I am Veronica Belmont, podcaster and video host. AMA!

This is clichéd, but how does it feel to be a woman in a largely male populated space? I mean not just your coworkers, but your audience. Your "Perv!" pic obviously is quite popular, and it would seem you seem to take it all in your stride, the creepy male attention. How much does it bother you, if at all?

Edit - 10 hours into the AMA, my face right now AND we have an answer!

Oh man! Sorry, it was hard to keep up with all the questions... saw this one after re-sorting.

Anyhow, I think my answer to this changes with the day. Or hour. You can spend a year feeling like things are really turning around and changing for the better, only to have something pop up that totally drops us back another 15 feet of progress. 2 steps forward, 30 back, etc. Oops, almost quoted Paula Abdul there...

I've met a lot of brilliant women working in the tech and gaming spaces, and it makes me hopeful that girls growing up 100% online will see these women as positive role models.

As for dudes being creepy, I try to have a sense of humor about it, but it sucks when things get really hostile for no apparent reason. I've had like 15 people telling me to suck their dick or fuck off just because I posted an AMA. Yeah, that bums me out. But there are a lot of really amazing people online that I meet every day, so I try to keep it in perspective.

I love what I do, but you gotta take the good with the bad.

Hello, Veronica.

I must admit I have limited exposure to you as a web personality although I did catch the picture that was floating around on reddit that featured you with a "perv" sign. I thought it was very funny. I ended up looking up clips of you on YouTube just to see who you are and what you do, and I find you to be quite charming. I really think you have a personality that's very well catered to the internet medium.

As I'm sure you know, the internet can be a hostile environment for women. I hypothesize that there are at least a few reasons for this, including but not limited to the use of anonymity to weaken social inhibitions and the heightened sense of awareness that comes with using personal media which enhances the attractiveness of the person on the screen.

Then there is the fact sadly, many people who are on the internet suffer from social issues outside of the internet. The internet is refuge for these people to try to satisfy their social needs without so much of a fear of social rejection. But out of this paradigm comes an additional problem. Recluses like these lack the opportunity to form relationships and are therefore generally very sexually frustrated. I believe this is what causes the enormous amount of requests via the internet for others to somehow satisfy their sexual needs. Although often times these are cases of sexual objectification on the part of the internet recluse, there are also cases where this isn't the case.

There are people out there who have the utmost respect for all people, including women, and respect both their minds and bodies simultaneously. Their requests for the satisfaction of their sexual needs, usually in the form of sexually explicit pictures, is motivated by the hope that the requestee will oblige because it will bring the requester pleasure and nothing else. It is by no means meant to diminish the identity of the requestee in any way, shape or form.

Receiving sexually explicit pictures can be the only source of hope, pleasure, and acceptance for these people. They have no ability to experience this type of thing outside of it. So I ask you Veronica, as an attractive person who could possibly bring pleasure to those who really need it, would you consider publishing a picture of yourself with your breasts exposed? It would mean the world to many people, and I think you would enjoy that you could bring that much joy to the world.

I was so with you for about 90% of this post, and then you had to go and ruin it.

In closing, request denied.

Ha. In all seriousness, everything but the last two sentences was purposefully real just so I could lead up to the last two in the right context as part of the joke.

So thank you for saying you were with me for everything else. I really appreciate that and the fact that you took the time to read it. I hereby renounce the last two sentences :)

(I never wanted you to do it anyway, I swear)

But seriously, I hope you keep that username. It's funny.

That's a lot of writing for a username joke.

I could have saved myself a lot of trouble by looking at the username first.

On a scale of awesome to wicked awesome, what would you rate Becca the Intern?

WICKED AWESOME BRAH!!!

Also, hi Becca.

Could you please update "verification: " in the posting to "veronification: "

I like your style.

With over 1.6 million followers on Twitter, do you have to think about each tweet multiple times before hitting the "Send" button? I can imagine you'd feel some kind of responsibility for a certain level of quality or accountability.

Maybe I should do that, but I don't. My general thought process is to not tweet anything that would make my mom ashamed of me.

How about the boob shake gif?

She thinks it's hilarious.

You are on the wrong side of history, Ms. Belmont

HAHA! Yes, apparently. My friend Mark asked me to pose for the Digg store way back in... oh, I don't even remember. 2008?

I didn't get to keep the shirt.

[deleted]

Explanation here

Will you and Felicia Day ever do a show where you play video games together?

Would love to!! We are planning to have a Google Hangout chat at some point about the new Skyrim DLC.

Being that you and Ryan are the Tech power couple, who makes technology decisions in your house? Whats the biggest argument you have ever had over a tech subject/decision?

We usually make those decisions together... hmmm, I'm trying to think of a contentious decision... actually, that probably happens more around furniture or decorating choices than tech ones!

What is your Game of the Year so far, and what are the top 3 you're looking forward to this fall?

SKYRIM! Skyrim skyrim. As for upcoming, Borderlands 2, AC3, and maybe Mists of Pandaria (though I just suspended my WoW account).

Oh wow! You told me you had kept it live since the game launched. How'd it feel?

It was actually pretty stressful. But I haven't felt the need to go back yet.

what race/class was your toon in WoW? I played for 7 years and sadly I am done when expansion comes out. I had some great times and made some great friends, but the grind just wore me out. I am in a top 50 US guild and gladiator and I told them I just had enough. The whole rebuilding of your toon every expansion gets tiresome. I got my rogue legendaries and that's a good way to leave the game.

I was heavily addicted at one point and could play for 16 hours a day at one point.

Glad you enjoy it still (maybe). I don't think WoW will ever die. I know A LOT of day one players who still have accounts active.

My main was a tauren shaman (elemental) named Winema.

Have you noticed any changes at Revision3 since the sale to Discovery? Where do you see Revision3 in 5 to 10 years?

Nope, none so far! I'm really excited about the acquisition, I think it's a perfect partnership.

What is your favorite scifi book?

That's a really great question! Probably Ender's Game.

How do you feel about it being made into a movie?

Hopefully apprehensive?

Do you have a male relative named Simon?

I wish I did so I could always say "yes!" when people ask me that question :)

What does Tom Merritt smell like?

You know what? I don't actually know! I have never noticed a Merritt-specific odor.

Sorry if i missed where you discussed this, but what made you leave Qore on PSN?

PS: I love your work!

I was ready for a change! It had been four years, and I was ready to talk about video games from a personal point of view again.

Do you like Castlevania?

Like it? I AM CASTLEVANIA.

Just kidding. They're great games.

Apparently I don't use reddit.

Hi Pat... IF THIS REALLY IS YOU!?

How is the wedding planning coming along?

DONE! Mostly! My mom is very good at helping, thankfully :)

I heard Ryan had an impostor on Facebook. How will you know whether you're marrying the right one?

Hmm... good point. How would I know?

Is Scott Johnson really that cool/nice in real life?

EVEN MORE SO. He's my internet big brother, and one of the best humans on the planet.

Hey Veronica,

This might sound like a ridiculous question, but it's deeper than it appears - promise.

Why do you play video games?

I'd argue it can't be for the stories - you can find better, more engrossing and more epic stories in other media, such as books. I'd also argue it can't be for cinematographic purposes - films, be they real-world or CGI surely eclipse video games on that front. So: why? I recently asked Jeff Cannata this question, and his response was that he could play in an author's world for a while; personally, I don't even really know why I play games. I think it's partially to do with the interactivity and agency I have on the world, but there's something deeper I can't quite seem to put my finger on.

Anyway, good luck with the AMA! :)

I'm an escapism gamer. I love getting lost in the story and having my mind taken away from the real world for a while. Whenever I'm super stressed or upset about something, I turn to video games. Maybe that sounds kind of depressing, but it's true! I love being immersed.

What's it like working with Patrick Norton? Does he talk about punk rock a lot?

Patrick is great, he's a very intense dude because he's so passionate about everything! Music, trucks, tech, family... he's a good guy to ask life questions to.

When Game On got cancelled, was your mother sadder about you not doing the show anymore or because no more dafnay videos?

She is OBSESSED with Dafnay, and less with video games. So that's probably your answer :)

Are you invading reddit? Because yesterday I had no idea who you were (no offense). And then you show up calling us pervs, and answering questions, whats your end game Ms. Belmont?

A lot of people in yesterday's thread asked me to do an AMA, so here I am! No end game... OR IS THERE?!

Do you think you'll ever have an opportunity to work along with Shwood and JuRY (OMGChad too) again? You guys really made a great team!

I miss those guys like CRAZY. They're some of the funniest people I have ever met in my entire life. I would love to work with them again sometime.

Do you have nightmares about Max Trollbot?

No, fantasies.

Do you really have a map of Kazakhstan on your stomach?

No, it's a birthmark shaped like the former Soviet Union.

what one piece of current modern technology (fax machine/faxes don't count) would you like to see disappear?

Backscatter machines at airports.

You should just opt in for the TSA massage.. Great way to start a trip - just decline the massive magnets and they'll give you a nice gentle massage

I do on every flight, I've only gone though the machine once when I was super late and couldn't wait for the pat down (which can take a looooong time at SFO).

At what age did you start reading SF&F? Which authors?

My dad gave my my first few books, which included Watership Down and Tailchaser's Song (by Tad Williams, who remains one of my favorite authors to this day).

Have you read the Otherland series? A great series, but I thought there was probably an entire book's worth of stuff that could have been cut out.

I have! Loved the series. I'd love to see it made into a TV show or miniseries.

I just wanted to say that I stopped by to read some of your responses and they are so lifelike.

That is very original!

Do you see yourself always doing a show like Tekzilla? Do you like the current format of the show? Do you want it to be something bigger?

I'll continue doing Tekzilla as long as they let me! I'd love for us to get out of the studio more, but it's hard.

What moment in your career are you the most proud?

What moment do you wish you got more recognition?

That is a very tough question, wow. Frankly, I'm always really proud of myself when I do something on a stage in front of people and don't vomit or pass out. I wish more people had watched Game On, I was really proud of the content we were putting out.

I'm heading off to Emerson for the first time in a few weeks and noticed you were on the alumni list (which is awesome) -- any advice for a freshman?

OMG YAY!!!

I made my best friends in college, who I moved to SF with and have been friends with ever since. Emerson is a place where you can totally dig deep into the stuff you're passionate about, because everyone else there is just as obsessed.

You'll have a ball.

What's the process that happens before making a Tekzilla episode?

We gather questions from the email or Twitter/Facebook, and then those in with whatever product reviews or interviews we have that week! We're trying to do more "theme" episodes around a certain topic to tie everything in together. Then we go into the studio and record for about an hour! I shoot the Dailies before we shoot the main episode. Then we get lunch.

Why do you think GameOn was short-lived?

There was a lot of work and production involved, and we didn't have the sponsors or huge numbers to make it worth TWiT's while. Shows like it (like AoTS) have a big staff of writers and crew, and we were only 4-5 people. We did the best we could with what we have!

What is your favorite non-tech-related hobby?

I'm a big hiker! It gives me a chance to unplug and clear my head a little bit.

Have you ever felt harassed by other co-hosts? I've seen John C. Dvorak and even that Laporte guy trying to hit hard or even making sexist remarks such as saying Calicanis hired you back in the day "just to get a date with you". Does this behaviour bother you? or is it normal for girls in tech?

Edit: "sexist", thanks straponheart.

I've only ever been truly angry at Dvorak once, and we worked it out. But no, no one has ever given me a hard time or been inappropriate.

your face is my desktop. that is all.

pics or it didn't happen.

http://imgur.com/tFb5t

By creepily enlarging that pic, I noticed you have that file saved to your desktop, which leads me to believe that you added it recently and have not yet had a chance to sort it or move it. Also, iShowYou is great software.

What are the economics of being the host of digital shows? Is the revenue actually there on shows like that to make a decent living?

Yes, all of my income currently comes from web video. I supplement the regular shows with one-off productions for companies like Intel or Sony.

The start of the Sword and Laser Youtube videos really kick started me into reading again. Thanks for that..

Wondered if you mixed any gaming into your busy schedule? As the fantasy sci-fi genre really lends itself to gaming in general.

Glad you enjoy the show! Thanks! I've had less and less time to game these days, unfortunately... I just got the Skyrim DLC and haven't even had a chance to play it yet. It's frustrating, but I'm hoping things settle a bit this fall.

Who is more ridiculous to work with: Patrick or Robert?

PATRICK.

Your background is in sound, right? Would you recommend a shotgun mic or a lav mic if I wanted to start a YouTube show and have it sound relatively decent?

I prefer a vocal mic like the SM7B from Shure, but it all depends on if you want the mic to be noticeable or not. You can't really hide that thing. Is your show a webcam-style show, or something more out-and-about?

What are your top 3 restaurants in San Francisco?

Puerto Allegre (my favorite sit-down mexican place)

Una Pizza Napoletana (amazing pizza)

And new on the list, Soma Street Food, a big conglomeration of food trucks.

V, if you meet a Veronica Belmont from a parallel universe, What would you two do together? Do all your podcast and shows together? Going around hugging kitties? Make Veronica Belmont 2 work while you play video games?

Oh, she would be the work mule, for sure. I'd get her writing scripts and answering emails so I could read or nap. She'd probably revolt against me, and then we'd have to fight to the death.

I watched one of your videos for Tekzilla multiple times. I was wondering what you meant when you said "so life-like, like a Cthulhu"?

It's more a demonstration of what Cthulhu would look like, were he to be swimming in his natural(?) habitat.

You did the Nerdist podcast do you think you will be on the JV Club podcast? Myself along with countless others would love to hear the tales of lil' Belmont.

P.S. You're super pretty.

Sure I would!

Why do you think girls don't adopt technology as much as guys ?

I think that's certainly changing. Technology is such a part of our lives now, that it's almost second nature to most people (male or female). Kids these days (yes, I just said "kids these days") are totally immersed in this internet society that didn't exist when I was growing up.

Maybe some girls still think gadgets and technology are intimidating or the territory of boys, but I'm trying to help change that in some small way.

What's the tech related thing you're most looking forward to?

PS Huge fan, keep up the good work!

Full immersion gaming!!

Holodeck?

Oh fuck yes.

Do you think you will be doing a new podcast/vid cast on either Rev3, TWIT, or Geek & Sundry? Also what subject would you want to do?

Yes, in fact, I know I will be! Brainstorming some ideas for a new weekly show now, actually. Any thoughts?

[deleted]

I feel like that exists already? Or did? Interesting idea though.

Have you ever considered appearing or been asked to appear on LaserTime Podcast since you were previously on TalkRadar and knew Chris Antista from when you both worked at Future?

I have not been asked! However, Chris did give me a hard time about having a podcast with the word "Laser" in it too (we were first!!).

What's your favorite type of music?

If I were to be a SiriusXM channel, I'd be SiriusXMU

Are you happy, sad or indifferent about the role your gender and looks played in your success? You must be aware that hordes of nerdlings follow and fantasize about you.

Kind of indifferent, I guess? This question is hard, because there's no good answer. I suppose my hope is that even if people come to one of my shows because they think I'm cute or whatever, that they'll STAY because they love the content. I'm not everyone's cup of tea looks-wise, but I care more about their opinion of the show itself.

Have you ever written any stories? Where can I find them? :)

Yes! And no where. Yet. I'm working on an idea for a short story that I hope to write for this Novembers NaNoWriMo.

Have you ever been upset by a fan's behavior towards you? Ever get weirded out by people you don't know, knowing you?

Yeah, once a dude asked for a hug at a con and grabbed my butt. I was so shocked that I just froze. Then I yelled at him. That was not cool.

It less weird and more bewildering when someone knows something about me that I forgot I shared.

What was it like meeting Maria Sharapova?

Fun, but really intimidating. She's this Amazonian, tanned, absolutely gorgeous tennis talent. I felt like a total gawky troll! But she was extremely nice and patient. I actually hit some balls back to her!

Who is your favorite person you've met at Dragon*Con?

If somebody gave you an unlimited budget and complete creative control what kind of show would you make?

Also: Who would win in a fight between a ninja and ninja zombie?

I would probably make some kind of technology travel show, highlighting amazing new tech from all around the world. Really big ideas.

The ninja would win, obviously. They would have speed on their side.

Is Roger drunk in the control room all the time, or just sometimes?

Roger is never drunk in the control room, he would fall asleep.

What would you do if somebody went to your office and ate all the beef jerky from the snack room?

Buy them more beef jerky because it's the neighborly thing to do.

Being a female in a male-dominated area of interest, where many may be a bit too nerdy and socially awkward, how is it to handle all those really-bad-written letters of love that I see men leave on your Facebook-page. Can it get disturbing?

I don't read it like they actually are in love with me... I think it's just an easy way to say either they like my work or they enjoying reading my posts or whatever. But if they do get super creepy, which has happened, I usually just ignore them or quietly ban (if they're really bad).

What makes an erotic sci-fi/fantasy book good or bad? What do you do for fun? Do you read much? What would your dream job be?

The story has to be good! It needs to be as good to read without the sex scenes as with them.

For fun, I like to hike and play video games. I do geocaching. I read constantly (two book clubs will do that to a girl).

As an "internet personality" do you have any desire to get into traditional broadcast TV? Tech is so badly covered on TV networks it would be cool to see it (if a bit naive of me).

I've done some TV work, like for the BBC, and I also recently shot a pilot for TV as well. It's a lot of fun, but you do lose some of the flexibility and control that we have over internet television. Plus... well, it's a lot easier to SHARE internet content.

Would you be a host for any show or did you want to always specifically talk about tech/gaming/etc?

It would have to be the right kind of show. I've done stuff before that wasn't in my "wheelhouse," and it never feels quite right. I'm better when I can just be myself talking about stuff I'm really interested in.

How has your hosting ability changed through the last few years as some shows have succeeded, while other have ended early?

I don't think it has changed... If anything, I'm probably more myself on camera than I was 5 years ago.

Star Wars or Star Trek?

Star Trek. I'm a TNG girl, myself.

If you could be an Olympic athlete, which sport would it be and why?

Tennis or volleyball, which are the only sports I've ever really played. Or, maybe swimming? I would not be a gymnast, that shit looks HARD.

[deleted]

NO, but I think about it all the time! How funny it is! Maybe it's only funny to me.

You used to appear as a guest on this one wow podcast I listened to religiously for several years. For the life of me I can't remember the name right now, (maybe WoW insider or the Instance.) Loved seeing you on there. Though I haven't played the game for almost 2 years now..

Do you still appear on WoW related podcasts? Do you still play the game?

All the best!

I recently cancelled my WoW subscription (and yes, it was probably The Instance you're referencing). After 7 years, it was time. I hadn't been playing at all for the last 6 months or so. I was in the Mists beta, but I don't know if that will be enough to get me back.

Thanks for coming by!

In your opinion which are the best internet video shows for tech, games and geek culture and why? (you can't pick your own).

Also, any plans to do another show on the twit network soon? I think Game On could have worked on a smaller budget, I was sad to see it go.

I think TWiT does a phenomenal job with covering the tech space. From the more produced side of things, Molly Wood's AlwaysOn is a great new show, and she's one of the best hosts out there. For geek culture, everything on the Frogpants network (S&L audio is a member) is fantastic.

Are you going to keep your name when you get married? To be perfectly honest if I was marrying someone with the last name of "Belmont" I would immediately demand to drop my own last name and take hers. And then eventually have children named Richter and Simon etc.

LOL! Yes, I believe I'm keeping my name.