Getting Ahead in the GAX Game.

I've been accused of many things... GAX addict among them. I really have made this place a home of sorts, and like any home things get worn in, places become well used, and routines are set.

So I thought I'd help some of the newer GAXers, and even some of the older GAXers with a few tips and tricks I've picked up along the way.

A: Learn to comment almost as often as you read. This gets your name up on the front page, and it tells the person that you cared enough to at least take ten seconds to talk about the subject. And if you really find it interesting, ask a question! Questions keep the conversation open, and lets the person talk directly to you amongst all the noise.

B: Don't read everything! Jesu Christo there aren't many people who can sit down and do more than skim all the blog posts. You aren't going to have all the time in the world, so find the people that talk about what you're interested about, and be sure to check their pages regularly. True, you won't have quite the same overall name recognition from scatter shot posting, but the people on the other side will get to know you. People who get to know you, may give you a mention when talking about a specific subject. Blogging is an inherently social activity believe it or not, and making good connections will benefit you quite a lot.

C: Get involved in a group or eight. They may be relatively deserted in most cases, but it's still a chance to get in and be associated with a particular subject. Besides, you never know who you will have the chance to meet because of them.

D: Say HI! You can use chat to say hi to a lot of the older members, and you can always pop in to say welcome to a newer member. You'd be amazed the positive feedback you'll get from something as simple as "Welcome to GAX!" This also leads into people's first blog posts. Give them feedback, even if it's just to say that they need to fix their font or something.

E: Constant blog updates! Find a project, do a project, blog about said project. It can be leveling an alt in your game of choice, designing a full game from scratch, or just trying to keep up with a daily drawing challenge. You have to get it out there for people to read and comment on, and you have to make sure they have something to look forward to when they come back.

Lastly, the general theme of this all... Put yourself out there! Nobody is going to wander along, trip over your page and say, "hey this is kind of cool." You need to be out there, where they can see you, making sure they know you exist. So long as your cool about it, try to be entertaining, and most of all put other people before yourself, people will be glad to help you out with comments and friend requests.