What Do You Think of Gamers With Jobs?

I love this site. I come for the frontpage articles, but stay for the forums. Now that there's GWJ'er radio, I think I can die happy :).

Since there are no ads, you must be running this site out of your own pockets and from donations. How about setting up a donation button/link/bucket in which we can hand over our hard earned cash to help you out? Maybe a small, inconspcicous button/link/bucket on the front page, so it doesn't seem too advertising-like?

I love this place! It could keep going exactly how it is right now and I would be content. Great job for everyone involved, including you magnificent bastards who make the forums so goshdarned addictive.
I think if we ARE looking for changes to make then I do have a couple of suggestions:

Painted lines in the parkinglot. I don't want to point fingers, but some people are taking up two or three spaces, and since we are right off of the information superhighway, parking on the street is nearly impossible!

A supply cabinet for the copier upstairs. When making a bunch of copies it's a real pain to have to run downstairs to refill the paper tray or toner!

Boobies and Weeners. (I've been discouraged from visiting this site while at work... so it's fine by me!)

Stock Options.

2 ply toilet paper in the bathrooms.

A pat on the head when I make a good post!

A rub on my belly when I say something funny!

A goal to shoot for or maybe on unlocked post-count once you pass 1000 posts. It's almost like an unconscious mini-game!

And I think we should give Pyro money.... and hookers! And candy!

EDIT Somehow lost my opening paragraph?

I would like to see more tag team reviews. Although I don't remember the game, that was what brought me to GWJ the first time, and immediately hooked me.

Maybe some more contests where we get to win GG's cast-off stuff, because his cast-off stuff is 10x better than what I'm stuck with.

I don't know how possible this is, but I wonder if there is any way for a list to be maintained to show what the most popular games among the GWJ crowd is? It might take some reader participation to keep it updated, but it'd be a quick and easy thing to see that I was missing out on game XYZ (whether it be single or MP). Of course, keeping up in the gaming threads would probably tell me the exact same thing.

I really like the current setup. It's got a really nice blend and it's easy to navigate. I think a lot of sites fall into the trap of "more is better'.

The only addition I would make is a free pron section. You just can't go wrong with free pron.

I like the picture idea... maybe a slot to attach an image to profiles as a stop-gap?

I'm ok continuing to contribute and seeing ads. Moving the GoGamer.com icon to where it's a little more prominent (and so making it more difficult for me to forget to use it) would be fine with me as well.

I still like the idea of doing a small, GWJ-centric version of gamerankings.com, where you can follow certain folks recommendations... except for more media types than just games. Drupal's got a module for this, for books at least.

Oh, a "mark all threads read" link on the "recent posts" page would be keen, so I can skip a click. My time is valuable, don't you know?!

Carry on with the great work!

I too miss the "Conference Call" reviews. Nothin' says lovin' like a good ol' verbal brawl between a Canadian and an Almost-Canadian, set in the realm of reviewing a video game. It's a multi-layered delight. Other than that, this site rules and no matter how hard I try I can't go more than a couple days without visiting and polluting the forums.

I love the front page stuff, but I actually enjoy the forums themselves more. I miss Infinite lives. Maybe a donation drive where we can pay sway to make more with half of it and fund the site with the other half. I wouldn't even need a prize chance if IL was coming back!

I also enjoy the reviews from people I know aren't paid smacktards! (find a way to bring welcome back perverts!)

Less talkin', more pie.

Also,
More profiles would be nice, and get the P&C posts back up on the front page!

#1. More homoerotic bante... opps nevemind there is enough.

#2. Demos should write a weekly dating article.. think "Sex & the City" for single gamers. Except with less shoes.. and actually less sex.

#3. More game reviews, but have multiple opinions. Perhaps creating a thread about a certain game, get people to tell you what they think, and then take snipits from that thread (whatever the GWJ gods think best).

#4. Get Bill Harris to write a "GWJ Love story" each week. It should be a recap of the phone calls that he whispers sweet nothings into the ears of Certis and Elysium.

#5. Get Lobo and Mumm-ra to teach some of us less "initiated" the philosopher of the week. And somehow tie it into a movie/game. Or porn..

No ads! I don't mind the Affiliate Links, and we should maybe talk to some small game manufacturers about sponsorship - maybe BattleFront or Wargamer or NWS would be into it, but just people we can get behind. I will happily contribute to fund drives to keep the randoms and popups off the site. Unless I'm totally underestimating the costs, in which case, if there is no choice...

What would be fun would be a little Wikipaedia that we could use to put up tips and stuff about our favorite games. That could supplement the reviews and forum discussions. That way, when the review has fallen off the game but someone buys the game a few months later, they can easily check the Wiki to see if anyone put any interesting hints or links there. Come on...You know you want to run a Wiki...

Certis et. al:

I love this site. I've been visiting it for years even if I only started posting a short time ago (the release of Rome drove me to do it!).

Like some others mentioned, I come here for the forums primarily. I also feel that for a site you're not paid to keep up, the flow of front page articles is fine. In fact, you guys a prolific for volunteers!

I like the employee profiles idea. More of those would be great. We're blessed with a rich community of interesting people, and it's fun to read about them.

A "point, counterpoint" style game review would be cool too.

The Gamers With Jobs podcast was genius. I really enjoy listening to it.

To sum up: Great site! WEEEE!!! YES YES!! GEEARARAAAEAAEAAT!!!!

I think GWJ is doing pretty good as it is right now, personally I think this is the best place on the internet. More content on front page would be welcomed and no one would say other wise... jobs unfortunately come first so it's understandable for front page down time.
I also like to second or third"… err"… in any case Podcast rules!

Regarding Ads... I would go along with any decision whether to implement them in to the site or not. One thing I'd like to note though is that I hate ads... in general. So I would prefer that there would be none on this site but like I said, I'll go along with any decision.

Other than that, second pretty much everyone else.

I just want my damn mug... and not just some plain old white mug.. something fancy that can hold my Latte's I make at work now..

I just want to take the time to say that you guys have created a really solid site with a dynamic community and killer content. Way to go. I don't have any suggestions that haven't already been mentioned. But definitely tag-team reviews, employee profiles, and another fundraising drive would all be excellent.

Also, for those asking about the Radio, Sanjuro is in the midst of a move and hasn't really had any chance to do it. My guess is that there will be another one before too long though.

1Dgaf wrote:

This is probably going to be contentious, but I'd like to see more gaming content on the front page. SOmetimes it seems as if comments about games are addendums to articles.

I'm going to agree with 1Dgaf on this point. Sometimes the articles (they are great, don't get me wrong!) use gaming more as a segue into something unrelated.

Sometimes having some more digestible content (dare I say the words.. top 10 list.. uh oh) are great for those who don't have more than a few minutes to glance over the morning's articles. Something small, nice, and light that can spawn some great gaming debates.

It's like a newspaper. Even though you see a great article you can't wait to sink your teeth into, you only have time for the comics or entertainment section. Even something as simple as GameFAQ's poll can be a reason to hit the site early in the morning.

Having more employee profiles would be great too, as GWJ is much more of a closer community than other sites in general. (Of course, I still haven't gotten off my ass to fill mine out yet)

Other than that, I just wish I had more time to participate here on GWJ. My visiting has gone down quite a bit in the past several months, but that's due mostly to the insanity at work and a little thing called WoW in my down time.

Keep up the great work!

Yeah, pretty much what everyone else said. The front page articles are uniformly very well done, and I always enjoy reading them, but it's the community that really makes GWJ special. Between the forums, the Trading Post and the online gaming, GWJ has been far more valuable and enjoyable than it has any right to be.

As far as any changes/additions: I don't really have any complaints. I would enjoy seeing more employee profiles--it's always nice to be able to put faces to names. And while I will gladly donate at the next donation drive, I don't care about ads, because I use Adblock.

I'd agree on more gaming articles/reviews on the front page.

I agree that a rough-n-ready "GWJ's Recommends" database would be super nice. With search by genre, casual/hardcore categories. Perhaps in Wiki format as Robear suggests.

I'd like to see more employee profiles and opportunity for any GWJer to submit their own articles, thoughts, research, content, fanfict somehow. So as to ... "keep it real".

Radio has a lot of potential and again, guest spots, voice-over-net snippets from games, topical talks and fun-friendly debates would be quite special.

Frankly though it's pedantically trying to improve on the really very good. Easily the best general community in the gaming world. Congratulations!

Bear wrote:

The only addition I would make is a free pron section.

There is one! It's called "The rest of the Internet".

Fedaykin98 wrote:

I think you might take ads or something, make yourself some cash. This is a business, after all... ;)

Is it?

Seriously, I put up with all kinds of ads on other web sites that I frequent, and I don't have half the good will towards them that I have towards GWJ.

I "put up" with it elsewhere, too, but here is the only place I visit daily, the only place I contribute both money and forum posts, and the only place I really feel like I'm part of something. I used to get a similar sense from Apolyton.net when I was a CivIII junkie, but even there I didn't give money, because it was a subscription and they took ads, rather than having Paypal drives once or twice a year. The lack of advertising support gives Certis the lattitude to just whip out the banstick when someone's being an asshat and not worry about lost revenue or ill will from the community. I'd worry slightly if this place became more like Game[spy|spot].

Edwin wrote:

Want: Employee Profiles, week in review, Air Swampy t-shirt, Slap and Tickles, maybe a video game swap rental type thing in the forums?

Yes, yes I loved those!, game-specific swag might be cool, no opinion, and I think I mentioned that before but it's a kind of grey area that I don't think Certis and Elysium want to openly condone/support/promote. I forget, though.

Eezy_Bordone wrote:

Ads:
Google ads MAYBE on the bottom OR side panel of the page but I think the donation drive (and 'tags' that result from donating) increases community cohesion and participation.

I agree on both points. No big bandwidth sucking image or flash ads and by the GODS! no interstitials!

I'd like drop down menus (say for the forums) so that I can immediately go to one forum rather than an intermediate screen.

I miss that, too.

I would like to point out that I think the same as Morro. As long as the adds aren't distracting or trying to sell me insurance I'm okay with them.

Or interstitials(gamespy) or big flash ads or splashed all over the place.

Personally, I really like the fact that we have donation drives and that we, the members support the site. It gives me a sense of ownership(without entitlement), community, and belonging that I don't get elsewhere. It also gives me a sense of responsibility to maintain the standards of the site as they were when I first stumbled on this oasis of (relative) gamer maturity and civility. I don't want to lose that, and if we're (note the implied ownership?) taking ads, I think the impetus to donate would decline... (Why should I give them money? Aren't they making money with ads? They're not HBO any more, they're CBS.) ... and I don't want to lose the ownership feeling I think we all have.

You know what I mean. Like the way there'll be half a dozen "read the CoC you self-promoting first-post Coffee Grinder" posts before Certis even reads the thread and locks it.

Overall, I think the site is exactly as advertised: a great gaming forum site for game-lovers who actually have to work for a living. I came here because Gone Gold died, and I wanted to find a similar community. I got here and found a better one.

I like the fact that the site is pretty barebones. I come for the forums, and a place to ask opinions. I probably spend too much time on it as it is. Making it better could be dangerous! And I agree with some earlier posters that more content is not necessarily better. I don't want to have to slog through pages and pages to get to something readable.

That said, the only changes I would like to see:
1. PDA friendly links. I have to get a lot of my web that way, and would love it if I could get GWJ also.

2. A screenshot section that is more vital. I imagine that takes a lot of storage and bandwidth, but with all the great wits/dementia here, funny/spectacular/whoa!/Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot/hmmm screenshots from games (or real life) would be fantastic.

3. Reviews in moderation. I don't need one every day. I don't need one every week. But a thoughtful, well thought out review is always a great read. I don't think they need to be new games either. Lets face it,there is a large contingent of GWJ who are going to buy that new game regardless of reviews, and plenty of others who wait for the $20 special. I'd rather see either the "don't bother" review of that hotly anticipated game (*cough* Doom 3 *cough*), or a five star review of some little known, or years-old game. I don't come here for reviews, though. I simply enjoy them when I see them because I know they're for real.

4. Ads. I wouldn't mind if you can't keep the site going without 'em. I'm sure many GWjers would be happy to contribute, but if that wasn't enough to keep you afloat, get the ads in. Better that than to lose the site (like GG). I would think many advertisers would like the site's demographic. Certainly no one here seems to settle for buying one game a year.

5. Swag that I understand. Hey, I like the site, I read the forums, I'm a cool/hip/happenin guy (*cough* who comes to a gaming site A LOT *cough*). But how about some GWJ swag that I GET? Or better yet, that I can wear without having to explain to everyone (including myself)?

6. Front page content: perfect. Any more, and it becomes self-indulgent. Love the quality of the writing, and don't want to sacrifice that for ANYTHING.

I'm not sure if the site's founders/employees are quite as aware as many of the rest of us just what a terrific, rare community they have built here. Many of us have found this place after considerable searching or trying of other sites that don't even come close. You should be very pleased with what you've done here. Obviously many of the members are.

I'd say posts in this topic alone embody what I love about GWJ. I think the site is great, but it's the community that really got me here.

When I first stumbled on this site, somebody had found some sort of box in their attic. After reading something like all 20 pages in the forum topic chronicling the opening of the box (with photos!) I was pretty much addicted. I spent like four hours at work that day just browsing the forums. I don't even remember how I found this site - Maybe thorugh Bill Harris? At the time I was looking for a decent group of people to play BF:V with.

That and you guys (and gals) aren't assholes. At least not in the way people on other forums are assholes.

Swat wrote:
1Dgaf wrote:

This is probably going to be contentious, but I'd like to see more gaming content on the front page. SOmetimes it seems as if comments about games are addendums to articles.

I'm going to agree with 1Dgaf on this point. Sometimes the articles (they are great, don't get me wrong!) use gaming more as a segue into something unrelated.

I disagree. I love the way that those of us that have had games nearly our whole lives can identify and comingle(sp?) gaming with the real world. Lobo is a master at this and I look forward to those more than an actual article that's actually about an actual game. If I want a "real" review, we get plenty of those in the forums from multiple people with differing opinions, or if I want a "formal" review, I can read between the lions at the usual ad-funded sites to supplement the information in the forums.

Maybe we just need a more "formalized" method/area for folks to do member reviews of whatever game they've recently played, but I like the FP content as is, excepting the lack of the weekly forum roundup and more profiles. Oh, and maybe a tad more Elysium - maybe he and Lobo could have a dueling thesauri feature every so often.

I'm in the "more gaming content" camp. Some of the material that makes the front page is not "bad", but just seems like it belongs as an Everything Else forum post instead.

I would also suggest less empasis on plain-ol' game reviews. There are game reviews everywhere, and I've never been a fan of reviews on a site that does them just once in a while. I think the unique non-review gaming material is the good stuff.

Friday, September 30, 2005 - 7:34am

I think you guys should give Pyro money ... and hookers!

Welcome to GWJ oh random person from the interweb...

This is the only website I've ever considered donating to. I think the front page content coming out randomly at the whim of our leaders it part of the joy of this place. I check the site every day for random forum posts of intrest and get some front page stuff once in awhile. I think it's a nice balance because I like being able to read everything posted. If we upped the postings it might get to the point of being unable to read it all.

It also lets us digest everything posted. I think that's a good thing.

That being said GWJ radio is brilliant... more of that would be wonderful :D. GWJ I can take with me.

EDIT: suppose I should add something constructive.

I love this place. I hang out here regularly during down time. The front page articles are hit or miss. I don't own an XBox nor am I always interested in every title that's reviewed or highlighted, but that probably goes for most of us. The GWJ Radio is a welcome addition. More please.

Rather than see ads on the page, or open up the can of worms that is Corporate Patronage, I'd rather pay a subscription fee (monthly or yearly) for posting privileges. Think of it like clubhouse dues. The rent has to be paid and some has to make the beer. But that might be overkill and discouraging to new community members.

I will, of course, participate in any upcoming fund raisers. If the budget becomes a problem, how about a yearly pledge drive like PBS does?

Well, I'm addicted so just keep doing what you're doing and I'll show up.

Somethings I'd like to see;

(1) Regular hardware reviews and maybe get Guru to do a recommended build type thing.
(2) Forum recaps would be outstanding
(3) Throw my vote in the employee profile 'hat'
(4) The pod casts were excellent. By all means keep that one going.

RE: Front page articles: Can't argue with perfection. Keep it up!

I... wish I had some great insight as to what you (we) could do better, but in truth, I think the big drawing point is that this is a great community to talk about games 'n stuff. I'll agree with others that bringing back the employee profiles would be cool, and I always enjoyed those tag-team reviews that you did, but in general, I think "keep doing what you're doing" is pretty good advice. It would also be neat to try a big get-together somewhere, but that's a planning nightmare that I'm not sure anyone really wants to do...

Shouldn't it be about time for another donation drive? I'm ready to throw money at you!

I suggest that employee profiles should be taken in podcast form, in realtime, unedited, interviewed by Sanj and Fletch together. That'll make things lively and interesting. My understanding is that they're using Skype to record their banter? Shouldn't be a problem to add a 3rd participant.

CEJ wrote:

Regular hardware reviews and maybe get Guru to do a recommended build type thing.

I second this as well! Having some more hardware reviews would be great. We must use our resident bleeding-edge Guru to his full potential!

Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:

I suggest that employee profiles should be taken in podcast form, in realtime, unedited, interviewed by Sanj and Fletch together. That'll make things lively and interesting. My understanding is that they're using Skype to record their banter? Shouldn't be a problem to add a 3rd participant.

Brilliant! I suggest we being with a series detailing the 'Sexy Womens of GWJ!'