Many IF works, including most of the ones we are playing in this class, involve some degree of puzzle-solving. In some cases, those puzzles are explicit within the game world, like the dam control puzzle in Zork. In other cases, the puzzle or riddle may be more subtle, like figuring out just what exactly is going on. In Snack Time! for example, it may take the player a while to discover just what she is playing as in the game.

I've noticed that many of you have been writing blog entries about Snack Time! and Everybody Dies, which is great, but in the interest of allowing everyone to solve the puzzles on their own, I am requesting that from now on you try and avoid posting spoilers or solutions to puzzles.

Sometimes, of course, you need to talk about the ending of a game, and that's fine. When you do, however, make it clear to your reader that you're going to reveal something they may not want to have revealed just yet. Keep in mind that the individual reading your blog entry may or may not be in this class. Maybe someone googles Everybody Dies to see what people have said about it; that person may not want to see it explained to them.

The other reason to avoid this kind of "here's what happens in the game" mode of writing is that, from the standpoint of blogging, it's just not that interesting. I've already played the game, so I know what happens. Tell me something I didn't know, or point out some aspect of it that I hadn't thought about. Specifically, you should draw some parallel or point of contrast with another work, which is a requirement spelled out in the blog assignment anyway.

In short, consider your audiences, and make sure your blogging addresses each of their needs as much as possible. At a minimum, this audience includes: 1) random people on the internet, 2) other students in the class, 3) me, and I've ordered them that way on purpose. You should consider that general category to be your primary audience, and as such, your writing shouldn't assume that this reader has already read/played the texts you're discussing.

Above all, make your blog interesting and insightful, and remember that your opinion is not, on its own, interesting -- it's just your opinion. Similarly, description is not insight. Show your audience (and me) that you're thinking deep thoughts about the works we are examining, and demonstrate that you can express those thoughts clearly and in an engaging manner.

Finally, a blog entry is not, in itself, a conversation -- it is the beginning of a conversation, or the invitation to embark on one in the comments attached to it. This means that each blog entry you write should be able to stand on its own terms. If you need to refer to other blog entries or comments, link to them so that a reader finding your content in isolation will be able to fill in the gaps.

The corollary to this point is that a comment on your blog entry is an invitation to continue exploring those ideas. So don't leave your commenter hanging: reply, answer questions, elaborate, etc.