I do hear what you’re saying. In retrospect, I was certainly off the cuff with that “nefarious” remark and I’ll correct it, if that will make you feel better.

And one last thought, i somewhat think your efforts may be a bit misdirected. There are plenty of A-listers out there who don’t think they exist or wouldn’t even respond to your comments. I’m more in agreement with you than you may think.

Thanks for visiting and commenting!

Well, that’s exactly it. It is your personal opinion. And others have different opinions. The value I see in the 2k bloggers is the varied and diverse discussion. Part of what makes the blogosphere so cool is the diversity.

Here’s the thing: the people who complain that the 2000 Bloggers is just a link farm are the same people who never took the time to really look around at what it is. They’re not the people who are infatuated with faces, trying to predict what blog will come when they click. They’re not the people with an artistic bent who want to make a mosaic or collage. They’re not the people who spend time “getting to know their neighbors” or contributing to the communal blog.

They don’t ‘get it’ so they criticize it.

And for what it’s worth, the bloggers included in the 2000 have been personally selected. Tino chose the first 1200 or so and I’ve chosen the rest. Yes, they are self-selected in that they come and ask to join, but I don’t include every blog that wants to join. In fact, I’ve denied at least 10 blogs in the last two days. And I kicked out the first 300 who didn’t ask to join. I didn’t want the bad karma of stealing photos or including bloggers who didn’t like the idea.

Moreover, each photo of each blogger has be individually cropped. Again, Tino did the first batch and I’ve done the second. Sometimes I crop them off to the side, sometimes I do them straight on, Sometimes I get in close to their face and other times I leave the wider view with a toy or cat in sight. Sometimes I use the photo they submit and other times I find another photo of them on their blog.

My point is that project is subjective and you don’t see the value because you don’t want to.

This is just my personal opinion, which I go through in the linked to post, but I think that 2,000 blogs is inherently less valuable than a list of say, 10 blogs that have been personally selected by the blog owner, from a usability perspective alone.

The only difference between the approach of 2,000 bloggers and how I’m seeing things is whether a link should be based on just joining a club or whether it’s based on a consious decision by me to include. For example, every blog in my blog roll is one that I personally read on a regular basis. That’s a criteria I came up with on my own, but it’s a distinction from just automatically adding anybody to my blogroll that signs up on a list.

Secondly, I feel like I’m also doing my part to link to anybody who visits this site by having open comments (no follow on the links). So just by commenting here, you have some links to your sites. However, I do delete comments that I feel aren’t on topic. That’s where the human filter comes in. This in itself may be seen as “link destructive” by A-listers but I don’t particularly care.

We all have our lines drawn arbitrarially in the sand with whatever we feel comfortable with on our blogs.Yes, I’m straddling the fence between A and Z list. That’s a comfortable place for me.

Thanks for visiting and commenting!

And the fact is that at a certain point quality links versus quantity doesn't seem to matter, because if it did the A listers and Technorati wouldn't be so threatened by large blogrolls.

And the fact is that at a certain point quality links versus quantity doesn’t seem to matter, because if it did the A listers and Technorati wouldn’t be so threatened by large blogrolls.

There is a subtle difference from the steps I outlined above and joining a group that will give you links just automatically. I find the best quality links and relationships I’ve formed have been from people who linked to my content on their own volition because they read something on my blog and felt it was interesting enough to link to it.

I have never paid for a link on this blog. I’ve never asked anybody to link to me. I’ve never done a link exchange. I just write regularly and I’ve been very pleased with the organic growth this blog has had.

Anyhow, thanks for visiting and commenting, I appreciate varying opinions as it keeps everyone thinking.

Grouping together like-minded individuals and building blogrolls (links) is not destructive. Links are free, like hugs, and should be given and received generously. Links are NOT currency and those who continue to proclaim that links are worth protecting and hording are preventing the Internet from growing to it’s full potential.

Are you truly satisfied with the current simplistic link counting algorithms that measure website?

Do you honestly believe a non-human eye can gauge you blog’s worth?

Don’t you feel we’re capable of producing something better than Technorati and Alexa?

Don’t we deserve better?

Since I’m a librarian… well you can guess what Party Girl means to me. I haven’t seen all her movies but it is always a treat. Good looking and funny. What’s not to obsess about?

Blog on.

Thanks for visiting and commenting!

And thanks loads for the trackback; you and Lorelle are my first two! Yay!

Keep it up at WinExtra, you’re in my feed reader…