Sigh. Great idea ... not so great execution.I am fascinated by online guilds and communities and how they form and develop, for both the obvious reason and the not so obvious ones. Since this is one of the first (if not the first) books about the founding and development of an online guild, it caught my interest.
The author is a member of the guild, and it's obvious that he's got a lot of knowledge and enthusiasm for the organization. However, his viewpoint is so biased that it's hard to take the book seriously.
Because I'm sure that not everything has worked out well, that the Syndicate doesn't always win, and that everything they do is not accompanied by cherry blossoms and fairy sparkles. But if you read this, that's the impression you might get.
And in actuality, I'm sure that the trials and tribulations of an organization such as this were more interesting than:
- Situation arises.
- Wonderful and beneficent leader Dragons thinks it over and comes up with a plan of action.
- Everything works out just as it should, and the magnificence of the guild grows.
- Cookies!
Also, if you're gonna write a book, get an editor. Or at least check the damn manuscript for typos before you send it to the printers.
So I basically paid for a recruiting tool for a guild that I'm never gonna join. Or have any interest in joining, because it sounds like the Syndicate is way too regimented and hardcore for me -- they're playing games, right? It's not a job?
But I do hope the book paves the way for more investigations of online culture. It's a good field that needs more thoughtful, unbiased study.
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