blogging responses

[Crastin]

I'm having some difficulty generating responses to my blogs. Many gamers I meet through xbox live or the PS3 network and various websites tend to read them and get lost. I'm finding that the general gamer doesn't care to read about the mechanics of a video game or the industry; However, i'm fairly certain that my future employer will want to read my view on those topics. My question is how important is feedback to my writing? Do I try to appeal more to gamers by writing basic game reviews, do I keep writing more technical oriented blogs, or do I do both. Doing both seems like the obvious answer but I already dedicate so much time to posting regularly on many, many game related websites that it's becoming very time consuming.

EDIT: In retrospect, this isn't game design related. I apologize for the bad location.

[yaustar]

However, i'm fairly certain that my future employer will want to read my view on those topics.

Unless you have a famous article published/Digged/Slashotted, chances are they won't know about the blog unless you explicitly present it to them as part of your portfolio. Even then, I would be far more interested in what you thought and wrote rather then any one else's.

[Crastin]

Good point. I suppose I was thinking in terms of an employer researching me before offering me a job. If I was asked at a GDC if I write about games and then lead them to my page what is it they'd like to read. You answered that though, thank you as always Yauster.

[Uther Mortigast]

Crastin,

I cannot answer your question on how important feedback on your writing is to a future employer (all employers are different), though I have some thoughts on your follow-up question -- to whom do you write?

The answer, of course, is to whomever you choose, but I think you should write consistently for that audience. Writing technically oriented articles is fine, as is writing basic game reviews, but what happens when a reader returns to your blog to find that in you are writing for someone else in your next entry? Consistency is important in telling the audience that you are writing for them, and it shows what the reader can expect from you in the future.

I also think you should not be discouraged by a lack of feedback. A great many online readers are lurkers, and some only make comments when they feel they have something worthwhile to say. Few responses to your blog does not necessarily mean that only a few people read it. Chances are, if you enjoy writing it, there's an audience out there that enjoys reading it, even if they haven't discovered you yet.


Uther

[yaustar]

Originally Posted by Crastin

Good point. I suppose I was thinking in terms of an employer researching me before offering me a job. If I was asked at a GDC if I write about games and then lead them to my page what is it they'd like to read. You answered that though, thank you as always Yauster.

Oh, that does happen (amazing what a quick Google will crop up). However since the username for your Blog is something that bears no relation to your real name nor your real name is anywhere on the blog, I don't think they will find from a quick Google.

[PhyllisV]

Any type of published piece for a niche market is helpful as long as it's part of your portfolio. Remember that resume building is like bricks for a building, all the pieces, when presented together, make for a whole entity.
Good luck,

PV

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