Blogging on Blogs: The Pokémon Go Official Blog

As a blogger, every so often I do (have to) check out other blogs to gain some insight or to find information that I need for my own posts. It's especially useful if I think I may have missed something along the way. Since I play Pokémon Go, I have to check for information on the game, especially for the creation of the monthly event rollups here. One of the ways I do so is by checking out and reading the posts on the official blog of the game. As it turns out, it's a pretty neat blog in and of itself.

As expected, the blog contains information on what goes on in the game, some of which may also be found through the game's News function, and if one has enabled it, the e-mail newsletter and updates... which may also refer back to the blog. Taken together, they constitute "support systems" for each other; each provides something that one doesn't. For example, the e-mail might only be a short tidbit or bulletin, while the game might provide greater details, but it's the blog that provides the most content. Likewise, the news announcements in the game may not be persistent, and the e-mails might get lost, but in the blog, they're all there.

Beyond this, the blog does contain some extra content that are not disclosed whether in-game or through e-mail updates. During the Pokémon Go Fest in Chicago, for example, the blog provided a weather advisory to those attending the event, which surely had to have been useful for some people. Recently, I've also been reading the Developer Insights that are also present on the same blog, which are fascinating in regard to how some things came about, including Team GO Rocket and Shadow Pokémon. Specifically, some of that involves details about why the latter became prevented to be traded: to thwart an easy way to get Pokémon with really good stats, something that was quickly conceived when it came about.

Unlike this blog, that one is not updated each day, every day; it is only updated when it needs to be (some updates even being on the same day as another), and that's just fine. The functions of the two blogs are different - this one being personal and overarching in regard to Pokémon, and that one being purposive and detailed in regard to the game. Any reader should find reasons to appreciate the two blogs, with those being the starting point. Likewise, I have to appreciate it as well in order to appreciate what I write on this blog.

That said, the Pokémon Go official blog is usefully informative. It keeps track of what I can't keep track, and the additional content is intriguing and attractive to read. Right now, it reminds me something I haven't done, which is to compose the Pokémon Go event rollup for the current month. Some of the content in that blog should hint at how my rollup will take shape, and I do believe this is something that will be true for later months as well as I continue reading that blog as it updates.

One year ago: My Pokémon Groups on Facebook
Two years ago: In-Town vs. Out-of-Town Events