PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman, hosts of the Reply All podcast – billed as a “show about the internet” – have taken the bold move of doing the internet equivalent of writing their own phone number on a bathroom wall. They have set up a phone line and have invited anyone and everyone to give them a ring, for the next two days at least. “We are taking every phone call we get for 48 hours, any time, day or night,” said Goldman. “We want to see what happens when you open a line to the internet and invite anyone to use it.”
The phone line opened on Monday at 10am, and from that point prank calls, serious questions, pleas for tech support and general requests for advice are being forwarded to both Vogt’s and Goldman’s phones. The conversations will be recorded and used on the podcast as their version of a live show.
While a lot of podcasts shake up their formats with live shows in order to both connect with fans and keep things interesting for listeners, as a show on and about the internet, Reply All has struggled with how to make a live show work for them. “We have been talking for a long time about how to do a ‘live’ podcast. We actually tried to do a couple of call-in shows that we broadcast over the internet, but they never really came together,” explains Goldman. “So we were thinking that maybe doing a live show in the studio was the wrong idea, because we were imitating broadcast radio, but we have so much more opportunity to try something totally new.”
That’s when then they stumbled on the idea of giving their phone number to the internet. “We decided we should instead try to do it just in the world. Just be reachable wherever we were, no matter the time,” said Goldman. “So we had a very smart friend set up a system so that when we get a call, it rings to both of our phones auto-conferences us in, and the entire call is recorded.”
If the thought of giving the entire internet your phone number gives you chills, as veteran reporters of the online world, Vogt and Goldman are well aware of the risks. “I have no doubt it will include abuse, pranks, insanity and very little sleep,” said Goldman. “It’s exciting, and a little terrifying.”
Despite their concerns, for the next 48 hours, Vogt and Goldman will be standing by their phones to talk to whoever rings their bell to ask them if their refrigerator is running – or something far cleverer or even serious. “What I expect to happen is we’ll get a lot of hang-ups and a lot of pranks, a lot of people goofing around and screwing with us. I also suspect we’ll probably get very little sleep,” said Goldman.
While Goldman has a few educated guesses about what lies in store for him when the internet comes calling, he’s still eager to try it. “What I hope happens is if someone feels like they have a question or they just need someone to talk to, they know that we’ll be here,” he said. “We’re bound by the rules we set for ourselves to talk to them. And we’ll listen.”
So when you’re ready to talk or drunk enough to dial, or really want to try and convince Goldman and Vogt to check if their refrigerator is running, they will be waiting. The phone number is +1 646-490-1847.
