Blogrolls
As today is the first day of Blaugust, I thought I’d write something pertinent to blogging. If you’re not sure what Blaugust is then follow the link and you’ll find a wealth of posts that explain this yearly event along with useful advice and guidance. So returning to the matter in hand, bloggers tend to form informal communities which support and promote each other's work. This can be either due to altruistic reasons or down to pure pragmatism. Either way networks of bloggers emerge, often around specific subjects or facets of popular culture. Our own community that holds the Blaugust event is one that is broadly centred around video games, although that is not in any way a defining criteria. All are welcome. However, the point I’m striving to make is that if you run a blog then you need people to read it. And if you want people to read it it helps if you cross promote others and they in turn promote yours. And the easiest way to do this is with the humble blogroll.
As today is the first day of Blaugust, I thought I’d write something pertinent to blogging. If you’re not sure what Blaugust is then follow the link and you’ll find a wealth of posts that explain this yearly event along with useful advice and guidance. So returning to the matter in hand, bloggers tend to form informal communities which support and promote each other's work. This can be either due to altruistic reasons or down to pure pragmatism. Either way networks of bloggers emerge, often around specific subjects or facets of popular culture. Our own community that holds the Blaugust event is one that is broadly centred around video games, although that is not in any way a defining criteria. All are welcome. However, the point I’m striving to make is that if you run a blog then you need people to read it. And if you want people to read it it helps if you cross promote others and they in turn promote yours. And the easiest way to do this is with the humble blogroll.
After writing online for over a decade, I consider blogrolls to be both an asset and a social minefield. In principle they provide a list of online resources that others can use for reference. In fact if you find a site with a comprehensive blogroll it can become a major asset with regard to keeping abreast of others writing. However they can also have some less desirable consequences. Some people see them as a popularity contest or a self indulgent backslapping exercise. There is also a strange sort of internet etiquette associated with them. Sometimes bloggers feel snubbed if they find that their site is absent from their peers' blogroll. If someone adds your site to their blogroll are you obliged to reciprocate? It may sound all very inconsequential but you’d be surprised at the little things that some people choose to get annoyed over.
When I moved Contains Moderate Peril from a hosted WordPress site over to Squarespace, I decided to review whether I should maintain a blogroll. Due to the template I chose and its lack of a sidebar, the matter pretty much resolved itself. I could set up a separate page with a list of blogs but it lacks the convenience of having it on the site homepage. Back in early 2012 I set up The Gaming Blog Nexus, as a more practical means to aggregate blog content and keep track of the latest post published. It proved to be a popular website and successful resource but like so many online projects, it was subject to increasing operational costs. After two and a half years I decided to close the site, which at the time listed over one hundred and twenty gaming related blogs. Although I do not regret my decision, as I do not have unlimited funding for my online projects, I do miss its practical benefits.
If you’ve decided that you wish to maintain a blogroll on your website, here are a few tips for your consideration. If possible present your blogroll in order of new posts or alphabetical site names. If your blogroll is simply a list of hyperlinks then the latter is possibly the best option. Fancier addons or plugins may offer more complex ways to tabulate and collate the blogs listed on your roll. Decide in advance what your policy is to be with regard to which blogs you add to your roll. If you choose a quid pro quo approach then stick to it. If you decide to be more particular, bear in mind that some people may question your policy. Also remove sites from your roll that have become inactive or you know are “dead”. A year is a fair benchmark. If you do these things and manage your blogroll well, you may see a spike in your website traffic. Just bear in mind it may be due to the well maintained resource that you’ve curated, rather than the quality of your prose.
Thoughts on Blogging Part 14
By the time that August rolls around this year, I will have been actively blogging and generally sharing my writing online for 14 years. Prior to that, back in the eighties, I was involved in the production of several fanzines. That was indeed a labour of love and although I was happy to write the content, the work involved in physically creating the actual pages was tough. The printing costs were also an early lesson in how writing is not an immediate path to fame and fortune. All things considered, writing has been a major aspect of my life for as long as I can remember. I used to enjoy writing stories as a child and then as I got older I discovered the pleasure of a well constructed essay. I was fortunate to have three very good English teachers during my time at school, who were passionate about their job and very encouraging.
By the time that August rolls around this year, I will have been actively blogging and generally sharing my writing online for 14 years. Prior to that, back in the eighties, I was involved in the production of several fanzines. That was indeed a labour of love and although I was happy to write the content, the work involved in physically creating the actual pages was tough. The printing costs were also an early lesson in how writing is not an immediate path to fame and fortune. All things considered, writing has been a major aspect of my life for as long as I can remember. I used to enjoy writing stories as a child and then as I got older I discovered the pleasure of a well constructed essay. I was fortunate to have three very good English teachers during my time at school, who were passionate about their job and very encouraging.
Since the New Year I have struggled not so much with writing but more with my motivation to write. I don’t have a shortage of ideas. As ever there’s plenty to talk about. However, there seems to be an ongoing decline in longform posts, providing criticism and analysis. You’ll still find them on commercial websites such as Kotaku but they’re not so prevalent among the blogging community. Some bloggers do still tackle the big subjects and the controversies that so often accompany them but in my experience, lengthy thoughtful posts seem to be falling out of favour. Furthermore, due to the cyclical nature of popular culture and the various leisure industries, all too often you find yourself repeating yourself as a writer or covering familiar ground. The things that I enjoy and love to write about have become as partisan as other parts of public discourse, which does rob them of their charm.
Hence, the current malaise I’ve experienced has had an impact upon my productivity. However my output has remained the same for the last six months. I usually write about 16 or so posts a month although I have recently started trying to maintain a daily schedule. However, since May I have noticed a noticeable drop in traffic to Contains Moderate Peril. Statistics are not my primary motivator when it comes to my writing but they do play a part. It is reassuring to know that posts are being read and that an audience does exist. However, after giving this matter some thought, I think the drop in traffic is due to people returning to their formal places of work and rather than losing pageviews, the numbers are simply returning to pre COVID-19 levels. So in the last week or so I’ve felt more positive about writing. I have especially enjoyed a couple of posts that I’ve written that just seem to pour out of me without any problems.
Today the Blaugust 2021 Festival of Blogging was formally announced. I shall compose a more comprehensive blog post “bigging up” this enjoyable community activity in the next few days. However, it has already had a positive effect as new members have signed up to the event and also joined the Discord server. Meeting new writers and sharing ideas is a major shot in the arm and provides a lot of encouragement and motivation for all concerned. It is important to encourage more people to write and express themselves as it is an invaluable life skill. Plus there is a natural attrition that happens within the blogging community. Writing is a commitment that takes time and effort and real life often competes with both of those things. Hopefully this year’s Festival of Blogging will be well attended and received, drawing attention to the merits of writing, ensuring that our community continues to survive.
Write Now, Edit Later
"Don't get it right, just get it written". James Thurber. This is a quote that is often bandied about with regard to creative writing. I was watching a documentary last night about a guy trying to find financing for an independent film he was making and a variation of this philosophical statement came up. I suppose that the reason it is so commonplace is because it is true. All writers at some point find themselves procrastinating to a greater or lesser degree. While writing this simple blog post, I’ve been distracted by incoming email and a message notification from my phone. Sometimes I will draw the curtains in my office so I don’t end up aimlessly staring out of the window at life’s rich pageant or the bird on Mrs Coletart’s roof. Because I am an organised person and like to plan, sometimes I focus too much upon the detail of my writing, rather than just getting the raw ideas down. Hence even the most simplistic of blog posts can at times take an hour or more to get written.
"Don't get it right, just get it written". James Thurber. This is a quote that is often bandied about with regard to creative writing. I was watching a documentary last night about a guy trying to find financing for an independent film he was making and a variation of this philosophical statement came up. I suppose that the reason it is so commonplace is because it is true. All writers at some point find themselves procrastinating to a greater or lesser degree. While writing this simple blog post, I’ve been distracted by incoming email and a message notification from my phone. Sometimes I will draw the curtains in my office so I don’t end up aimlessly staring out of the window at life’s rich pageant or the bird on Mrs Coletart’s roof. Because I am an organised person and like to plan, sometimes I focus too much upon the detail of my writing, rather than just getting the raw ideas down. Hence even the most simplistic of blog posts can at times take an hour or more to get written.
One of the first things I learned when writing is not to correct your work as you go along. If you do, you end up obsessively re-writing the same sentence over and over again. It is very inefficient and far less enjoyable. Hence "don't get it right, just get it written" is such good advice. Especially so if your writing style is more of a stream of consciousness. I tend to favour bullet points when creating a post. These can be used for ideas or an argument and then counter argument. Later, they can then be developed into paragraphs or combined to make wider points. I also create a lot of draft documents. If an idea comes to me then I open a new document in Google Drive, give it an obvious title and then add a few points that are relevant or simply write the original thought(s) that came to me. This way, good ideas have a better chance of coming to fruition and becoming fully formed blog posts.
A dilemma I often wrestle with is exactly how much to write on any given subject. There are different schools of thought on this and it very much depends who you are writing for. Commercial writing is usually far more targeted and specific. Hence brevity and the use of easy to understand language is important. I prefer a more substantive approach and enjoy using my vocabulary, creating metaphors and making obscure pop culture references. I like my arguments to be clear and backed up with supporting data. However, there’s longform writing and then there’s just being verbose and I worry that I drift too often into the latter. Thankfully, this is why we edit and as a writer one has to be ready to make hard choices with regard to what stays in the final version of your post and what gets cut out. I am currently trying to hone my editing skills, to be more ruthless and produce more succinct posts.
With all this in mind, I am going to do some experimentation with my writing over the next few months, to see if I can produce shorter posts and to also try and speed up my writing process. But it can be hard to break yourself of certain habits. For example I have an odd attitude towards writing three paragraphs or less in a post. I feel that it is too insubstantial and even lazy. Yet other bloggers I know produce concise and on point material and I don’t think the same of them. So I’m going to try to do things differently. This has the added benefit of making the actual process of writing a little more interesting and adding a sense of variety. Because writing like any other task, takes focus and discipline and at times can be a chore. Trying to transfer the thought, idea or point that is abundantly clear in your mind, onto the virtual page is not as easy as it sounds. But that is also part of the fun. It also brings me back to the James Thurber quote. "Don't get it right, just get it written". Make this your mantra.
Building Communities
Back in July 2014, a small group of podcasters banded together to launch The Gaming and Entertainment Network, a website which aggregated the content of eight independently produced shows. This eclectic group of podcasts covered a range of subjects such as gaming, movies, TV, hats and bacon as well as other aspects of popular culture. The project was conceived and implemented by Braxwolf from the popular blog Gaming Conversations. It was designed to raise awareness of the respective shows, as well promote group collaboration between the content creators. In addition to the website, TGEN (as it was abbreviated to) also had a presence on twitter, Facebook and Anook ensuring that the network was represented on all popular social media. Initially 8 podcasts participated in the project. Aggrochat, Battle Bards, Beyond Bossfights, Cat Context, Contains Moderate Peril, Couch Podtatoes, Massive Failure and Roleplay Domain.
Back in July 2014, a small group of podcasters banded together to launch The Gaming and Entertainment Network, a website which aggregated the content of eight independently produced shows. This eclectic group of podcasts covered a range of subjects such as gaming, movies, TV, hats and bacon as well as other aspects of popular culture. The project was conceived and implemented by Braxwolf from the popular blog Gaming Conversations. It was designed to raise awareness of the respective shows, as well promote group collaboration between the content creators. In addition to the website, TGEN (as it was abbreviated to) also had a presence on twitter, Facebook and Anook ensuring that the network was represented on all popular social media. Initially 8 podcasts participated in the project. Aggrochat, Battle Bards, Beyond Bossfights, Cat Context, Contains Moderate Peril, Couch Podtatoes, Massive Failure and Roleplay Domain.
The Gaming and Entertainment Network was intended to offer both convenience and choice to listeners. It was also supposed to foster and promote a collaborative ethos among the blogging community that had spawned it. As well as the individual shows, TGEN also produced its own quarterly round table podcast with a panel made up of members of each show. It was at times a little chaotic but the discussions were always fun due to the diverse spectrum of participants. Overall my memories of my involvement with the show are positive. Simply put they were good times. However, real life often trumps one’s aspirations. After three years, some of the podcasts started to fall into decline or stop altogether. Braxwolf, like so many of us, struggled to find the time to maintain the site while juggling work and family life. Inevitably TGEN finally closed and folk moved on. Not everyone though. Belghast and Scormus still regularly produce podcasts and Battle Bards is still a fixture of the community.
Setting aside the nostalgia, I guess what I really wanted to do was reference an example of collaboration between individuals from a shared community and highlight that such projects can be a success as well as a great deal of fun. I’ve been blogging for one and a half decades now and I was most fortunate to start at a time when blogs and podcasts were beginning to gain wider traction. From 2007 to about 2014 I was involved in such projects as The Newbie Blogger Initiative, the aforementioned The Gaming and Entertainment Network as well as the The Gaming Blog Nexus. All of which proved to be learning experiences and a great opportunity to meet and hangout with like minded people. Sadly, many have come and gone over the years but that is the nature of blogging. It has a very high rate of attrition. Some still soldier on, doggedly writing or producing shows. From time to time, someone long gone returns unexpectedly which is always a great surprise. Unfortunately, some members of the community have tragically passed away and left us too soon.
I really did enjoy the sense of belonging that came from the game blogging community back then. It’s still present today but it is a lot different because things change, especially myself. One can never recapture the events of the past but sometimes you can encourage others to try something, in the hope that they will also have a positive experience. I put a lot of stock in grass roots, community driven projects. So if you are a blogger, YouTuber or streamer and have a hankering to work collaboratively, build a community or simply just hangout with others, then don’t just think about it. Reach out to others and take the first steps. Doing is so much more rewarding than just endlessly planning. Even if things don’t work out at least you’ve tried and learned along the way. But there’s also a chance of creating something of value, finding new friends and making a lot of happy memories.
Nothing Further to Say?
Today, I was going to write a post about the controversy surrounding the video game Six Days in Fallujah. I read up on the relevant background material and then started making bullet points regarding my own personal opinion. While doing so I had a sense of deja vu, so I started looking back through previous posts I’ve written on comparable subjects. And my suspicions were confirmed. The basic points I wished to raise, I had previously explored in a post about “the trivialisation of World War II”. So I decided to abandon the planned post about Highwire Games new FPS, because I wasn’t really offering anything new to the debate, as far as I was concerned. Subsequent reflection upon this matter has led me to the inevitable conclusion that once you regularly write about certain subjects for a decade or so, you eventually reach a point where you don’t have a lot further to say because you’ve probably said it already. Well, I think that’s where I’m at.
This image has no “bearing” on the post
Today, I was going to write a post about the controversy surrounding the video game Six Days in Fallujah. I read up on the relevant background material and then started making bullet points regarding my own personal opinion. While doing so I had a sense of deja vu, so I started looking back through previous posts I’ve written on comparable subjects. And my suspicions were confirmed. The basic points I wished to raise, I had previously explored in a post about “the trivialisation of World War II”. So I decided to abandon the planned post about Highwire Games new FPS, because I wasn’t really offering anything new to the debate, as far as I was concerned. Subsequent reflection upon this matter has led me to the inevitable conclusion that once you regularly write about certain subjects for a decade or so, you eventually reach a point where you don’t have a lot further to say because you’ve probably said it already. Well, I think that’s where I’m at.
I am fully aware that not all of those who read Contains Moderate Peril and au fait with my previous posts. In fact, my website statistics show that a lot of readers are passing traffic that found the site due to a Google search. Hence it would be arrogant to assume that readers by default are familiar with my positions on various subjects and talking points. However, a percentage of my readership have followed my work for a while, in the same way that I have followed theirs. They leave comments both here and on social media. And I wonder if they’ve noticed my penchant for repetition? I do find that my film reviews often follow a pattern. I frequently complain about weak screenplays, underdeveloped stories and characters. It does make me think, do I need to broaden my thoughts or have I effectively reached a point of “nothing further to say” on certain subjects?
Zippy is a popular character from the UK children’s TV show Rainbow
I wrote recently about the cyclical nature of the video games industry and despite certain technical advances, many of the problems from gaming twenty years ago are still with us today. I am beginning to think that this is the same for many other aspects of day to day life. Be it pop culture or politics. The pace of technological change shows no sign of slowing down but many traditional problems, usually those associated with human behaviour, remain conspicuously unchanged. Hence I still find myself referencing recurring issues such as corporate shenanigans, bandwagon jumping, consumer culture and that perennial favourite of confusing fandom with some sort of ownership. And once you become aware that you are repeating yourself, it does become a bit tiresome both for writer and reader. I don’t mind having a particular style but I don’t want to end up a one trick pony, so to speak.
I like Sparks
So what can we conclude from this post which now seems like some written form of self therapy? Well I think I may have to just give some subjects a rest for a while. I am thankful that I made a choice back in 2008 to diversify my blog so that it covered more than just one game. I will still write about video games but I think I shall be far more particular from now on so I don’t just end up sounding like the old guy who sits, alone at the bar, banging on about the same old stuff. I think it’s also time to think outside the box and ensure that my film reviews are less formulaic. I shall also write more about real life stuff. For example, I had a hankering recently to write about property TV shows. I even have a post still sitting in the “drafts” folder about beds and the importance of a good night sleep. So don’t be surprised if some “weird shit” turns up in the next month or so. Oh, by the way. Does anyone else feel like this and that they’ve pretty much said their piece on a given subject over the years?
Thoughts on Blogging Part 13
I mentioned not so long ago the possibility of a website revamp. I was concerned that the general layout of the blog was not optimal and that readers couldn’t easily find old material. In the past I even went as far as to write a guide to navigating through Contains Moderate Peril and using the categories to find old posts. Well I got a few emails and Twitter DMs about this and it would appear that folk like things just as they are. So I have reviewed my position and decided to leave things as they are at present. I did a little digging though my website stats, both from Squarespace and Google Analytics and it would appear the summary blocks at the bottom of each post are used and that the bounce rate for my site is not exactly as it first appears. Seems that readers do peruse other articles and the search facility is being used more often, especially for finding film reviews. So if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
I mentioned not so long ago the possibility of a website revamp. I was concerned that the general layout of the blog was not optimal and that readers couldn’t easily find old material. In the past I even went as far as to write a guide to navigating through Contains Moderate Peril and using the categories to find old posts. Well I got a few emails and Twitter DMs about this and it would appear that folk like things just as they are. So I have reviewed my position and decided to leave things as they are at present. I did a little digging though my website stats, both from Squarespace and Google Analytics and it would appear the summary blocks at the bottom of each post are used and that the bounce rate for my site is not exactly as it first appears. Seems that readers do peruse other articles and the search facility is being used more often, especially for finding film reviews. So if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
However, although I no longer have to immediately worry about overhauling my website, I do currently have an issue with productivity. I used to write a blog post everyday but that hasn’t been a regular fixture for six months or more. It’s not that I have a lack of ideas or material. On the contrary, I’ve pages of notes on films that I’ve watched recently that can easily be used for a review. I also have numerous lists of bullet points and prompts for blog posts on gaming and a wide range of other subjects. The main issue at present seems to be a question of motivation and actual physical stamina. The latter is a matter under current medical investigation which I may write about shortly. The issue of motivation is a perennial problem for bloggers. For me, it comes down to a mixture of discipline and routine. I do my best writing in the morning and free from disturbance. Effectively I need to get up and write straight away and sadly I haven’t been doing this.
As previously mentioned, I’ve been using the statistical analysis of traffic to Contains Moderate Peril and have been trying to find out exactly what data it can yield. Squarespace has a default analytical package that produces some interesting information but Google Analytics proves to be the more detailed of the two. Despite now only posting every other day, traffic to the site is growing at present. Popular UK TV station Talking Pictures TV, which broadcasts a lot of vintage, classic and niche market film content, has inadvertently caused an increase in visits to my blog. Many of the films that they show, I have existing reviews for. Viewers are perusing Google, searching about these titles and finding my work. All of which indicates how review posts can have shelf life beyond their immediate publication. Hence an increase in review posts may well prove beneficial in generating further traffic and growing the overall site audience.
Redesigning Contains Moderate Peril
I moved Contains Moderate Peril over to Squarespace from a hosted WordPress service in August 2015. The main selling points of a platform such as Squarespace are its resilient infrastructure and simplicity to use. Over the last five and a half years there has been no downtime, no software to update, no addons and plugins to manage and no additional charges due to traffic increase. Overall I like the service and therefore do not feel the need to change it. However, I think the site could do with a cosmetic overhaul. At present posts tend to look better on mobile devices than they do on PC. I also think the blog needs some additional functionality added that allows older content to be found more easily. However, I do not want the cosmetic changes to overshadow the content. The design needs to be clean, intuitive and functional. The focus of any blog should always be the writing.
I moved Contains Moderate Peril over to Squarespace from a hosted WordPress service in August 2015. The main selling points of a platform such as Squarespace are its resilient infrastructure and simplicity to use. Over the last five and a half years there has been no downtime, no software to update, no addons and plugins to manage and no additional charges due to traffic increase. Overall I like the service and therefore do not feel the need to change it. However, I think the site could do with a cosmetic overhaul. At present posts tend to look better on mobile devices than they do on PC. I also think the blog needs some additional functionality added that allows older content to be found more easily. However, I do not want the cosmetic changes to overshadow the content. The design needs to be clean, intuitive and functional. The focus of any blog should always be the writing.
I have collated a list of simple visual changes as well as some additional functionality that I wish to see added to Contains Moderate Peril. At present searching the site is a little rudimentary. As a blogger I not only want people to read my current content but to peruse older material. Therefore readers should be offered a selection of related material at the end of a post The system that is currently in place is somewhat basic. Images are important when writings about films or video games and so I want to be able to present pictures in a more versatile fashion than the current format. I would also like to be able to segregate content and be able to present exclusive material for subscribers. Finally, I want a greater degree of social media features. I need to make it easier for readers to leave comments and share posts. I’m also considering unified branding which raises the issue of a new logo.
In the past I have used Fiverr for minor design projects and voiceover recordings. Sadly, my last experience using this service was not a good one and the commissioned work was left incomplete. Hence for this forthcoming redesign, I will be employing a Squarespace specialist to undertake these changes. I have a sensible budget to work with and a short list of suitable candidates. Hopefully these proposed changes can be implemented by May. I have some ideas for some further projects but I think it’s best to focus on this redesign first. As ever with my life, there’s quite a lot going on at present, so I need to concentrate on writing and ensuring that new content is posted as often as possible. In the meantime, if there are any features or functionality that you’d like to see added to Contains Moderate Peril, then please leave a comment.
Blog Comments
Leaving comments on a post is a perennial talking point among bloggers. A good comment is often encouraging, provides valuable feedback and is also personally rewarding. However, allowing them on your site is also an invitation for assholes to talk bollocks. Setting aside the overall debate, comments per se just seem to be in decline these days. I find that people will respond to a post on Twitter, where they saw the initial link to begin with. Although this is pleasant it doesn’t leave anything permanent associated with the post. But such is the nature of social media. And of course another major stumbling block to leaving comments are the foibles of the various websites and platforms themselves. All too often a site will just ignore or reject your comment. This itself then acts as a future disincentive.
Leaving comments on a post is a perennial talking point among bloggers. A good comment is often encouraging, provides valuable feedback and is also personally rewarding. However, allowing them on your site is also an invitation for assholes to talk bollocks. Setting aside the overall debate, comments per se just seem to be in decline these days. I find that people will respond to a post on Twitter, where they saw the initial link to begin with. Although this is pleasant it doesn’t leave anything permanent associated with the post. But such is the nature of social media. And of course another major stumbling block to leaving comments are the foibles of the various websites and platforms themselves. All too often a site will just ignore or reject your comment. This itself then acts as a future disincentive.
As it’s the New Year, I decided that as I read my Feedly RSS feed each morning, it would be “chummy” to leave comments and to try and reinforce that sense of community that only seems to come to the fore during writing events. Hence this morning, I left a few positive words on one website and everything worked just fine. I believe I logged in using my Twitter credentials. However, when I tried to do the same thing again on another blog, I couldn’t login and post anything. The process ground to a halt during the validation stage and after about two minutes, I got bored and moved on. It’s not the author of the blog’s fault. This just seems to be a random issue associated with some platforms. Even if you opt for a different method of logging in, such as Google or Facebook, the problem can often persist. And then if you wait for 24 hours it will work fine the next day.
This also happens on my Blog. As a host, Squarespace provide some useful functionality but this really isn’t the case with comments and “likes”. I will sometimes notice that a post has been “liked” several times but have absolutely no idea by whom. Which kind of makes the process somewhat redundant. Some folk have found leaving comments “problematic”, although I can never determine whether there’s a common factor to this. Thus, this is the current status quo. I am trying to leave more comments, something I’m usually really bad at doing but the circumstances are conspiring against me. I could leave a similar comment on the Blaugust Discord server, assuming that the author is active on that server and will see it. Not the best solution but the best I can come up with at the moment. Certainly want to maintain the positive feedback ethic, as I feel it’s needed at present.
This Year's Plan
This is a public service announcement. Don’t waste your time with traditional, grandiose, pie in the sky New Year resolutions. The key to success is to set yourself realistic and achievable goals. Further incentivise them by including some sort of reward upon their completion. If involving a third party makes it more likely that you’ll achieve these endeavours then do so. Don’t waste your own time and sell yourself short by chasing things you know are patently unrealistic. Pursue things that are beneficial or even pragmatic. Also, ignore others who publicly set prestigious goals. You know the “type”. Those tedious over achievers who feel the need to compete on absolutely every level. Do not concern yourself when they hit their targets. It’s not about them. It’s about you. Life is relative. Focus on what you can do and then go about doing it. I’ve said this all before in previous New Year blog posts but sensible advice merits repeating.
A pop culture reference about plans
This is a public service announcement. Don’t waste your time with traditional, grandiose, pie in the sky New Year resolutions. The key to success is to set yourself realistic and achievable goals. Further incentivise them by including some sort of reward upon their completion. If involving a third party makes it more likely that you’ll achieve these endeavours then do so. Don’t waste your own time and sell yourself short by chasing things you know are patently unrealistic. Pursue things that are beneficial or even pragmatic. Also, ignore others who publicly set prestigious goals. You know the “type”. Those tedious over achievers who feel the need to compete on absolutely every level. Do not concern yourself when they hit their targets. It’s not about them. It’s about you. Life is relative. Focus on what you can do and then go about doing it. I’ve said this all before in previous New Year blog posts but sensible advice merits repeating.
I usually try to set myself some goals at this time of year. Sometimes I like to plan a new project. I tried live streaming last spring and discovered that it wasn’t for me. I would very much like to return to podcasting on a weekly basis. However, I’ve given a lot of thought to this and a few other potential projects and decided not to pursue any of them. This is due to several reasons. The pandemic isn’t going to vanish overnight and I believe that the restriction currently imposed where I live will continue. Hence I shall continue to be confined to my home and therefore must consider Mrs P and our shared environment. Mrs P is currently unwell and awaiting seeing her cardiac consultant. Her health and well being are a priority. And then there’s my current state of mind. I am tired and still processing a bereavement. I don’t feel that it’s wise to go all in on a project when I should be dealing with more immediate issues.
Tom Hanks collects typewriters
So upon mature reflection I’ve decided to do the following for the immediate future. Maintain a more organised daily routine, continue writing as often as I can and pursue a straightforward weight loss and health regime. I’m going to start going to bed earlier and consequently getting up at a fairly regular time. I think 7:00 AM should be manageable. My smart band gives me details on the quality of my sleep and it’s not that good. As soon as I’m awake I shall get cracking as I find I’m at my most productive in the morning. I shall also keep a basic “to do” list and ensure that tasks do not get deferred or overlooked. I may try and find some podcast to gatecrash and if there are any writing events in 2021 I shall participate in them. But I’m keeping my ambitions simple so that they can be maintained. My long term plan to adapt The Golden Voyage of Sinbad into a West End musical has been deferred for practical reasons.
A Year in Blogging
Despite the tumultuous events of the last twelve months and the accompanying emotional fallout that has followed in their wake, I’ve managed to keep writing throughout 2020. My output has been somewhat inconsistent this year and I’ve noticed some changes in what I write about. This is inevitable as one’s tastes and focus changes naturally change over time. I’m finding it tougher to write enthusiastically about the video games industry per se, as it has hardly covered itself in glory this year. However, I still enjoy writing film reviews although I haven’t set foot inside a cinema for over a year. I suspect that this will remain the case for much of 2021. My writing has broadened in its scope and I find myself writing social commentary about various aspects of life, rather than just posting articles about my hobbies. Sharing my thoughts on the pandemic itself and “caring for the elderly” has proven very cathartic. But as I’ve stated many times before, writing is one of the ways in which I make sense of the world around me.
Despite the tumultuous events of the last twelve months and the accompanying emotional fallout that has followed in their wake, I’ve managed to keep writing throughout 2020. My output has been somewhat inconsistent this year and I’ve noticed some changes in what I write about. This is inevitable as one’s tastes and focus changes naturally change over time. I’m finding it tougher to write enthusiastically about the video games industry per se, as it has hardly covered itself in glory this year. However, I still enjoy writing film reviews although I haven’t set foot inside a cinema for over a year. I suspect that this will remain the case for much of 2021. My writing has broadened in its scope and I find myself writing social commentary about various aspects of life, rather than just posting articles about my hobbies. Sharing my thoughts on the pandemic itself and “caring for the elderly” has proven very cathartic. But as I’ve stated many times before, writing is one of the ways in which I make sense of the world around me.
There were two writing events that I participated in this year, along with a wealth of other bloggers, live streamers and content creators. Blapril and Blaugust were both designed to encourage writing and other forms of online material as well as promote the work of all involved. Both events were well received, especially in light of the various national lockdowns, which afford all participants more leisure time than usual. The sense of community that these endeavours create, really does help sustain peoples engagement. I certainly produced more material during Blapril and Blaugust and this was mainly due to my interaction with others and the mutual enthusiasm that was generated. Sadly, the death of my father after a period of illness monopolised a lot of my time in late summer and the start of autumn and somewhat sapped my positivity. However, I found adopting a schedule of writing every alternate day, to be beneficial.
2020 confirmed something I’ve suspected for a while. That I get my best writing done in the early morning. For me that usually means between 7:00 AM and 11:00 AM. I also find that maintaining a routine really helps. So I get up early, have a shower and make myself a drink and then sit in front of my PC from about 7:30 AM and start writing my thoughts. If I’m lacking ideas, then I check Feedly to see what others are writing about or whether any interesting talking points have emerged. Of course, life doesn’t always allow me to do this. Sometimes I’ll still be typing away after 22:00 out of necessity but I don’t consider that an optimal writing situation. Also, real life conspired against me and I was unable to record any podcasts this year. However, I’m not prepared to let this go so it is something that remains on my to do list for 2021. I may try and gatecrash someone else’s show as a preliminary plan.
It’s been four years since I migrated Contains Moderate Peril over to Squarespace. In many ways this was a complete reset for the website as I couldn’t import all my old posts. So I recycled a lot of the movie reviews as well as long form essays and started from scratch with my gaming commentary. Overall I feel this was a wise decision. I never have to worry about server capacity which was an issue with previous hosting plans. Web traffic continues to grow yearly and having a back catalogue of content is beginning to pay off. There have been several spikes in traffic recently. Talking Pictures TV, a retro UK TV station, shows a lot of “classic films”, many of which I have already written about. Viewers searching Google subsequently find my reviews. It’s the little things like this, along with the robust sense of community that still prevails, that helps keep me writing. My only plan with regard to next year, is to continue doing so.
Essential Technology
Today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt is “what technology would you have the hardest time living without?”, which is a great question. Fellow blogger Telwyn has already tackled this conundrum over at Gaming Sans Frontières and I found myself agreeing wholeheartedly with the sentiment they expressed (more on that shortly). Over the course of my life, technology has become more and more ubiquitous and is now an integral part of our society. We take its presence for granted and only fully realise the benefits it provides when it ceases working or there’s some sort of outage. Technology has also dramatically fallen in price over the last five decades. What used to be marketed as expensive, labour saving luxuries or recreational indulgences, are now just disposable consumer items. The pace at which technology advances has also accelerated. It’s a struggle sometimes to keep abreast of what is new.
Today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt is “what technology would you have the hardest time living without?”, which is a great question. Fellow blogger Telwyn has already tackled this conundrum over at Gaming Sans Frontières and I found myself agreeing wholeheartedly with the sentiment they expressed (more on that shortly). Over the course of my life, technology has become more and more ubiquitous and is now an integral part of our society. We take its presence for granted and only fully realise the benefits it provides when it ceases working or there’s some sort of outage. Technology has also dramatically fallen in price over the last five decades. What used to be marketed as expensive, labour saving luxuries or recreational indulgences, are now just disposable consumer items. The pace at which technology advances has also accelerated. It’s a struggle sometimes to keep abreast of what is new.
Telwyn wrote “the PC is one of my main sources of entertainment” and that is the same for me as well. When I wake up in the morning, I meander into “the office” and fire up my PC before ambling off to the bathroom to get washed and dressed. I then go to the kitchen and make breakfast for myself and Mrs P and return to my desk where I busy myself catching up with Twitter, Feedly and the Blaugust Discord server. I do all my research and writing at my PC. Administrative tasks such as banking and prescription renewals are all done online and via my PC. If Mrs P wants to watch something different to me, I use my PC as a second TV. And naturally I am a member of the PC “master race” when it comes to gaming. As I said in a previous post, I find sitting at my desk, in front of my PC to be one of the most comfortable and relaxed environments that I know. On the few occasions that my PC has been offline due to technical issues, I wander the bungalow like a lost soul.
Another piece of modern technology that has become essential in my life is the smartphone. I know that this is not a particularly imaginative or original example but the fact remains that this device has had a seismic impact upon our lives and culture in just 13 years. Mobile phones per se have existed for considerably longer but it was the smartphone, with its wider range of functionality, which brought the internet to our pockets. And I use my smartphone in a similar fashion to my desktop PC. I won’t bore you with the multitude of tasks I use it for but I love how I can be out and about somewhere new with Mrs P and within minutes determine where’s there’s parking, a nice restaurant and what the local property prices are like (co’s we’re seriously considering moving soon). The modern smartphone offers communication, information and a wealth of services at your fingertips. I’ve also never been an especially accomplished photographer. But now I can produce at least one decent photo per day trip, thanks to my phone. I just hate it when people call me on it.
Finally, I need to mention dishwashers. I’m not sure if they’re considered standard “white goods” in the UK yet. A quick Google search shows that as of 2018, only 48% of homes have them, so may be not. I’ve been using a dishwasher for about a decade now and I consider them invaluable. For me one of the seven circles of hell is a hot kitchen with a small sink, filled with tepid, greasy water, trying to scrub a roasting pan with a worn plastic brush with splayed bristles. I hate washing up. It ruins your hands and I detest having to do manual labour after a heavy meal, when I should be relaxing in a fireside chair enjoying a large glass of port. My parents have an “old person’s” house, by which I mean that everything in it actively conspires to hinder you. They do not have a dishwasher and it’s like going back to using dial-up internet, except that it involves the use of Brillo pads.
For reasons of brevity, I’ve kept this post to just three examples of what I consider to be indispensable technology. However, here are a few other “honourable mentions” that I think deserve to be referenced, due to the impact they’ve had upon the quality of life in general.
Sat Navs
Wireless Blood Sugar Monitors
Tamagotchi
View-Master
George Foreman Grill
The Lament Configuration
Video 2000
Teletext
PalmPilot
Computer Battleships
Fandom Memories
Syp over at Bio Break leads the charge with today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt, with this interesting question. “What is your earliest memory related to one of your core fandoms?” Please do read his thoughts on going to see Return of the Jedi upon its original release back in 1983. It is something I can certainly relate to. I’m a decade older than Syp and so I can recollect actually seeing Star Wars for the first time at my local cinema. However as that was a starting point for a specific fandom rather than an “ongoing” example, I won’t cite it here. I have even earlier recollections of going to Longleat Safari and Adventure Park and having the extra bonus of seeing the Doctor Who Exhibition which ran there from 1973 to 2003. This would have been in August 1974 and I was six at the time. I have dim recollections of all the exhibits being mainly from the Jon Pertwee era and the Daleks being the high point of my day.
Syp over at Bio Break leads the charge with today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt, with this interesting question. “What is your earliest memory related to one of your core fandoms?” Please do read his thoughts on going to see Return of the Jedi upon its original release back in 1983. It is something I can certainly relate to. I’m a decade older than Syp and so I can recollect actually seeing Star Wars for the first time at my local cinema. However as that was a starting point for a specific fandom rather than an “ongoing” example, I won’t cite it here. I have even earlier recollections of going to Longleat Safari and Adventure Park and having the extra bonus of seeing the Doctor Who Exhibition which ran there from 1973 to 2003. This would have been in August 1974 and I was six at the time. I have dim recollections of all the exhibits being mainly from the Jon Pertwee era and the Daleks being the high point of my day.
But as the question is about “core fandoms” I think I’ll reference a more contemporary example. One that I can recollect more clearly and so provide a more specific anecdote about. So I’d like to talk about my love of the horror genre and how as I got older, became a consummate fan. I’ve recently written about how during the 80s and 90s the UK home video market endured some rather restrictive regulations that lead to a lot of horror films being unavailable or heavily edited. Due to magazines such as Fangoria and Starburst, fans would be aware of both mainstream US and independent productions long before they were released in the UK. Hence we’d often become aware of those occasional titles that had already caused a stir “stateside” or in Europe and would therefore naturally run into distribution and censorship issues when it came to a British release. How could such films be shown in the UK? The answer was the “film festival”, which provided a limited or one off showcase, where the audience could be strictly regulated. Such events weren’t providing mainstream national distribution.
Now film festivals per se are always a great occasion for fans. I find that watching a cult classic with a like minded audience in a traditional movie theatre setting, rather than watching at home on your own, is a superior way to enjoy a film. I believe there is some truth to the “shared experience”. For example I feel the slapstick shenanigans of Charlie Chaplin work a lot better when viewed with a group. Bearing this in mind, on Saturday 24th February 1990, not only did I get the chance to indulge this theory by going to my first film festival but I was afforded the oppurtunity to see a controversial film that was heading into trouble. That film being Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer. The Splatterfest 90 film festival was held at the Scala Cinema, in Kings Cross, London. The venue was a known private cinema that excelled at hosting such events, as well as regularly showing bizarre and baroque movies.
I remember quite clearly, the atmosphere in the cinema. The Scala was a sumptuous but somewhat dilapidated 1920s building, which lent itself well to its niche market purpose. Between films it was quite noisy with fans talking and constantly going to and fro to the lobby. But when Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer started the audience settled and fell silent. The film was a gruelling 83 minutes experience which left the audience shocked, uncomfortable yet utterly engaged with the proceedings. I subsequently learned that several examiners from the BBFC had attended the screening as an opportunity to “research” a movie they knew would be “problematic” when it eventually sought a formal UK theatrical release. There was a very interesting Q&A with director John McNaughton which shed a lot of insight into the film and its production.
There were several other movies shown that night making Splatterfest 90 a very enjoyable film festival. Brian Yuzna’s Bride of Re-Animator which is a great sequel to the original Re-Animator, was very well received. As was the excellent documentary Document of the Dead, which was made during the filming of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. However, one film did not go down particularly well. The Comic, a “psychological drama” about a stand up comedian who murders his way to success in a dystopian future, was met with derision, objects hurled at the screen and cries of “for fuck’s sake, turn this shit off”. Director Richard Driscoll was due to be interviewed after the screening but bid a hasty retreat after his film’s suboptimal reception. Overall Splatterfest 90 was a very good introduction to film festivals and was certainly a “grassroots” experience of fandom. I’ve been to many similar events since then but none have had quite the same impact or left such memories as this one.
Your Writing Environment (Again)
I thought I’d tackle another Blaugust Promptapalooza writing cue. Today’s question is “Tell us about your physical creative space, and how it influences your content creation” and the official promoter of this prompt is Krikket over at Nerd Girl Thoughts. Do go check out their very candid thoughts and personal experience on this subject. Because where you sit and create your content is a big factor in the process. Sadly, for practical reasons it is often the one that is most overlooked or neglected due to the realities of life (as Krikket explains in their post). Very few of us have a purpose built studio or specifically designed workspace. Most of us just try to adapt an existing part of our home and make do with that. I have done this in the past, when I was living in a rented flat. The lounge dining table also doubled as a writing desk, as well as a computer workstation. It was a little too high for such purposes and it ruined my posture after a while. The ergonomics of where you sit is not something that should be ignored.
My desk as of August 2020
I thought I’d tackle another Blaugust Promptapalooza writing cue. Today’s question is “Tell us about your physical creative space, and how it influences your content creation” and the official promoter of this prompt is Krikket over at Nerd Girl Thoughts. Do go check out their very candid thoughts and personal experience on this subject. Because where you sit and create your content is a big factor in the process. Sadly, for practical reasons it is often the one that is most overlooked or neglected due to the realities of life (as Krikket explains in their post). Very few of us have a purpose built studio or specifically designed workspace. Most of us just try to adapt an existing part of our home and make do with that. I have done this in the past, when I was living in a rented flat. The lounge dining table also doubled as a writing desk, as well as a computer workstation. It was a little too high for such purposes and it ruined my posture after a while. The ergonomics of where you sit is not something that should be ignored.
In 2016, having moved, I started using the spare bedroom in the Peril household as an office. I live in a Bungalow and the bedrooms are at the front property. This is a common foible of buildings of this type from the 1930s. It’s a robust, red brick built home with a South facing garden. Consequently, the “office” faces North and is cool in hot weather. The window looks out into a busy tree lined avenue. I wrote in a previous blog post on this subject about how my original plans were “thwarted” by the arrival of my twin granddaughters. At the time I had to share my “creative workspace” with two travel cots. Hence I initially chose a very small desk. However, the twins are now 5 years old and so the travel cots have gone. There is now a single bed in the room, which has a second pull out mattress in the base. I have now expanded “my domain” and got a bigger desk. One that is the right height and has adequate room for me to type or write longhand.
Ignore the cable management and focus on Pliny and Magnus
I like a tidy and organised work space. My desk is laid out in accordance with my needs.I have a single document tray for my paperwork. There’s a headset available for impromptu online chats. It is an analogue model that plugs into a 3.5mm jack. I have an extension cable that ends in a female socket to hand under the monitor stand. There’s an Xbox controller for those games that require one. I have my internet router under my monitor so I can address any issues, should they arise. This model has greatly improved the wireless network in the home but my PC is attached via an ethernet cable. I have my Fire HD 10 to hand and my phone in a wireless charging cradle. Notebooks and pens are available should they be required. I also have an HP printer, copier, scanner next to my desk. I’ve had the same computer chair for 4 years and have already replaced the gas cylinder. It is getting a little worn but I’m reluctant to part with it as it is very comfortable.
When writing I tend to prefer a quiet environment. If I shut the office door and Mrs P does the same in the lounge then neither disturbs the other. Sometimes if I find my attention wandering and I’m spending too much time watching the shenanigans of “punch above his weight man” who lives across the road, or some other example of life’s rich pageant, then I’ll draw the curtains. I’ve recently started getting up earlier in the morning and now try to do the majority of my writing before 11:00AM. Because I am very much at ease with myself when I’m at my desk and I feel it’s a place where I 100% belong, I’ll often get lost in my writing. On the days when the ideas come and I’m invested in the subject I’m writing about, I can be quite productive. Some days when I’m outraged by something I’ve seen on the news or online, my office is a haven of reason to retreat to. Having been self-employed in the past and regularly worked from home, I can effectively compartmentalise my time. If I’m supposed to be writing then there’s no skiving allowed. Gaming (which I do on the same PC) is allotted to specific times of the day and can only be indulged in when all other obligations have been met.
The beer on the desk is a semi-permanent fixture
I consider myself very fortunate to live in a home that has a spare room that I can use in this way. Shit, I think I’m fortunate to even have a home but that’s a subject for a separate blog post that I may tackle at a future date. Simply put I have a decent sized room in my home that I can appropriate and use simply to write, record podcasts (which I haven’t done for a while), play video games and watch pointless but amusing YouTube videos. One a month or so, my granddaughters come to stay for a night or two and I can’t use “the office” from 8:00 PM for about twelve hours. It’s hardly an inconvenience. Many of my fellow bloggers and content creators do not enjoy this luxury. Families, especially young children take up space. Therefore there may not physically be a room or area to claim for indulging your artistic muse. Or there may be a corner or snug but it needs to be cleared out or maintained before it can be used. Try doing that after pulling a 12 hour shift. And if you rent, then you may find there are restrictions in your leasing arrangement.
Often, the space we'd like to have for our creative endeavours and the one we actually use are not the same thing. However, despite the reality of the situation many bloggers, podcasters, streamers, vloggers and online creators manage to regularly produce good quality material without the benefit of a designated office or bespoke studio. They get by the best way they can and it could be argued that having to create on the fly, guerilla style, is why they create such good material. But I won’t belabor that point because I’m sure many would most certainly like a suitable “den”. I also should add that I’m lucky that Mrs P hasn’t seen fit to use “the office “ as her “sewing room”, “Kabaddi Dojo” or some such similar creative undertaking. If that were the case, I’d be back to writing via the lounge table, on a laptop. How would I be able to see the birds on Mrs Coltart’s roof?
Walter
I shall be taking a degree of “artistic license” with today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt. The original question (as given by Rambling Redshirt over at Beyond Tannhauser Gate) is “If you had a mascot to represent you, what would it be?” but I’ve decided to adjust this slightly. I already have an unofficial mascot for Contains Moderate Peril and they have featured in several blog posts. Furthermore, as an experiment in marketing, they have also appeared in several social media campaigns. The idea was to see whether they could gain more traction with existing “followers” and provide a more effective means of promoting this site. I was initially surprised by the results but upon reflection, given what usually proves popular on social media (IE things that are deemed “cute”), it should have been obvious from the start. So without further ado, if you are not familiar with him already, allow me to introduce Walter.
I shall be taking a degree of “artistic license” with today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt. The original question (as given by Rambling Redshirt over at Beyond Tannhauser Gate) is “If you had a mascot to represent you, what would it be?” but I’ve decided to adjust this slightly. I already have an unofficial mascot for Contains Moderate Peril and they have featured in several blog posts. Furthermore, as an experiment in marketing, they have also appeared in several social media campaigns. The idea was to see whether they could gain more traction with existing “followers” and provide a more effective means of promoting this site. I was initially surprised by the results but upon reflection, given what usually proves popular on social media (IE things that are deemed “cute”), it should have been obvious from the start. So without further ado, if you are not familiar with him already, allow me to introduce Walter.
Walter is a cuddly Panda soft toy or plushy as they call such things “across the pond”. He’s about 3 feet and has his own chair, which is positioned in the lounge, next to the TV. His origins are somewhat mysterious. Walter first appeared in my home roundabout Easter 2014. Mrs P saw him in a charity shop window for the bargain price of £3 and in a fit of generosity, bought him for £5. I woke up to find him looking at me and thus began a strange and interesting symbiotic relationship. I have often wondered about Walter’s previous life before he became part of the Peril household but he has remained uncommunicative about the subject. He likes to give the impression that his past is enigmatic but I suspect he was given his marching orders by his previous “owners” for taking up too much room. Walter doesn’t help out with household chores, preferring to “hold court” from his chair. He watches a lot of TV and has strong opinions on popular culture.
Now if you have a 3 foot cuddly Panda, knocking about your abode, it’s only a matter of time before you decide to take a photo of them in a comical situation or with some kind of droll caption. Hence Walter made his first appearance in a post I wrote about the perils of playing Mortal Kombat. NB This featured on a previous iteration of the Contains Moderate Peril website but the post was updated and republished here. Naturally, readers were curious about my new companion and he made further appearances both on the blog and Twitter. His dry sense of humour gained him a degree of traction with readers and followers alike and I started getting requests for him to feature more often. Hence I decided to try a small experiment and planned a series of tweets featuring Walter watching classic movies and TV and making informed pronouncements upon the proceeding. There are some very good online tools available for analysing social media traffic, so I created #WalterWatches as a means of tracking the experiment.
If I may quote Spandau Ballet, to cut a long story short Walter’s viewing commentary generated about four to five times more online activity than my regular tweets. Season 1 (for want of a better phrase) of #WalterWatches ran from March to May in 2019 and proved that if used properly, then social media can really “boost your signal”. Season 2 ran from January to February 2020 and stopped mainly due to the lockdown. Naturally, I have genuinely considered creating a separate Instagram and Twitter account for Walter. Mrs P even suggested making outfits for him (she’s a dab hand at sewing and dressmaking). However, all these ideas have withered on the vine. Walter’s popularity is due to him. I’m not sure if trying to crowbar his persona into promoting my work would be so well received. Plus making outfits, videos and setting up photos is time consuming and I struggle enough to write consistently. Plus now that Walter’s cousin Finwë has come to live with us, the pair of them are too busy and not especially fussed about becoming “influencers”.
There may well be a lesson to be learned in this tale, although I’m not quite sure what it is exactly. Certainly mascots are a great marketing tool but I suspect you have to have a clear idea of how to use them effectively to get the most out of them. And before I end this post I will share two further Walter related anecdotes. Firstly, Walter got his name because if you look at him from the right angle (and with the help of alcohol), he looks like the actor John Noble who played Walter Bishop in the TV show Fringe. Secondly, in late summer 2014, I was ill with Swine Flu. At one point I was running a very high temperature and beginning to slip in and out of consciousness. I awoke from a lengthy sleep to find a wet towel tied not around my own forehead but Walter’s. I’ve never quite got to the bottom of what happened and he’s never felt disposed to say anything. It’s just another of the many unanswered questions surrounding him. I’m still trying to figure out how come he’s got his own special chair and I haven’t?
Finding Wisdom in Quotes
Today’s scheduled Blaugust Promptaplaooza writing prompt is “what is/are your favourite quote(s)”. Now I have always had a liking for quotes and feel that a well selected one can often contribute to a good conversation. Something like “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” which is attributed to Edmund Burke. Furthermore, a cunning quotation can also be used to bluff your way through a discussion, especially if it’s a subject that you have no knowledge of. The more esoteric the quote the better, I find. Something like Immanuel Kant’s “Metaphysics is a dark ocean without shores or lighthouse, strewn with many a philosophic wreck”. And I also have a tendency to append day to day statements with obscure pop culture references, mainly for my own amusement. I often shout “Bullshit, Mr Han Man!” at the TV, when politicians are interviewed on the news.
Marcus Aurelius is a source of numerous good quotes
Today’s scheduled Blaugust Promptaplaooza writing prompt is “what is/are your favourite quote(s)”. Now I have always had a liking for quotes and feel that a well selected one can often contribute to a good conversation. Something like “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” which is attributed to Edmund Burke. Furthermore, a cunning quotation can also be used to bluff your way through a discussion, especially if it’s a subject that you have no knowledge of. The more esoteric the quote the better, I find. Something like Immanuel Kant’s “Metaphysics is a dark ocean without shores or lighthouse, strewn with many a philosophic wreck”. And I also have a tendency to append day to day statements with obscure pop culture references, mainly for my own amusement. I often shout “Bullshit, Mr Han Man!” at the TV, when politicians are interviewed on the news.
So with this in mind I have selected one serious quote that I feel is especially relevant at present, especially in light of “post truth culture” and the current state of tribalistic and acrimonious public discourse. The rest are film quotes. Some of these illustrate a wider philosophical point. Others just amuse and entertain me.
The pastor, theologian and anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease. Against stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed – in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical – and when facts are irrefutable they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack. For that reason, greater caution is called for when dealing with a stupid person than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous”. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison
Excalibur (1981)
Escape From New York (1981)
Galaxy Quest (1999)
The Warriors (1979)
How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989)
Wild Geese (1978)
Enter the Dragon (1973)
Fellow blogger Wilhelm Arcturus has also tackled this writing prompt today. You can find his thoughts on the matter over at his blog The Ancient Gaming Noob.
3 Types of Underrated Content
Blaugust Festival of Blogging is an annual event held usually during the month of August. It’s designed to encourage content creation of all kinds and foster a sense of community. This year due to the lockdown in many countries, the event was held early in April and was well received despite the difficult circumstances. Now that August has arrived, Belghast, the founder and organizer of this prestigious festival has decided to hold an additional event in the form of Promptapalooza. It’s a month of scheduled writing prompts and a blogging relay. Each day a designated writer will explore a specific topic and then pass the blogging baton on to another. Hence, over the course of August, the event will showcase the work of 30 different bloggers. The list of writing prompts are all available in advance for anyone who may wish to use them.
Blaugust Festival of Blogging is an annual event held usually during the month of August. It’s designed to encourage content creation of all kinds and foster a sense of community. This year due to the lockdown in many countries, the event was held early in April and was well received despite the difficult circumstances. Now that August has arrived, Belghast, the founder and organizer of this prestigious festival has decided to hold an additional event in the form of Promptapalooza. It’s a month of scheduled writing prompts and a blogging relay. Each day a designated writer will explore a specific topic and then pass the blogging baton on to another. Hence, over the course of August, the event will showcase the work of 30 different bloggers. The list of writing prompts are all available in advance for anyone who may wish to use them.
Before I begin, I would like to thank Mailvaltar for their very kind introduction and urge you to read their previous Promptapalooza post “media that’s shaped my worldview”. It brought back fond memories of when I acquired my first radio/cassette player and the impact specific radio stations had upon me when I was young. Mailvatar also references a german author I’m not familiar with but the genre of books they wrote is certainly of interest to me. This highlights why the Promptapalooza event can be both entertaining and informative. Talking of which, let’s move on to my writing prompt which is as follows.
“What type of content do you feel is severely underrated?”
This is an interesting prompt and can be considered from different perspectives, Because this is a blogging event I immediately thought of the question in terms of writing. IE What types of blog posts are underrated or can be far more informative than initially thought. However the question could be extrapolated to cover other sorts of content such as video games, TV or movies. But rather than use this post as an excuse to write about the “found footage” genre in cinema (something I must get around to doing), I think it’s more appropriate for me to focus on writing and the variety of content that can be produced by a blogger. So with that in mind here are a few ideas, many of which I have used myself here on Contains Moderate Peril.
Here’s a picture intended to engender both cosy and benign sentiments towards blogging
Recurring Posts: Over the years my writing has gone from being specific to one game to covering a wide variety of subjects. Sometimes I find that I want to talk about something in broad terms rather than in specific detail. A prime example of this is what I’ve been watching on TV recently. As I consider Contains Moderate Peril to be broadly comparable to a magazine in its format, it was a logical step to have recurring posts just like the regular columns you find in print media. These posts afford me to write about a spectrum of subjects and provide updates and references on a rolling basis. With regard to my TV viewing habits, I started a recurring post under the tile of “The Idiot Box”. I have a similar post which covers what games I’ve been playing each month. I feel that these sorts of posts can be invaluable to summarising activities and touching upon talking points without getting bogged down in excessive minutiae. They also have a more personal aspect to them which can be invaluable in building a rapport with your audience.
Personal Posts: I read numerous blogs for a multitude of different reasons. Some writers have a knack for technical detail, where others exude an accessible, everyman/woman, “Tom Hanks” of blogging approach. Where some blogs are first and foremostly defined by the subject(s) they write about, others are more of a vehicle for the author’s personality (although they may not realise this). Never underestimate this factor. I know some bloggers are quite content to write about personal aspects of their lives and that others do their utmost to minimise the amount of information they reveal about themselves. But whatever approach is taken, there comes a point when aspects of your personality eventually bleed through into your written work via some strange process of literary osmosis. And as “you are your own brand” whether you like it or not, this becomes one of the reasons your readers relate to you. Therefore I think the occasional, well considered personal post can be invaluable in connecting with your audience. I’ve written about my caring commitments and more recently about my own personal health. These are aspects of life that are common to all and sometimes sharing one’s experience can be beneficial to others as well as cathartic for oneself.
Walter and Finwë have featured both in my writing and in my “tweets”. I suspect they they have plans to go “solo”
Multimedia Posts: I have jokingly advised in the past, that if new bloggers are stuck for an idea, then just post a few screenshots from a game they’re currently playing. However, this isn’t as facetious as it first appears. Readers often like screencaptures and videos from games they haven’t yet played or are thinking about buying. Material from grassroot sources, as opposed to official press kits, can be very informative and useful to others. I frequently log onto the LOTRO test servers and take copious amounts of screenshots of forthcoming content. This often results in a spike in website traffic as not everyone wants to install the test client or has the time to look for themselves. I also advocate posting pictures of other activities, such as day trips or vacations. Again this ties in with personal posts as well as providing readers with a chance to see material they may not encounter elsewhere. If you want to write about some specific piece of music or artist, then you may wish to include audio content or a YouTube video. Far from posts of this nature being a “lazy cop out”, I find they can be engaging and at times a more immediate means of expressing a sentiment or making a point.
And that concludes my take on types of “underrated content”. The next participant in Blaugust Promptapalooza is Everwake from Everwake’s Internet Adventures. They’ve already tackled two of the writing prompts and have some very interesting thoughts on “Fandom” and “Popular Content” which I recommend you peruse at your leisure. On Tuesday 4th of August they’ll be addressing the curious and intriguing subject of “personal rituals”. Being a creature of habit myself, I can certainly relate to this and look forward to reading Everwake’s thoughts on the matter. In the meantime enjoy Blaugust Promptapalooza and feel free to get involved throughout the course of the month. Don’t forget to join us on Discord for help, advice and a friendly chat.
Community and Friendship
I joined Twitter back in 2010. Perhaps the most surprising thing I quickly discovered about the platform is the immediacy of communication that it offers. You can follow someone, reply to something they say or initiate a conversation with them in real time. Hence interacting with those who share a common interest becomes very accessible and enjoyable. It’s a far cry from going to a convention, wandering around and then plucking up the courage to speak to someone or join in a conversation that others are having. Social media removes those awkward “ice breaking” moments. Of course not every Twitter exchange is a pleasant experience but overall I’ve not encountered many problems using social media over the past decade. Twitter has broadly been a positive experience and introduced me to a wider community. It has provided me with an opportunity to meet new people and become part of something that is both social and positive.
I joined Twitter back in 2010. Perhaps the most surprising thing I quickly discovered about the platform is the immediacy of communication that it offers. You can follow someone, reply to something they say or initiate a conversation with them in real time. Hence interacting with those who share a common interest becomes very accessible and enjoyable. It’s a far cry from going to a convention, wandering around and then plucking up the courage to speak to someone or join in a conversation that others are having. Social media removes those awkward “ice breaking” moments. Of course not every Twitter exchange is a pleasant experience but overall I’ve not encountered many problems using social media over the past decade. Twitter has broadly been a positive experience and introduced me to a wider community. It has provided me with an opportunity to meet new people and become part of something that is both social and positive.
Although I have always written throughout my life, it was my introduction to MMOs that really galvanised my endeavours. When I enjoy something I often feel compelled to write about my experiences and share them with others. So I initially blogged about The Lord of the Rings Online and later expanded my writing to encompass other games. Twitter proved to be a good medium to promote my material and I quickly found others who shared similar interests and wrote their own blogs or produced their own podcast. In an act of hubris I actually emailed one such podcaster and “suggested” he have a “european correspondent”. The next thing I knew I was talking to the two existing hosts of that show on Skype and subsequently found myself part of the team. This act of kindness and good faith was quite remarkable when you think about it. Here were two people who were doing a podcast by the “seat of their pants”, that were prepared to take a risk on some over enthusiastic British guy who basically tried to gate crash their project. But they took a gamble and it worked out well.
This was one of many acts of kindness that I’ve encountered over the years. The podcasting and blogging helped me find a very industrious and friendly fan community. Many of which were already established and had an online presence. Yet all were happy to promote new blogs and podcasts, leave positive feedback and generally be supportive. But it seems to be a recurring theme. So many of the content creators I’ve met over the years seem disposed towards helping others by default. And outside of our immediate shared fandom, it’s nice to get to know folk from all over the world. Because you do get to know people over time. Many of us are careful about what we share on social media or write about in our blog posts. Privacy is ever evolving and can be abused, so it is logical that people don’t fully “pull back the curtain” on their lives. Yet often a writer’s personality will bleed through into their work. They’ll occasionally throw in an anecdote about their life, be it a remark about their work, partner or family. It is these personal touches that build a sense of rapport.
There was a boom time for gaming blogs and it has now passed. Many of those who were active within the community have moved on or significantly reduced their output of content. And then there are those who just keep going because it’s “what they do”. Yet the blogging diaspora still endures and many of the people I met a decade ago are still about on social media. It’s always pleasant when someone you haven’t heard from for a while turns up in your timeline. It’s very much like bumping into an old friend as you come back from grocery shopping. And yes I am happy to use the word friend. I think the somewhat dismissive view that online friendships are not the same as those with people you physically meet, is archaic and simply incorrect.
I hold my online friends and peers in very high regard. I respect their opinions and am very grateful for the support they’ve shown me over the years and the way they’ve encouraged my content creation. I also find the different perspectives that they often provide invaluable in helping me to understand the modern world and learn about life. I like to hear about their families, their pets and the shenanigans that go on at their work. It proves that people have far more in common than differences. I am also saddened by the trials and tribulations that some face and hope I can be supportive when they need it. Even if all I can do is to raise a wry smile. And yes, if possible, I’d love to meet up with all of them. I think it would be a most enjoyable experience to finally put faces to virtual names.
The world is a complicated and difficult place at times. There certainly seems to be a palpable sense of gloom spreading at the moment and we’re all too often encouraged to get angry with each other. Yet I take immense comfort and hope from the community that I am part of and the people I am proud to call my friends. The mutual respect, support and kindness, along with the capacity to keep a sense of humour is in many ways an antidote to all the negativity that abounds. While writing this post I toyed with the idea of referencing a few of my Twitter buddies and what I enjoy about their virtual company. However, I quickly realised that it was impossible to do so as I didn’t want to leave anyone out and I am fortunate to know so many good people. So I’ll simply finish with a classic quote from Bilbo Baggins. “I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve”. Thanks for being you, so to speak.
Top Five Most Viewed Posts by Year
If you’ve been blogging for a while, it can be informative and fun to trawl through your statistical data. A common refrain from bloggers is that the post that they consider their best work is often the least read and that it’s the throwaway posts or articles written on a whim that find an audience. Both Wilhelm Arcturus and Belghast have analysed their website data and listed their respective top five most viewed posts by year. Having been writing for a comparable amount of time to these well known community figures, I thought I’d follow suit. Because I moved hosts to Squarespace and effectively started from scratch in August 2015 this will have to be my starting point. Although I exported all my content from my former hosted WordPress site, I have little statistical data. However, the six year period covered reveals some interesting details about what posts prove popular.
If you’ve been blogging for a while, it can be informative and fun to trawl through your statistical data. A common refrain from bloggers is that the post that they consider their best work is often the least read and that it’s the throwaway posts or articles written on a whim that find an audience. Both Wilhelm Arcturus and Belghast have analysed their website data and listed their respective top five most viewed posts by year. Having been writing for a comparable amount of time to these well known community figures, I thought I’d follow suit. Because I moved hosts to Squarespace and effectively started from scratch in August 2015 this will have to be my starting point. Although I exported all my content from my former hosted WordPress site, I have little statistical data. However, the six year period covered reveals some interesting details about what posts prove popular.
2015:
Posts on the MMORPG genre have always been a mainstay of my blogging. I’ve commented upon The Lord of the Rings Online since 2008 so it’s no surprise that such posts show in the top five for this year. I am curious about the Twitter related post although I seem to recollect this being linked to by another site. As for The Hobbit movie post, the franchise ran from 2012- 2014 with the extended editions being released a year after the theatrical versions. So as this post details what extra footage features in the longer version of the film, it makes sense being the most popular post of the year.
2016:
Again LOTRO features in the top five posts. This was the year that Standing Stone Games separated itself from developers Turbine. The movie review of Dawn of the Dead is actually of an obscure fan edit which tries to recreate the initial work print. It combines all the footage from George Romero’s Director’s Cut and the European version edited by Dario Argento. And it would appear the writing about vintage TV shows can also reach a wide audience. Again I think this post was linked to by a Gerry Anderson fan site, which explains how it got such traffic.
2017:
The post about a potential Silmarillion Movie, stemmed from speculation as to what Peter Jackson’s next project would be after The Hobbit Trilogy. By now a trend is apparent. Film reviews and movie related content has far greater longevity than gaming related posts. It also fares well with Google and my posts can turn up in the first two pages of search results. The Star Trek Online post reflects the fact that so much data regarding the game is generated in the official subreddit. There aren’t that many STO blogs that I know of, so I assume this is why this post got so much traffic.
2018:
I started playing The Elder Scrolls Online for the first time since the beta in 2018 and therefore wrote a few posts about subjects that didn’t seem to be covered elsewhere. Dolmen farming is a common practise in the game so this simple guide was obviously in the right place at the right time. The disposable nature of gear prior to reaching level cap in ESO bothered me. I guess it bothered others too. Providing a summary of content on the LOTRO test servers always generates web traffic. So many people don’t want to have to install a second version of the game.
2019:
By last year I was fully aware of what “works” best on Contains Moderate Peril. The review of the “unrated” version of World War Z catalogues all the additional footage. It’s hardly surprising that people want to know, as the theatrical version was rated PG-13. An odd choice for a zombie movie. And once again anything that informs LOTRO players about what new content is coming up does well. Perhaps I can claim a marketing allowance from SSG? That ESO post is back again. I suspect it will stay there.
2020:
Obviously the top five for 2020 is not a full year (neither was 2015) but it clearly shows what content gets the most traction with readers. Over 50% of all my web traffic is from Google searches. Mainly movie reviews. Gamers also like guides. Provide them with simple clear instructions that tell them what to do and ensure there’s some pictures and you may have a winning formula. I write about a range of subjects, the scope of which gets wider every year. Although those posts get read, they do not get the sort of numbers as the film reviews and simple guides. I’m certainly not going to change the focus of my writing because of the data presented here. However, I have decided to write an ongoing tips and hints post for Star Trek Online as I do feel it will connect with an audience. I’ll make no bones about it. I write primarily for myself but I do enjoy the fact that my content finds readers.
Blapril: Lessons Learned
I still think it was a good idea to move the scheduled August blogging event to April and take advantage of the lockdown. Many of us still have a lot more spare time on our hands than usual. However, upon reflection the lockdown has come with its own set of problems, one of which being a degree of mental discombobulation which does impact upon one’s motivation. So Blapril has felt a little different to last year’s Blaugust. The passion has still been present but I think this time round there’s also been a degree of catharsis. Writing can be good therapy for all sorts of problems. However, the uncertainty of the times and the worry it engenders has also impacted upon bloggers stamina. I was ill for a third of Blapril which threw my schedule. I’ve also been smitten with a degree of indolence that has made writing a bit of a struggle at times. I certainly don’t think I’ve applied myself to my mentoring role as well as previous years.
I still think it was a good idea to move the scheduled August blogging event to April and take advantage of the lockdown. Many of us still have a lot more spare time on our hands than usual. However, upon reflection the lockdown has come with its own set of problems, one of which being a degree of mental discombobulation which does impact upon one’s motivation. So Blapril has felt a little different to last year’s Blaugust. The passion has still been present but I think this time round there’s also been a degree of catharsis. Writing can be good therapy for all sorts of problems. However, the uncertainty of the times and the worry it engenders has also impacted upon bloggers stamina. I was ill for a third of Blapril which threw my schedule. I’ve also been smitten with a degree of indolence that has made writing a bit of a struggle at times. I certainly don’t think I’ve applied myself to my mentoring role as well as previous years.
A recurring follow on from every Blaugust and therefore inevitably Blapril, are the blogs that subsequently fall into decline or return to intermittent posting. Some folk want to write more often but can’t for various real world reasons. Many find that maintaining motivation outside of a community driven event can be a lot harder to do. Others discover that blogging on a regular basis is just not for them, which is fare enough. They either stop or become an occasional blogger. Hopefully participating in Blapril has still proven to be a useful and worthwhile experience. I still enjoy these events as I like being part of a friendly and supportive community and I like adding new blogs to Feedly (I currently track 127). There’s still a wealth of good content being produced and I get a great deal of pleasure by starting my day trawling through Feedly to see what everyone’s been up to.
As for me, I’ll just keep going as writing is something that has become an integral part of my life. I can take a break from time to time but I can’t really stop. I have several long form “think pieces” in development that I may try to hawk around and see if I can get any traction outside of my own blog. I also think it may be time for a new project. At the very least such an undertaking will result in a few blog posts as I usually document such things. However, looking back at what I’ve written about of late, I no longer see Contains Moderate Peril as being a blog about gaming, movies and popular culture anymore that I started so many years ago. Exactly what the right term is that defines it eludes me but it seems to be more than just “musings on video games, movies and popular culture”. I feel I now have a platform that allows me to express a broad range of thoughts and opinions. I also realise that the old adage about “if you throw enough shit at the wall, some of it will stick” is true.
Writing and Motivation
This week’s Blapril writing prompt is about “staying motivated”. It’s a perennial subject and one that is always relevant. Whenever writing events such as Blapril/Balugust are held, many of the participants are swept up in the initial excitement and camaraderie. At first they find both the time and the inclination to write. However, after a while, the realities of regularly writing become apparent. Finding the time may become more difficult, as does choosing material to write about. Something that was fun and enjoyable can eventually feel like a chore. Especially if you don’t receive any form of feedback. Hence it comes as no surprise that many blogs fall into decline and fade away. Content is posted far more intermittently and then there comes a point where the writer just stops. According to Google, only 167.4 million out of the 500 million plus blogs had been updated in the past 120 days.
This week’s Blapril writing prompt is about “staying motivated”. It’s a perennial subject and one that is always relevant. Whenever writing events such as Blapril/Balugust are held, many of the participants are swept up in the initial excitement and camaraderie. At first they find both the time and the inclination to write. However, after a while, the realities of regularly writing become apparent. Finding the time may become more difficult, as does choosing material to write about. Something that was fun and enjoyable can eventually feel like a chore. Especially if you don’t receive any form of feedback. Hence it comes as no surprise that many blogs fall into decline and fade away. Content is posted far more intermittently and then there comes a point where the writer just stops. According to Google, only 167.4 million out of the 500 million plus blogs had been updated in the past 120 days.
It is at this point in a blog post such as this, it is customary to reference some cunning lifehacks, tips and guidance to make writing “easier”. I have written such material before referencing the benefits of preparedness, keeping notes, allotting time, choosing an appropriate writing environment etc. But the bottom line is there is no universal strategy, set of rules or philosophical school of thought that can solve motivation issues. It may well sound glib but you will either write or you will not. If you want to maintain a blog and post on a fairly regular basis then you will. You will determine what is the best approach for you and do it. Alternatively, you may find yourself burning the midnight oil and rushing to get a post completed but even method still gets the job done. If you feel compelled to write, then you will find away.
I write because I enjoy it. I enjoy the process of planning and constructing a blog post. I like the way it helps me marshal my thoughts. Researching a subject can be very illuminating and presents an opportunity to learn. Writing has helped me expand my vocabulary, improved my analytical skills and provides me with a sense of satisfaction. I have very little leverage or agency in the real world (do any of us?) but I am in charge of my writing. I can pose questions, discuss and analyse things in an orderly way. It also affords me an opportunity to present myself and my thoughts to the world in a manner of my choosing. My writing is not determined by how I look or dress. Hopefully it is judged on its own merits. And because this is how I feel about writing, this is my source of motivation.
Now I’m sure there will be some people reading this post who think “that’s all fair and good but I don’t feel as passionate about writing as you do. I just like to do it for fun”. To which I reply “fine, then do it for fun”. Find the level that is good for you and don’t feel obliged to do anything else. Blapril is not a competition, a race or an exam. Everyone’s blogs are different because we’re all different. Focus on an approach that is good for you and then once you’ve determined that, stick with it. But no matter how you approach blogging there comes a point where you just have to do it. The words will only appear if you type them. Perhaps that is the ultimate motivation right there. The satisfaction in seeing something appear on the virtual page, that up until now has only existed in your head. And then knowing that you can share that with others at the click of a mouse.