Ok, so instead of focusing on the petty things in my life, I am going to get all meta-bloggy on you today ‘cause I have a question. I promise to be back to regular swill tomorrow. So here’s my question:
How do you deal with linkage?
I try to keep a relatively trim list of sites that I read regularly, eliminating those that are not updated with enough frequency or those that I have become bored with. I also, as a general rule, try to avoid linking to sites that have too much advertising versus content.
However, the current list is not that accurate (friends get a bit of leeway) – since I started using Google Reader, the number of blogs that I regularly read has shot skyward, whilst, at the same time I have been too lazy and busy to edit the template file that has my links. That means any number of blogs that I enjoy, for the moment, are not acknowledged on my homepage. This is something I will try to rectify in a week, once my current work crisis is over.
I bring this up because last month in my NSFW entry, I linked to a blog in Prague that, although interesting, spends about 50% of its time talking about rent boy culture and the scene in Prague (which I find interesting) and 50% of the time promoting recent additions to the paying membership site of boys alone and boys together. As a result of this entry, the blogger added me to his blog-roll and then, a few weeks later, sent me an email asking me why I had not added him to my list.
After responding to him, I expected to be dropped from his blog-roll, although, for the moment I am still on his list. Honestly, I’m flattered that he thinks his readers would be interested in my blog—although I harbor my doubts. I rarely post pictures of cute guys and discuss my gayness in terms of having sex. (I’m right after the “Very Gay Porn – The number one gay blog for FREE gay sex movies!” I’ll admit I have linked to porn, but it’s not that regular a topic or theme for my blog.)
Generally speaking, when I’ve linked to people, I do it without too much, if any, fanfare; and when people have linked back to me, I am thrilled, although I do not expect it. There are at least a couple people who I’ve linked to for quite awhile without having had any reciprocation and it’s never occurred to me, until this week, that perhaps I should write and ask for it.
So that’s my question—what’s your general rule for linking?
I have no steadfast rule to use on mine. Though I should probably update my non-blog friend links since they are outdated. I usually add things I find amusing or otherwise interesting and when they cease to entertain me I remove them.
I link to who I read.
I take that back. I link to who I read and want to be associated with.
I figure the link in my blogroll is a recommendation. Now, I might keep the link, but with a warning, if a linked blogger started posting that baseball is a boring sport. Everyone is expected to have some crazy opinions.
However, if a linked blogger suddenly started posting “Bush is a great President” I’d drop them off the list. I can’t recommend that kind of insanity.
I guess I am with CQ here. I post links to my friends and to a couple of things I find interesting. Granted, I could probably have more links, but it’s a pain in the ass to add/drop people that might discontinue blogging.
On my blogroll, I have a few rules:
1) The blog has had to inform my content or my general outlook in some way or another multiple times.
2) I give special credence to groups, such as female vloggers and podcasters, etc., that seem underserved when it comes to notoriety in the blogosphere.
3)I do not include blogs that are already well-linked/popular, as they already have enough publicity in other places.
4) I never never ever ask for links, and never return link anyone unless the blog fits the criteria above.
Thanks everybody! I have read your comments, even if I haven’t responded before now.
I think this weekend, I’ll be updating the template to reflect more of the blogs I currently read–whilst trying to not get too overloaded.