Editorial RPG Codex Editorial: Games Journalism Scandal

[IDtenT]

So what? It's still the same kind of formatting (txt dump, as you call it) even if the individual lines are longer.

Yes - the point is, that sort of formatting requires a different paragraph width to be comfortably readable. Probably better to change the formatting than the width.

So it becomes "unreadable" if individual lines are just twice as long? How do you read other Codex articles such as reviews, then? They all use the same width, and practically the same style.

They typically have more variety. Shorter paragraphs, bolded and unbolded text, images and videos, bullet points, etc

It's easier on the eyes.

Not to mention the run-on sentences make it doubly so.

I actually wonder how many websites actually use LaTeX typsetting (not just equations, lol wikipedia). You could probably count it on your hand

 

[Crooked Bee]

But if the lines are too long and the effort of making it from the line's beginning to its end is too high, how do shorter pagraphs or videos help? And if the effort isn't too high, then what is problematic about it?

 

[Sceptic]

I'm glad you guys enjoyed it - the funny thing is, apart from a few cheap digs, I didn't think it was that vitriolic.

It's not. People are just so disconnected in their little protective bubble that anything that isn't ponies and rainbows is now called vitriolic.

No, I know, I know. It's a frequent bad habit.

No it's not. Fuck the haters. Your writing is excellent, even though I had to dig out a dictionary for a couple of words towards the end. The sentences aren't too long and the flow is perfect. It's by far one of the best journalistic pieces I've read in a while (and I don't mean game journalism), even moreso since I knew nothing of the whole scandal and your summarizing and analysis was perfect for those who like me were not aware of what had happened. Awesome work, and many many thanks to the editorial staff for publishing this. Codex has truly inclined tremendously in the past year.

 

[Infinitron]

But if the lines are too long and the effort of making it from the line's beginning to its end is too high, how do shorter pagraphs or videos help? And if the effort isn't too high, then what is problematic about it?

Bee, it's not one single thing (like "long lines") that makes the formatting awkward. It's all of these things together.

 

[Crooked Bee]

I actually wonder how many websites actually use LaTeX typsetting (not just equations, lol wikipedia). You could probably count it on your hand

So the problem is, fundamentally, that of the kind of formatting/typesetting the Codex uses? You should bring it up with DU, then.

 

[Dexter]

Korina works for Bethesda UK now by the way - as of a week or two ago - (as her Twitter proclaims: https://twitter.com/Shikaboom ), conversely Wainwright has been writing about Dishonored a lot lately: http://www.mcvuk.com/retail-biz/recommended/read/dishonored/0103587

 

[Crooked Bee]

Bee, it's not one single thing (like "long lines") that makes the formatting awkward. It's all of these things together.

That doesn't mean anything. I linked to an LRB article where the formatting isn't awkward; but make the lines twice longer and it suddenly becomes awkward? Bullshit. It just reads like normal text, which I fail to see any problem with.

 

[Jaesun]

[Kotaku Ediitor]STEPHENTOTILO:I do regret the dismissive tone of that comment Ben quoted. Calling it not very important was a miscue because, a) the incident in and of itself was interesting and should have been an item on our site and b) the larger issues of distrust of the games press that have flared up again around this certainly are important. Giving a damn about whether the press can be trusted is always important, and I didn't mean to belittle anyone's concerns about that.

(In response to the PA article today). We really need a flip-flop emoticon.

 

[Infinitron]

That doesn't mean anything. I linked to an LRB article when the formatting isn't awkward; but make the lines twice longer and it suddenly becomes awkward?

Well, yes. Gaming websites and literary articles are different beasts.

Of course it is possible to get used to any sort of formatting, but it's not optimal.

 

[tuluse]

Bee, it's not one single thing (like "long lines") that makes the formatting awkward. It's all of these things together.

That doesn't mean anything. I linked to an LRB article where the formatting isn't awkward; but make the lines twice longer and it suddenly becomes awkward? Bullshit. It just reads like normal text, which I fail to see any problem with.

Actually, people do find it difficult to read when the width increases over a certain size and find using vertical space easier to process. Human factors are weird.

 

[felipepepe]

Meh, leave it that way, the style is very monocled and the long sentences work perfeclty with some of the stabs in the text.

Well, yes. Gaming websites and literary articles are different beasts.

Do you really wanna play by GAM3RZ website standards?

 

[Crooked Bee]

Well, I disagree (w/r/t websites and books) - I don't see how reading text on a monitor is different from reading a book; reading text is just reading text - but let's leave it at that.

 

[Marsal]

We really need a flip-flop emoticon.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Actually, people do find it difficult to read when the width increases over a certain size and find using vertical space easier to process. Human factors are weird.

OK, maybe, although I don't experience that personally, but again, that sounds like a general problem with the kind of width that the Codex uses, or maybe the font size/style - which means complaining to DU is the only option.

 

[Grunker]

Fuck all this formatting crap people are on about. The only problem is that the sentences are very long at some spots and a pic or two would have worked.

Ain't no big thing.

 

[Grunker]

We really need a flip-flop emoticon.

lol

 

[Marsal]

Well, I disagree (w/r/t websites and books) - I don't see how reading text on a monitor is different from reading a book; reading text is just reading text - but let's leave it at that.

I don't see how playing games on phones is any different from playing games on a PC; playing games is just playing games - but let's leave it at that.

 

[Infinitron]

Bee: It's okay, we're not asking you to edit the article. Just maybe take these factors in mind next time.

Variety.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Well, I disagree (w/r/t websites and books) - I don't see how reading text on a monitor is different from reading a book; reading text is just reading text - but let's leave it at that.

I don't see how playing games on phones is any different from playing games on a PC; playing games is just playing games - but let's leave it at that.

Your analogy is really retarded.

I read a lot of books, both academic and fiction, on the PC because I only have them in digital format. Please tell me how that makes it different from reading them in paper format.

 

[Jaesun]

TheThreadThatWoudntDie.jpg

 

[Mrowak]

The paragraphs are fine. The only issue I see are the motherfucking huge sentences which crop up from time to time. I advise more liberal use of full stops and semicolons.

 

[IDtenT]

The paragraphs are fine. The only issue I see are the motherfucking huge sentences which crop up from time to time. I advise more liberal use of full stops and semicolons.

Next you'll want the liberal use of abortion.

 

[Marsal]

Well, I disagree (w/r/t websites and books) - I don't see how reading text on a monitor is different from reading a book; reading text is just reading text - but let's leave it at that.

I don't see how playing games on phones is any different from playing games on a PC; playing games is just playing games - but let's leave it at that.

Your analogy is really retarded.

Also, I read a lot of books, both academic and fiction, on the PC because I only have them in digital format. Please tell me how that makes it different from reading them in paper format.

Then do some more reading about the topic and stop being an ignorant idiot, spouting bullshit about things you know nothing about. Of course the medium and the way content is consumed matters. Stop being so defensive, not every criticism is a personal attack against you. STFU and listen to people who read the article. It's not the end of the world, but improvements can and should be made.

Who are you in this story anyway? Grotsnik did the research and wrote the text? You pasted it and hit "post"? WTF are you even arguing about?

 

[hoverdog]

The paragraphs are fine. The only issue I see are the motherfucking huge sentences which crop up from time to time. I advise more liberal use of full stops and semicolons.

Next you'll want the liberal use of abortion.

Commisar Draco brofists this.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Marsal I'm partly responsible for the editing, so I argue about the editing. You posted a "retarded" smiley in response to my post, so I replied to your post.

Then do some more reading about the topic and stop being an ignorant idiot, spouting bullshit about things you know nothing about.

Well, the analogy is between two different mediums, digital and physical. Are digital books better or worse than physical books? For gaming, a similar thing would be to ask if physical boxes are better or worse than digital copies, not if PC gaming is better or worse than tablet gaming. Choosing between two kinds of games - PC or tablet-based - can be likened to choosing between two kinds of books - say, ‘serious’ fiction or ‘light’ fiction - not between two kinds of medium. That's why your analogy doesn't work.

With gaming, there are also such considerations as PC interface vs. tablet interface and the way they influence what kinds of games are available on the PC and what on tablets, etc. However, if I read a book on mathematics or a piece of literary criticism, what changes if I read it in pdf compared to reading it as a physical copy? I often do both, and often switch between the two.