WoW Insider Casts Shell Shield
As you may or may not know, BRK was the first “class specific” column on WoW Insider. When we began our career there, a large number of the comments directed at our column were written in this manner:
“OMG this truly is the worst writing I’ve ever seen. It’s trash. It’s filth. I print the pages out and let my bird use them as a toilet. I feel violently ill after reading BRK. Gross, stupid, ignorant and so are the editors who allow this filth to be published.
“And just when is the mage/paladin/warrior column coming out?”
Good times for all.
Now as BRK’s popularity spiked their traffic to heights never seen for several weeks running, the WI bean-counters thought it would be a fine idea to have all classes have a weekly column they could publish. Everything was gravy until the Warlock Column commenced.
The person writing this column was not a Professional Warlock exactly but, we think, merely a casual ‘lock who had a lot of experience writing for WoW Insider and wanted to complete the ranks of the class-bloggers.
She was utterly destroyed in the comments. The abuse this person suffered was beyond inappropriate. The foul language and cruelty written by the arrogant and uncaring readers was beyond the pale. We were embarrassed and ashamed to be affiliated with the situation at all.
In a move we anticipated and highly encouraged, the nice author gave the virtual middle-finger to the whole concept of the warlock column and went back to writing about the stuff she liked. But today someone decided to write to WoW Insider and ask, and we paraphrase, “Hey! You haven’t written anything about warlocks for a month! What gives?”
To which we at BRK Worldwide Amalgamated say, “What gives is that you’re getting exactly what you deserve: Squat.”
Paid or not, blogging isn’t easy. Blogging on a schedule is harder. Blogging to the mindless rabble that spew hate and vileness, to unappreciative, degenerate and spoiled children, to people with an intellect so keen the can’t spell “rogue” properly most of the time yet demand seven-decimal place precision when discussing the damage potential of a warlock’s spell against a specific mob in a specific instance during a specific period of the day when a buff is available because of a PvP objective being taken but then lost before your Darkmoon Fair trinket procs but you don’t notice but WoW Stats does and how that all relates to the gibbous moon over Tanaris… it’s a punishment Michael Vick should be required to endure.
What’s our point? Let us re-read this and see if we can remember…
Oh yeah. We had no point. But we can make one.
Our Point: When you beat the messenger often enough, she may just pick up her message and go home. Warlocks, we think you’re outta luck for a while.
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32 Responses to “WoW Insider Casts Shell Shield”
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I have seen some of the comments posted there, and I would NEVER consider writing something. As much as I like telling stories, and as long winded as I am (I could whip out 2K words about getting a cup of coffee once 11 years ago) I could not stand the analysis. I know that there are exceptions and that there are details I’m fuzzy on, but pay attention to the major point.
A good example of which is the little challenge you have going. TJ has to kill 7K or more mobs, assuming that she ALWAYS finds only the mobs she needs and never kills extra. Someone commented how she should use bandages to speed up grinding as they are faster than eat/drinking. That may be true, but when speaking of 50 hours+ of grinding, she could never afford that many bandages, and grinding for the cash for bandages would defeat any time savings. Don’t pay attention to the 10 second difference between drinking and eating, pay attention to the BIG picture. She should ask anyone in her guild to come grind Furblog rep, as they are on the same mobs.
p.s. for the next challenge, get her to get a pirate hat from Bloodsail.
No, for her next challenge, bet her that she can’t find a spot to effectively hide the body of her gigantic ex-boyfriend.
I like that point better than anything. If people don’t want you, pick up your shit and go home. I’m a soccer referee and work hard to be good at it. I’ve had games where parents are pretty bad, but not unbearable or out of hand. If they ever did act in anyway like a person on the internet, I’d kindly take my leave. Maybe then when they’re standing around waiting for someone to blow the whistle to start the game, they’d realize where they screwed up.
Coming from an ex-level 70 Warlock, Warlock players can be a funny breed.
I feel sorry for ANYONE that tries to blog about playing a Warlock that does not have working knowledge of each talent tree and spec that can go with it.
I played the Affliction build, I played the Demonology build but never tried the Destruction build( not my play style),I stuck with the Demonology build because I had the best raid DPS with that build but still got hounded by other level 70 Warlocks for what was considered the “NOOB” spec.
Now I am a Hunter, where I can go BM as my spec, kick some ass, and enjoy a Raspberry Mocha while doing it.
Silly Warlocks….
i give your rant a 9/10 would of gone 10/10 but i need to see the f word for that score
symond:deathwing
holden:shadowmoon
Blah blah blah…
Isn’t it about time for another one of those “fascinating” “conversations with TJ” blog entries?
I mean seriously.. Blogging hard work? How could you call it that with the over 500 ‘quality’ articles you’ve already written here…
The people who comment on WoWInsider tend to be a little dramatic and lean towards hyperbole. Are they really that mean, or does hyperbole just come across wrong in text? I mean, nothing that has happened in the internet era could qualify as “the worst thing ever.” And if BRK is the worst writing you’ve ever seen, you really need to do a little more reading.
As others have said, I would consider writing a column on locks (my main is a lock), but don’t want to deal with the whole deadline problem, plus I might not be as thick skinned as BRK and don’t know how I would take that.
OMG… for a minute I thought this would be a TJ free blog…
What was I thinking?
Its as they say, beggers can’t be choosers. I never read the Warlock column much myself, but that’s mainly due to not having one as it was. However, when they were trying to make a series of columns so each class should have one, the class really shouldn’t bitch and complain at the person that is doing it, ESPECIALLY if they’re doing it just to fill the gap.
I say each and everyone of those people that slammed her should be forced to blog about Warlocks in the same manner as you do on Hunters, and as the others do on the rest of the classes. Let them see first hand how it really is and how bad they were treating her.
She did something that she didn’t have to do. She was giving her time to a class that, while I’m sure there were some that wouldn’t mind seeing her writings, decided that she wasn’t what they wanted and basically did so in the most childish, idiotic, and hurtful of ways. Nothing hurts more than doing something out of the kindness of your heart and having the people not only spit on you, but throw shit in your face as well.
Yeah, you’re right. I’m going to go read all the interesting stuff the two of you post two to four+ times a day on your own blogs.
BRK, you are so totally spot on (as usual). As a former message board moderator & forum manager, (and @dustin, former USSF referee), I can definitely relate.
I’ve seen some pretty rough stuff on WoW Insider, but it pales in comparison to the general tone on the official boards (although it does tend to get more profane). I don’t know what it is about Internet anonymity that makes people act like such total jerks, but I sure wish there were a cure.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m going to go read all the interesting stuff the two of you post two to four+ times a day on your own blogs.”
Somehow I don’t think you’re missing the point as much as you pretend to. Your flippant remark is not impressive. This was a hunter blog before you put your demon charms on BRK, excuse me for preferring to talk about hunters on a hunter blog, and not insolent warlocks.
/snort
My demon charms… I know you’re trying to be stern with me, but that was way too funny to take you seriously.
Anyway, why don’t you ask him to stop posting about me instead of employing passive aggressive tactics in his comments?
It’s actually odd…While I at times have had bucketsful of abuse on the forums from the Karazhan Marksmen Club, I’ve had nothing but positive feedback on my own blog so far.
I’m still waiting in fear however for the time when one of the aforementioned elitists from the forum clicks on the link in my sig, and reads something I’ve written which contradicts their opinion. I’m going to want to be wearing asbestos underwear when that happens, methinks.
Yeah, I actually felt the Warlock column a little “lacking” without any special flava. Since the beggining of the column I think it was stated that the blogger(s) (if I remember correctly there where two people in charge of it) weren’t “Warlock players” in full time and knew about the class just as much as any other player.
The knack of writing a class specific column is really knowing the class and defending it’s strengths/weaknesses in an almost perfect way, not just “trying” and “giving it your best effort” like they started with it.
BTW, my solution? Hire another Warlock player to do the column
>.> < .<
I C WUT U DID THAR
/sigh
It’s nothing against TJ, but it’s just not what I come here for.
Someone drop me a line when we’re talking about hunters again, otherwise I’ll be afk for awhile.
Someone drop me a line when we’re talking about hunters again, otherwise I’ll be afk for awhile.
There’s a joke in there about hunter raiding pre-BC.
That’s just sad.
I actually enjoyed the Warlock column. Even if the writer isn’t 100% an expert on the class, thoughtful writing can give one food for thought.
And she told my favorite Warlock joke EVAR. So nyah. Meanies.
I don’t think there’s much left to SAY about hunters. We’ve worn out the entire topic.
Tho I do not like how they approched it, I tend to agree with Guy and Zemulos. I do find TJ funny but she isn’t the reason I read this blog. Seems, to me,like you are writing more about her than hunter stuff. And in all honesty, it’s becomming a bit repetative. This isn’t a slam just an observation.
-Twinky & Piggywrath
I gotta say I am disappointed in the loss of the warlock column on WI. My main is Zilda, a 41 hunter on Zangarmarsh. I couldn’t be happier with her. My cousin convinced me to try a PVP server and since we often play as a duo. I decided to roll a Warlock, because I do enjoy the interaction with that pet/minion. I’ve only just started, but I am leaning towards the demonology tree as it seems to most closely matches my BM hunter.
As to crap that drove away the warlock class blogger, its a big shame that such a handful of people have to ruin it for everyone else.
Oh no, let’s moan and cry about what BRK posts on his personal blog. Don’t you guys have some sort of trolling to do on the WoW forums?
I enjoy the posts by BRK, whether they’re adding to the knowledge about hunters or giving me a good laugh when reading about TJ and BRK’s “adventures.”
-Z
If reading about TJ isn’t what you come here for, then stop coming. No one’s got a gun to your head forcing you to.
Uh, ignore that user name above. I don’t know what happened . . .
People, before complaining, remember what a blog is.
The person who owns the blog can decide what he wants to write because it is HIS blog.
If you don’t like, don’t read it. But do not complain about it this is just plain silly.
To all you self-proclaimed blog-critics out there…
How boring would the blogs be if they just stuck to facts/formulas/class/tactics all the time?
Having read ALL of that 1 million times, I’d much rather read something entertaining in between
a few golden nuggets of Hunter/Warlock wisdom.
If you don’t like the blog entry, don’t read it. If you ABSOLUTELY feel a need to criticize someone, do it as you would do it to someones face, i.e hopefully constructively and non-agressively.
Blogs are here for our pleasure to read or not. Don’t tell bloggers what or how to write.. if you can do better, do it!
Well, I have been a BRK blog reader for a long time now and I havent touched my Hunter in over 2 months. I now play a S Priest as my main, but I still come here for entertaining ramblings about BRK’s perspective on the GAME of WoW and beyond.
As has been mentioned above, how much more can you discuss Hunter issues?
- L2P Huntards
- Best spec
- Best pet
- Patch changes to Hunters
- Pwning the meters
- Shot rotation
Seriously, if you would take a look at his past posts you will see that he has had to endure posting about the same issues over and over again for the people who missed it the first time…but he still does it with a smile and conviction. That is why I am still a BRK reader, not because I come here looking for things to contradict him on.
Some of you guys need to calm down. BRK’s musings about TJ (and her responses) are a nice break from the game and if you guys dont like it, then you need to head back with the trolls on WoW boards.
My $.02 - spend it how you wish…
- Misfit
How quick we are to throw the word “troll” around. Stop kissing so much ass. We all like BRK’s blog, that’s why we’re here. There’s nothing wrong with saying we don’t like something. It’s not anything like what is said on the forums, so stop trying to make it in to that by starting a flame war. Why is it ok for some to use satire, but others not? It’s a viable way to express our own opinions, and we should not be attacked for it. No one called BRK any names for writing 56 columns on TJ. I rather enjoyed the banter between them also, for a time. TJ herself says to not be passive-aggressive… in a previous column, I was more blunt, but I hardly consider my comment in this column to be passive regardless. Based on his writings, I’m sure BRK doesn’t miss the point much. And @ TJ, I am not an angry person, so of course my post was intended to say what I wanted, but in an at least semi humorous way. Thank you for noticing. BRK is my wow fix during the day. I can’t view shit from my work computers, but I can view this site. I’m beginning to suffer withdrawl at work.
BTW, what’s up with all the deleted posts?
PS. Man to man, BRK, if you aren’t hittin’ it after that much banter, it’s time to move on.
Me also thinks BRK is blogging in a tremendously entertaining way about the game, with a hunter flavour, rather than creating a hunter theorycrafting how-to guide. That, plus the fact that it’s his blog should be enough of a reason for him to add as much TJ seasoning as he likes.
I was thinking though (while at work); is BRK getting too cozy with TJ? How does Ms. BRK feel about this? Oh. My. God. Could TJ really be Ms. BRK in disguise?
-Bluehunter@Arathor-EU
Hear, Hear!!!
Fortunately school will be starting soon and hopefully the offenders will pay a little more attention in English class.
It is their native tongue after all.
M2
“…degenerate and spoiled children,…”
OMG! that is GOLD!
“PS. Man to man, BRK, if you aren’t hittin’ it after that much banter, it’s time to move on.
“
wow..i just snorted water out of my nose….lol
quality