Indiegamer -- A drug?

[Black Hydra]

I'm really going to have to start putting specific restrictions on viewing these forums.

I check them far too often, and I think its starting to impact my productivity. As much as I try, I always seem to need my 'fix' by visiting these forums.

How many of you visit here far more than you probably should???

[Jim Buck]

*raises hand* (you know it's bad if I respond 6 minutes after you post)

A "12-steps to cutting down on IG.com" in the making? :)

[ggambett]

Hi, I'm Gabriel, and I'm an IndieGamer addict.

[Black Hydra]

I think I read a meaningful thread here every couple of days. Sometimes a week if its slow.

So why do I feel the need to check every few hours...

Luckily its spring break and I've resolved not to work at all for a week, so I don't feel as guilty for checking the forums in less than an hour...

[princec]

...must...not...reply.....mmmmmeagegeaARGGGH!

Cas :)

[FlySim]

Between reading this forum, checking my emails for sales and playing a bit of ThinkTanks, I get NOTHING done... :D

[Mark Fassett]

I definitely waste a great deal of time reading these things. I could probably have two more games done for the time I spend visiting...

[ManuelFLara]

Althought I check them some times a day, I hardly spend 5 minutes each time, so I don't think it's a great time waster.

[BantamCityGames]

I too am an indiegamer forums addict...
I also know someone from a pretty successful indie company that actually quit the forums completely because they couldn't help themselves from checking and posting too frequently and it cut into their productivity. I won't post the name because I don't really know them personally and they probably wouldn't like me to do so.

[PoV]

Arrr, I must be an addict, just look at my post count. Alright, post counts might not be a fair way to rate the addiction, as I'm a skilled lurker too. :D

[Anthony Flack]

I won't post the name because I don't really know them personally and they probably wouldn't like me to do so.

Ah, but they won't know!

I'm usually here in spare snippets of time, or when I'm too tired to do any proper work, so it's usually not wasted productivity. I quite like to check frequently so that it doesn't take too long... if that makes sense in a twisted sort of way. I also save time by not reading anything properly or putting any thought into my responses.

I've noticed that the forum's getting more popular though - when I come back there's often 2 pages of new posts now, where there used to be only one.

Chatting with svero is a much better way to waste my productive time I find.

[GBGames]

Heh, I've actually been avoiding these forums for some time now. Besides the time sink, I realized that I was saying a lot but not doing a lot...and I'm sure a lot of you would agree and might have loved the relative quiet.

I'll read something every so often, and pipe in if I am sure I can contribute something meaningful, but if I catch myself thinking, "Well, maybe I'm just guessing here..." I cut myself off and close the browser tab.

And here I am posting something that violates those rules. I'm going to bed.

[Jim Buck]

I have noticed a few of the high-posters suddenly disappearing as of a few weeks ago.. I wonder if they went through the 12-step program.

[Weber]

I'm almost always reading.. but rarely posting.

[Black Hydra]

The truth is that there is very valuable information to be gathered from here. So I feel giving it up all together would be unwise.

But I think I can let it grow and then check it over once a week, or even after several days, not every two hours... gah!

I'll have to start making it scheduled, so that I don't constantly check here. New springbreak resolution (funny spring break isn't usually the time for moments of resolve... :rolleyes: ) I will only come here at most once a day. Starting as soon as my holidays are finished.

I also really despise the 'Senior Member' attatched to my name. The fact that I've made far too many posts than I probably should have gives me the sort of status that really doesn't befit my experience (mid-way through first shareware game). I'd hate for someone to read my posts and believe I actually know ANYTHING!

[Weber]

So your saying every two hours is bad...?? ehh... No Comment ;)

[PoV]

So your saying every two hours is bad...?? ehh... No Comment ;)
Haha, yeah. I still havn't left yet. :D

And from what I've heard, it's a 36 step program, with a motion currently circulating to push it up to a 73 step.

[Weber]

I dont have time for any step program.. I'm to busy reading posts.

[C_Coder]

My prescription is once a morning and multiple times in the evening for at least 2 hours a session. :D

Is there a rehabilitation probgram? :p

[baegsi]

It's often a good measurement how long I spend reading forums and blogs. If I'm stuck at work, I spent too much time.

[gpetersz]

It's the same for me too. I guess it's the natural curiousity (?? do I know this language?) of men. "How others do it?" :D

[whisperstorm]

I check the forums at least once a day or so. I think it helps me stay focused on getting a game out (eventually). Think about it, you arent here for the snazzy technology - hitting submit buttons. You're here for the <b>people</b>. Reading posts from familiar ppl is like saying hi to your cubemates in the morning, or catching up on the daily paper. No harm in that :)

(Heh, just dont stop by the cube every coupla hours :) )

[Coyote]

To everyone's credit -- I've picked up enough information on these boards (and the old Dexterity boards) that I feel any loss in productivity has been made up for by now with the improved tools / techniques I've learned about.

[Greg Squire]

I guess I'm an addict too -- an addict for good info on the Indie Games Biz. ;) If there wasn't such a "schmorgasboard" of good info here, I wouldn't be here.

[Mike Boeh]

I check the forums at least once a day or so. I think it helps me stay focused on getting a game out (eventually). Think about it, you arent here for the snazzy technology - hitting submit buttons. You're here for the <b>people</b>. Reading posts from familiar ppl is like saying hi to your cubemates in the morning, or catching up on the daily paper. No harm in that :)

(Heh, just dont stop by the cube every coupla hours :) )

I really like the tech discussions here, because they're actually relevant. We discuss dirty rectangles instead of shaders :D

As for the forum itself, almost everyone i talked to at the GDC read them, including every portal. We have a ton of lurkers....

[Ricardo C]

I'm definitely addicted. The appeal of the site is twofold, for me: I get to interact with fellow rookies, and we can share hopes and fears, and most importantly, we get daily participation from established pros who very generously share their insights and advice, (and sometimes even code! :D)

A wonderful community all around.

[jpantuso]

Discovering this site has been good and bad for me. Good because it's a great community of people that I need to be in touch with. Bad because it is a swirling sucking vortex of time consumption :D

You do need to discipline yourself if you find things like this are taking away time from developing. Two things I would suggest to people, they sound hard-nosed but sometimes you have to be:

1) Keep copious to-do lists and prioritize. Macro lists for the next six months, micro lists for today and tomorrow. If it isn't on a list, don't do it. Getting yourself more productive is as simple as that.

2) Put a dollar amount on your time. Then decide whenever you are going to take on something that will consume time, is it going to pay me back?

I have to ad to this, you need downtime too. Time with family, friends, a book, a movie. You might have to consider reading the Indie gamer forums to be entertainment and not work... :)