On the subject of blues and their forum communication, with love from Zarhym
by Adam Holisky 
May 4th 2011 at 1:00PM
The lack of direct interaction from Blizzard with the WoW community has been talked about a bit in the forums, comments, and blog posts around the 'net lately, and we're now seeing that it's been a nagging issue for Blizzard as well.
Community Manager Zarhym posted last night, from home, a rather lengthy letter to the WoW world. It summed up nicely the different jobs of the community team at Blizzard and what their goals are. Zarhym also went a step further and said that they (the blues) haven't been posting on the forums as much as they would like to and that they're going to continue to improve their communication with the community.
It's an interesting read and should be taken as welcome insight from someone at Blizzard who honestly cares about the community he services.
The entire post, after the break.
Community Manager Zarhym posted last night, from home, a rather lengthy letter to the WoW world. It summed up nicely the different jobs of the community team at Blizzard and what their goals are. Zarhym also went a step further and said that they (the blues) haven't been posting on the forums as much as they would like to and that they're going to continue to improve their communication with the community.
It's an interesting read and should be taken as welcome insight from someone at Blizzard who honestly cares about the community he services.
The entire post, after the break.
Zarhym
As I was just leveling my alt worgen druid in Ashenvale, something came to mind I felt like sharing with you.
Firstly, we as a community team haven't had quite the chance to post on the forums lately as we'd like. Prior to Cataclysm we were able to engage in discussions more frequently, and it's our goal to get back to that point. One thing you should know though, is we're working very hard to get you the information you want in a timely manner, presented in a fun, personalized, yet professional way. With the great new front page blog system our web team was able to put together, we've been able to relay information to you on upcoming features and content like never before; and we're able to better show you some amazing art and comics from your peers in the community, and high-quality Blizzard and Trading Card Game art.
We've also spent a lot of time improving the documentation of hotfixes, as well as improving the layout, readability, and documentation of patch notes. We're working closer with our developers than ever to make sure you hear from them too. Just the same, our team is reaching out more via different social media outlets to make sure the community gets the information you need through whatever type of social platform you prefer. This goal even extends to our Explorers' League Journals we do as community recaps, where we often feature cool World of Warcraft stuff we find out on the web posted by you and yours.
The goal of the community team is mostly two-fold: 1) to make sure the feedback, concerns, and popular topics shared within this community are made known to the developers, all the way up to Mike Morhaime. We do this through multiple avenues of communication with our support, development, QA, PR, legal, marketing, and executive teams every single week; and 2) to ensure the doors of Blizzard Entertainment feel open to you, the players -- to show you this company hears you and wants to prove we're here to provide you with outstanding entertainment via as many venues as possible.
We'll be here. We'll be reading. Most importantly, we'll be listening. And we're going to continue improving our methods of communication with you, so you know this is a company dedicated to providing you with the entertainment you want for your money.
P.S. I know it's late, but chalk up the fact that I wrote this in my free time from home, to it coming from the heart and not some company-driven directive. It's great going to work when I know, when all is said and done, I work for a company -- and community -- I believe in and am honored to help support. :)
With Love,
Zarhym
Firstly, we as a community team haven't had quite the chance to post on the forums lately as we'd like. Prior to Cataclysm we were able to engage in discussions more frequently, and it's our goal to get back to that point. One thing you should know though, is we're working very hard to get you the information you want in a timely manner, presented in a fun, personalized, yet professional way. With the great new front page blog system our web team was able to put together, we've been able to relay information to you on upcoming features and content like never before; and we're able to better show you some amazing art and comics from your peers in the community, and high-quality Blizzard and Trading Card Game art.
We've also spent a lot of time improving the documentation of hotfixes, as well as improving the layout, readability, and documentation of patch notes. We're working closer with our developers than ever to make sure you hear from them too. Just the same, our team is reaching out more via different social media outlets to make sure the community gets the information you need through whatever type of social platform you prefer. This goal even extends to our Explorers' League Journals we do as community recaps, where we often feature cool World of Warcraft stuff we find out on the web posted by you and yours.
The goal of the community team is mostly two-fold: 1) to make sure the feedback, concerns, and popular topics shared within this community are made known to the developers, all the way up to Mike Morhaime. We do this through multiple avenues of communication with our support, development, QA, PR, legal, marketing, and executive teams every single week; and 2) to ensure the doors of Blizzard Entertainment feel open to you, the players -- to show you this company hears you and wants to prove we're here to provide you with outstanding entertainment via as many venues as possible.
We'll be here. We'll be reading. Most importantly, we'll be listening. And we're going to continue improving our methods of communication with you, so you know this is a company dedicated to providing you with the entertainment you want for your money.
P.S. I know it's late, but chalk up the fact that I wrote this in my free time from home, to it coming from the heart and not some company-driven directive. It's great going to work when I know, when all is said and done, I work for a company -- and community -- I believe in and am honored to help support. :)
With Love,
Zarhym
Filed under: News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Maccabeus May 4th 2011 1:12PM
3 cheers for the blues! Now, please please please fix the disconnect-boot issue in ZA, and the wierd range issue on Chimaeron =(
Austin May 4th 2011 1:13PM
We love you too, Zarhym.
a2545156 May 4th 2011 1:24PM
D'aww
Cigan May 4th 2011 1:28PM
Totally off topic, and I'll probably be horrifically down vote, but I don't care. Is that Zarhym? Hottest developer EVER!!!!!!!
That is all.
Swifteye May 4th 2011 2:15PM
I opened this post solely to say "I'll take one of each" in response to the picture, so don't feel too bad...
... gimme a GINORMOUS stuffed Wind Rider and an adorably shaggy and strapping young man with delightfully nerdy interests, and both shall be hereby cuddled into oblivion!
Skarn May 4th 2011 2:20PM
Juuuuuuuuuuust to make sure no one gets confused.
Zarhym is not a developer. He's a community manager.
Cigan May 4th 2011 2:33PM
Ok fine. Hottest community manager ever. So freaking cute.
Jormund Fenris May 4th 2011 3:22PM
I agree with you, even if the fangs and fur are a bit off-putting.
Fox Van Allen May 4th 2011 1:25PM
Adorable though Zarhym is in that picture, the thing's several years old at this point.
What I suppose I'm saying here is that someone needs to get on the ball and take a new picture of him cuddling up against a human-sized stuffed animal. You know. For ... uh ... for science.
Brett Porter May 4th 2011 1:33PM
Perhaps something of a shadowy nature? I'm sure there are plenty others (self included) that wouldn't mind volunteering for said science project.
Brodi May 4th 2011 3:32PM
For science. You monster.
Kole May 4th 2011 3:49PM
Oh you two!
solidus.obscura May 4th 2011 1:26PM
Proof that ashenvale is a boring zone to level in (again).
Luci May 4th 2011 2:58PM
HA!
Krystana May 4th 2011 1:38PM
I would just like to login and have my shoulders showing...just saying. :)
Zachariahs May 4th 2011 2:37PM
Take your shoulders off and put them back on. They should show then. Annoying but it works.
Brett Porter May 4th 2011 5:58PM
My hat does that sometimes, and when it does it's on my gnome and he looks 1/2 bald and weird. But yes, remove and re-put on does fix it.
Fletcher May 4th 2011 1:38PM
Now to see if the forum community will stop beating the blues' gift horse to death for long enough for worthwhile two-way communication to take place. I'm not holding my breath, unfortunately. I *do* like openness and communication from Blizzard; I just don't think that there's much of worth going the other way from Blizzard's official forums.
Tirrimas May 4th 2011 1:39PM
I nominate that picture as The Cutest in the WoWverse.
Kaphik May 4th 2011 2:03PM
In all honesty, with the way the vocal minority is on the forums lately, I am a bit surprised at just how much the CMs and sometimes developers actually do post on the forums. Every word they write is scrutinized and held up as gospel to be thrown back in their faces when something doesn't go exactly as a poster demands. Which most of the time is quite unreasonable, short-sighted, and/or entirely selfish. Yes, there has always been outcry and much gnashing of teeth on the WoW forums, but in the past six months it has been so vitriolic it's almost an embarrassment that these people who post such nonsense are fellow WoW players.
I personally am very happy with the amount of communication coming to us from Blizzard, and I enjoy the posts from the CMs. Especially when they get a bit snarky in a humorous way.