Since this is as much about each of our struggles to build and make popular our own web shows as it is about the building of Boat To The Moon specifically, I thought I’d share a bit about an experiment I’ve begun on my site. Namely, I’m trying to manipulate my statistics.

Call it Rocketbooming, if you will, but not in the Ze Frank nerdfight sense.

Negative Billing might be more apt.

The way my site was ordered was that you’d have to directly click on a link on the listing pages in order to view the episode you wanted to see. This is still the way for the episodes page, and for most of the front page links, but no longer is this the way you see the newest bit of video. Now, it loads automatically.
I would call it Rocketbooming because that’s what Rocketboom does; you go to the page, and it starts loading, without a secondary click. This has been suggested as one of the many sources of inflated numbers for Rocketboom’s audience, though I would doubt it’s not a huge source of it. And I’m not under the illusion that just because my stats increase (I have, in two days, gotten two weeks’ worth of views of the newest video, using my swanky new technique, but who knows how much of the show the people are watching), that my viewership does; I recognize that some of the extra hits will be people coming back to the site through the front page, for reasons that don’t include wanting to watch the newest episode again; I don’t think for a moment that people can’t figure out that they need to click the link that says “Watch This Episode Now.”

So why am I doing it?

It’s an experiment, and the intent is simple: since so few of the number of hits to the front page seem to translate, for whatever reason, into views of specific episodes, I want to see if those people who come to the site and appear to simply leave will stay to watch the show, and come back again, or subscribe to the feeds for the show, if the episode starts playing.

I’m trying to captivate people. I am, to borrow bad executive-speak, to transform passive eyeballs into active fans. I’m trying to see if making the video play all the time increases the audience for the show.

It’s an experiment that will take some weeks, I imagine, to bear fruit, or not. I haven’t yet decided whether to keep it going after the first few weeks, though I expect that if it does work, and it does, indeed, help my audience grow, then I’ll continue doing it.

I’ll keep you posted.

This weekend (tomorrow, in fact) has the first ever Vloggies, which are awards to honour the very best Videoblogs out there. Despite my own reservations about calling them vloggies, and calling them videoblogs (the term to me seems to refer to talking-to-the-camera video diaries, but in this context is extended to mean video podcasting, as well), I’m very excited to see how they come out.

Why is that, do you ask? Because two of the shows made by your fine, fine hosts are up for consideration. There’s my show (dotBoom), and Julie’s show (Almost There), both of which are very great and, vlog willing, will take home a statuette. Or plaque, or sticker, or whatever they’re giving out.

What are they giving out? Is there a prize? A statue? A firm handshake? I’ve no idea.

Rumor has it that two from Nontourage (makers of Almost There) will be making the trek tomorrow to San Francisco to attend the ceremonies; hopefully they’ll be picking up some statues for themselves, and one or two for me, too.

Seriously, though, best of luck to all contenders.

And, oh yes: the official vloggies site.

UPDATE: Congratulations to our very own Julie for winning TWO Vloggies! One was for best Female Vlogger (along with Sarah Atwood), and the other was for best music. Congratulations, Julie!

On Sunday night Stephen McCandless, Chris Haddad, Julie Damon and Brian Hogg all rocked the mics, blathering on for almost an hour about whether or not trying to create fictional stories for video podcast is a stupid, stupid idea.

And as soon as Stephen gets off his butt and cuts it together we’ll have a show for ya.

Are you excited? I know I am.

A guy walks up to another guy.
He says “Tom, like, how the heck did you get all these guys to help you work on your boat . . to the . . .moon.”

The first guy cringes a little as suddenly he hears 70 burly men outside all raise their oars to sky and bellow “BOAT TO THE MOON” all loud and raucous like a battle cry.
Back inside, Tom sort of shrugs his shoulders and says “Oh, that was easy. Personalized oars.”

And suddenly a really bad idea was born.

Welcome to Boat to the MOON. Right now it’s not much, an empty shell and a dream, but soon it will be great. Oh, yes, it will be great.

You will like it.