It’s summer, and I’m plodding along as usual, trying to write content up in advance, while I have a spare moment here or there. This used to be a fun way to pass the time at work during breaks, or when I was otherwise available. But now, not so much. I find that writing content up anymore has been more of a chore than anything, because it feels like I’m doing it for nothing.
To be frank, I think I have been left behind by the Internet.
I’m still sitting here, working on a weekly blog (with two, weekly podcasts), where everyone else is just posting quips on Instagram, or dropping short videos on TikTok. It feels like the time of longer-form content like mine has passed, and apparently I never got the memo.
Yes, this is rather depressing. I’ll cheer up in October, as usual, but for now… this is the Scormey you get.
This is the Scormey you deserve.
Anyway, so (as of writing this post, anyway) my Twitter follower count is up to a whopping 379! This is after posting regularly to the service for the last 11 years, mind you. It was higher, but I went and blocked a bunch of Bot accounts (and by “a bunch” I mean “a dozen, maybe”). So let’s just say that I don’t really think Social Media is working out for me too well.
Why is this important? Because one of the few ways for bloggers and podcasters to get noticed is through Twitter and other social media sites. I tend to focus on Twitter, because I feel it works best for my style of content, but then again… maybe I’m wrong about that? It isn’t working for me, but seems to work for others, so…
I guess I just don’t get it. To quote a great movie that only the Oldies like me know “I’m too old for this shit”.
“Loot Mechanics”, and the related audio and video podcasts I’ve done in that “gaming news/opinion” format have been going for well over a decade now. I’ve been blogging about games for well over two decades. But this website, and the content herein, is barely being seen by anyone. I have tried diversifying my content, I have brought in new contributors, all working to shake things up over the years.
Where has that gotten me? Nowhere. If anything, I’m going backwards, except in one respect… The roleplaying actual-play podcast I do, “Ronin Roleplaying”, is actually growing, albeit slowly. More people download and listen to that show each week, than listen to “Loot Mechanics” or read the weekly blog post combined.
That really isn’t saying much, mind you, but it is still something.
Anyway, you could say that this is a bit depressing, when I look into the site stats to see the grim reality of it all. I have to wonder why I keep doing all of this, knowing that only a very few people actually give a damn. Why spend my weekends talking and writing about games, when I could just be enjoying them?
Rather than blogging, I could spend more time playing games. Rather than recording, editing, and publishing podcasts, I could be playing even more games. Is it time to throw in the towel?
Not likely, at least not right now, anyway. Even if no one reads the blog, and only a few listen to the podcasts, at least it is (hopefully) entertaining someone.
… and anyway, what will I do with this website, if I stop posting content?
UPDATE: Yes, I was depressed when I wrote this. I could have deleted it, but I think it is worthwhile to leave up, if only to show how content creators can be dragged down by adversity, especially when they have depression.