Monday, June 26, 2006
Upgraded website
I upgraded my website and opened a new blog there that I intend to use for my professional interests, so LJ isn’t cluttered with them. There’s also a new photoblog. Check it out.
The two are syndicated on LJ at![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
jacefeed and jacephoto.
I’m not sure I want to have a blogroll. The people who influence my daily thoughts deserve an acknowledgement, but I used to have one and the effects of PageRank were all too prominent. Linking is politics.
Why do you link to someone? Because they’re your friend, or for the quality of their content? If the former, why scratch backs in public view? If the latter, how do you explain to your other friend that she’s making an admirable effort, but isn’t good enough to get a link? How do you explain to someone that they no longer feature in your roll because you no longer agree with their political stance, when you would have otherwise silently unsubscribed? How do you win the rapport of that reader who sees your roll everyday, wishes she could be on it, but feels like an outsider among your circle of prominent friends? Would you have the energy to maintain your blogroll once the initial enthusiasm wears off?
Much as I think they’re a fundamental necessity to blog-hosted conversation, I can’t think of a fair way to maintain them. What do you think?
The two are syndicated on LJ at
jacefeed and jacephoto.I’m not sure I want to have a blogroll. The people who influence my daily thoughts deserve an acknowledgement, but I used to have one and the effects of PageRank were all too prominent. Linking is politics.
Why do you link to someone? Because they’re your friend, or for the quality of their content? If the former, why scratch backs in public view? If the latter, how do you explain to your other friend that she’s making an admirable effort, but isn’t good enough to get a link? How do you explain to someone that they no longer feature in your roll because you no longer agree with their political stance, when you would have otherwise silently unsubscribed? How do you win the rapport of that reader who sees your roll everyday, wishes she could be on it, but feels like an outsider among your circle of prominent friends? Would you have the energy to maintain your blogroll once the initial enthusiasm wears off?
Much as I think they’re a fundamental necessity to blog-hosted conversation, I can’t think of a fair way to maintain them. What do you think?
2fargon — Jun 27, 2006 1:25:31 AM — # ↩
frozenaftermath — Jun 27, 2006 10:06:08 AM — # ↩
I gave up on blogrolls in 2002 or 2003, it is quite an overrated pain. Now I link to someone only within entries if they are new or if they written something interesting or if it is related to the entry.
Don't you think Zope is a bit of on overkill for a blogging framework?
Kiran Jonnalagadda — Jun 27, 2006 10:26:24 AM — # ↩
There's more than a blog on that site, and I've never quite been comfortable with any other framework. I can beat Zope/Plone into doing what I want. I feel crippled elsewhere.
frozenaftermath — Jun 27, 2006 10:39:42 AM — # ↩
I figured as much after posting the comment.
Member of the Zopeaholics Anonymous club I presume :-)
Kiran Jonnalagadda — Jun 27, 2006 12:02:54 PM — # ↩
Can't help it, man. The stuff has a steep learning curve (Zope at least), but everything else feels like a cheap hack cooked up over the weekend in comparison.
I did better than Zopeaholics Anonymous. I became a member of the respective foundations. ;-)
birdonthewire — Jun 27, 2006 10:16:05 AM — # ↩
brainz — Jun 27, 2006 11:05:16 AM — # ↩
latelyontime — Jun 27, 2006 2:01:53 PM — # ↩
Sometimes to refer to them. Sometimes to show them off. Some other times to substantiate what they are saying. Often it is reciprocal where mutual linking allows for validation.
Because they’re your friend, or for the quality of their content? If the former, why scratch backs in public view? If the latter, how do you explain to your other friend that she’s making an admirable effort, but isn’t good enough to get a link?
I never thought that non-linking somebody might actually offend them. I mean surely the people who are not being linked realise that they might be saying valuable things but it might not fall into context. Why would you want to link linking with friendships?
How do you explain to someone that they no longer feature in your roll because you no longer agree with their political stance, when you would have otherwise silently unsubscribed?
By saying exactly that I presume.
How do you win the rapport of that reader who sees your roll everyday, wishes she could be on it, but feels like an outsider among your circle of prominent friends?
Ah...now that is a tricky one. I guess the answer would be in responses and conversations that happen on the blog posts. Surely a blog roll is like a roll of honour and hall of fame kind of a thing. IN which case, it is an aspired for space and hence should define the outsider.
Would you have the energy to maintain your blogroll once the initial enthusiasm wears off?
Ah, and there, as the bard says, lies the rub of the tale.
Kiran Jonnalagadda — Jun 27, 2006 3:23:15 PM — # ↩
Maybe it's just me, but I find such lists in general offensive to those who didn't make it. I'm fine with linking to someone when referring to them -- because then it's very clear why they are deserving of a link.