I don’t really write much personal editorial on TSA any more. In fact, I don’t really write very much at all – with my baby daughter (rightly) taking up most of my spare time and a new job enthusiasticly soaking up my daytime hours, I don’t have a great deal of the day left for blogging. Sure, I’ll do the odd review when I can and if I’m up in the middle of the night changing a nappy I’ll see if anything needs covering, but apart from that it’s pretty quiet.
This isn’t a reflection on the site, of course – I still think TSA is wonderful. It’s just that over the last couple of years I’ve floated away from it a little bit, at least in terms of the so-called ‘front line’. Behind the scenes I still help out with the coding and site design elements and pop up in group discussions about things that matter, but I don’t feel nearly as connected. Certainly, most decisions are now made without me, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
When Michael and myself first set up this website, way back in 2007, we just wanted somewhere where we could talk about gaming and – if we were lucky – have a few people talk back. There was no agenda, no goal, no traffic quota to aim for. It was simple, it was fun, and it was, as anyone trying to run a website in their spare time will tell you, really, really hard work.
We made plenty of mistakes. We were too enthusiastic with diving into things without really thinking them through, we didn’t really give much thought at first to the community that was slowly emerging around us and we didn’t really take on board the opinions and wants of other people perhaps as much as we could have done. There’s no-one to blame for that other that our own naive selves. We’re programmers, not editors, not journalists, not anything remotely to do with the industry.
But we were friends, and continue to be. Michael is one of the nicest, hardest working and generally all-round brilliant guys on the planet. We’re in constant contact and – you’ll probably know – are working on an iPhone game. But we’ve only met, physically, once. I’ve known the guy for about ten years, and we’ve met once.
[drop]When running the site became too much, too stressful, it was the brave shoes of Peter that stopped things from falling to pieces. Peter is a communicator, he’s an organiser, he’s a much stronger willed people than I am, and he’s much, much better at keeping TSA on the straight and narrow. His level-headedness saved the site (in more ways than one, trust me) and when I look at it now, it’s an entirely different site than it was when I was (poorly) managing it.Handing over the keys wasn’t easy – but it had to be done, and there was nobody more suited than Peter. Who, get this, I’ve never met. Not once. Likewise with Dan, who looks after all the news output, or Kris, who keeps the features and content flowing. Apart from a few of the Scotland-based guys, there’s never been a big TSA gathering. There’s no office, no central base, just friends who met online doing their best to make something that they think other people might want to read.
That’s all going to change this weekend. At 2011’s Eurogamer Expo, we’re all meeting up, and I’ve literally no idea how it’s going to pan out. I’m a introvert, I panic about meeting new people, and yet here I am hugely excited about what everyone’s going to be like and how they’re going to react to each other. But I know it won’t be tense. It won’t be full of fuss or awkwardness. Everyone will have a common ground and we’ll all have a beer or two together and act like old mates.
We’ve fallen out over emails, had heated phone calls, called each other every name under the sun and then made up a day later with as many <3’s as you can fit on a line before it word-wraps. There’s been stress, anxiety, but there’s been elation too, and there’s been the ever present encouragement from the readership that seems to stick with us through thick and thin. And yet we’ve never met any of you guys either. If you’re in London for the Expo, do get in touch.
Until next weekend, then. I can’t wait.
bunimomike
Lovely read, Alex. I’m the same as you as I too am an introvert. Thankfully TSA has helped me come out of my shell and I love talking to people from time-to-time when I can muster the courage to say hello.
Have a great time at Eurogamer.
moshi
I to am shy and retiring, must be something they put in the water at the towers.
bunimomike
TSA water also causes me to fib from time-to-time. :P
blackredyellow
Nice read, thanks Alex. I find it amazing that you guys have so rarely met and still manage to successfully run and maintain a fantastic site. You should all be very proud of your accomplishments.
I hope y’all enjoy the weekend hugely and all get on without any handbags! ;) Enjoy yourselves, you deserve to.
OneDown
A great personal read! I’ll be in London so I’d love to see you guys if its possible. And I can honestly say that you guys really do make this site great and its the only site ive ever religiously looked at everyday since way back in 2009. Maybe you guys could wear “TSA” Tshirts or something so we could recognize you all?
Jakster123x
Awww, love the site. Keep it up. ;)
Rocket_345
I’m quite surprised that you and Michael have only met once. I’d love to meet up with alot of people on here. Hope you have fun at EGX.
Jim H [Teabags]
Wish I was coming to EGX now :(
Maybe next year.
nofi
Thanks for everyone’s kind words. Means a lot.
Pajspaj
I may have overlooked it, but is there a section with all the TSA team’s Twitter IDs anywhere? I’m trying to get more into the community side and I think that’d be a good step!
OriginalJonty (Aran Suddi)
There is a Twitter ID thread in the General Discussion section of the forum. Mine is @AranSuddi. Feel free to add it.
TheDeathAvenger
Nope, but there’s this forum thread.
djhsecondnature
I feel quite lucky to have met you once already then :-p
Dan Lee
Youve met ME! Which is amazing, because the institute rarely let’s me out.
The Lone Steven
An excellent read. I had thought that you and Peter had met a few times during some gaming expos. :O There is a saying about programmers but i can’t quite remeber it. TSA works as it is one of the few sites that is fanboy free(diehard insulting fanboys that is), where everyone’s opinion is respected. :) I wish i was going to EGX as i would like to meet the staff and the man responible for this excellent creation. Also i suspect a lot of TSAers feel the same way.
Now time to raise hell for the honour of TSA oh wait, it’s not friday. :p
RudeAwakening
Yeah i completely agree with lone steven about the no “diehard insulting fanboys” on the site. For me i’ve never came across a site where the community respects each other as much as the sixth axis community.
Would also love to be going to EGX to and to buy nofi and the guys a pint for creating and keeping the sixth axis classy.
Carl With An X
Would be cool to go to Eurogamer, but i can’t get the day off, 2 people from my work are already going, but i hope you all have a good time, meeting each other, gaming and getting drunk.