WAIT? (some thing is stirring in the soil...) ARISE FROM THE DEAD, Dead err... Dev-blog"

[Wallygator]

Update 20Oct2018: the original post below was a basic complaint that the developers blogs were so rare that the comms channel was basically useless.  Just a few weeks ago our friends at squad announced they were killing the weekly updates and that "other" channels will be used - including the very nearly dead defunct devblog.

Why? Let us peacefully discuss...

---------------------

 

Back in mid-February @SQUAD indicated...

/Snip

"We’re planning to continue which the Developer Articles to let developers talk about their work and experiences in greater detail and to give you more insight about some of the challenges we face when developing KSP. These won’t be scheduled as regular forum posts, as we’ll be having multiple authors sharing info whenever they are willing and able. Nevertheless we will let you know when these come out, so you don’t miss any and keep your eyes peeled on the DevBlogs section of the forum for when they do."

/End Snip

And we have had only two devblog entries ( @RoverDude before and @TriggerAu after the above statement) and that's it.

Is the Devblog dead?   Or is it just not a priority for anyone?  They have a fair sized team. I find it hard to believe not a single person on the team has the time to highlight and share their workflow or experiences through a devblog entry.

I gather from the above snipped quote that:

1) They are not scheduled (Fair enough)

2) Info will be shared when devs are willing and able (Aha!)

3) @Squad will notify us of an any entries in the Blog (Again, fair enough)

SO --> As it stands, our Dev team is not willing and/or is not able to share anything for what is approaching the past 4 months??? 

Thoughts? Discussion?

(Perhaps the office intern can write something... )

 

EDIT:  It seems that in recent weeks/months there has been a resurgence in @SQUAD's ability to produce viable Dev-Blog posts.  Well Done!  Enjoy this thread to experience the journey from death to life.

Edited October 20, 2018 by Wallygator
death of blog required change to OP title

[Shpaget]

As someone who works in development (albeit not game dev) for a company that realistically should do regular status update for general public for its own financial and advertising sake, I totally understand SQUAD. When faced with a decision between writing a blog post about what you did in the past few days, or doing more constructive work, usually the constructive work wins.

In my case, most of the time the progress made in the past few days or weeks is not worth writing about because it's just a series of tiny fixes and tweaks that are not related one to another so would make a really boring list to read. When you are in the middle of a big project you just don't care about PR and just want to be creative and do as much progress on whatever you are working on. Once you are done with it, you quickly find something else to occupy you and kind of forget to write about that awesome thing you did a few days ago.

In the case of my company there really is enough material to write about every week or two, but it would take a several hours over the course of a few days to make that report of any quality worth publishing (taking photos during every stage with commentary and description of various aspects of the project).

That being said, I too would like to read a more detailed DevBlog, but for now, I'm happy to have KSP Weekly.

[Wallygator]

On 04/06/2017 at 5:43 PM, Shpaget said:

I totally understand SQUAD

I do not.

On 04/06/2017 at 5:43 PM, Shpaget said:

usually the constructive work wins

From my experience this is only true if the resourcing plan and project plans totally ignore communications requirements

On 04/06/2017 at 5:43 PM, Shpaget said:

In my case

This is not your case it is a KSP squad case, sorry (not personal, just fact)

On 04/06/2017 at 5:43 PM, Shpaget said:

the progress made in the past few days or weeks is not worth writing about because it's just a series of tiny fixes and tweaks

we are talking about 4 months in this case of squad and KSP (it is not a few days or weeks)

On 04/06/2017 at 5:43 PM, Shpaget said:

so would make a really boring list to read

only in your opinion - I and others might be quite interested to hear some details, even if small

On 04/06/2017 at 5:43 PM, Shpaget said:

When you are in the middle of a big project you just don't care about PR

if you are the coder, then MAYBE yes.  But if you are the producer, then it's a big no. A really big no.

On 04/06/2017 at 5:43 PM, Shpaget said:

and just want to be creative and do as much progress on whatever you are working on

if you are working on a big project with a multitude of other coders, then you are very very likely NOT going to be allowed to just go and 'be all creative", but rather you will be managed to a set of very specific requirements and deliverables.

On 04/06/2017 at 5:43 PM, Shpaget said:

Once you are done with it, you quickly find something else to occupy you

Uh... What?  So the producer just forgets what you are/were working on? Or what you should next start working on? Dude, thats just crazy management theory.

On 04/06/2017 at 5:43 PM, Shpaget said:

and kind of forget to write about that awesome thing you did a few days ago

Unless your producer and PR lead actually have a project plan and adjunct comms plan that incorporates these important tasks.

On 04/06/2017 at 5:43 PM, Shpaget said:

In the case of my company there really is enough material to write about every week or two, but it would take a several hours over the course of a few days to make that report of any quality worth publishing

Let's not talk about your company specifically, but still... we can take your data and extrapolate/interpolate

"several hours" (ok lets say thats 4 hours - for a single person)

"about every week or two" (so divide by something)

ok whatever..  Regardless, let us say it takes 2 hours per week (for only one person at a time) to write something/anything

Shouldn't that be factored into the overall project plan?

On 04/06/2017 at 5:43 PM, Shpaget said:

but it would take a several hours over the course of a few days to

Several (4 hours)...Few (3 days)...  four hours over three days means well less than an hour per day to document what has happened - assuming EVERY resource has accomplished something that day.  Frankly the production plan MUST comprehend this. It must not be optional.

On 04/06/2017 at 5:43 PM, Shpaget said:

to make that report of any quality worth publishing (taking photos during every stage with commentary and description of various aspects of the project).

Dude, you don't need to take photos during EVERY stage and you don't need detailed commentary.  Summaries???  Come on...

I'm sorry if I'm comming across pedantic - that is not my intention.  However, our individual experiences regarding development communications should not be the basis for excusing the failure of Squad to address their published commitments.

On 04/06/2017 at 5:43 PM, Shpaget said:

That being said, I too would like to read a more detailed DevBlog, but for now, I'm happy to have KSP Weekly.

You and me both my friend... You and me both...

[Red Iron Crown]

There's a new devblog up, I guess reports of its death were exaggerated. 

[Wallygator]

On 08/06/2017 at 8:11 PM, Red Iron Crown said:

There's a new devblog up, I guess reports of its death were exaggerated. 

Only moments after I "applied the paddles to its chest cavity" I presume?

lol - its all good.

 

 

[Wallygator]

SO...  Can we expect any further entries in the dev blog?

Or is the "death-state" of the Dev Blog now more acute than chronic?

EDIT: FYI it has been about 4 months...

Edited October 18, 2017 by Wallygator

[WinkAllKerb'']

post 1.x , pr , sales , income, improvements // new implementation , team switch, consoles and all 

prolly that prolly that

[Wallygator]

So, acute then.

[Wallygator]

and nearly 2 months on from that last post...  nothin...

I declare the dev blog dead.

If it rises from the grave then it shall be from hence forth referred to as the "Zombie-Dev Blog". @SQUAD please make it so.

[Wallygator]

On 08/06/2017 at 8:11 PM, Red Iron Crown said:

There's a new devblog up, I guess reports of its death were exaggerated. 

So it's been approx 6 months now since the last dev blog update.

From my viewpoint, this indicates that there is little (no) interest by the devs to post anything of depth except for the weekly/daily kerbal thread.

I recommend the devblog area be deleted and that the freed up "webpage space/column" be made focused on modders.

EDIT: it's interesting that the number of visible entries in the devblog has been truncated to THREE so that the really old stuff (goodbyes?) doesn't show up on the front.  but seriously guys, that's just cheating.  And no negatives toward @JPLRepo <-- thanks for the devblog inputs!!!!

Edited January 4, 2018 by Wallygator

[Vanamonde]

When the devblogs started, Squad was not doing the detailed weeklies like that are now. So for one thing the devblogs are largely redundant at this point. And for another thing, there has been staff turnover since the devblogs were put out more frequently, and the current people simply prefer to put the news out by other means. There isn't anything all that significant to be read into this. 

[Wallygator]

On 05/01/2018 at 4:12 AM, Vanamonde said:

When the devblogs started, Squad was not doing the detailed weeklies like that are now. So for one thing the devblogs are largely redundant at this point. And for another thing, there has been staff turnover since the devblogs were put out more frequently, and the current people simply prefer to put the news out by other means. There isn't anything all that significant to be read into this. 

Thanks as always V.

However, I for one appreciated the more in-depth take on various development activities.  It's sad to see such a channel die.  I appreciate the focus on the weekly updates, but 50% of each of these seem to be dedicated to infotainment regarding historical space activities.  The Dev blog seemed to be a great channel/opportunity for taking rare deep dives into very specific aspects of the development workstream.

Oh well, cannot have everything. Even if what we end up with is next to nothing.

RIP Dev blog.  We hardly knew ya...

[StrandedonEarth]

Holy cow there's a new one! I had to do a double-take, it took me awhile to notice it was there!

[Wallygator]

On 11/03/2018 at 1:33 AM, StrandedonEarth said:

Holy cow there's a new one! I had to do a double-take, it took me awhile to notice it was there!

I have no words...

 

EDIT "Zombie Dev Blog"

Edited March 16, 2018 by Wallygator
Words

[Wallygator]

And another DEV Blog... OMG!

I am pleased.

Extra pleased because its a really interesting subject.  Well done guys.

I'm going to attempt changing the title of thread now...

EDIT: Please refer to OP edit section for update.  Keep it up @SQUAD...

Edited March 23, 2018 by Wallygator

[Wallygator]

With recent change in communications strategy announced in the final weekly Kerbal update, this thread now becomes very relevant.

How long before we see a new dev blog entry? any guesses?

Please note: 7 months elapsed since last devblog entry.

Edited October 20, 2018 by Wallygator

[Superfluous J]

I'd guess 2.5 months, seeing as they said they were going for a release every 3 months and were planning on doing a post then.

I don't know if it'll be a "devblog entry" so maybe you won't consider it valid. In that case, I'd guess they will never do it again.

Edited October 20, 2018 by 5thHorseman

[Wallygator]

15 hours ago, 5thHorseman said:

I'd guess 2.5 months, seeing as they said they were going for a release every 3 months and were planning on doing a post then.

I don't know if it'll be a "devblog entry" so maybe you won't consider it valid. In that case, I'd guess they will never do it again.

You could be right. Let’s see what happens. Frankly, I’m not sure the Comms plan (if one exists) actually has any schedule at all. 

And to clarify, I really have no preference what they call it - but they did mention it by name if I recall correctly. Still, It doesn’t really matter.

The following is IMO...

An effective community management strategy benefits from structured and unstructured communications channels. If something is working, keep it working. If opportunities exist to throw random comms messages present themselves, go for it. 

What you typically don’t do is kill an effective channel unless you are deploying a completely new more effective alternative. Sadly, Squad just did this - they killed the weekly update without a demonstrated more effective alternative. 

it appears to me that something is afoot internally. A loss of resources perhaps?

or perhaps they think that by just pooping out more frequent updates they can skip frequent communications with their community. 

I’m still thinking about this... something does not add up. 

Edited October 21, 2018 by Wallygator