I kinda really enjoyed doing the audiolog last night. Which sucks, because I know that's not what anyone but me wants. But it's both something I enjoy doing and something I would like if other people do. My philosophy re: making things has always been balanced heavily in favor of making things that I enjoy making, and making things like what I want to see. When I did Let's Plays, I always tried to avoid the over-the-top angry video game nerd reactions the genre is known for (I did briefly try that out in a series in '07 or '08 and those videos have been scrubbed from the internet.)

Not only is that not me, it's not even the kind of video I want to watch. AVGN was the sole exception, because he was so clearly hamming it up and playing a character who was definitely not himself. He was good at it, I'm not, and there's nothing I want to watch less than people legitimately getting angry at video games. So I always kept it authentic and low-key, and I wasn't a big youtube star, but I think the people who watched appreciated me for the things I was good at.

People who don't work dreary, monotonous jobs as state functionaries probably don't understand this, but I'd really like it if my friends released daily audio logs. Even if it's just 10 or 20 minutes, that would give me a break from podcasts, let me stretch the episodes further, and let me catch up on the lives of people I care about without sacrificing any of my precious free time. Having a friendly voice in my ear makes things a little less lonely. And that's why I download and listen to Let's Play and stream archives of games I'm not too interested in, and why I listen to podcasts like the Jeff Gerstmann show—it's not my first choice, because I have absolutely zero interest in the business of new video games, which is primarily what he focuses on; but he's good at monologuing, and talks enough about old video games and other topics that it's still better than silence.

Most people don't have jobs where they can listen to podcasts and audiologs all day, and they don't have time to listen to them otherwise, except maybe an hour or two a day during a commute or a workout, and they're more likely to want to listen to something that's been produced. And I get it, but because of my job, it's a kind of media that's important to me, and I'm probably going to start doing it more. The format of the blog is never going to go audio-only, but I'd like it to be a bigger part of what I do. Talking into a microphone was part of my life on and off for over a decade when I was doing Let's Plays and streams, and I reckon I got used to it.

But hey, I figure one or two posts a week is basically going to be nothing, just because it's impossible to keep the writing machine going at full capacity every single day while I also have to work; so if one or two posts a week is just going to be an apology or a single joke, I might as well post that plus a bonus audiolog. Assuming I can keep that machine going.

I forgot to mention this yesterday, but the nice thing about recording on my phone is that it's something I can do while I'm relaxing after work. Even though I'm in front of my computer, I don't have to sit up at my desk to type on a keyboard or talk into a microphone. I can kick my feet up and lean back in my chair. I could even record outside! I might do that next time, if I can find an isolated enough spot. Stay nice and cool that way. It's going to start get cool enough to leave my fan off soon, but they're probably going to turn the radiators on as soon as that happens :(