N4G has Failed

N4G – A Heaven for PS3 Fanboys and Their Anti Microsoft Agenda

 The web is awesome. You can find just about anything here. There are so many pages to read, so there aren't too many chances that you'll be buying or eating something without ANY knowledge of it beforehand. But there's a great problem that lies ahead in any search for answers: fanboys. I don't really want to single out a whole audience like that, but I'm writing this because it's of much concern to me. I'm sure you've come across quite a few forum discussions and chat rooms as you've tried to find information on a certain product or topic. A site like N4G that could otherwise be a much more valuable resource has become a place for angry PS3 fans to continue their crusade against Microsoft.

 I like the web. Places like Wikipedia and eHowto are great for getting the facts. Places like IGN, Beyond3d and Ars Technica specialize in more specific topics, like graphics and gaming. I like community oriented sites like N4G, where users can contribute by submitting news articles and commenting on them. The web makes it easy to publish and acquire information, so the users of these websites can come to a page with new information everyday. Things like Wikis have become joint efforts to respond to the needs of the modern web user by letting them define what something is TODAY. In other words the web is something that can actually keep up with the world!

 Keeping up with the world and keeping the information useful is the real struggle, however. Especially when you consider that fanboys don't want you to disagree with whatever it is that they're trying to show you. And this is where N4G (and its kin) come to play. I've been a user there for a couple of years. I own an Xbox 360, and go there to get great coverage on the games I want to buy. I also get great coverage behind the scenes and on big events in the gaming industry. So to put in perspective N4G is the site that keeps up with the world of gaming news! But here's the problem...the contributors would rather approve articles that cause a stir than to focus on the news that's more pertinent.

 But it's funny...a site like N4G, where users can contribute to the site is actually showing how such a concept can also be BAD for gamers! Since the users have control over what gets approved  they can continue to support sites where the news is biased, false, completely misconstrued, or opinionated (flaming). And to further their cause, they can “spam” N4G with articles that provide little more than what would be considered “flamebait”, articles that are just intended to stir up debate for no good reason. Further “spamming” can be caused by users creating multiple accounts, which in turn gives the illusion that there are more users that share their opinions than there really are.

 Yeah...I know, lol. The easiest answer is to just leave the site, seeing as how I've told you how long I've been going there. The web is too big for a place like N4G to really matter, right? It's true, there are alternatives. Places where the control is up to the so-called mods. It works really, but think about it: it means that the freedom we so want on the internet is only being used to spread fanboy propeganda. Log onto N4G just 5 days of the week and I guarantee that:

a) there will be at least one fanboy/opinionated article in the top 3, and even 3 of the top 5

b) being in the top 3 is a result of fanboys spamming the comments section with “flamebait”

c) articles that praise Sony/PS3 or insult Microsoft/360 will make it easier to those top spots

d) any article that speculates a “fail” (mishap in the industry) will easily get comments

 The mods have tried to alleviate the situation by introducing Open and Gamer Zones, where the latter is encouraged for those who would submit comments of better quality and is reviewed closely. But the fact is that they haven't stopped the spread of PS3 fanboys' continuous propaganda due to their being able to create duplicate accounts and squash dissent amongst Xbox supporters by simply outnumbering them in comments.

 Also, the comment “bubble” system allows them to easily attack other users by reducing the number of times they can comment on an article. A feature that was meant for users to silence spammers, it has become the very tool which PS3 fanboys continue to grow their strength on N4G as you'll see that the users with the most “bubbles” are usually theones who've cheated the system, and those with fewer are usually just victims of a “bubble attack”.

 So there you have it...let PS3 fanboys roam free and N4G is the result.