To My Readers
by Paolo on Jun.18, 2009, under Meanderings
First of all, a sincere thank you for reading my blog. I’m very thankful for all the great comments and positive feedback I’ve been getting. And I hope that I am not imposing too much by asking a couple of questions:
1) What kind of articles interest you?
I’ve written all sorts of articles and commentary on a whole slew of issues. What are the topics that interest you more? For those interested in more programming, I’m working on a site revamp to put more emphasis on the prototypes I’ve been creating.
2) How often do you read my posts?
I’ve made the concerted effort to post at least once a weekday and possibly post on weekends if my overactive mind pushes me.
3) What do you think of the blog name?
I’ve also recently purchased “GameDiviner.com” and have contemplated a switch, simply because it is easier to remember and easier to spell. Currently, it redirects to “GameDevigner.com” but a piece of me thinks that there are advantages and disadvantages to either spelling – which is why I think I should keep both.
4) How would you like to be more involved?
I am looking for a way of growing an active community here. How can I create more opportunities for you to get involved?
June 18th, 2009 on 8:24 pm
I think “gamediviner.com” looks a lot better, in addition to being easier to spell.
June 19th, 2009 on 1:44 am
1. Gaming/Story primarily.
2. I have you on my RSS feed, so I get notification of when you post a new article.
3. I like quirky spellings but 1) I have you on my RSS feed, and 2) I use Firefox 3 which has autofill in.
4. Define more involved? I think as you posit more question to elicit responses you’ll gradually grow your user base.
4a. It would certainly be easier on me if there were more posts per page and/or easier navigation of the posts (Better, more tags maybe). More posts might be easier to implement and not have you worry about Tag cloud hell.
June 19th, 2009 on 2:43 am
Hi there Paolo,
1)Some more programming/technical articles would be great.
2)I would say daily.
3)keep both. I prefer the Devigner.
4)just ask for it and I\’ll be there.
keep up with the good work!
June 19th, 2009 on 6:23 am
1. Variety.
2. My RSS reader tells me when you post, and I check it daily. Don’t try to post more often than your material will support, though! I’ve seen many a blog die because the author stretched himself too thinly.
3. Definitely keep both. I’ve subscribed already, and would cut-n-paste the URL when recommending it anyway, but the “incorrect” spelling is the one most likely to be used if someone is verbally told about your blog.
4. I have a few suggestions:
a. Keep your RSS feed as a full feed. It’s tempting to change to partials in hopes of forcing people to your actual site, but, in my experience, it always backfires.
b. Consider adding a forum. It works great over on Jay Barnson’s site (http://rampantgames.com/blog/). Done right, it doesn’t replace post comments, it augments them.
c. Your header is pretty full. Consider focusing this site on game development and create another site (or sites) for your other interests. Then link to those sites, but not from the header. The idea is to create focus. If people are interested in the other areas, they’ll subscribe to other blogs and/or visit those sites as well.
Your forums could serve as a nexus for all your sites, since decent forum software allows for categorization. So, major areas for each site, with sub-forums for specific topic areas. Start simple at first; some major areas might just have one sub-forum. Better to have one sub-forum with decent traffic than a bunch of ghost towns! You can always split them later.
Just a few thoughts.
June 19th, 2009 on 6:42 am
1) I\’m personally a fan of game design type articles, but that\’s just me since it\’s what I usually tend to fill my blog with.
2) I\’ll try to read most of your posts in my feed reader, but sometimes I get overwhelmed with the mass of blogs I\’m following and only glance through your longer articles. For the most part though I\’ll try to read all of them.
3) I think either blog name would work. GameDiviner would probably be simpler to spell than the current one, but it doesn\’t have as much of a story behind it.
4) To get readers more involved, you could try polls. Also, I would say by far the best way is to have a contact form. That way your readers can send you emails to get in touch with you.
June 20th, 2009 on 6:56 am
1. I\’ve really enjoyed the posts of yours that make me think (usually I post a comment on those ones). It\’d be nice to see some more \"concrete\" posts on game development, though, like the ones you wrote on Space ROX and Strike Eagle.
2. In general I try to catch up on everything through Google Reader once a week, but I do find myself checking your site directly every so often
3. Doesn\’t really bother me — like Scott, I\’ve got RSS and the awesomebar to take care of it. Sindidisl made a good point about \"diviner\" being spelt how it sounds. Oh, another thought, wouldn\’t changing your domain name mean having to change your username on various other sites?
4. I was going to say Twitter, but I see you signed up without telling me! Sneaky
More visible comments could help, as well as more posts that are open to them (but not too many… maybe one per week?)
I spoke to you about the possibility of guest posts before, that\’s something I\’d still be interested in, if you would as well.
Oh, and I don’t really like CAPTCHAs, I think they get in the way, so if you could remove that for logged-in/verified users, I think that would help discussion.