Every once in a while, when I sit down to write a new blog article, I hesitate. ”Don’t you want to do something fun?” I ask myself. ”Wouldn’t it be more interesting to play a game, explore a hobby– anything besides work?” Fortunately, this devil on my shoulder doesn’t last for long. Why not? Well, for a nonprofessional like me, blogging isn’t work. Rather, it’s much more like a big game, and here are a few reasons why.
Blogging is a sports match
Competition. Rivalries. Team spirit. Sweat. Just like on the playing field, the blogosphere can be demanding, inhospitable, and rough. No matter what you look at, whether it’s the titanic rivalry between TechCrunch and Duncan Riley’s Inquisitr or underdog microbloggers trying to make names for themselves, this field is never uninteresting.
In sports, fans root for their favorite teams and players, and it’s no different in the arena of the web. When you write a blog post, you’re representing a team, whether it’s yours, your employer’s, or otherwise. Hit a home run and the fans will adore you; strike out article after article and you’ll empty the grandstand.
Blogging is a video game
Video games require a mix of intensely tactical planning and split-second decisionmaking. Blogging’s no different.
Just like characters in traditional roleplaying games level up their skills and attributes with time and effort, careful and cunning application of resources in the blogging world can reap great rewards. With so many metrics one can keep track of– pageviews, Technorati rankings, comments, subscribers, and more– it’s easy to draw a parallel between these and headshots, experience points, or Charisma.
Video games require a mix of intensely tactical planning and split-second decisionmaking. Blogging’s no different: only with a resilience and knowledge of the genre do you have a chance against the metaphorical boss at the end of the level.
Blogging is a board game
Sometimes there’s no better way to have fun with a bunch of friends than with a classic board game like Monopoly. The social aspects of blogging are really no different. When you write an article, you aren’t creating a work in vacuum, but rather collaborating upon and engaging with the work of like and differently-minded thinkers. Being involved in a community or niche gives you a group of people to turn to whenever you need input, assistance, or just a good time.
A board game is no fun without other players. Neither is blogging.
Blogging is a big game
There are other ways blogging’s a big game, too. Which have I missed?
Long story short, the unique characteristics of the activity make it competitive, challenging, and rewarding in many ways. With such an enjoyable premise, who could call this work?
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Good one. I covered similar ground in a guest post at Mashable on Friday, where I compared social media users to MMORPG players.
I’m with you on the ‘Blogging as video game’ sentiment. I’m an avid gamer who started blogging a few months ago. Now that I’ve discovered Google Analytics I’m hooked. Blogging reminds me of RPGs like Shenmue or Heavenly Sword: Wherein you interact with rich and vast worlds…except this is all real and it happens to be on the web.
Oh, Mark, I went back and read your post– great work! (And on Mashable, too, wow!) There certainly are some similarities; I wonder if both social media users and MMORPG players have similar susceptibilities to addiction!
Exactly, Ms. Pixel! It’s all about the interaction. Looking forward to reading your blog.
I do like the interaction between bloggers whether leaving comments, or just intant messaging or e-mail. Like the others, blogging is a game. It’s a game of popularity. It’s a game of meeting expectations of what you want out of the your blog. The most usefulness someone can gain. Very good reading of a post here, Andy!