Topic: Zdtv

Sir Cabral of Masarictown traces his following of John C. Dvorak through PC Mag, CNET, ZDTV, and TWiT. Chris O'Brien from Boston also cites Silicon Spin as his starting point with Dvorak's work. Sir Kevin McLaughlin, Archduke of Luna, contributes a "BOOB" donation of $80.08 in honor of the show's traditions.

Lemonheart and Steven Rathjen praise the chemistry between the hosts. Aziz Chowdhury explains how ZDTV and TechTV provided a "refuge" for him as a Muslim youth after 9/11. Kyle Reinholdt mentions his fondness for Dvorak's specific, curmudgeonly way of saying the word "woman."

Sir Evil Larry, a former Marine, credits Dvorak for getting him into computers via ZDTV and expresses regret that Dvorak won't make it to a planned Nashville meetup. Rajiv Voleti and Richard from Northern Ireland also send tributes.

In honor of Mother's Day, several producers send in donations and tributes to their wives and mothers. Randy Vizentine is knighted as "Sir Randy of Drummingham," and Chuck Douglas is recognized for his contribution. The hosts grant "relationship karma" and "jobs karma" to various listeners as requested.

Michael Halby completes his knighthood, citing his long-term listenership since the "Daily Source Code" era. In honor of the donation, a vintage 1980s clip is played featuring John C. Dvorak describing the psychological profile of computer hackers as young, pizza-loving teenagers motivated by boredom and peer pressure.

John C. Dvorak recounts his experience filming "Silicon Spin" for ZDTV/TechTV in Las Vegas, where the production team failed to mic the audience. This resulted in a broadcast where jokes appeared to receive no reaction, making the hosts look unsuccessful despite a live audience that was actually laughing. The anecdote serves as a technical explanation for how poor audio production can humiliate a speaker.

John C. Dvorak recounts his efforts to save his television archives from ZDTV and TechTV after the networks attempted to discard them. A similar anecdote involves book packager Bob McCoy rescuing original oil painting cover art for Dell murder mysteries from a dumpster. The segment highlights the frequent destruction of cultural and corporate history by accountants seeking to reduce storage costs.

The hosts conclude with observations on social status symbols in Silicon Valley, such as large diamond rings and Rolex watches. Dvorak shares a story about a yellow striped shirt he wore to annoy a ZDTV executive, which he reprised for a recent Cranky Geeks appearance. The episode ends with a reminder of the show's "No Agenda" mission and a sign-off from both hosts.