Gaming News Portal planing of filtering out WordPress sites
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I use N4G as one of our main news front when publishing games news, reviews, opinion pieces and articles on gaming, especially the Xbox Platform.
For some time now, many readers of which there at=re millions see blogging sites, and in particular WordPress sites as the right hand of Satan, and not worth the trouble to even open.
Now it seems that the admin of the sites is preparing to filter all wordpress sites or small “blogging” sites from its site as “wordpress sites are of no real value”.
If you have a game based site, be it privately hosted, or via WP.com or even like Platinum Games’s VIP WP G+Hosted site, and you don’t want to be treated in this way, then I’d suggest making a concerted effort in making your voices heard.
http://forums.n4g.com/tm.aspx?high=&m=603940&mpage=1#605302
While they have conceided it won’t be ALL WP sites, but ‘certain ones” it is still aimed squarly at WP sites and blogs. Yet truth is, 80% or more of all gaming site, large and small are blogging sites, running blogging software, be that privately hosted or via web-based hosting such as WP.com.
This smacks of complete bias and ignorance actually. And coming from an executive within the company, means they do not think highly of “blogs” per-se, which is a sad thing, considering sites like Destructiod, Gizmodo, Joystiq PS3FanBoy, Xbox360fanboy and many many other which are some of the BIGGEST gaming sites on the net are all blogging sites.
This would mean that younger and smaller sites just starting out would be excluded in presenting their works, reviews, articles etc from one of the main gaming sites where gamers go to get their news.
I would hope that someone from within WP would also take a look at this, as it posses a real threat to many WP.com and WP.org sites out there that are into gaming, many of which are getting into the new WP Podcasting gear and breaking out with new sites.
It seems that the word WordPress has picked its self up a bad name – for some reason. But as I say in the thread linked above and here (http://forums.n4g.com/tm.aspx?high=&m=603940&mpage=1#605302). It’s NOT the site, or the software that a site is running on, but its content that it needs to be judged on. Plus how it is run, its ethos and its integrity . . .
Perhaps some of the execs from WP might like to pop n4g a polite “please explain” . .I even used the British PM’s WP site as an example of just how popular, and how well run they can be . . .
I am writing an article to be published on their site based around how blogging is no longer the personal diary style of site as it once was many years ago. It is now a fully fledged web site package, and in some cases, many times better than commercially made sites.
If you have a gaming site, or know of those that do within the WP world, then please let them know . . and WP Admin, please do look at this if at all possible . . you site/product is being defamed basically.
Cheers . . Grant
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
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I think this might be better moved to off topic.
Personally I think N4G is a whole load of crap. The worst crap gets submitted and liked, rampant fanboyism in all the comments and just overall not really worth it.
There are FAR too many sites out there writing far too many crappy articles that are effectively just there to get as many people for a short amount of time to their site. I can’t even begin to count how many sites have done ’10 reasons why Killzone 2 sucks’ articles BEFORE the game even came out. Or when it was fashionable to hate on GTA IV.
If N4G are filtering all the smaller sites that’s a good move imo as it’ll improve the content in the long term.
Either way, just my opinion and I don’t have a say here anyway! :)
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Can’t tell me N4G isnt better off without this? http://www.n4g.com/ps3/NewsCom-317226.aspx?CT=1#Comments
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I think the use of WordPress was wrong (but then I would). Our software is used by millions of people so we are bound to be a large source of news / opinion / thought in any sphere. So I think his correct term would be ‘blogs’.
I think what they are trying to do is flawed anyway. You only have to check sites like Reddit and Digg to see the people there desperately posting complete garbage in a pathetic effort to get traffic to their own blog – and what they post is what someone else posted anyway.
If I were them I would make it opt-in and check each application. That can’t be hard and they get guaranteed quality no matter what the source.
We have the same problem in some ways. People will post something with the title “See Britney naked!” and watch that post go up the lists here – Please no-one try that, really ;) – but we can and will exclude someone from tags if it abused.
But as for what we can do I’m afraid it is nothing. Their site, their rules.
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I do like their submission process on how you have to answer a quite tricky questionaire [I was tired at the time!] in order to be able to submit somethign for the first time.
But if they check each submission they’ll just get accused of fanboyism by all the people whose submissions won’t get posted. Everyone who has a different opinion is automatically a fanboy!
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@ carocat:
I disagree: We submit nothing but good articles and many other sites do, sure, there are humdreds of rubbish items on n4g, and it has gotten that way due to it being exploited.
I was part of it when it first started, if you’ll notice, my join date is the same date at the Admin guy (Dusty) who owns it.
Initially it was one of the best places to get your gaming news out there, until fanboys and traffic hogs found out how to exploit it.
This is in fact what they want to stop. But – the thing many there think is the problem is WP . .bot the idiots running these inain sites or those that post dumb things like you just mentioned.
Sure, the site NEEDS to be cleaned up, and I’m 110% glad they are finally doing so, I’ve been after then for at least 18 months to do so. But blaming blogging sites, and one in particular, WP is NOT the way to do it.
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Sorry, I didn’t mean to have a go at your site or anything, infact every time I was there I liked your content.
However, as you can probably tell, I don’t have a high opinion of N4G as things have been allowed to slide for far too long and something needs to happen. The sign that something happens is great, even though it might not be the right way.
It’s difficult and if I was in their situation I wouldn’t know what to do.
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WHich is why I’m trying to get those ppl that do have solid WP sites to say, No, WP isn’t the probelm, the problem lasy with the content and those that run those sites, be they WP, Blogger, Custom built or whatever.
As I mentioned in the thread on n4g, It’s not an easy fix by any means, and will take a great deal to get happening. BUt making a bot that filters sites based on software or ‘certain’ content is irrational, and if anything biogited.
We know that many site are filtered for swearing right, but say we use a word that is not meant as a swear word, but is in “context” within an article or phrase. That word gets omitted due to the bot.
Or say they have a bot that red flags fanboy comments, these would be set up as “rules” for the bot to follow . . BUt then say I or any other site decided to do an article on fanboys, and used some of the sayings, or linked some of the examples inside the article.
The bot would see the content, not the context, and red flag or n=ban the site or its content.
See my point.
There are many sites that use n4g successfully and with integrity. It’s the handful of idiots that spoil it for the bulk of the ppl that go there. Being an xbox site one would think no Sony ppl come. In fact, we get a huge number of Sony fans coming from n4g simply because we are not biased, and do impressions/reviews on PS3 games, iPhone games and PC games . . but our main meat is the Xbox platform.
Yet on n4g, the ‘fanboys’ don’t even read the articles that are submitted. They see a heading and pounce on it like a wolf on a chicken. The article has no chance. This is the thing they want to fix, and I apllaude them for even trying. BUt as I’ve said, it can NOT be done based on software, especially singling out WP especially, as that is just – well – stupid for want of a better word.
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@ mark:
Bugger, that was my idea for an article next . . “Britney naked” Britney is my cat you see, and she had to have a shave recently. Now I wouldn’t really be telling a lie – but I would bve loading the title somewhat.
There is a fine line between making a heading “topical” and attention grabbing, and making it “traffic whoring bait” Headlines are supposed to grab your attention, for 3 seconds, then the first paragraph needs to explain the how, why, when and where so the reader can continue – or not.
@ carocat:
Thanks for checking us out as well, we do appreciate it . . . we are now the fastest growing xbox site on the net, and the biggest Xbox community site in Aust/NZ .. which is something we are proud of. What I don’t want though is any site excluding sites based on software or their “type” (ie blog sites). It must always come down to content, content and – content.
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They must have trusted people within the community so I do not see why they cannot ask those people to vet sites as they post over the next couple of weeks.
See post, visit site, approve or not for continual submissions.Last time I checked Slashdot had some form of moderation for some people. So the known good guys get their post straight through and others wait. Several knockbacks would dissuade most people from reposting so the workload does not necessarily rise.
I really do not see why they cannot do this.
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@ mark:
Game Grep do basically the same as you’re mentioning.
The first part is automated in the submission. You MUST compile a lead-in story of a minimum number of words, something like 2 paragraphs. It MUST be relevant to the post that your submitting. It MUST have the correct Catergory chosen, and you can submit images FROM the article concerned,or images relevant to the article and you have to choose a game that it is related to.
If no game applies, that’s fine . .
It then goes into the Pendings, much like N4g . But instead of being left up to READERS to approve or Report. Game Grep requires only 3 approvals from those who have been given the ability to approve articles.
Unlike N4g, where it has to have 10 approvals from readers, and if it gets 8 Reports, it sutomatically Fails, even if the story is valid, solid and justified.
This is why the fanbi=oys take control. Whereas in Game Grep, this can not occure. GG deals with thousands of posts across its network within NeoSeeker and Game Grep. It does not rely on only bots to do the work, as they know these can be exploited by the savvy person or groups.
I have made suggestion like this to n4g, and hope that something similar will prevail. They actually have some great mods and admin ppl that do follow up on complaints when fanboys do unethical things, or when an article is falsely Failed. But that is usually post the event, and the interest is lost on the article.
While I know the site (n4g) or any site for that matter enjoys the traffic, which helps in its ad revenue, it must do something. As it now has others running the site, rather than admin running the site.
I know this is what they want to change, and this is their first step in doing so. But I honestly believe they have gotten off on the WRONG foot . . and chosen a software platform as the scapegoat, rather than look at the main problem, poor content being submitted by fanboys and traffic whores.
We ALL want traffic, but we must do so within our integrity. Otherwise your site gains a reputation of NOT being in integrity.
A site ;like Platinum Games which deals in Bayonetta would be excluded from n4g because it has low traffic, and is a wordpress site if they did as they are suggesting. Because it will be done by bots, not humans. Humans would see that it is industry generated, and they have simply chosen WP as their software and hosts.
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What am I not getting about this? It appears to be a bog-standard move by a site that considers itself part of the mainstream media, an attempt to marginalize competition. Invariably, this serves instead to marginalize the site doing the marginalization. They will come to realize it eventually; in the mean time, it’s not particularly WordPress.com’s problem. We’re blocked in several third-world countries already; that they have people joining their sinking ship isn’t a particular concern for us.
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@ raincoaster:
I beg to differ,
if those games sites that do use n4g as a protal for their news are affected . then it affects the WP.com community.
This is aimed at those sites that do run gaming related sites, of which there are thousands running WP.com oftware.
Saying”oh it doesn’t concern us is like turning your back on something and hoping it will go away. Of course it won’t . . .if you leave it to those to enforce such restrictions on one, two five, ten twenty sites because others have ignorantly “presumed” WP software to be inferior, then one day, your site might be chosen by a portal or outlet that could affect you.
It’s a community thing, not a single site thing. Even several WP VIP sites could well be affected (which are decent gaming sites – and pay a nice sum to WP each month to manage them. If their news was restricted or refused access to one of the biggest gaming news portals on the net, irrespective of the clowns that flock there, that means it’s yet another site that doesn’t get its news out.
We all know how good WP.com’s software and service is, but some, for whatever reasons, believe it to be nothing more than rubbish at best. SO in effect, and in a round-about-way, are also talking about YOUR site as well.
Perhaps you do not rely on such a portal, but hundred, if not thousands of WP gaming sites around the globe DO.
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