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Hi,

I was wondering how others perceive blogs in their own approach to the wargaming hobby:

If you have a blog, did it become a part of your hobby in its own way, just as painting, playing, terrain making etc.?

Or is it just a necessary evil, something you do to keep track of what you played, how you painted a miniature, but in the end it is not really a part of the hobby you enjoy?

For me I found it quite relaxing to write articles, reviews and tutorials and naturally the comments one gets are also encouraging. I would thus tend to say that it became an enjoyable part of my hobby.

How do you feel about it?

Only blog I have is the threads on three sites I update with my log of painted models and terrain, to keep a history of how I progress as well as provide inspiration on my tremendous backlog lol

I like to read other blogs, sometimes. But keeping up one, myself, that would cut into my miniature time too much

I started a similar thread a while back, is this hobby rewarding enough in itself? There are a few interesting viewpoints on supplementing the hobby with the Internet.
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/565514.page
For me starting a blog on the Internet was a necessary way to stay in touch with the hobby. I was painting from a small traveling kit whilst doing seasonal work for 8 months of the year in the French Alps. It helped me to stay in touch with my clubs back home, stay motivated and receive feedback in a world without wargames.
Prior to starting that job I would use the local club forums to arrange games and that was it. I've since quit that job and have continued to blog, sporadically, as I quite enjoy it and is a nice way to do some hobby stuff when I don't feel like painting, reading or gaming.

I think it would be part of the hobby The hobby is what you make of it, including diarizing what you do, if you find that interesting.

I'd definitely consider it part of the hobby as a whole. For one thing, it gives my minis a purpose, they're going to be seen and commented on by other very talented people, rather than just sitting on my shelf, meaning in turn that I put extra care and effort into them. Painting is a constant learning process, and one I wouldn't be progressing with half as fast if not for my blog and its followers. There's also photography and image editing, again something that's only necessary for the blog but still integral to how I hobby.

I don’t make it to the FLGS nearly as often as I’d like. Posting/blogging here is a large part of how I scratch my hobby itch these days. Painting alone with no feedback/contact gets old fast. My blog is my space. I can ramble on about what I want, vent a little, and get feedback on my projects. By having a blog, rather then just one-off posts, I keep a sense of continuity. I can see where I’ve been, and where I’m going.

And because it’s on topic, there is a link to my blog in my sig. The painting might be mediocre, but at least it’s slow. I will occasionally paint things from the depths of time, so there is some oddities and relics to be found.

I have a blog, and it's very much a part of my hobby now.

I use it to post progress on painting/hobby stuff but it also serves as a cattle prod of sorts to keep me focused and painting. Just knowing I need to post something is enough motivation for me to get going.

I have a blog, but it's mostly for me - I enjoy writing posts. It's also fun to see view increase over time, and I try to puzzle out why certain older posts will suddenly get a boost in views.

I started my own blog last year. It was something I was wanting to do for a while and am really glad I got into it.

It really started when I was organising campaigns and writing battle reports to share with the local gaming club and progressed from there. I find it an integral part of the hobby, really good for keeping me motivated to paint and finish projects. I also find it has really helped improve my gaming. Writing battle reports and analysing why I have won or lost games has helped stopped me making the same mistakes over and over (so I can focus on making completely new mistakes!) and commenters can provide new insights or let me know when I am using rules wrong.

I think having the blog has actually helped me to play more games that I have previously been doing, as I want to write up the reports and have new content for people to read.

Wasnt a factor for me until a few years back when I started a blog around redoing my Nids.
I wouldnt say its now integral to my wargaming experience but its been a nice experience, fairly motivational and quite fun to update and get involved in.

Our club had an active blog until recently. 1/3 or more of the material came from me. I really enjoyed putting my work out there for folks to see and interacting with them about the blog.

Also I liked the tutorial-ish nature of much of what I put out there knowing that it was the kind of thing that I would have liked to see when I was learning various model techniques that I displayed.

It became an important part of my wargaming hobby and a way to constantly promote the club. The blog is not being added too now (still around to view though) and though I still post things on the club's forum and then promote them on Dakka and Lead Adventure, it's just not quite the same.

I am thinking about starting a blog (again) and actually sticking with it. I find it kind of relaxing and allows me to formulate my thoughts and ideas in a logical way. It's also helpful, as others have stated, because it would give me something to do when I don't feel like painting, building, gaming, or reading. Right now my "I-don't-feel-like-anything" activity is reading wargaming forums.

 darefsky (Flight Medic Paints) wrote:
I have a blog, and it's very much a part of my hobby now.

I use it to post progress on painting/hobby stuff but it also serves as a cattle prod of sorts to keep me focused and painting. Just knowing I need to post something is enough motivation for me to get going.

The same reason for me. I am slowly transcribing my hand-written journal notes into the blog I started last year. Going through the old stuff, i actually notice some improvements and changes in painting/modelling. Also a better way to organize information...finding the paint scheme I used in the past instead of experimenting all over again .

Been motivating myself to start up a Plog concerning my rather lengthy project. But I'd hate to say what I put on a Plog probably becomes carbon-copy on a blog.

But what I have so far is indeed part of my wargaming hobby.

Not realy just showing my WIP's and the strange stuff i find in Japan.

I use my blogs to show others the models I'm working on, as some people do seem to like them and I'm proud of them when they're done. I don't necessarily consider blogging part of the hobby, but it is not wholly separate, either. I like commenting on others' blogs, often seeking advice on things I can do to improve my own painting/modelling and offering some advice of my own in turn. I just wish more people would actually check out my blogs and comment on them, although I won't give up as I figure plenty of people actually look but just have nothing profound to say. I don't always comment on blogs I view, either, after all.

I started my wordpress before I did the P&M here, but at this point both are very much part of my hobby. They're a place for quick feedback and commentary - which in turns acts as a motivator for actual painting as my gaming time is not what it once was.

Despite the obvious overlap of content, the two also have different circles of fellow hobbyists and a slightly different feel, which keeps both interesting in slightly different ways. No profanity-filled rants here on Dakka, for example.

I just started my own hobby blog this year: http://www.ba40k.com which I use to record my army painting progress. It gives me another way to share my hobby and also record and reference what I've done throughout the years/months.

I've been running my blog for over six years now and consider it part of my hobby.

Typically I'll try and update it at least once a day either with gaming, modelling or community posts. It gets good traffic and I've resisted any urge to try and monetise it BECAUSE I see it as part of my hobby.

Certainly see it as a place where I can discuss trends in the hobby - be they games, modelling techniques etc - and show what I'm working on.

Pete

 Eggroll wrote:
I just started my own hobby blog this year: http://www.ba40k.com which I use to record my army painting progress. It gives me another way to share my hobby and also record and reference what I've done throughout the years/months.

Nicely done blog man, I love the layout (and of course the content).

Yes I would say it is, it helps keep me motivated and allows me to keep track of my projects. The "Oh man! I haven't updated in awhile" ensures I keep pushing forward to get stuff painted and ready.

 darefsky (Flight Medic Paints) wrote:

 Eggroll wrote:
I just started my own hobby blog this year: http://www.ba40k.com which I use to record my army painting progress. It gives me another way to share my hobby and also record and reference what I've done throughout the years/months.

Nicely done blog man, I love the layout (and of course the content).

Thanks!