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[Column] General: Talking with your Audience
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
It helps to know the composition of your audience when writing about games, to recognize the variety of voices that will join in the conversation after reading your work. In today's Tingle's Touchy Subjects, we take a look at what all that means and a bit more. Read on and then tell us what you think in no uncertain terms in the comments.
When I first started scribbling my varied thoughts for MMORPG.com, I wrote a collection of Eve Online journals, detailing my adventures throughout New Eden. Now, coming fresh-faced from college (that's High School to my colonial cousins) there's a sense of pride and great ego that comes with posting to thousands of readers and having a sizable portion tell you exactly what they thought of what you have just written. And, much to my delight, most of it was positive.
Read more of Adam Tingle's Tingle's Touchy Subjects: Talking with your Audience.
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Comments
So this was an article about writing articles? And about how negative comments to said articles can hurt?
OK....
"because our acronym seems to ward against savages like a debuff - whatever the case."
Have you seen EQNext fans? :P lol I kid I kid. In all honesty though, gamers can be very mean people. I have seen some ugliness that made me walk away from this site but gradually I returned. Why? I am slightly masochist. Also I love writing in any form.
Also.
This article is gay....It brought me much joy.
When I write I feel the same amount of hesitation, fear, and excitement that you describe. I obsess constantly over what I write and how others react but eventually you just develop a hard skin and kinda ignore whatever the hell anybody might say or not.
Its the only way to survive in a writing world. IMO.
Being directly connected to your readers is great but as your audience grows I found the bile and venom grows far too great in mass compared to anything actually positive.
Perhaps I am jaded though.
MMORPG Gamers/Developers need a reality check!
Somebody, somewhere has better skills as you have, more experience as you have, is smarter than you, has more friends as you do and can stay online longer. Just pray he's not out to get you.
According to that pic, I must be a fanboy since my crotch does not "sing(sic)." LOL
I think that columnists should interact with their readers. Otherwise, it is a one-way conversation. I don't read columns to be preached at. When I read, I form questions. Without interaction those questions go unanswered or comments do not get clarified.
Other columnists write blatant ads for their upcoming games, rarely responding to comments. They hardly ever to fail mentioning their "products" 2-5 times per column.
I guess I look at internet columns on websites more as posts rather than a static newspaper-like column.
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
Adam, one thing you've got to realize.
In life you have builders and destroyers. You see it from a very early age. The kindergardner who builds with his blocks and the one who knocks them down.
Later in life the builders continue to build but with different mediums (writing an article, buidling an MMO,etc) and the destroyers continue to destroy, now using their words instead of their hands.
Everyone can criticize, few can build.
2 weeks(or less) from now we shall hear a mighty groan over the forums as bubbles of perception and dreaming are popped viciously. The chaos that shall ensue should be quite entertaining.
Nothing wrong with dreaming but then again being delusional and hopeful can go hand in hand.
I shall say no more in fear of assassination.
MMORPG Gamers/Developers need a reality check!