I want to visit everyone on my rolls. I want to dwell in there some time, have a good look around, explore their sidebars and then comment on their posts.The sheer numbers in the combined rolls make it so difficult to do this. What to do? Arrange them according to frequency, popularity, what?
Think there may be a solution and that is to go in this order:
1] First hit all the MyBlogLogs I see in the left sidebar;
2] Next, go to Sitemeter and click on Referrals, page five, then click on visitors back to page one, number one;
3] Get a coffee;
4] Return later and start working down the blogrolls one roll at a time, from Blogpower to Pending.
I can't see any other way to do it. That way, constant visitors get hit a few times, which seems right and yet everyone gets hit in the end.
How do you do it? Now for another matter:
I truly can't see the point of "comments off". What - are we just meant to come in, drink in that blogger's words of wisdom and then depart, enlightened?
I don't for one second, despite my manner, think I hold a mortgage on wisdom, at least not enough to turn comments off and still hope people will visit.
Perhaps I've misunderstood the idea of "comments off".
Next, the word verification. It's a pain, truly, especially when one is surfing over a hundred sites in a relatively short space of time. And Typepad's WV is so cold and unfriendly, to say nothing of not visible.
It's no pleasure at all going to Typepad bloggers.
I don't use verification and I get a little spam, not much. The new google blogger is quite good, coupled with my own system on the computer. I just delete the spam comment straight away.
Of course, everyone to his or her own on this matter.
You may find that GoStats has a really great referers tracking feature. (will log more history than site meter too)
ReplyDeleteBroad agreement with your approach. Myself, I don't have word verification for much the same reason. Do as you would be done by. I don't have a site meter, because as yet, I see no point. As for not allowing comments, surely commenting is the whole point? Do we not post to initiate discussion. Well not always obviously, but usually.
ReplyDeleteIt's to your tremendous credit James that you're so collegiate and diligent in your support for, and interest, in other bloggers. And I'm always grateful for the comments you leave my way - even if it's just for the acknowledgement that someone has read my post.
ReplyDeleteBut I have to ask, where on earth do you find the time? I enjoy blogging and try to post most days but with a full-time job and a 10-month old baby I'll never find the time to be more prolific on my own blog let alone click through blogrolls elsewhere, leave comments etc.
Since I blogged as Cassilis I've struggled with this question - where does blogging end and psuedo-social networking begin? If people visit the same blogs regularly for the quality of writing / insight etc. (regardless of who-links-to-who) then that's sort of genuine blogging - i.e. it's about the content.
If people form bonds / relationships based on blogrolls and reciprocal linking etc. then that feels more like social networking sites - why not just go to MySpace / Bebo etc?
Anyway, rant over because I have work to do....!
Keep up the good work!
Think there may be a solution and that is to go in this order:
ReplyDelete*Yes, James… just a few tweaks of the process, which have been added below *.
Get a coffee.
1] First hit all the MyBlogLogs I see in the left sidebar;
*Get more coffee.
2] Next, go to Sitemeter and click on Referrals, page five, then click on visitors back to page one, number one;
3] Get another coffee,
* and then another coffee;
4] Return later and start working down the blogrolls one roll at a time, from Blogpower to Pending.
*Get more coffee.
WM
Good points James. The word verification is a pain. I'll turn mine off forthwith.
ReplyDeleteVisit BlogPower (I have most of them in MY blogroll)
ReplyDelete... revisit my blogroll, revisit my blogroll...
when I think of it, I check sitemeter
I visit people on my sidebar, people who have left comments and find new people via interesting comments at blogs I read regularly. I do feel a certain responsibility to visit people on my sidebar on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteI start at the top of my blogroll and visit my daily sites and travel off from there. I read every comment and visit their sites and every week I every site on my blogroll at least once. If I see a site I like, not necessarily one I agree with, I add it to my blogroll.
ReplyDeleteI have comment verification on because I get so much spam. If it stops one spammer..... :)
I see blogs as a way to get different opinions and put my own views out. Most are nothing like social sites although they can be made so. I try and avoid those.
If you drink as much coffee as Winfred suggests then can I suggest you relocate your office to the toilet or at least plumb an extension tube in. Plus some sort of downer for afternoon so you can get some sleep at night. Altough with you doing so much do you actually sleep?
I read about 90 blogs per day starting with Blogpower blogs. It only takes me 2-3 hours if I don't comment much.
ReplyDeleteWord verification is good because it stops the spam which is very annoying. yes we can delete it but its easier to prevent it.
rchmura - I'll check it out
ReplyDeletecrushed - agree
liam - I don't have a little baby
winfred - I have a coffee beside me now
andrew - try it anyway
lord nazh - you're right there
m&m - good system
bag - yes they're important to get new opinions
ydkmw - I can't do them in that time.
As I've said before, I'm amazed at your diligence and loyalty to all of us. Any method you think of seems a good one to me! I appreciate the word verification is a pain but I'm such a scaredy-cat!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could visit more blogs more often than I do, but unfortunately life seems to get in the way!
ReplyDeleteI can only concentrate for so long reading online text as well!
James
ReplyDeleteYou are very diligent!
I agree with your observation on 'word verification' . It is a real pain. I use Blogger and get almost no spam. Maybe WordPress is more prone to it.
Having recently joined BlogPower, i would have to say that it is one of the best decisions i have made.
I have had lots of traffic from BlogPower blogs (hopefully not just for novelty reasons) and i feel a certain obligation to visit all the blogs on this roll at least once a week and some daily.
I agree iwth all the compliments to you over collegiality. As to tracking referrals, its interesting but thinking of my own habits, I'm much more likely to click through from a link on my blog to a blog I don't visit much. I tend to visit you every day but normally by typing in the URL because I've remembered it- the same goes for Stumbling and Mumbling or Matt Sinclair. My own practice is to read people who interest me basically and blogfriends. I tend to think of a blogfriend as someone with whom I have either had an argument which I found productive or have had an interesting email correspondence with- so people like yourself Chris Dillow, Matt Sinclair, Ellee Seymour or someone who comments regularly. I should visit more blogpower blogs but its just time that's a factor there- producing a PhD and a 400 word piece for the Blog and other stuff means that I run out of time and apart for people that I know and like I tend to visit sites which inspire thoughts for articles- this article though is a call to duty I must get roudn the old Blogpower blogs more often- and will- again I commend your collegiality James.
ReplyDelete