When are new episodes coming out?

Han and Matt Know It All was officially retired in July of 2019, so there will be no more future episodes. If you're jonesing to join in on discussions of advice columns, though, you're encourged to become a part of the Han and Matt Know It All Fan Group on Facebook.

Why didn't you answer my question(s) that I sent you?

Here is a list of possible reasons why:

• Our queue was full and we couldn't fit it in.
• It may have been overly long and too difficult to edit down to be a good fit for the format of our show.
• It may have been way too short and we had no way of following up with you to ask for more details.
• By the time we got around to it, the timeliness window had passed.
• You may be sending us too many questions.
• We may actually be holding on to your question for a near-future themed episode (which still may not make the final queue!).
• We may not have an answer, nor do we think our audience would have the answer that you need.
• There may not BE an answer, but we do hope that there was some catharsis in writing out your situation.
• You left some clue that you asked this question to multiple advice columnists and we're fiercely jealous.

Why isn’t this-or-that advice columnist on your read list?

Though we do make an effort to Read All of the Advice, we've "disqualified" a number of advice columnists from our reading (and, often, our recommendation) list for the following reasons:

• The advice givers are consistently problematic (though we may discuss them for this very reason, when requested)
• The questions are so generic that they're probably fabricated by the author and not all that interesting, to boot
• They're so niche that they fall far enough outside of the Know-It-All sphere of interests to be considered skippable
• We don't have time to listen to more than a few advice podcasts (and transcribing them is a pain [and they're often more thorough in their answers and there's not much to add])
• We simply don't find the questions and answers particularly interesting and lack the enthusiasm to continue following and discussing

Can I be a guest on the show?

Quite possibly! If you fall into one of these three categories, the answer is probably yes:

• Advice columnists and/or advice podcasters
• Date friends with whom the three of us answer polyamory-related questions
• Subject matter experts of interest to us and our listeners

Email us if you think you'd be a good fit for the show!

What software and equipment do you use to record?

We record using the free audio editing tool, Audacity, the target of much ridicule by seasoned podcasters. However, we find that it's a perfectly usable out-of-the-box solution for us that suits our needs (but we did find that the addition of Chris’s Dynamic Compressor plugin was essential for us). For hardware, we use the Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ with a pop filter, boom arm, and shock mount. The Audio-Technica is extremely sensitive, so we've placed two sound absorption panels beneath my computer tower to significantly lower its humming sound in the recording's audio. On the go, we've used the Blue Snowball USB Microphone alone to great effect, which is a great budget option. For guest episodes recorded remotely, we use Skype and MP3 Skype Recorder to capture audio. For a complete list of our hardware (and one-click "buy all!" button), check out our Podcaster Kit page.

How do I join the Patreon Discord chat room?

To start with, you should know that Discord is a chat client (that can be downloaded to your desktop or mobile device but also works in-browser) not unlike Slack or AOL Instant Messenger. The following steps should get you access to the Patreon-only server:

1. Create an account on Discord
2. Connect your Discord account to your Patreon account
3. Step two should send you a link inviting you to the server. If not, here are some troubleshooting steps that ought to get you the rest of the way.

When is the next listener meetup and will there be one in my area?

Presently, we're hosting one local (DC-area) listener meetup per season, but we've been known to go to bar trivia with listeners, and we're more than happy to meetup if we're traveling and at the same geeky events, say. Patreon donors at the $10 and up level get access to a seasonal group chat, while $20 and up donors get access to a seasonal 1-on-2 chat with us.

How do I get a fantastical name from Matt?

At this time, the only surefire way to get a fantastical name (to be used as your anonymous alias on the podcast) is to become a donor at any level on our Patreon. Matt has been known to make exceptions if the stars align just right, but there are no guarantees outside of becoming a patron. You can, however, randomly generate near-endless possibilities with my Random Fantasy Name Generator.

How does Matt create names?

Starting with all of the letters in one’s full name, Matt hand-picks the finest anagrams like barley, brewing those words to tease out a high-fantasy theme. Structurally, the naming conventions are based on Legendary creatures from the Magic the Gathering™ cards game series. When stuck, Matt draws word and sound inspiration from the Thesaurus, Wikipedia, Fantasy Name Generator, Seventh Sanctum, and Meaning of Names. Names are obsessively tweaked to ensure uniqueness and good mouth feel, barrel-aged in a French-oak, and then finally unleashed upon the world to wreak hoppy havoc in the name of Mercina, Exalted Namesmith.

What's all of this business with badges and leader boards?

Older episodes contain frequent references to the Listener Leader Board and the affiliated Badges one could earn on the Leader Board. This was a system of achievements and points that listeners could once earn by "interacting with the show" in every conceivable way (emailing us, being mentioned by us, meeting us, creating fan art, etc.), resulting in 25 badges. A more ambitious (foolish) Matt sustained this game for many months, but it was officially retired on September 1st, 2018, with Tamisril, Desolater of The Bezirh Highlands being declared our biggest fan.