If you read this site even semi-regularly, I have to make a small one request of you. No, I'm not going to start asking for donations. I just need some public comments and a little feedback to help breathe some life into the site (now entering its 4th year!). Right now, I delete about 20-30 spam comments a day. I figure you don't need the pr0n links, male enhancement ads and malware. But I only get a real reader comment every other week or so!
As you can imagine, this is somewhat demoralizing. Also, you miss the opportunity to highlight the topics you want to see more about, which in turn helps guide my editorial decisions. So post a quick comment now and again; we'll all be better for it. If you don't want to have to wait for comment approval, create a free Typekey login and I'll set your posts to auto-approve.
-=Gamewatcher
As you can imagine, this is somewhat demoralizing. Also, you miss the opportunity to highlight the topics you want to see more about, which in turn helps guide my editorial decisions. So post a quick comment now and again; we'll all be better for it. If you don't want to have to wait for comment approval, create a free Typekey login and I'll set your posts to auto-approve.
-=Gamewatcher
Hmm, for the most part you provide solid information, but nothing that really lends itself to a *conversation*. As a reader, I really appreciate what you provide - remember, you yourself named it Busy Gamer NEWS. I'd almost never think of responding to a news release, and with your site I read it, get some useful information, and move on, waiting for the next update. Guess I'd love to see more reviews, but you're busy too, and those are the most time-consuming thing to write.
Do you have stats on your number of subscribers via RSS? When I get down from a lack of comments I head to Feedburner and see that in fact I have plenty of people who are subscribed to my RSS feed; if they haven't unsubscribed they must be getting something from time to time at least.
Have you explored a more automated way of purging the spam, maybe installing a filter or captcha?
Won't speak for anyone else, but I, for one, find your information useful and valuable even if this is my first comment here :-)
Another thought is that I wasn't able to actually *submit* this comment until I signed back in using my typepad ID, which is going to turn a lot of people off. Surprising the spammers are getting through more easily than I could!
I saw your twitter post that you just placed Bioshock on reserve. I'm debating between it a Two Worlds. Two Worlds looks like an Oblivion copy, but that may not be a bad thing. I enjoy your casual comments on games without a point system. And eagerly await the next few months as well.
Hi Paul, thanks for the feedback!
It is a good point about this being a news site, but news often begets opinion. I always share mine when I have one, but almost never find out if others are in agreement. Perhaps I should start ending my news posts with a question?
I have considered CAPTCHA (despite the accessibility issue) but can't seem to install the proper UNIX graphics library needed for this. And I haven't had time to fully troubleshoot - it's a big project!
You sholuldn't be REQUIRED to use Typekey; I made it optional to lower the bar to posting comments. Right now, you're one of a very small handful of people who have signed up for it. But now that you have, I've approved you so your comments should go live immediately. :-)
I have about half a dozen reviews planned - and now that I know someone is clamoring for them, I will try to get them done as soon as I can! August is going to be a huge month for my business, so no promises. But I should be able to write a few rather quickly, so I'll see if I can't do just that!
-=Gamewatcher
Hi razor, you've been reading for several years I know! Glad to see you're still around.
I'm also glad you love Twitter - I think it's a great way to jot a mini review. Just wish I could squeeze in another 20 words or so, now and then.
Your comment is helpful since Two Worlds is pretty much NOT on my radar. But it will be now!
I'm still whittling away at Oblivion, so I don't know if I can commit to another RPG just yet. Mass Effect has me terrified, since if I pick that up I imagine I'll be locked into it for the next few years. But we'll see. I will look into Two Worlds and see about posting some news about it soon.
-=Gamewatcher