I Think I am Going To Fire Up My Blogroll Again
Over the last few month, especially within the last few weeks actually, I have met some really cool bloggers. For me, and I’ll be honest, it is really hard for me to completely check out the blogs of the people who visit my own blog. I joke around a lot about only working a few hours here and there, but I think you all know I do bust my butt quite a bit and keep pretty darn busy.
But here’s the thing that been pretty cool. Lately, I have been really tired at night (this is when I usually do real work) and haven’t really had my mind too right for doing any work. So granted I am not very sleepy and I am not going to just lie in bed and stare at the ceiling. Instead, I have been reading more of the blogs of the people who visit my own blog.
It’s really challenging for me to get to really know everyone well. Google Reader is pretty cool, but even still, there are so many blogs I want to follow and so many people who I want to get to know better. With that said though, there’s a handful of people who I have taken a liking to. And perhaps bringing back this “blogroll” is a way to have my friends bookmarked. Here’s the deal. No one visits my blog more than I do. My blog isn’t just a place for people to read the stuff I write, but in many ways its also a place for me to extract mental notes and bookmarks.
And you know, I think that is truly what a blogroll should be used for. I think that should be a section that declares other blogs and bloggers that interest you at the moment. They could either be friends of yours or complete strangers who you think are just great and you want to share. Also, and I’ll admit this up front… I have a lot of online friends. It’s strange to say that too, because I know more people online than I do offline.
So the odd or tricky situation for me in the past regarding blogrolls is deciding who gets to have a spot in it while not offending friends who don’t land a spot.
So, I guess for me, the way to just deal with this was to remove my blogroll. But you know what? That kind of sucks not only for me, but also for you (my readers). I love sharing things. I love showing my readers the things that impress me or things that make my say, “oh freaking wow, that is so cool!” (Actually Twitter in ways fulfills that need.) But the blogroll does it to in a more long term way.
I guess I’ll end by saying this. I am going to be firing up the blogroll again and I’ll have a few of my friends listed on it. But it isn’t because they are my friends, that might play a part of it, but the real reason why I have the blogs listed in my blogroll is because it is either something I think is really cool or the person behind the blog is someone cool who you can totally see shining within their spirit and writing abilities.
So yeah… I just got home (3:00 a.m.) I am a little tired, but can’t sleep, I don’t really feel like doing anything productive, but something does totally sound fun for me before I go to bed and that is whipping out a nice blogroll list.
Whatcha think about them apples? 
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11 comments
Why not add a link page/sites we read page instead ?
That would bring in more sites and a bit more exposure to other bloggers
My list is getting way too long as well, Garry! I am considering moving it to a page of it’s own.
As you said, you can’t please everybody. But it’s your site and your blogroll and you can do with it whatever you want. I should probably consider starting a “personal” blog where I can make a blogroll too. I’ve actually been thinking a lot about that lately. A personal blog that is. Not a MMO blog. I’m not that crazy!
You should start a personal blog. I think that would be really cool Bryan.
Hey Bryan–starting a personal blog is really a lot of fun. I had no idea what to do with my personal URL but finally decided just to start writing about my random life experiences. Probably nothing anyone else would be interested in (well my mom did try to leave a comment LOL) but it really is nice to have a blog that you can do whatever you want with and not really care whether it makes money or not.
Funny thing is, last week I wrote a post about going to the Michigan Veterinary Conference and now it’s on the first page of Google for the keywords “Michigan Veterinary Conference”. Strange how that happens eh?
You see that that is a perfect example of natural writing / ranking. And I would say more than half of bloggers have that happen to them and they don’t even realize how powerful something like that is.
Nice work Amanda!!! Your personal blog rocks.
My suggestion would be to rolls. This is your pers blog right? 1 for your friends and another for paid links. If some get offended by the fact they aint on it cause theyre not your friend, then so be it, they can pay for the link?
Don do link exchange since you have to monitor them all the time, Also Google wont even like this technique since it will complicating their Pagerank system. If you really wants to do Blogrolls then do that with someone who you really trusted and have already get to know well for a long time. Else like what shane said, Do paid links for those who insist to link exchange
I find sometimes these are the best ways to find new blogs you may have not noticed or had an opportunity to read. Looking forward to seeing your list. Hopefully a few new ones on there for me.
Well, it would have been cool to see myself on that list, but I’m not too disappointed that I’m not on it, you’ve only been to my site like once or twice so I just haven’t gotten you hooked yet
I totally agree with your attitude towards blogrolls and that is almost exactly how I use mine. I do need to make some updates to it though :S
Garry,
I was beginning to think you don’t have time to read other people’s blogs. Good to see you have a blogroll now.
Peter Lee
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