segments with some overlapping and some different gang members (just think of the ad opportunities! - sorry, couldn’t resist).
You and your gang offer an informed and intelligent analysis of trends and actions that are important to me. I simply do not have the time or the inclination to read blogs - podcasts on my iPod are perfect.
So what if it gets a little derailed at times. My opinion is that it gets derailed in interesting ways, including Jason’s non-bot bot comments. So what. It’s fun. Splenda. Not my thing but the lesson about exposure is interesting.
You and your gang are bright. The derailments reflect this.
Hope to hear more. Don’t know where I’d find a replacement.
Greg DelSesto
Boston (that’s near Cambridge)
November 13th, 2006 at 11:46 am
Two reasons your show works.
1) I left the blogosphere in November 2005, returned in August 2006. Gave up the entire RSS feed, the only exception being the gang, my iPod, and long walks in the woods.
2) My business is educational technology. I recently mixed Gillmor Gang with what I was seeing a kindergarten teacher struggling with (should Google house my data?).
Best show in media. :o) Thanks Steve.
November 13th, 2006 at 2:50 pm
Hey Steve, here’s a few hints on running a internet radio show from a long time consumer of talk radio shows on radio and the internet.
1) Consider yourself a talk show host, not a moderator
2) Don’t eat salad or anything else while the show is on.
3) Schedule the show when you have time to devote 100% of your attention to it.
4) Prepare at the very least a rough outline of potential topics and conversations before each show.
5) Realize that sound quality is somewhat important, even in internet audio.
6) realize that quality is more important than quantity even if you have to miss a show or postpone its release for several days.
November 13th, 2006 at 4:29 pm
Steve,
Please don’t go!
You and your gang have been my must-listen podcast… nay, my must-consumer media content for over 14 months; ever since I discovered the pleasures and intellectual stimulation of yours and your guests casual chatter. I consider it a voyeuristic honour to eavesdrop into the Gang’s conversation.
November 13th, 2006 at 5:40 pm
Steve,
Say it ain’t so, Joe…
My iPod is worth significantly less to me without the ol’ Gang.
And history indicates that the actual team roster is somewhat irrelevant
bacuase the coach is so great. He builds and puts on the field the best players available (that will work for free).There may be other issues I’, not aware of but your work on the gang was exceptional… you reigned ‘em in and beat ‘em a bit when it suited your mood and just let them riff on the news when you weren’t in the mood for being the play grounf monitor. Either way (and all those stops in between) it made for a great commute experience and gave the recent news a spin and an attitude…
Just 20 more Gang shows and I might comprend the real import of gestures.
I’m begging you to re-hire your self and keep the band together… even if your need to rework the line-up.
November 14th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
No way! We need you. You’re ability to slice through the nonsense and see the future is priceless. What am I supposed to listen to on my long flights?!?
doug
PS I’ve listened to every single episode. I miss the old music!
November 14th, 2006 at 7:59 pm
Sad. The Gang wasn’t broke. It worked.
November 15th, 2006 at 3:45 am
[…] God this sucks. The Gillmor Gang is no more! I’ve just been checking it out via iTunes so had no idea the “Let It Be Gang” was the last, and intriguingly that Steve didn’t post the other half as it descended into something “pretty intense”. […]
November 15th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
What’s all this talk about The Gillmor Gang being dead? I’ve read Steve’s post five times, thinking I must have missed something - but I don’t see it. Read his last paragraph: he’s writing about the show in the present tense.
The only gang member who’s said anything about it being the end of the show is Jason (who wasn’t even there). I think he’s misread Steve’s post, and others have started taking it as gospel.
Tell me I’ve been paying attention, Steve!
November 15th, 2006 at 1:40 pm
Everyone who listens to the show and who makes an effort to understand it will respect your decision. I have no idea what demons are haunting you. “I just can’t stand what I’m doing no matter how well it works.” It is also likely that no amount of support in the comments makes any difference. You appear to be a stubborn person.
However, it is worth a shot. So far, I have not even tried to describe the Gillmor Gang to friends or colleagues because it defies description, or rather it is easier to listen to the show and start to understand it than it is to hear an explanation. I would surmise that not every listener understands every idea, but they do understand that it is worth paying attention each week. That the show cannot be readily pigeon-holed or soundbited or planned or predicted makes it work for the audience that you are not looking for, but who are anyway coming to you.
You can be as hard on yourself as you like, but remember there is another point of view out there that disagrees with you, and since we came this far, then perhaps you could acknowledge the listeners’ opinions which may be positive, and at odds with your own. There is no creative endeavour of which I know that goes smoothly and without the soul-searching of the creator. I know there is the meme about it always being the last show, and not caring if people listen because that misses the point etc. Well, people listen. It is helpful and provocative. Just as the unexamined life is not worth living, nor is the unexamined current phase of the tech revolution worth caring about.
November 16th, 2006 at 9:09 am
Ok. You aren’t happy. Stop doing the show. The only option.
But start another one. A different one. A one-on-one interview one (or even a videoblog). A “Steve’s Musings on Jazz and Blues Music”. Something. We like your work, your effort and your passion.
Winer is leaving blogging, the Gang is ending.
To quote the philosopher Charlie Brown, “AAArrrggghhhhhh!!!!”
November 16th, 2006 at 11:11 am
(paraphrase) a wise man once said:
“when there’s no news, real journalists make news.”
Of course, we’re NOT being played here… we’re witnessing a pro wrestling with some incredibly important questions… and in a very public fashion. Hopefully, the wise man releases the whole episode. It’s all good… this human quality we have… this instability. It’s all good. It may NOT be news but it’s enlightening to see the imperfections and study the values in conflict.
The Gillmor Gang ain’t no friggin’ tea party… blood is spilt on occasion.
November 17th, 2006 at 3:00 pm
I am with Richard Carter, why does everybody think this was the last show? All newbees? Can’t be. Heck, even if he finally takes it off Podshow, thank god, that site is hideous. But everybody who understands that Steve is in the attention business knows that he is just sitting at his desk chuckling his strained laugh, enjoying himself immensely. And, hello, Jason announced on his site that he’ll explain his leaving AOL on the Gang which was supposedly recorded yesterday.
Anyway, Steve, I found it very ironic that Mike compained about your background noise while Jasons’s was even higher and Mike himself had the worst connection ever, crackling every time he said something.