Topic: Webinar

A proposal is made for artist Darren O'Neill to host a $150-$250 webinar or "masterclass" to teach others how to effectively use AI art generators. The hosts suggest that O'Neill's skill in prompting and composition is a transferable knowledge that could attract hundreds of students. The idea is compared to a "university with Scaramanga," though the conversation remains lighthearted regarding the seriousness of launching a formal educational venture.

An interview with a Fulton County election official reveals that many poll workers were contract staff hired as late as election evening. These individuals were reportedly "trained" via a quick webinar and sworn in shortly before processing ballots under high pressure. This rapid onboarding process is cited as a potential source of errors in the Georgia vote tabulation.

Adam Curry expresses a new "pet peeve" regarding the term "Pod-enar," a hybrid of podcast and webinar. The hosts also highlight the value of the No Agenda show notes and search engines like Bingit.io and NoAgendaQuest. These tools are cited by producers as essential for winning social media arguments and finding source materials for media deconstruction.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is hosting its first annual "Infodemiology Conference" to address the "infodemic" of overabundant information. The WHO defines this as a public health threat and encourages citizens to "call out" people in their social networks who post "untrue" content. Recommended actions include spending less time online and only seeking information from "trusted sources" at specific times of day.

The rise of for-profit coding boot camps is discussed as an alternative to four-year degrees, though the hosts question their high costs and focus on JavaScript. Inspired by this, they jokingly propose a "Dvorak Curry Podcast Boot Camp" that would charge $15,000 to teach students how to write newsletters and take checks. The segment touches on the intense 16-hour workdays required by top-tier Silicon Valley boot camps.

FEMA and the CDC have launched a "Zombie Awareness" webinar series as a tool for disaster preparedness. The government uses the zombie theme to generate low-cost publicity and engage the public in general emergency planning.

A discussion regarding the prevalence and business structure of webinars highlights how companies are charged significant fees, such as $40,000, to host sessions featuring journalists and industry experts. Alternative names for the medium are proposed, including "wanfrance," "wonkfrance," and "semiweb," as a critique of the standard terminology.