Blogging, Responsibility, and Hamsters

Hey folks, SinSynn here.

So, is the internet like, the most amusing thing ever, or what?

No matter who you are, and what you're into, you can log on and quickly connect to like-minded individuals. This is a tremendous boon to folks with 'niche' interests, to say the least.

*But keep a porno tab open anyway*

I suppose it's fair to say that the entirety of the hobby scene can be viewed as niche, but whatevs. A quick look at my history and bookmarks would tell you that the vast majority of my internet time is spent on hobby blogs.
Seriously, some of Frontline Gamer's posts take a hot minute to read, as opposed to my average visit to TentacleViolation.com, which are generally over in, well...substantially less time. Regardless, after I clean off my monitor, I'm far more likely to have Frontline's words rattling around in my head than I am to remember what I just disgraced my self over.

*Prolly sumpthin' like this, I dunno*

Not to discount the contributions of all the artists and animators that strive to actually create the tentacle hentai that provides me with several dozen seconds of blissful entertainment annually (don't you judge me), it's just that the blogs I read tend to get the Hamster That Lives In My Head spinning, whereas tentacle hentai...doesn't.
Oh, sure, it produces a predictable biological response, but a few extra-absorbent paper towels and a minute of shameful cleanup later...poof! It fades away.

A good blog post discussing our hobby, on the other hand, can produce a myriad of reactions from me, and stick in the craw for a while, as well.
Sure, there are about a billion things on the internet that would do this just as well (maybe better), but...meh.
I could go on any news site, ever, and I'm a hundred percent certain something will piss me off pretty quickly. Or maybe there will be some heart-warming feel good type of story to lift my spirits, or whatever, but...that's not really my thing.
This hobby, our little niche, is my thing. OHMYGODILOVEITSOMUCH.

Like any other Xeno trying to pass as human and attempting to destroy this miserable planet, I sorta...have a life. Not that I want to, mind you, it's that I have to. If I am ever to achieve my goal of total world domination, I've gotta get off my butt and go do stuffs
Sigh @ responsibilities, huh? Waddayagonnado?
...suffer, apparently. 

*I'm gonna walk the dog when the Crazy Lady tells me to (and prolly stop at the store, too), that's what I'm gonna do*

Inevitably, my internet time is like any other of my 'times' - it's limited. Whether it's responsibilities or rooftop barbeques, there's sure to be something else goin' on that prevents me from reading every post I'd like. It is what it is.
It's life.
*shrug*

Through some bizarre twist of fate, I became a blogger.
Over the last year or so, I have pretty much...made a menace of myself, I guess. I never really gave much thought to doing anything but that which amused me. I write what I feel like writing, and say what I want to say. I have fun doing it.
In the beginning, I felt like I was doing it purely for myself. It was another thing tied in with my internet time. Since my internet time is based around 'fun,' and not 'real life serious business' (which actually is serious business), I chose to get a lil' crazy with it.
'Hai, I'm SinSynn.'
*grins an overly toothy Xenos grin, and waves a squirming tentacle in your direction*

After a while, the strangest thing happened. People...started reading my stuffs. Believe you me, I am at a complete and absolute loss as to why this is, but I can tell you that it makes the multi-valved chambers of my fluid exchanging organs feel warm, and oddly fuzzy.

*I know I'll never compete with da cats, though. Cats rule da internet*

To my complete and utter surprise, readers, bloggers and all manner of hobbyists and humanity alike regularly leave comments on my posts, and these comments often burgeon up into lengthy back and forth discussions which are often far more interesting than the actual post that spawned them, honestly.
0_o
I know, right?

For the longest, I carried on in my usual manner. Tentacle jokes and Megan Fox pics, occasionally interspersed with more thoughtful musings. Then I went ahead and kicked the proverbial hornet's nest with the now-infamous 'Sexy Models' post.
No link. We're not going there again...for a while, at least. Heh.

Two things happened following that post that have made me think about blogging in more 'real life' terms.

Firstly, a blogger by the name of Gotthammer stated that he will no longer be reading my posts. I initially shrugged this off, but have found myself unable to let it go for some reason.
I found myself visiting his excellent blog, Collegia Titanica, and I can't help but like both Gotthammer and his lil' corner of the web. He seems like a cool cat.
Maybe we'll never see eye to eye on everything, but whatevs. He's a hobbyist. Kin of mine, in a sense.
I wanna tell him I'm sorry. I wanna tell him come back.
Sigh.
I haz sad.

Secondly, a gentleman by the name of Zeronyne left a comment on last week's Top X and said this:

"As a father of two daughters (7 and 10) who love miniatures and CCGs, I find it disconcerting that many (not all) gamers are so socially ill-equipped that they cannot tone down F-bombs and misogynistic/homophobic speech around children, or for that matter, people they simply don't know."

That single sentence hit me in the head like a ton of bricks.

*I'm under there, somewhere*

Suddenly I felt so awful for posting 'Sexy Models' that I could barely stand myself. Seriously.
The Hamster That Lives In My Head was spinning furiously, churning out thoughts that made me very, very uncomfortable.
'What if this guy's kids saw that post? What does it say about this hobby? What does it say about me?'
When he finally stopped spinning to take a water and kibble break, he just glared for a bit, then turned his back on me.
Dear lord, what have I done?

'Oh, whatevs,' I snipe at him, 'go ahead and be mad. It was all just jokes, dude...just jokes.'
He looks over his fuzzy shoulder for a second, and then turns away again.
'I'm not mad, dude,' he replies in a low, sad voice,' I'm just disappointed.'
'For what? For why?' I respond belligerently, 'It all turned out ok in the end, didn't it?'
'Is that the excuse you're running with? If it's all ok, why do you have me spinning like crazy over Gotthammer leaving and  Zeronyne's comment?'
....
....I really hate the Hamster, sometimes.

I hear him sigh.
'Look, dude,' he continues, 'this isn't even about you. You're part of something bigger, now. You need to realize that. You should be elevating your game, and instead you take a cheap shot at chasing mass appeal. Lucky for you, you have readers and peers that will call you on it. Count your blessings, and do better. Try harder.'
I digest this for a moment.
'You're not gonna go and quote Spider Man on me, are you?' I ask, trying my best to appear cavalier about the whole thing.
'Voltaire is responsible for that quote, you idiot,' says the Hamster around a mouthful of kibble,'I would've thought you knew that, being of French descent an' all.'
There is a moment of awkward silence. The Hamster finally facepalms himself.
'.....Because Voltaire was French, fer cryin' out loud.'

*I totally knew that*

Not that I think that, as a blogger, somehow what I write has any great bearing or influence on...anything, really...cuz I don't. I'm just a hobbyist. I use my posts to share my wacky, somewhat skewed view of this thing we do to entertain, not to try and appear elitist, like I somehow know...anything.
I don't, really.

What I do think is that it pays to heed the good people who make the effort to comment on my posts. If Gotthammer is leaving, and Zeronyne is concerned about his daughters and I'm actively contributing to the mess that may drive them away from our hobby, then maybe I'm doing it wrong....

Sigh...the Hamster is spinning again, and this post is already long.


Until next time, folks- Exit with catchphrase!

-SinSynn