(NOTE:The first part of this blog was originally written on October 19th, 2011. It was never published until today.) I have not been on GIO long. However, this site is the single most friendly community I've ever seen.This community is so amazing. The blogs, the editors, the events, the groups, the friends that have been made, its all so great. Now, back to the title. How is Game Informer Online beating the odds? Well, imagine the internet if it was free of trolls, the people who hide behind their monitors, afraid to voice their opinion in a way that can be understood by other people. Imagine that condensed into one website. That's how I view GIO. Now, we aren't without our kinks, but you can't be perfect. For the most part, its a safe haven for gamers to voice themselves in ways that can't be done in other places. Now, allow me to tell you some of my favorite parts of GIO that I believe set it apart from the rest of the pack.
4chan in a nutshell. Also, lots of trolling.
You are reading a blog right now. There are many great things about them, including the ability to, you know, write a professional article. I don't use them as much as I should, but that's my fault, as my ideas usually don't come to that stage. There are many amazingly talented bloggers on the site, not the least of which is Saint, a person I truly look up to and aspire to be like. And then there's Oni no Tenshi, most recently having wrapped up her POKEMONth, a month of blogs about the various things Pokemon has related to it. Blaze6106, you have touched me in a way you don't even know about. In my very first blog, he analyzed it, told me what he thought the faults were, and helped me to fix them. He's also a part of the original ten bloggers featured on the site, which is quite the acheivement, and I can't say congrats enough. And then there are the podcasts. Oh, the podcasts. The vessels that carry tangents, randomness, interviews, and so much more.
Saint. Stranger. Eyros2k. Pretty much everyone else on this site. They all deserve credit for shaping GIO into what it is. I can't leave out the staff, as what they do for the community is truly great. Replay has become bigger than I could have imagined it would. Admittedly, I become disconnected from this community over the past few months, but that will change. I've had the pleasure of knowing some of these great people, but far too few to know them all. The small, compared to other sites, community we have here is amazing, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
No, we aren't perfect. We do have the occasional troll, but the fact that Bronies (a group I am glad to be a part of) can sit alongside everyone else on this site while still getting the same amount of respect from everyone is amazing. So, GIO, what will happen next? Will we stay like this? The answer, I hope, is yes, and I hope we remain off in our little corner of the internet for a very long time.
Seriously. Please,please do.
