Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Did Pokerworks kill Poker Blogs?

I know that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, and I haven't been posting very much lately and when I do it's not much.

But have you noticed that almost every single person that got a gig at Pokerworks either stopped posting completely or almost did after that deal ended for everyone?

There is always blogger burnout and (in my case especially) poker burnout so I don't begrudge anyone who gets exhausted trying to post entertaining pokery content every goddamn day for 4 to 5 years.

But it kind of seems like the Pokerworks deal really took it out of a lot of people. Maybe it's a relief from the pressure of having to post because you are getting paid for it.

I know when I was a professional photographer I almost completely stopped taking pictures for my personal life. I didn't do "snapshots" anymore because I was a "photojournalist." I had a camera up to my face all day when I was working, I didn't have the inclination to do that when I was on vacation especially.

After I quit the newspaper business I rarely took pictures. I still had all the equipment so it wasn't the expense of the exercise, it was just the lack of motivation to do something for free that I got used to getting paid to do.

Maybe that's the case with some of the PW alum. Maybe it's just a coincidence. Maybe I just have my head up my ass.

5 comments:

Heavy Critters said...

I noticed that when all of the cats started posting on Pokerworks, they had a different, more guarded voice. And once they got back to their old, "real" blogs, there was almost a sigh of relief.

I don't think Pokerwokrs killed the poker blog, it just changed the dynamic of the established authors.

Human Head said...

Although "killed" might not be the right word, I definitely don't think your head is up your ass.

The theory is reasonable. Bloody's take seems pretty accurate too, although it also seems to be an issue of the timing of the thing, like buying up stocks when the sector in question is shrinking.

Good idea, just a bit of bad timing perhaps.

Unknown said...

I didn't think it would be tough to write two blogs but I just view them differently while writing and it works out.

Hammer Player a.k.a Hoyazo said...

Very astute observation, Duggles. No doubt you on to something noteworthy there.

Blogging because you "have to" kinda sucks btw.

Dantana said...

your photography comparisons are right on. back in the (pre-poker) day, i would find myself thinking it was probably better to write, write, write ... and occasionally publish; but instead it was publish, publish, publish ... and occasionally write.