Fucking Kotaku

[P4: Gritty Reboot]

But, Mr. GOH, in a roundabout fashion, if readers leave, they aren't serving their customers--the ad providers--very well.

[TheRevanchist]

Kotaku, keepin the pageviews coming, already has three separate posts up about the Supreme Court decision. Reminds me of when Gizmodo covers the Apple events (not that they're allowed anymore) and there are some two dozen posts up, one for each minuscule announcement made.

I can't blame them for going after pageviews. It's how they make their money. My chief complaint in the focus of the gaming industry (Bash) and the way they have handled the redesign. In the industry I work in, if a customer complains, it goes through layers of people and is discussed in quality events we hold every year. Improvements are always expected in quality.

 

Then, today, Kotaku has been one screwed up site. The ca and uk.kotaku sites have both been, apparently, decommissioned, as they are redirecting to the "new and improved" site.

 

I shake my tiny fist at you, Gawker!

 

You make a classic mistake here, TheRevanchist: commenters and visitors are not Gawker's customers. The folks they sell ad space to are their customers.

Or is it? The model is more two-sided.

 

1. The customers in the case I speak of, are the people. They want to see certain things from the supplier.

2. The other customer model is the advertising sales. This is not possible to do without the first being up to par.

 

In essence, to satisfy my number two, you must take care of the number one. Customer 1 is unhappy and shrinking, and Customer 2 is probably getting unhappy and starting to shrink, as well.

 

But, dear sir, that is how I view the business model of generating cash from advertising dollars. That is also why the Nielsen ratings are so important to TV and radio, as they show how much business they will get from customer 2.

Edited June 27, 2011 by TheRevanchist

[excel_excel]

http://kotaku.com/5815806/whats-wrong-with-kids-these-days

 

Why on earth was this picked as a speak up post?

 

"Well I hate to break it to you, but do you remember last generation? The PS2/GCN Generation? (Don't even bring Dreamcast into this, because that console lasted a whole six months) How about every game was a platformer or RPG. Every damn game had either jumping or some androgenous boy/girl trying to save the world from another androgynous boy/girl."

 

That's right. Every game last gen was either a platformer or a JRPG. So. Fucking. Stupid.

[TheRevanchist]

http://kotaku.com/5815806/whats-wrong-with-kids-these-days

 

Why on earth was this picked as a speak up post?

 

"Well I hate to break it to you, but do you remember last generation? The PS2/GCN Generation? (Don't even bring Dreamcast into this, because that console lasted a whole six months) How about every game was a platformer or RPG. Every damn game had either jumping or some androgenous boy/girl trying to save the world from another androgynous boy/girl."

 

That's right. Every game last gen was either a platformer or a JRPG. So. Fucking. Stupid.

I don't know. I emailed Crecente last week about a great write up a commenter did in speakup. Never saw it make the frontpage, even though it was a wonderfully thought through piece.

 

That last sentence in the quote you gave does make me chuckle, though.

[FredEffinChopin]

http://kotaku.com/5815806/whats-wrong-with-kids-these-days

 

Why on earth was this picked as a speak up post?

 

"Well I hate to break it to you, but do you remember last generation? The PS2/GCN Generation? (Don't even bring Dreamcast into this, because that console lasted a whole six months) How about every game was a platformer or RPG. Every damn game had either jumping or some androgenous boy/girl trying to save the world from another androgynous boy/girl."

 

That's right. Every game last gen was either a platformer or a JRPG. So. Fucking. Stupid.

 

That whole speak up thing seemed like one of the cheapest devices they were beginning to employ over there while I was on my way out. I'd estimate I've seen about 10 of those topics at the time of this post, and maybe two of those were based on comments that seemed anywhere near worthy of an entire discussion devoted to them. Sometimes they were even beaten-to-death topics, and try as I might I couldn't figure out why they were picked out of the bunch. The conclusion I came to was that they were just looking for a way to make the community feel more involved, and a part of the site, after having effectively told so many of their long time readers to go suck it. That, and/or it's another excuse to give out more stars, as they didn't seem to be able to do that fast enough when the mass exodus from Kotaku began.

 

I could be totally off, but the only other explanation is that someone over at Kotaku actually thinks these are fascinating, intelligent, and insightful comments that warrant a community discussion. If that's the case then I absolutely need some of what they're smoking over there.

[TheRevanchist]

The other thing could be that Kotaku knows the comment isn't that great and will spark debate. If so, they are setting up someone for failure, which is unacceptable to do to your community.

[VicariousShaner]

KingKellogg the Waffle Haggler makes be rage. A few years ago this guy would not have even been approved, nevertheless been goddamn starred. He is kind of a poster child for Gawker nowadays. "This guy is In our top legion of commenters!"

 

He doesn't even bother capitalizing, for gods sake.

[deanb]

Ouch. Bad grammar would of been something that would of ticked me off back in my Kotaku days.

[Hot Heart]

And you captialise God, for jesus christ's sake!

[Faiblesse Des Sens]

KingKellogg the Waffle Haggler makes be rage. A few years ago this guy would not have even been approved, nevertheless been goddamn starred. He is kind of a poster child for Gawker nowadays. "This guy is In our top legion of commenters!"

 

He doesn't even bother capitalizing, for gods sake.

 

Complaining about grammar just makes you look petty. Anyways, why do you think that Kotaku/Gawker in general considers that a top comment? You're not thinking with page views/ad-revenue in mind. They pick something controversial that will be sure to stir up shit and have people coming back to respond.

[RockyRan]

KingKellogg the Waffle Haggler makes be rage. A few years ago this guy would not have even been approved, nevertheless been goddamn starred. He is kind of a poster child for Gawker nowadays. "This guy is In our top legion of commenters!"

 

He doesn't even bother capitalizing, for gods sake.

 

Complaining about grammar just makes you look petty. Anyways, why do you think that Kotaku/Gawker in general considers that a top comment? You're not thinking with page views/ad-revenue in mind. They pick something controversial that will be sure to stir up shit and have people coming back to respond.

 

I don't complain about grammar to people specifically, but seeing someone post messages without any capitalization or using shorthand text letters like "u" makes me subconsciously drop my respect for that person. In the back of my mind I always imagine that poster as a hyperactive 12 year old. Yes, I can read their message just fine, but if someone is too lazy to present their opinions in a proper manner, why should I be expected to put effort on my part to understand said opinion and take it seriously?

 

But I do agree with your second statement. Those comments are cherry-picked by the Kotaku staff to stir controversy and heated debate. Nothing more.

[Faiblesse Des Sens]

why should I be expected to put effort on my part to understand said opinion and take it seriously?

 

The problem with this sort of thinking is that even with proper grammar and spelling someone could be terrible at making their point or expressing themselves. Their opinion might not be one you should be taking seriously in the first place. Spelling and grammar really shouldn't be that big of an issue as long as it's still easy to understand what a person is saying.

 

There's not much of a difference between the following two things:

 

"Hey, would you guys like to see my new dog?"

 

"hai would u like 2 see my new dog"

 

It comes down to how much you want to be pleased by a post when the person posting it obviously doesn't care to do things to your exact specifications.

 

 

When you hear certain accents or dialects do you respect those people less because they don't fit in with your idea of the "proper" way to do things? I compare posts on the internet to verbal speech rather than something like business communication. People type like they talk for the most part. It comes from their personality. Not giving a shit about typing out with proper capitalization and periods doesn't make the person any less intelligent. Don't forget that different writing styles fit different sites. People can have multiple voices.

[P4: Gritty Reboot]

 

It comes down to how much you want to be pleased by a post when the person posting it obviously doesn't care to do things to your exact specifications. the specifications of the entire English-speaking world.

 

[TheRevanchist]

I'm actually going to agree with Faiblesse Des Sens on this one.

 

I understand most people do not care for improper writing skills. However, from the most deep, sincere part of my heart, I cannot hate or dislike someone for not being literate. That's me. I dislike certain things that are unfair, dismissive, and hurtful, but King has never been that way to me. He has always been cordial with me, even when we disagree.

 

Does he deserve a star? Maybe. I don't know why he got it. Maybe he makes the insightful and high quality photoshops and contributes in a special way I don't understand.

 

It's also possible I am too kind in my summation of King.

 

But, even if you feel he doesn't deserve a star, that is an issue with Kotaku, not the individual King.

[excel_excel]

 

I don't know. I emailed Crecente last week about a great write up a commenter did in speakup. Never saw it make the frontpage, even though it was a wonderfully thought through piece.

 

That last sentence in the quote you gave does make me chuckle, though.

 

I guess its just to get more raging comments against the moron....ARGH!

 

 

That whole speak up thing seemed like one of the cheapest devices they were beginning to employ over there while I was on my way out. I'd estimate I've seen about 10 of those topics at the time of this post, and maybe two of those were based on comments that seemed anywhere near worthy of an entire discussion devoted to them. Sometimes they were even beaten-to-death topics, and try as I might I couldn't figure out why they were picked out of the bunch. The conclusion I came to was that they were just looking for a way to make the community feel more involved, and a part of the site, after having effectively told so many of their long time readers to go suck it. That, and/or it's another excuse to give out more stars, as they didn't seem to be able to do that fast enough when the mass exodus from Kotaku began.

 

I could be totally off, but the only other explanation is that someone over at Kotaku actually thinks these are fascinating, intelligent, and insightful comments that warrant a community discussion. If that's the case then I absolutely need some of what they're smoking over there.

 

I suppose so. But just reading it, I mean any sane minded gamer who gamed during the previous gen know's that some of the biggest games were NOT JRPG's or platformers. HURTS MY BRAIN!

[RockyRan]

why should I be expected to put effort on my part to understand said opinion and take it seriously?

 

The problem with this sort of thinking is that even with proper grammar and spelling someone could be terrible at making their point or expressing themselves. Their opinion might not be one you should be taking seriously in the first place. Spelling and grammar really shouldn't be that big of an issue as long as it's still easy to understand what a person is saying.

 

There's not much of a difference between the following two things:

 

"Hey, would you guys like to see my new dog?"

 

"hai would u like 2 see my new dog"

 

It comes down to how much you want to be pleased by a post when the person posting it obviously doesn't care to do things to your exact specifications.

 

 

When you hear certain accents or dialects do you respect those people less because they don't fit in with your idea of the "proper" way to do things? I compare posts on the internet to verbal speech rather than something like business communication. People type like they talk for the most part. It comes from their personality. Not giving a shit about typing out with proper capitalization and periods doesn't make the person any less intelligent. Don't forget that different writing styles fit different sites. People can have multiple voices.

 

Capitalization is not "my" idea of the "proper" way to do things. That's just the way the English language works. You seem to think "proper" is subjective, but I'm referring to the very objective fact that there's a right way of writing in English and a wrong way. Again, I'm not a grammar Nazi, I'm not 100% perfect in grammar, and I'm not going to say "YOU'RE ALL HEATHENS" if I see a conversation on a forum where nobody's capitalizing their sentences, but subconsciously I don't hold those posts with as high regard as those that are written properly (again, "properly" in a grammatical sense).

 

It's different if 1) people are talking on IM, 2) it's not the poster's first language, 3) it's an honest mistake (typos, etc.) or 4) they're typing from phones or have some difficulty with something. I'm specifically talking about people who aren't in a rush, English is their first language, yet they're too lazy to properly type out their posts. Are the posts with correct grammar inherently "better"? Not really. People can and do say stupid and disagreeable things with perfectly acceptable writing, but on the whole poor grammar from a deliberately lazy poster doesn't at all look well on the person who's trying to convey his/her point. Goes back to the "why care about an opinion if the poster doesn't 'feel' like writing it out properly" thing.

 

One meaningful pattern that I've also noticed over the years is that people who regularly "typ liek dis" actually don't really have anything meaningful to say regardless.

[VicariousShaner]

Wow, I sure started a big conversation there.

 

The grammar thing was just a little thing to me. I don't dislike him because he does not use perfect grammar, but it obvously shows he doesn't give a shit about what he is talking about. Mostly the content of those messages are the things that irk me. "I hate cross game chat" and "Portal and Team Fortress is amazing, but Minecraft is ugly legos" seem to stand out for me.

 

Revanchist, you mentioned how him being starred is a problem with Kotaku, not him. I will now direct you to the title of the thread I posted my tirade in. Also, I would live to see an example of him being cordial.

 

@Heart Heart: I derped, but I have the excuse of being on a touchscreen phone, and at least I try.

[TheRevanchist]

You said it twice. I heard you the first time.

 

I thought about that. And I realize that is what you mean to convey, that you view his star as a symptom. Understood.

[Hot Heart]

@Heart Heart: I derped, but I have the excuse of being on a touchscreen phone, and at least I try.

 

Hehe, no worries. It was a joke anyway (I didn't capitalise Jesus Christ).

[AgamemnonV2]

Is it just me or does the ca.kotaku.com redirect trick not work any more? I'm getting the fail format now...

[deanb]

Is it just me or does the ca.kotaku.com redirect trick not work any more? I'm getting the fail format now...

 

http://board.pressxordie.com/topic/534-fucking-kotaku/page__st__620__p__55598#entry55598

[AgamemnonV2]

Is it just me or does the ca.kotaku.com redirect trick not work any more? I'm getting the fail format now...

 

http://board.pressxordie.com/topic/534-fucking-kotaku/page__st__620__p__55598#entry55598

In the words of Yahtzee...

 

FUCK THAT BOLLOCKS

 

Where the shit do I read about video game news now?

[deanb]

http://board.pressxordie.com/topic/24-game-news/

[RockyRan]

I go to Joystiq for random gaming news (thought the "community" there is horrid), RPS for PC news and somewhat for the community, and VG247 for whatever Joystiq didn't catch (community there is very thin and prone to bickering between the same 3-4 people).

 

All in all those three sites do more than fill up the hole made when I stopped going to Kotaku as literally my only game news site.

Edited June 28, 2011 by RockyRan

[WTF]

Totally agree about VG247, thing is it was better before the new website redesign as well. What is it with people enforcing Web 2.0 and that godawful vomit website. As for the bickering yeah, it's almost always the same few people but at least they are passionate I suppose. I frequent it a lot less lately mostly because the articles seem a lot less game news and I really don't care to read what a gamesite thinks of 'hackers' and 'hacktivists' mostly because most sites don't do enough due diligence and well often don't give a neutral viewpoint or just give them the attention they want badly.

 

Generally I just visit community websites for news, andriasang (because Anoop's usually good. He was with IGN a long time back and with 8-4 play (good podcast btw if you're into games from Japan) and things like supererogatory (twitter) and the official ps blogs, major nelson and nintendo communities. I do participate on gaming forums from time to time for more info.