Blog sites good for the same reasons they are bad

[BRP]

Videogame blogging adds a lot of freedom to covering the subject and creates a sense of community.

However, they tend to have low quality because they are still someone's weblog. You'll get an entry with some video game news. It might have some interesting insights, but then it also might have some really stupid commentary that has barely anything to do with the subject. It is like bloggers feel pressured to make large posts so they just turn off their smarts and ramble out the first thing that comes to mind until they fill the space. It may come from some attempt to make a joke, but bombs completely.

The end result makes me question if the guy understands what he is talking about. In a way it is like if a news caster said "There will be storm over Florida this weekend..... Florida, eh? Lots of mini-golf there."

Thoughts?

[Kohan]

There are various things that can lead a writer to doing such a thing: lack of knowledge (as you'd noted), arrogance (in believing their readers will eat it up), and--at worst--the sheer lack of writing capability. There are bloggers, journalists, radio personalities -- all forms of reporters who exhibit these sorts of flaws yet do nothing to correct them.

It goes without saying that previews, reviews, and other such pieces will be a matter of opinion, even though it's important for the author to be reasonably subjective. These articles fail when the writer doesn't explain their opinions, or trails off into unnecessary mockery about whatever they don't like. Trailing off into a bunch of irrelevant crap is just as bad.

Coincidentally, this is a large part of the reason I've never liked the FFXI podcast Pet Food Alpha, as I'd listened to a couple of their shows and they incessantly discuss things I couldn't care less about. Their trip to the Square-Enix building in El Segundo started with their talking about their limo, eating food, and so on. Do I care? No.

If a writer wants to connect with members of their community, then they are free to respond to comments left on the articles they write. There, they can say whatever they'd like--so long as it isn't terribly compromising their professional status, but this can be done--or can interact with their readers in another way.

Don't write about yourself extensively unless you're writing in your personal journal.

[Deejay]

I like it when blogger's add their own rambling's in their blogs. It let's you know what type of person they are and clues you in on their tendencies. Basically, adding personality helps readers understand your perspective, which helps them get a better grasp on why you would judge a game the way you do.

Just because you possess superior knowledge on a certain subject doesn't mean that you should ignore what the blogger has to say. Not everyone sees things the same way, and as long as their opinion is properly justified then I don't see what the huge deal is.

[Wintermute]

"There will be storm over Florida this weekend..... Florida, eh? Lots of mini-golf there."Thoughts?

Haha, there is a lot of mini-golf in Florida! It's funny because it's true!

Seriously though, I find what stops me from reading most blogs is the author's lack of understanding of how to write.

You could make a post detailing everything I want to know but if you can't write for shit I'm not reading.

[Kohan]

I like it when blogger's add their own rambling's in their blogs. It let's you know what type of person they are and clues you in on their tendencies. Basically, adding personality helps readers understand your perspective, which helps them get a better grasp on why you would judge a game the way you do.

I don't disagree with bloggers injecting their opinion, as mentioned. However, going on about a certain point for too long, insisting upon a fact without providing evidence to support it (basically not explaining one's self), and talking about completely unrelated things are generally no-nos. If it doesn't contribute to the purpose of the article itself, then it should not be there.

If someone writes an introduction to an article that starts with something unrelated, but perfectly and understandably flows into the meat of the piece, this is good.

If someone starts off talking about a subject and then begins rambling about unrelated crap that takes you out of it, that is bad.

[Wintermute]

Are we talking about Blogs made in a [supposed] Journalistic style/structure with a specific purpose or your usual "anything goes" mashup style Blog?

[Kohan]

Since he mentioned news and what not, I do not believe he's talking about random blogs, but rather professional journalistic ones.

[BRP]

Destructoid:

One of the editors in chief(and maybe the most common poster) takes an article that predates Wii Music's release and then spins two sentences as a viagra joke TODAY. Some people call him stupid. Probably mostly nintendo fanboys, but one of his responses to the comments are:

If you fuck knuckles don't get avatars, I don't pay attention to your pathetic whining. Simple as, children.

Shigeru Miyamoto's sexual inadequacy and tear-stricken confession | Destructoid, The Gamer's Blog

[Kohan]

Huzzah for retards.