Another GDC is coming up, and as frequently happens, there’s a video game blogger who is trying to raise money to attend GDC whom I very much support in that endeavour. This year, it’s Kris Ligman, whom you probably know best through her work curating This Week in Videogame Blogging at Critical Distance each week; I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that those columns are the single most important thing bringing together the part of the video game blogosphere that I inhabit.

That work, though crucial and time consuming, is unpaid. I wish we had better funding models for that sort of thing, making it easier for people to make at least a part-time job out of it; in the absence of such models, though, I want to make sure people like Kris can continue to do their work. And I’m positive that a trip to GDC will inform her work in concrete and productive ways.

So, if you read those columns, or interact with her on Twitter, or read her blog, or read her work anywhere else, and if you can spare a few bucks: please donate to her campaign. She makes a difference; you can help her make a difference.

 

If you click on that link, you will find that she has already met her funding goal. But I encourage you not to stop there. Yes, she will be able to attend GDC with the money she has now; but the budget that she lists there is a bare-bones one. (Believe me, you will not eat very well in San Francisco for eight dollars a day.) And the extra expenses that she lists at the bottom are real, too. I’ll quote what she says about that:

In addition to this, I’m sure I don’t have to belabor the point that my work on Critical Distance represents a major, unpaid time commitment each week — a time commitment I increasingly cannot make, due to working 40-60 hours a week (barely) making ends meet on my basic necessities. Therefore, if you have enjoyed my roundups for Critical Distance, or any of my other articles most of which are also free to be read and shared, please consider donating a little extra to keep this work top-notch, on schedule, and free for everyone.

So, while most years, I’m happy if we just reach our goal, this year I really would like the donations to keep on for a while. The money will not go to waste.

Many thanks for whatever help you can give.

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