NOTE: The following blog is meant not only for those who feel inadequate when wanting to contribute more to the DOA community. This blog is meant for gamers in all walks of life, no matter what genre they compete in. So feel free to share if you feel this is helpful to them.
What we're gonna talk about in this blog is contributing knowledge to your community in general. Now you're probably thinking, "This topic sounds generic, everybody knows anybody who's willing to do so should do so, it helps the community grow!" Sometimes, I wish it were that easy for some. In this era we live in full of bloated competitive egos, reckless keyboard warriors, and shady gaming journalists, it's oftentimes very hard to make a contribution to your own community without someone throwing shade in your face accusing you of being all kinds of things like a "sellout", a "leech", a "money grubber", or my personal favorite, a "fake OG who talks like he won big tournaments", all accusations that are especially targeted toward significantly popular Youtube users who get a lot of views and likes. But this topic isn't just about the ones that do throw the shade, but learning and knowing how to illuminate that shade on your own while doing what you know in your heart is the right thing.
Now let's focus on you, the willing contributor. And for the sake of being down-to-earth, let's assume you're just an ordinary guy posting in your community forum that plays your game and striving to get better. No accolades, no consistent top placings in local and major tournaments, no tight-knit connections to high-level or top players, none of that stuff. But despite this, you feel deep down inside that you're decent enough to share what you know.
Despite having limited knowledge of playing the game like some comparatively famous high level / top players do, you also happen to have networking and communication skills to an extent. What's more, you have some experience making videos, you're not incredibly shy on the camera, you're pretty humble, you're willing to do what you can without any trace of desire for compensation, and you're very welcoming to the newcomers and viewers who want a different outlet of learning besides the forum community they feel is too abrasive. What could possibly go wrong?
You make your first set of videos, and the first batch of comments you get are along the lines of "Who are you?", "Stop sucking *said company*'s dick", "*Famous player*'s stuff shits all over yours", and "Stop talking like you're some big shot OG from back in the day". And you're here thinking, "What did I do to deserve this?" All you wanted to do was help people. You weren't selling yourself. You weren't promoting yourself. You were bringing awareness to your game and the wonders it can offer to the player, should they choose to study it. So where did you go wrong? The truth is this.. your heart was in the right place. However, there are ways you can convince your audience and let them see you on the same page:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Whatever format of contribution you create for your community, DO NOT make it about you.
Remember, when making a contribution to help other players, this isn't about you. It's about helping them to someday help others, provided your contribution was sufficient enough to get them to that point. With humility comes selflessness. While the temptation for a quick buck may be strong for some gamers, let's be real here. You should not want to contribute for profit or personal gain, much less focus on that as your ONLY source of income. A mistake that unfortunately is being made by some gamers in recent memory which I will not name. If you bring yourself into the equation that isn't relatable, chances are the detractors can use this against you, and perhaps even twist your words around to the point where you seem like another attention whore, when you know that isn't the case.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) If you want to go above and beyond your current knowledge, do your research. And don't be afraid to ask for help.
Another common mistake aspiring contributors make that some detractors LOVE to nitpick about. It's one thing to want to share what you currently know, but it's another when you want to dig deeper, only to discover there were holes - or in this case, opinions - in your fact sheet. If you are able, do the research on your own to ensure the information you're providing is correct. But sometimes going alone won't be enough. You'll likely need a second hand, and there is absolutely no shame in asking for help to contribute to a greater cause. Just make sure you give credit to those willing to help you along the way... it's good manners, after all.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) DO NOT measure your success or your relevancy on likes, comments or views.
So many people make the mistake of determining their own personal self-worth based on statistics... and that includes me, I'm guilty of it too. Make no mistake about it... you are a human being with a heart and soul first. You're worth more than just packets of data on a grid. And if you don't think you are, take a moment to think about this.
There was once two martial artists who trained under their master. One was just and truthful, wanting only to take the path the master instructed him, having faith in his knowledge and getting the results when the time is right. The other believed that cutting corners by any means necessary to get results was more important. The latter student was eager to learn the ultimate technique of his style, and wasn't afraid to challenge the authority of his master to do so.
The master expressly forbade either to study this style until they were of sound body and mind. And wouldn't you know it, the latter rushed in and successfully learned this ultimate technique... or so he believed. He gained power and glory, of course, and his body was sufficient enough to withstand the demand of this ultimate technique. But he gained it in a dishonest way, and unbeknownst to him, it cost him his soul, for his mind was not ready. Sound familiar? It should if you played enough fighting games...
But don't misunderstand the moral of this story. I am not saying that gaining fame through the natural result of honest hard work is a bad thing. I am saying that fame should not be your sole motive - let alone a primary factor - to want to help your community, especially if it's small. If fame and popularity is meant for you, it will come. But it should not come at the cost of the good qualities that define you as a person. It's better for you to have an impact on a few people who will successfully carry on your good influence than a myriad of people taking the fast lane, only to crash and burn when they least expect it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) Last, but not least, be honest with yourself.
There are some contributors who mislead those in the community into thinking they're pro-gamers, former pro-gamers, high/top level players, or former high/top level players. If you know for a fact you haven't achieved such accolades, make a disclaimer that you are by no means anything under this category. Yes, you may have gone to some locals - and probably majors - and participated to compete. Heck, you could be an online player who hasn't had the privilege of taking part in any offline local activity given your personal circumstances. But even so, leave it at that. If you do this, I promise you, no one in the right mind will hold this against you unless they're just desperately looking for drama.
So yeah, it is what it is, ladies and gentlemen. Contribution is power. Power enriched by the heart. If your heart wishes to do something to help, do it. Just don't do it for selfish reasons, and most importantly, be honest with yourself. You never know who you'll relate to, much less inspire.
There are a number of people I wanna dedicate this particular blog to, but to keep this short, I'll leave it to a quick "They know who they are" so no one will feel singled out. And if you don't know, I'll let you know.
To those who read this in full, thank you for taking the time to read, and take care of yourselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment