Tim Ponders – Interview with Blogger and Podcaster Tim Arthur

Article by Ileane

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by Ileane on September 27, 2011 · 46 comments

in Blogger Interviews, Blogging Tutorials

Let me introduce you to Tim Arthur who blogs at Tim Ponders. Tim recently started a new blog and audio podcast called TechMonks Podcast, that focuses on the latest trends in news from the world of tech and I’m sure you’ll find the show interesting an informative. I came to know Tim in the chat room of the popular Blog Talk Radio show Room 3026 Live hosted by Damond Nollan, Derek Brinson, and Michael Render.

Tim, please introduce yourself and share some background about your offline life.

I’d like to start by thanking you for the opportunity to be interviewed. I enjoy Basic Blog Tips, and have found many helpful and productive tips here!

Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, I have had a passion for technology since I received my first handheld electronic game as a youngster. My first computer was a Commodore 64. Once I had that computer, there was no looking back. I was hooked.
I’m a geek at heart that loves engaging with others in stimulating conversation about anything dealing with technology. Professionally, I’m the IT Director for a medical research facility located in the Research Triangle Park of North Carolina.
I’m also a huge film nut, and due to the fact that I was a mobile disc jockey for years, I enjoy listening to music of any kind. Film and audio editing as well as reading historical memoirs are also passions of mine.
My wife Kerri, two children (ages 9 and 3), and I live in the Raleigh area of North Carolina. We relocated to North Carolina in 2004 and absolutely love it here. We enjoy finding fun things to do together whenever possible.
In addition to my “day job” and online endeavors, I’m also a licensed professional pyrotechnician, and provide exciting professional fireworks displays at various locations across North Carolina.
In terms of my educational background, I have a BS in Secondary Education from the State University of New York.

Your blog is Tim Ponders how long have you been blogging and where did you first learn how to blog?
I’ve been blogging at my current main site Tim Ponders since October of 2010. I moved my blog from Google’s Blogger platform to WordPress in spring 2011. The move was prompted by my desire to move to a more robust and flexible platform. Prior to launching timponders.com, I had several blog sites in the past that I didn’t do much with.
I was inspired by my friend Damond Nollan to create my latest blog and share my passions with others. Damond has been very encouraging and I consider him to be my mentor in terms of blogging and reader engagement.

Tim Arthur and his friends start TechMonks

You recently started a new podcast called TechMonks podcast along with your co-hosts Aaron K. White and Damond Nollan. Talk about the goals for the show and the BlogTalkRadio format.
The goal of the TechMonks Podcast is to provide a fun dicussion of topical tech topics, sprinkled with a bit of what we are enjoying in the world of entertainment and media.
The BlogTalk radio format is our current live broadcasting platform. We like the ability to broadcast live and engage our listeners in the chat room. We’re exploring other platforms that may offer us higher quality live audio streams as well as the use of live video in the future.

Let’s talk about social media and what you think about using sites like Klout and Empire Avenue.
I personally find Klout and Empire Avenue to be very useful in terms of gauging the reach of my social content. It’s always nice to see a measurement of how successful your content is engaging the community. The key to social media is community, and both services allow you to indicate who you view as authorities in various sectors of social media and various topics. I enjoy using both sites and wish I could devote more time to using Empire Avenue and learning how to use it to its full potential.

Where do you stand on the Facebook vs. Google+ controversy – do you have a preference and why?
I don’t really see a controversy. Both services want to be the source of where users go to share information. I can see how they try to one up each other with features and functionality. Some of the new Facebook changes, most notably the news ticker, seem to be similar in some ways to the way Google+ uses streams. I see the existence of both services beneficial, as the competition will force them both to continually innovate.

Turning our attention to the mobile markets – iPhone, Android and other smart phones. What do you think will be the next big thing in this area?
The rumor mill is currently abuzz on what Apple either will or will not be rolling out in terms of a new iPhone model. Android phones continue to sell incredibly well, and also enjoy huge dedicated user bases.
I’m not sure what the next big thing will be, in the mobile space, but I’m particularly eager to see how the new Android phones with NFC (Near Field Communication) technologies paired with the new Google Wallet services will change the way consumers pay for physical goods while visiting merchants.

What’s next for Tim Arthur

Lastly Tim, what’s on the horizon for you and where do you see yourself in terms of podcasting or blogging in the next few years?

Since I still consider myself to be a relative newcomer to the blogosphere, I see myself continuing to strive for increased engagement to my users. I’d like to devote more time to blogging, improve my writing style, and continue to present information and topics that spark conversations that I enjoy engaging in. The ability to engage the community is key, and that is an area I am passionate about continuing to develop. In addition to Tim Ponders, I have a blog focusing on the fireworks industry and professional community that I am also currently developing that I will be able to share some information about soon.
Podcasting is a medium I have listened to for about 7 years now, and I have wanted to have a podcast of my own for some time now. I’m a huge fan of Leo Laporte on the Twit.tv Network and am inspired by what he has done with the podcast medium. I listen to a large number of podcasts on my daily commutes and find the format great for learning more about topics that I am interested in.
Thankfully, I have been blessed with two co-hosts and friends that share my love of technology, entertainment, and the podcast format. Working with Aaron K. White and Damond Nollan on the show is stimulating and fun. I look forward to seeing how as a team, we can evolve, improve, and further engage our audience, leveraging the best the platform has to offer. I’d like to see it gain a wider audience and potentially lead to in-person meetups and live shows to allow us to meet listeners that share our passion for the things we talk about on the show. To listen to the podcast, head on over to http://techmonkspodcast or subscribe on iTunes at: itms://itunes.apple.com/podcast/tech-monks-podcast/id464899179

Thanks again for the opportunity Ileane! I’m a huge fan of your blog and the community you have built there. You are providing a tremendously valuable resource to the blogging community.

Thanks Tim this interview was my pleasure many thanks to you for taking the time to respond.

Keep up with all the latest tech news by following Tim Arthur on Twitter and Facebook.