The Techie on KFE For those of you who have been living under a rock, Leon Laponte is a technical journalist who hosts a radio show out of Los Angeles called "The Techie on KFE." He also hosts something like 200 tech-related podcasts, and has written about a thousand books. For over two years now, it has been my extreme honor to be one of the operators in his IRC chatroom, where Leon joins us so he can get live tips from us to help his callers during his weekend radio show on KFE.

As an operator, it's my job to keep things family friendly, and to make sure that no one disrupts the chat.

If somebody spams their website, I kick them.

If somebody discusses politics, sports, or religion, I kick them.

If somebody harasses another chatter, I kick them (unless I don't like the person that they're harrassing, in which case I might turn a blind eye).

If somebody discusses distributing software illegally, I kick them.

If somebody uses ALL CAPS, I kick them.

If somebody uses bad language, or makes racist or sexist remarks, I ban them, then kick them.

If somebody questions me or any operator why somebody else was banned or kicked, I ban and kick them.

There are several other operators in the KFE chatroom, but between you and me, I do most of the work. It seems like the others are usually doing something on the weekend. It's just as well; they tend to cramp my style.

Being an operator for Leon Laponte has its perks. For one thing, I get mentioned on just about every show. I've called into the show on many occasions, and always get on the air.

I even have Leon's personal email and can write to him at any time. In addition to that, being an op gives me a sense of fullfilment, and, dare I say it: power.

I sent Leon an email earlier today to advise him that another operator, who goes by the name "Curty," won't be able to do the KFE show this weekend. Curty had IM'ed me to say that that he's going out of town to visit his parents this weekend. Unlike me, Curty's parents don't live in the yard. I'm a pro-active kinda guy, so I took it upon myself to let Leon know about it.

I just got a response from Leon that said, "I wasn't aware that Curty was ever there during the show. I realize the weekends can be tough for people. It's when they get a break from work and can take care of their personal business or just kick back and relax. As long as you're there, Bernie, I know I don't have a thing to worry about. Thanks for the 'heads up,' but as long as you are available, I don't really need to know what's going on with the other ops."

The thing is, I'm always availble, and Leon knows that I always have his back.

I feel like a mini-celebrity!
- Bernie  ¶ 3:53 PM