Reflections of a webmaster

I'm posting this here and not in the blog because it's not particularly video game related and it's an unofficial entry...



I'm not a professional journalist nor do I claim to really know what I'm doing. I'm just a guy who happens to like video games a whole lot and like the billion or so other people out there, I end up posting my thoughts in the public arena for others to read.

Some of you who lurk around here do remember that it all started with The Bubblegum Crisis Center and The Crisis Center Community Forums (C3F)... the peak of activity came when the site became The Anime Crisis Center... lots of traffic, lots of discussion. It was good and the community seemed like it was thriving... unfortunately that didn't seem to last. As what always happens with small communities, people tend to leave and when enough people leave the others become silent.

Because of that, The Anime Crisis Center and C3F eventually died out and I felt it was no long worth keeping open. The site wasn't being updated and the forum was a ghost town.

The same is happening with Twilight Lynk, at least in terms of the community aspect... this place does seem to be dying a slow death, but the difference is that I've kept on updating the site... it's an easy thing to do since it's just a blog and is based around my observations and opinions... but I also do it because I enjoy doing it.

And I think that's enough... the site gets pretty good traffic when I post up certain blog entries that seem to hit the right chord with people... the Stunts entry did extremely well and Dead Space brings in a lot of continual traffic. Certain keywords used to get to the site also tell me that the blog entries I write up do address things people are interested in.

The traffic is good, but no one is joining and the current community has become silent. It is tough being one of the smallest fish in the ocean... and it does suck that this site does seem so barren at times... but I know that if I remain optimistic about this then this site can flourish at some point in time... all it needs is a breakthrough of some sort...

The key is to offer something other sites don't. I'm going to try and continue on with the Super Master Blaster game and see where that takes me. It may not become the breakthrough I'm hoping for, but I can always try and see what happens... and I'm sure I'll be able to come up with other ideas as well.

I'm not here to make money... you can tall that pretty easily by the fact that this site has no advertising on it any more... I guess all I really want from this site is for it to work but to also have a pulse of its own. It was great having that time on C3F when everyone posted, had fun and interacted in many ways with each other... I guess I just want to recreate that and have it last this time around...

This site will continue on *nods* and in time, I'm sure it will become alive with activity.


Also, before anyone else says it... "tl;dr"...

I remember you posted up a list of key search words and terms that people typed in that led them to The Anime Crisis Center lol, some very weird and interesting stuff appeared yes it did.

I do that with Twilight Lynk as well... just search through my posts in this thread...


Anyway, I spent a couple of hours brainstorming up a few ideas... I think I've come up with one that may or may not interest some folks around here... and could possibly make certain people a little more active.

Twilight Lynk is my personal space and because of that fact, others don't really get a chance to have their own voice... so I was thinking, why not set up another blog on the site and also have it linked to this very forum just like how Twilight Lynk does it right now? The difference with that other blog would be that it would be made up of people who want to write for it, and they can post up about anything they wanted, from news to opinion pieces, articles and reviews... just as long as the content is related to video games.

I've even come up with a name for it... Twilight Lynk blackout division

At this point it's just an idea... and it'll only go ahead if enough people want it to go ahead... but if it does, I think it would be fun.

i miss all the shenanigans that was going about in C3F.

those were some good days.

but at anyrate, im not sure if this place or the original concept(s) that started this whole place out (ie from bubble gum to TWL) is killing it. It's just that sometimes you gotta revitalize it every now and then.
prolly what kept you going lynk is that your choice of changing it all from one subject to another to another.

maybe keep what you got, and just branch out again. granted it wont come of anything, but one cant really now, per se.

but how ever at least Ive been enjoying this place for ever, and it's like a little corner of the internets where a few people from LF chill out, sucks it's sorta stepped to that, but thats only because of how many people left :/

Twilight Lynk will always remain my video game blog and the subject will always be video games. That's not going to change... when it comes down to it, I was never a fan of anime for very long... but I've always loved video games since the first time I played them as a little kid.

This site will stay as it is, but I'm hoping I can expand the concept I have... blackout division is one of those ways I can do that while still keeping the core of Twilight Lynk the same.

black out edition!?

I don't think I would use it, but user blogs would be cool if others are interested.

Follow me on Twitter

Unfortunately, that would cost me money to get for the forum... which is why i'm trying to do the next best thing which is the idea I stated... since it won't cost me a thing and it's pretty easy to setup.

I've already renewed the domain name recently and both the domain name and hosting is going to last another 2 years... I can't really justify spending money on this place right now.

If I had one, I would blog about my awesome sexual adventures...

in my mind

I'm sure whichever hand you use will be very flattered by what you have to say about it.

Quite right

Have you thought of adding a shoutbox thingy? I saw it in some forums.
Can't argue about its usefulness, but perhaps it will appealing to some, ie, no need to start a thread for say something silly.

I absolutely hate those things... so no XD never gonna happen... the guest blog idea seems the best one so far though... depending on how many register there interest over in this thread: Supplemental Manuscript Sector , it may very well happen.

Also, welcome back (original) mav.

[sarcasm]What about profile badges? [/sarcasm]

Yeah, then I can give everyone a "Lurker" badge considering I see you guys in here 3-4 times a day in individual viewing sessions per each 24 hour period... and NO POSTS.

Damit Lynk I want a Shoutbox and I want it Now, Yesterday if Possible....

http://twitter.com/#!/Robert66jr

hey Hawk, you never change do you?
well, is good to know that my impostor is doing a better job than me at being active *hides*

The fact that you want one is all the reason I need not to put one up

@ m4v: Yes, your impostor happens to be THE most active member of these forums... everyone else just lurks, the bastards *points @ everyone else*

If I can make at least a post per week I will be happy

Which is one of the primary reasons why I started lurking, back when I used to post a lot it would often be ages before someone replied... if at all.