Do A-list bloggers have a responsibility to link to others?
Sue Polinsky (who helps to run the excellent Converge South conference) asks an interesting question: “Do big(ger) blogs have an obligation to smaller or newer ones to link to them?”
I can’t speak for anyone other than myself, but, yes, I try to link out to as many people as possible. I got found because other people linked to me, and I view it as my responsibility to link to other people as well. I also leave my comments open so people can post their own opinions and links to things.
But, I can’t get to it all. The blogosphere is too big. So, in front of every audience I speak to I demonstrate how to use blog search engines and I keep my link blog, which has linked to many many thousands of blogs.
Another thing I can do? Ask you to post your link in the comment area on this post. I’ll visit them all and subscribe to good tech blogs, which will mean more links in the future from my link blog.
So, free blog advertising! Tell us your link and why you think your blog is interesting.
January 28th, 2007 at 10:17 am
I started a personal blog to journal my adventures in the startup world. I want to document everything - my thoughts, personal happenings, bitching, or anything else that has to do with starting a startup. I think it would be interesting to eventually publish a book using the the blog format, regardless of whether or not the startup fails.
January 28th, 2007 at 10:24 am
You asked, so I answer: please check out my blog:
http://comicstripblog.com
… where I comment BY DRAWINGS (doodles), once a day, on things happening in blogosphere, podosphere and in the world too. This blog is interesting because by watching 1 to 4 drawings, you get immediate insight into things without needing to read too much texts.
January 28th, 2007 at 10:28 am
LOL @ “Comic Strip Blogger” - you’ve been added to my aggregator.
January 28th, 2007 at 10:28 am
My blog is at http://krishami.blogspot.com . It covers topics mostly relevant to technology, business management, personal learning and software products and services useful for persons working in the Information Technology field. Thanks!
January 28th, 2007 at 10:30 am
First of all, I really enjoy your blog and your book “Naked conversations”.
I have learned a lot from both, and hopefully you can see improvements at my online marketing blog.
http://www.mlmforums.net
At first I was really thinking every post through before publishing it, now after reading your blog and your book I am more publishing frequently and trying to make a conversation with my readers and it seems to work.
I have so many questions regarding online marketing, and using my blog seems to help myself asking the questions and it helps me (and hopefully others) to get some answers.
January 28th, 2007 at 10:32 am
“Comic Strip Blogger” is now in my Google Reader subscription. And Robert Dewey, you too.
January 28th, 2007 at 10:39 am
Here’s mine: MATRIXSYNTH.
January 28th, 2007 at 10:43 am
http://johnonsales.terapad.com/
I blog on sales issues. I have a day job. My side job is teaching entrepreneurs, business owners, independent professional like doctors and lawyers, how to sell without becoming salesfolk themselves.
January 28th, 2007 at 10:47 am
Interesting thread Robert, my blog focuses on 4 Main areas all involving usage of technology:
1) Mobile Search Marketing - the emerging field where search engine, LBS and real-time inventory data will be merging to create innovative consumer driven experiences! It’s going to be a fun yet complex ride!
2) Search Engine Industry General Issues
3) Using Business Strategy in conjunction with technology to create new business practices.
4) Customer Experience - Technology companies (and all companies for that matter) need to focus more on customer listening then innovating in real time based on feedback - where it’s flaming Dell’s or melting Apples - the examples of suboptimal customer experiences is unfortunately the norm, I want to work to change that - as Peter Drucker said - “Businesses are not paid to reform customers. They are paid to satisfy customers.” (look for a guest blog post from my Mom on Comcast shortly)
——————————————–
I’m currently seeking leadership roles in companies who believe in these principles (I will relocate for the right opportunity). I bring the following experiences to the party:
1) start up company experience, I once worked for http://www.blackrock.com - a company that used Internet to deliver ecommerce information way back in 1996! The company innovated the way bond data was used and analyzed creating structure out of chaos. Similar to how the Internet is doing now with search engine marketing, we are in the early phases of transparency and an efficient advertising marketplace. I was with this highly tech oriented company during it’s primary growth phase (80 to 800 people).
2) Passion for making sustainable competitive advantage through superior, customer-focused data models.
3) Top 10 MBA
My contact info is on my blog and I look forward to hearing from you and building positive relationships.
http://www.daviddlaka.com/createvalue
January 28th, 2007 at 10:52 am
Hi, my name is Mike and I’m a linkwhore. ;-)
http://www.HackingNetflix.com.
January 28th, 2007 at 10:59 am
I have mad respect for you Robert. You really care unlike so many others. You linked to me and I’m a nobody, and I was goofing on you to boot. You widened my exposure when you could have ignored a dopey guy like me. I’ll always remember that.
January 28th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Robert you old firestorm starter you said in the past that WinExtra was part of your linkroll but I thought I would toss out the link once again.
You made some comments about WinExtra which I sincerely took to heart and made some changes because of them. So maybe drop by and have a look and let me know what you think.
http://www.winextra.com
January 28th, 2007 at 11:06 am
No, I don’t think A-listers have a responsibility to link to anybody. Linking is a way of communicating with others. To search out and find worthy reading is a huge effort, even with the tools that we have. Blogging is essentially a two communication in a world wide arena, this gives exposure to the conversation and allows everybody (that can) to participate.
Linking is part of the blogging culture, that if you like what you read you can show where you got it from.
With A-Listers, as with anyone with fame, you develop a level of exposure that demands a response.
To link or not to link, that is the question! (it appears)
Guy
January 28th, 2007 at 11:09 am
[...] is doing something really great. Check it out. He truly is the bloggers [...]
January 28th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Hi Robert, thanks for offering this space; I am a software developer living in Switzerland, “migrating” from Microsoft technologies to open source ones, and my blog is all about that: http://kosmaczewski.net/
By the way, I’ll be attending LIFT in Geneva too, so maybe we’ll have a chance to chat about blogging :)
Adrian
January 28th, 2007 at 11:22 am
The PageRank algorithm is probably one of the key factors in this whole argument about link sharing. While the initial search engines used the “content” of your web site or page, nowadays (because of content spammers) authority (determined by incoming links) matters more.
The problem is that if a newbie or Z-lister has something really important to say or has some great idea, he or she will not get the necessary audience to propagate that idea.
I am not sure how this can be resolved because the commercialization of the Internet along with SEO businesses have changed the rules of the game that unfortunately now negatively affects new ideas.
And yes, a tech-savvy person can get his or her idea spread, but what if the person (non-profit, medical field, etc.) has no clue about Google juice and stuff like that.
January 28th, 2007 at 11:27 am
First of all, every post from you is worth a reading in my opinion. I just started blogging, mainly because the company I work for had an internal blog which died just after it started. Nobody paid attention to it, and there was no management support. I started blogging mainly for my colleagues and friends. But also because of an independed voice towards my company, a place where I can speak out free. I want to focus my blog on everything related to Microsoft, the main part is development, collaboration and unified messaging/collaboration and collaboration. Everything web/enterprise 2.0 has also my interest.
Besides that I want to blog about everything that has my personal interest. Blogging has changed the way I live, and acquire knowledge. And yes, I link back to the source
http://www.virtual-generations.com
January 28th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Writings about enterprise software, dynamic programming languages and general geekiness.
January 28th, 2007 at 11:34 am
Hi Robert-
Great idea and wonderful way to give exposure to what others are saying and doing out in the world.
CostPerNews (http://wwww.costpernews.com) is my blog geared towards the online marketing and affiliate marketing crowd. Our little niche industry is really coming into its own as players like Google, AOL and Yahoo continue to move into the space and attempt to make use of affiliate marketing’s organic and relationship-based nature.
Should be a fun 2007 for acquisitions!
Thanks again, Robert… keep it up!
Sam
January 28th, 2007 at 11:35 am
Robert was the first “big” link I ever got, when my blog was only a couple of months old.
The fact that I was hosted on wordpress.com also and my article had been popular enough to show up in the dashboard helped him discover me, but quite a few times I’ve found smaller blogs because of his links.
January 28th, 2007 at 11:35 am
http://www.burnertrouble.com
How is climate change/global warming affecting us right now? What can we do socialogically and technologically?
All the links in the world can’t replace good content!
January 28th, 2007 at 11:36 am
Sure, I’ll jump on the linkwagon…
http://podophile.com
My little iPod blog. Claim to fame: First to confirm that the Nike+iPod Sport Kit works with any brand of running shoe. My how-to “shoe hacker” guide was linked to by both Gizmodo and Engadget, so I’ve got no beef with them.
January 28th, 2007 at 11:40 am
There is less linking as more blogs are born.
When the Tech guys were 90% of the bloggers there was way more linking.
January 28th, 2007 at 11:43 am
I feel a bit embarassed for coming out of the woodworks like this but I’m a longtime reader and run a tech blog of sorts. I’d be delighted if you could add me as well.
January 28th, 2007 at 11:43 am
Hi Robert, thank you for the opportunity! Give ComeAcross a whirl when you have a few minutes. A lot of my posts center around technology, but I write about other things as well. Thanks!
January 28th, 2007 at 11:46 am
Fun way to get back in favour, Robert!
Seems as good a place for a comment re. linking. First of all, although I subscribe to your blog, I don’t watch your videos. I’m on a 128kbs line (rural, no ASDL) which kind of limits the media. So I’m missing out on a lot of your material. But even if I could watch it, how would I link to the interesting frame 12 minutes in? (Should be technically possible, btw). If I wanted to quote anything, would I have to transcribe it myself?
If you want more linkage (not necessarily from the big guys), you could try providing linkable screenshots and transcripts.
January 28th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Hey, I’ve just started a blog which covers Computing, Gaming, Web Development, News and Reviews. Check it out, if you dont mind at I,TheWritingWriter
Thanks for the oppertunity.
January 28th, 2007 at 11:57 am
I don’t think A-list bloggers have a responsibility to link to lesser known blogs per se. I think the reason most bloggers are A-list is because they keep track of what’s going on in the blogosphere at large and just end up linking to lesser known blogs to get to the cool content. It’s like asking if a lion has a responsibility to eat a monkey. Well no, that’s just what the lion does. Oh and I’m always looking for a few extra clicks: Michael.NET
What makes my blog interesting? I’m not Scoble and I don’t make the front page of Techmeme. I am the trenches baby. I write about what I find interesting be it tech or life, and I try to always put my own analysis on things rather then just blindly link to other people’s content.
I am Blog, resistance is futile, you will be linked.
January 28th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
I cover digital copyright developments such as Creative Commons, DRM, etc. at http://www.copyrightings.blogspot.com
January 28th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
Robert
The linking takes place in the posts as well.
At least this is the way I mostly do it and crediting my sources.
In any case, whatever the size of your audience,it takes time to build it.
My main blog ‘Serge the Concierge’ will turn 2 in March but it has been really picking up momentum in the past 6 months.
I think you have to be patient and recognize the fact that after writing frequently for many months, you offer your audience more to chew on.
I will actually start a new blog soon on the topics of Food, Wine and Travel as experienced the world over by local people as opposed to tourists and magazine writers.
A number of people will contribute their posts, I will mix it up and serve it.
Take care
Serge
Biz:
http://www.njconcierges.com
Blog:
http://www.sergetheconcierge.com
January 28th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
[...] I applaud Robert’s answer and would wish that all other A-listers felt the same way. Do A-list bloggers have a responsibility to link to others? « Scobleizer - Tech Geek Blogger: I can’t speak for anyone other than myself, but, yes, I try to link out to as many people as [...]
January 28th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Hi Robert, and all readers. Please check out http://www.thethirdeye.org. Its tech-based and improving all the time.
Thanks
January 28th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Wow, these blogs all rock. Thanks everyone, keep them coming!
January 28th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
The question of what A-listers owe Z-listers seems to be a perennial. Last time it bloomed in August, 2006 it echoed around the blogosphere for a week or so.
Nick Carr posted a parable about peasants hungering for links from the A-listers who lived in a castle on an island. It was beautifully written, and provocative enough to get him called an A-hole by Mike Arrington and spark a flurry conversation that made it to Techmeme. Winer and Doc Searls joined the fray, along with many others. At the time, Scoble said this:
I guess it’s different now.
My blogs are Mickeleh’s Take, on tech marketing and media–with a special interest in how television is being subsumed and transformed by the Internet, and Mickeleh’s Soapbox, on politics. I worked at Apple for nearly a decade and at Digeo (Moxi) for more than half a decade and the Take reflects that. The Soapbox reflects some unhappiness with the current White House regime. Some random personal interests leak into both blogs.
January 28th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
I think you’ve seen mine before
http://ian.sundermedia.com
Don’t worry I haven’t made any more anti-scoble posts.
January 28th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Robert - a pitch for a buddy since I believe you already loosely follow one of mine (thank you).
It’s kind of ironic that you bring up Convergence South in a post about linking to others when I know the guy (Ben) who said he was instrumental in getting you an invite to that event. He seemed a little miffed that you never acknowledged him for that here, instead choosing to thank Sue Pollinsky.
True or false? If true, you might want to give his tech blog a little love somewhere down the line … Easy to find his site, it’s the fifth one linked on the Convergence South page.
January 28th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
Robert, great way to encourage people to promote their blogs, well done. You can find my own blog at http://benlucier.wordpress.com. Generally, I use my blog as a creative outlet not focused on any one subject. But, since I love my work and technology, most of my writings are business and tech industry focused.
PS: I’ll be in SF and San Jose in March. Keep me posted on any meetups.
January 28th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
I think it’s awesome that you encourage linking to others. Sometimes A-listers forget who got them there in the first place. Kinda like sold out pop stars who forget how integral their initial fans are.
My blog is over at Geekwhat.com.
I blog mainly about the projects I am involved in as well as my thoughts on tech, music, and business items. Some interesting items:
1. Getting my music album onto Apple iTunes
2. Writing music for NBA superstar Lebron James
3. Photos and blog entries straight from Macworld 07
Enjoy! :)
Tony
January 28th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Do A-list bloggers have a responsibility to link to others? Not at all. Why should they? I suspect the flip side is more appropriate… while they don’t have the responsibility of linking to other bloggers, it is irresponsible of A-listers not to link to other bloggers when they are inspired by something that they read on a smaller blog, even if it is not what they end up writing about.
January 28th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
My blog is churchtechmatters.com and I blog about ways that churches are using technology, ways the churches can use technology and a variety of other things.
I started over 2 years ago because I couldn’t find anyone else doing this kind of thing and it seemed important to me and because I wanted to learn more about it. Now, I’m able to interact with churches and church leaders around the world, which is amazing to me.
I love the interaction and I’m always learning new things from my readers. Also, I hope I’m providing some value too.
January 28th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Kudos to you for doing this, as the A-list often tends to be an echo chamber. Now on to the shameless self-promotion: I run a Windows Sysamin http://www.serverdays.com blog focused (for now) on Windows Vista, Office 2007 and small business IT issues.
January 28th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
You’ve already linked to me a couple of times (thanks!), but thought I’d jump in any ways.
I write a reasonably popular blog for software startup entrepreneurs.
http://OnStartups.com
P.S. To answer your question, I don’t think anyone is really obligated to link out. I think it’s in their interests to do so, but it’s not required.
January 28th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Darn it, Robert. This is at least the SECONDM time you’ve linked to my blog and ConvergeSouth and it hasn’t taken down ANY of our servers. What does it take to get slashdotted anymore?
January 28th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
[...] Robert Scoble picks up the question and asks people to respond as to why their blogs should be linked to. Lots of talk. My comment was [...]
January 28th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
One blog which is full of front-end, security, philosophy and any old crap happening at Yahoo! in London.
In terms of responsibility I’m not sure that I would use so strong a term. However I do believe that bloggers that rode the first wave and deliberately don’t link to good material in the lesser ranks are not the kind of people that are my kind of people.
I do wonder how many A-listers actually find the time to read non A-listers with all their side projects.
January 28th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
On-topic, there is at least one local Greensboro-area blogger who believes that my blog is important enough that by not linking to her, I have done her a serious disservice and shown a “non-welcoming attitude” of the “Greensboro blogging community” (which is silly). I update my blogroll about twice a year and don’t think my ability to promote anyone is very serious. However, she thinks so and it’s sticking in her craw that I won’t link to her. John Robinson, our news-blog-trend-setting newspaper editor, has also often been accused of non-linking when it’s possibly, like me, a case of just not updating blogrolls.
People take this very seriously and it still astounds me. But folks, here’s how connectivity works:
(1) We (mostly Ben) invited Robert to speak at ConvergeSouth and after a lot of negotiating schedules, got him here (a “yay” moment).
(2) He and Maryam stayed with us at our home, because I wanted to absorb his energy and CS is nonprofit and it was cheaper that way.
(3) We got to know each other, talked, drank tea, ate Thai food, and had a blast, even though his luggage was lost.
(4) He interviewed me for the Scoble show.
(5) Someone watched that show. Really. He tracked me down through an organization I mentioned on the interview. (They thought he was a spammer, but forwarded it anyway. Good thing.)
(6) I got an invite to do a bi-weekly column on DownloadSquad.com, (a Weblogs, Inc. company, part of AOL).
The online community is international and immediate. You don’t get high billing unless you write something interesting and timely and over time (see Winer, Dave). And you keep at it. Not being an “A” lister (I self-describe as an X/Y/Z lister), my goal isn’t to be on the top. I blog because I have something to share.
One of things I always thought was wrong with America (and there are a heckuva lot of things RIGHT with America) is that people don’t have a place to tell their stories. I believe blogging is one of those places that solves that problem. Tell your story and stop worrying about who is reading it.
January 28th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
you are asking the right question, and no, you did not make enemies yesterday. It pains me to link to Gartner/Forrester when I know my link will require the reader to have an expensive subscription account. Ditto with the NY Times when I know they do not link back to bloggers. The sad thing is they will generously quote interviewees, but conveniently use blogger stuff with no attribution. So, yes all- A, B and C list bloggers would be better off attributing each other and linking to each other.
Using that principle, Jeff Nolan facilitated a group of enterprise focused bloggers when he was at SAP and it has blossomed nicely in less than a year - see http://enterpriseirregulars.com/ and see the quality of stuff coming out of this group of bloggers
The reality is in the enterprise space the industry analysts and some trade rags just happen to have pretty good content and we would hurt ourselves if we did not link to them. Hey they have been doing it 2-3 decades longer than us bloggers.
January 28th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
I blog on blogs at htp://www.thebloggingtimes.com
January 28th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
http://martingordon.org/blog - Serving full-text feeds since 2005!
I cover anything tech that interests me. Mostly Apple stuff, but also some Web 2.0, gaming and even some photography stuff.
January 28th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Hey Robert. Thanks for looking at our blogs. Mine’s The Soapbox Prophet
It’s an SJSU college/tech blog - I actually took a lot of tips on it from you when you came to JMC163. Thanks again!
January 28th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
A listers have the opportunity to link to others but as free human beings they can do what they want.
Smart A listers link to others as a strategy to maintain their high traffic levels, or as a welcome side effect of doing so.
If someone links to your blog you’re more likely to read theirs and possibly comment on it or link to it. If that linker drives a lot of traffic to your blog, that would increase the likelyhood of that happening. It’s not easy to stay on the A list when most people want to get there and there is turnover. Blog in a bubble to long and you may lose your A list status.
My blog http://adultaddstrengths.com focuses on adults with attention surplus condition, or as Jacob Stewart has said ” “high availability multi thread asynchronous task and associative processing skills”"
more commonly known as attention deficit disorder.
I try to show the side of ADHD that is often missed, the advantages of having it such as being highly creative, higher energy levels, rapid processing mind, the ability to hyperfocus and multitask etc.
January 28th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
I just saw your blog - and really, no really(!), not intending to use it as a link thingy or whatever, I want to say a heartfelt well done. I just read your about me and I am really impressed. I hope you go from strength to strength.
January 28th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
[...] Engadget didn’t link. Gizmodo didn’t link. Michael Arrington pushed and pinched and hurt my arm. [...]
January 28th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
Scoble,
While linking out to others can be good ka it can also be a double-edged sword. I have stopped reading many blogs because they stopped focusing on original content and became too frequent participants of the echo chamber.
It’s nice to think that each of us has our own audience and that by pointing-out another person’s or company’s posting we are providing a valuable service to our readers. Unfortunately I thing this is an incorrect paradigm, one that is largely egocentric and does not reflect the true nature of the reader; one that does not offer a good reader experience.
Could the real nature of the blog-sphere experience be closer to reading a newspaper? Could each blog represent a different reporter, columnist or editorialist? Could the difference be that instead of a managing editor making one choice for everyone we get to choose for ourselves the authors we want to read? At least I think it is so.
By using a collective paradigm instead of an individual resource paradigm one could compare the modern blog reading experience as being akin to reading a Sunday newspaper where most of the stories go something like this: “Today, Angie Smith wrote a great review on the intelligence of Asian monkeys over on page 6.”
So, to answer your question, bloggers, especially A-list bloggers, have a responsibility to be judicious when linking to others and to only link to others when they can add something of value to the conversation.
I propose the following rules of thumb:
1) If you have a news feed then be a news feed. If you have an original content feed then be an original content feed. If you want to do both then use separate feeds and keep the content separate. (A decent example of doing this is Tom Peters over at http://www.tompeters.com)
2) If you want to write about a news story or about someone else’s article in an original content blog then make sure you add something new and original; add something valuable. Do not simple regurgitate with a quick, “You should read this” or, “I liked this” or, “I hated this.” Dig into your intelligence and say something worthwhile that nobody else has said. Compare the article to other posts on the same subject. Provide an educational background. Provide a comprehensive defense or attack.
And for heavens sake, if you are not sure you can add something original or worthwhile to the conversation then do not write about it. If you think it is worth mentioning then so will twenty other bloggers. That’s twenty presses of the J key in Google Reader. That’s twenty deletes in an email client RSS reader. That’s twenty re-runs no one wants to watch.
There are more worlds than this….and blog readers know it. Treat readers with respect and give them the user experience they deserve.
January 28th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Robert,
Let’s here it for the Asian guy, the real brains and originator of the idea for ConvergeSouth. Not that I want to take anything away from Sue (she’s fantastic) but I think he’s feeling a little left out and he’s such a nice guy and a necessary part of what keeps Blogsboro alive.
January 28th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Hi Robert,
I blog about technology, culture (from a tech/geek viewpoint), music and PR - particularly how it interfaces by social media.
Best,
Ged
January 28th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
ping; geek w/ social skillz; because i got stuff to say
:-P
January 28th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
I don’t think anyone has a responsibility to link to anyone else. There is some great content out there that is completely independent work with no links or only a few that serve as “footnotes” to the essay at hand.
There are other sources that have almost NO original content and who’s only purpose is to aggregate good (theoretically) content.
The vast majority of bloggers are not making a dime off their efforts. A few are making some money, but not enough to quit their day jobs or even pay for their hosting services (if they are using one that charges).
I think for those of us who fall into that latter category, we are fairly disinterested how many links we get.
I feel most sorry for those z-listers who have hit the big-time for a few weeks or months and now feel compelled to stay up there in the ranks so that they CAN quit their day jobs. I bet more than a few have quit their day jobs prematurely.
With organizations like Time laying off a thousand people at a time you have to ask yourself how many full-time expense accounted new people can this country support. Any technology based answer that comes out to “More than we have now” is the wrong answer.
I’ve always been suspicious of any new technology that replaces a few centralized specialists with a distributed group of lower paid amateurs. Such systems, one way or another, eventually collapse, and I’m sure the the current system once it adjusts to the new tools presented by blogging will have a shake-out, just as the client server admin-heavy network systems will eventually re-centralize around systems that look a lot like mainframes (but will be called something else). (I’ve always maintained that there was little new to blogging other than the more sophisticated tool we use to update our web pages. I stand by that).
January 28th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Hi Rob,
I started by blog http://markflavinblog.com just 3 weeks ago. I blog all about the internet marketing industry. Everything from affiliate marketing to search engine optimization.
All the best,
Mark Flavin
January 28th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
I don’t think any blogger has an obligation to link to another. The link should come because the new blogger is writing something interesting and pertinent and you want share it with your readers/friends.
Robert, if your links aren’t honest your readers will lose trust and go elsewhere.
Your book, Naked Conversations, has a lot of good advice for people. One point, be passionate about what you write about applies to this conversation I think. If you are writing about something you love, you will find an audience of like minded people. When you are writing about what you love, your enthusiasm shows.
So the simple answer is - link to bloggers that you find interesting.
Of course getting a link from an A-list blogger can drive a lot of traffic to your site. But if you don’t hold the readers interest, none of those thousands of readers will come back for more
January 28th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Sorry I should have given my URL: http:renaissancechambara.com/
‘Hi Robert,
I blog about technology, culture (from a tech/geek viewpoint), music and PR - particularly how it interfaces by social media.
Best,
Ged’
January 28th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Ehh… Thanks to Tdavid and Billy for looking after my interests. Yes, I’d have to say at some point I was a bit miffed that Scoble pointed out the wifi thing was Sue’s too. Sue’s like my adopted mama, so I love her and she should get credit, but the wifi thing was mine. But when it comes to credit: ConvergeSouth founders/organizers are Sue, myself, and Ed Cone. It was my idea, but without any of the three, none of it would have happened. And there’s a whole slew of volunteers that I’m grateful for.
Otherwise, oh well.. I’m overlooked. heh. Oh well. But I have to say that it’s rather amusing and somewhat hypocritical on the whole credit thing when there’s the whole worrying about Engadget linking back. And there-in lies the amusement.
January 28th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
I guess I should plug my new WPF blog.
I write about Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) at http://wpfwonderland.wordpress.com
WPF is the huge new graphic programming engine the shipped with .NET 3.0. It will change the way Windows user interfaces are written during the next 5-10 years. I believe it’s a very significant shift, but poorly understood by the average Windows programmer who has only seen a garish demo of spinning buttons and 17 color buttons at a Microsoft event.
Code samples, videocasts, decontructing existing WPF applications, new WPF tools, tutorials and more.
January 28th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Agree with you that we (I’m no “A list” blogger, mind; more a C or a D) have a responsibility to link to wherever we find the stuff that we point to or write about (or otherwise give credit).
January 28th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
The question of a-listers linking to the rest of us mere mortals seems moot to me, and I’m happy to report that at least Robert Scoble gets it. Apparently so does Arrington. Good on them.
P.s.: I’m still waiting for mine
January 28th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Robert,
As of this morning, I know you’ve already subscribed to the RSS feed.
I tend to cover technology, blogging and Web, with a major focus on Google, Apple, TiVo and Microsoft. I am also an avid sports fan, covering the Oakland A’s and Sacramento Kings, and contribute to other blogs, such as The Apple Blog.
A recent highlight I thought you might be interested in is an analysis I did on the ROI of media downloads (songs vs. films and TV)
http://www.louisgray.com/live/2007/01/what-is-true-value-of-entertainment.html
If instead, you prefer comics, I do weekly comics on the A’s all baseball season long, called The ANtics. They’ve been featured on an A’s broadcast, and gotten me calls from family of the players, asking for their own copies.
Those are hiding here:
http://www.louisgray.com/live/fun/comics.html
Hope somebody enjoys them.
January 28th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Robert - you inspire us all.
I will take up your offer - but only to do a manual trackback to my post about your post. Maybe you can do a post about my post about your post. And then I will do a post about your post about my post about your post (you get the picture).
Manual Trackback:
http://www.touchstonelive.com/blog/2007/01/how-to-get-linked-from-a-list.html
January 28th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Thanks for the link love, Robert! Looks like you’re blogroll is light on Sun Micro blogs. Here’s one that’s fun and informative: blogs.sun.com/lskrocki
January 28th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
You can always try my blogs:
http://making-music.blogspot.com/
http://www.svartlinks.com/
http://microcontent.blogspot.com/
http://svartling.hopto.org/
And I’ve also have a interesting search engine:
http://readle.net/
January 28th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
My blog is just a personal one about whatever occurrs to me.. a little neglected of late - more effort needed!
http://www.cunningham.me.uk/wordpress
January 28th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
“I wanna be overwieght” is my approach to losing some excess weight, combining somme well known ideas from the WeightWatchers commercial plan with some of the statistics from the Hacker’s Diet. (I have to lose about 40 lbs to become overweight instad of being obese!)
January 28th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
[...] Scoble has raised a ruckus in a corner of the blogosphere this weekend (and here and here) by complaining about the lack of “credit links” among some [...]
January 28th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Robert-
This is a big project, I assume you will get hundreds of comments from folks who will post their link (heck, I will do it!). I like it when the Uber-bloggers like yourself are just regular folks. Too many people start to see themselves as celbrities. I also read a lot of blogs (big and small) with authors who never site anyone for any idea or topic they write about. Nobody can come up with it all on their own, thus linking and giving credit to others is just what everyone should do.
I know you will have a lot of blogs to visit based on this project. Already around 70…I predict you hit over 300. I hope you find something to smile at on my blog, “Some Assembly Required”:
http://www.thomsinger.blogspot.com
It is mostly networking, business development, sales, marketing, PR, advertising….but also has a lot of my personal rants and raves.
In answer to the question, I don’t think anyone is required to link to others….but I do believe it shows a lot of class when someone like you invites others to be showcased like this.
Have A Great Day.
thom
January 28th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
my tech/programming blog: http://www.goldb.org/goldblog
January 28th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Thanks for asking Robert. Most A listers simply don’t care or get it. “No link love for you loser.” Here’s a blog on international search engines and a blog on search engine marketing training.
January 28th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Oh man Robert, I guess I will get my links in.
I started off in the PDA world with a small site about the Dell Axim that ended up being a huge site, http://www.aximsite.com, Aximite really isn’t a blog, but it spawned another site that is now a blog, http://www.mobilitysite.com. It started out as just a forum community, but now the front end is run by Movable Type Blogging software. We have gotten links from both Engadget and Gizmodo in the past. Engadget more so than Gizmodo. If my personal blog is of any interest, it at http://chris.leckness.com and is basicly a place for me to share some tech stuff, pics of the kids, car, devices, etc… And Yogos! I love Yogos now!
I met you for the 1st time in Vegas and wish we could have finished out iPhone conversation but I had to get to dinner. Sorry. Not sure if you remember that. :)
That’s for the call to visit our Z list blogs!
January 28th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
I’m no tech blogger, but I am a billionaire who sometimes invests in tech companies. I expect soon to overtake Mark Cuban’s blog soon as top billionaire blog.
I enjoyed your and your wife’s talk at ConvergeSouth. It helped inspire me to start blogging.
January 28th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
My place isn’t technical, save my bitching about a contrary laptop. However, I just didn’t want to be left out.
January 28th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
http://charisma18.com - My blog is not good. And THAT is why it’s interesting.
January 28th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
It is all about SQL Server :)
http://blog.sqlauthority.com
January 28th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Hi Robert
I just saw that you added me to your link blog.
Thank you very much. It means a lot coming from you.
Krish
January 28th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Surely you only have the responsibility to link to blogs that are worth reading, independent of if they are small, new, big or old?
I wouldn’t expect you to link to my blog since I’m still quite new at it, my content is of limited appeal outside the small community I’m involved in and I think I am still to find my proper blogging voice.
Even when I do, I still wouldn’t *expect* a link from an A-list blog unless it warranted it.
January 28th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Darkmoon and Billy: I’m sorry about not handing out the credit appropriately. That’s my bad.
January 28th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
[...] Scoble recently wrote an entry about how some of the biggest blog sites on the internet don’t allow links out of their site to less important blog material. He has reflected quite a bit on the [...]
January 28th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
RE #81 - Geez Scoble, I guess you just missed #36 too, lol.
January 28th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
TDavid: yeah, sorry, so many comments, so little time!
January 28th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Holy Cripes, a comment spam free-for-all on Scoble’s blog! http://www.paulshort.com
BTW, about this linking thing - I’ve found that a lot of the blogs that were cool 2-3 years ago have now gotten so big, they are (more or less) MSM now in internet terms. Either that or they have been absorbed by one of the many blog networks out there and often only link to their sister/brother sites.
At any rate, the blog linked from my name below will be seeing a lot more tech/biz/blogosphere banter soon… and tons of heavy linking out, no matter how popular it gets.
Keep pissing off the blogsphere, Robert. I’m reading.
January 28th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
Hi Robert,
It’s terrific to see the variety of sites that start popping up as you do this; for all the democratization the Web promises, it’s not always easy for people to build audiences for new and niche topics.
One of the central issues to me is that smaller, more focused tech communities like creative sites often can’t get the attention “mainstream” tech topics do. In these comments alone, I’ve just picked up a music blog and WPF blog I hadn’t seen before. Part of the reason I write creative music and motion blogs is because I’m as interested in promoting those technologies and artists as I am in myself:
http://createdigitalmusic.com
http://createdigitalmotion.com
And while I’m at it, I’ve been really blown away by this site:
http://www.retrothing.com
… because James (who I met as a reader of my site) seems equally interested in producing professional-style writing and video on topics that are way too focused for anyone else (like reviewing an arcade cabinet stand).
January 28th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
New Media News Every Morning Why your venture back startup doesn’t get links
January 28th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Robert:
I do think it is fundamentally wrong not to link back to someone if you find it useful. It is not always in the interest of main stream media to link back. The fact that bloggers are able to get information before they can must drive them crazy.
My blog is http://www.madtechie.com/
I blog about anything technology related but in general have a bias for all things Microsoft - especially XBOX 360 and Windows Vista.
By trade I am a technolgy executive/strategist.
January 28th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
You can check out my blog, http://appcrazy.com.
I talk about Social Media, Macs, and a few other things…
January 28th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Link to me when you think your readers might find what I say interesting. Ignore the other 25 posts I make. I’ll do the same for you. If I link to you enough maybe you’ll become famous. :-)
January 28th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
I feel strongly that regardless of who the author is or what their media, it is their responsibility to provide proper credit to the source of the information being written about.
That said, although there is no responsibility, per se, for an “A-list” blogger to link to smaller or newer ones, I can say from experience that it is an absolute thrill when it does happen.
I had only been blogging for three months when I wrote about Mary Jo Foley moving to “ZDnet”. In less than a week after starting at ZDnet, Mary Jo linked to a post I wrote about Microsoft support ending for XP SP1 and 1A. I was so excited that I told everyone I saw for the next few days. (Just don’t tell Mary Jo that not everyone knew who she is. ;) )
Mary Jo’s link was a thrill for a beginner.
References:
http://securitygarden.blogspot.com/2006/09/leaves-arent-only-things-changing.html
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=21
My Blog: http://securitygarden.blogspot.com/
January 28th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Hi Robert,
I’ll keep reading - no matter how much you piss off the blogosphere! Thanks for the link, and for getting me started:
http://brianm.com
January 28th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
[...] Sue Those who would predict that Scoble’s blog isn’t as popular as it once was should note the (currently) 93 comments to this post. ShareThese icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web [...]
January 28th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
Do you know me?:-?:D
Before you linked to me? I had a total of 300 hits in the 3 months before, and some 3k hits in the one and a half year before that…
After? I get 300 hits a day, in addition to a 2k spike when you link to me. Thanks.
But, more important than the traffic, is the friends. I got to know you, David Willson, Guy, Rob, lots of people. Thanks for that! And, I couldn’t have gotten that shiny new cam without your links. Thanks again!
January 28th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Check your email Robert, I have an idea to take this further, need your help.
January 28th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Robert,
Great work overall, I’ve read your blog for years and I agree on the responsibility to link to others and spread the conversation. I cover technology’s impact on marketing on my blog.
http://technomarketer.typepad.com
Thanks!
January 28th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Just look at the front page of Podtech… the content looks so boring.
Having a hard time generating traffic Robert? Microsoft made you interesting. Now you’re just another marketing channel to be manipulated by PR.
January 28th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
Oh and by the way, you were far better interviewing engineers and product managers.
Watching you interview CEOs and senior management is cringe-worthy. It’s embarrassing to watch.
January 28th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
My blog is about photography on the web and photography in general.
I’m also trying to raise money for the Special Olympics by making silly videos.
January 28th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
http://destraynor.com/serendipity/
My blog is about programming, tech, and usability. It’s actually really funny, you’ll relate to a lot of Robert, especially the post “Ship or Shut Up”.
Give it a read, I’d really appreciate it.
-
Des
January 28th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Me personally I only think that there is a moral obligation to link to others if you are referencing them. As far as it being an A-list bloggers responsibility, no I don’t think you can expect anyone to do you any favors, or hold anyone to doing favors. At the same time, like with anything someone does and is successful, you should always remember where you come from, and appreciate your success, don’t take it for granted or get to a point where you feel “above things” now that you’ve made it (saying “you” as in a general you, not you specifically).
My blog is http://www.jonzee.com
Been doin it for about 5 months, and its a blog about shopping online, and consumer/product information. With a heavy focus on tech and electronic products, deals, reviews etc. Theres also a Podcast associated with the blog (links are all on the site).
January 28th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Wow…
This is getting a decent number of posts… Well I’m going to add mine… http://www.computerdefense.org
IT Security, Tech… Whatever I feel like actually… Give it a look.
Peace,
HT
January 28th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Why is my blog interesting? Well, it’s a blog about financial aid. I blog regularly about one of the topics that’s opaque to most people in the hopes that more people will find it accessible and hopefully achieve their college goals. It’s also the show notes for my podcast.
http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com
Eagerly awaiting the Seagate drive from Podtech.
January 28th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
Gee, I’d love to, Robert. But with 105 comments already, what’s the point? :-)
January 28th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
Hi Robert,
Since you asked, there are lots of interesting things cooking in the science blogosphere these days. Now that Web 2.0 (which is so over!) is a “hot” property with the mainstream, the science community has taken notice and certain groups, particularly science database managers and science publishers, are uncertain about how they’re going to make it through this huge wave that is upon them. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts from the “purist” tech world as they might apply to the area where science meets the web. I’m blogging at Element List.com, which is a science blog that covers new and interesting science websites, and has been for the last two years. Stop by and say hi.
- Jackie
January 28th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
http://robitaille.wordpress.com
My blog about tech news, a bit biased toward Ubuntu/Linux, but I often add links and news items about Microsoft, Apple, Google, and else whatever grab my interest on that day.
January 28th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
I hack code, give personal opinion on tech issues, and share methods/tips/strategies that I find helpful.
I don’t really like blogs that just recycle content from other blogs and add no value of their own. So I try to avoid that as often as I can. I rarely just link to something. If you don’t contribute, why bother… at least that’s my opinion.
January 28th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
[...] short comment… Robert Scoble posted an interesting question on his blog… “Do A-list Bloggers have a responsibility to link to others?”… [...]
January 28th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
Responsibility? No.
However, if they don’t… then bloggers are stupid to keep linking to them. If they can’t figure out where they came from and who helped them get there… shame on them.
January 28th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
Well… I am a reader of your blog, and because of your interaction with gizmodo and the like I decided to add a blog to the website I started up, but alas it is not a tech blog, so no free advertising for me.
But I will be linking you tonight as I put the final touches on it, and make my very first post. :)
Funny tho, my first post tonight is going to be about linking on blogs. So I guess your original rant about the video was good for me, because it finally prompted me to be a blogger instead of a blog reader! hahahaha…
-Guy
January 28th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
My blogs interesting because I give away the sales secrets that have helped me sell over $40 million worth of product and I offer nothing for sale on my blog. All content, all the time.
January 28th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
My, my, I must say I am impressed - you are certainly setting the panties straight again in the blogosphere.
eMoms at Home is an entrepreneurial blog for work at home parents - I can’t say I write a ton about tech stuff - it’s more about keeping yourself motivated when you’re at home and don’t feel like writing about tech stuff that day. :)
Thanks for the opportunity! -Wendy
January 28th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Thanks, Scoble. You’ve always been kind to me in our email dealings. I’ll be glad to add to your feed bloat:
http://blogs.tech-recipes.com/davak/
I discuss the running of tech-recipes.com, give my opinions on tech-related issues, and occassionally debunk hot medical BS posted around the blog world.
I’ll be adding a lot of the guys/gals above to my reader tonight.
January 28th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
[...] A-list bloggers have a responsibility to link to others? (Hat-tip, Sue [...]
January 28th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Hey, welcome to my blogs:)
http://blog.vista.tw
http://www.trends.tw
January 28th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
Comic Strip blogger is a hoot — and Adult ADHD Strengths is a darn fine blog, too. :0
Mine is such a potpourri (odd time signatures that it’s not really in your context, but I do link to you when I blog about Internet life and of course, all of your photowalking videos are mentioned in my photography section. :)
I loved your rant about linking yesterday — it’s frustrating to really work on something and not get the linkbacks for it.
January 28th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Robert: I think you’ve been generous with outbound links, and I’ve seen numerous accounts of folks who got traffic through your linkblog.
I’ve found some excellent reading in the links posted in this thread. Good stuff. Here’s my link:
http://www.datacenterknowledge.com
and the full RSS feed:
http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/index.xml
The primary Feedburner feed is just summaries.
January 28th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
Robert,
I find it interesting that of all your post today, the two that talk about blogging have 267 comments ( as of this comment’s time) and the other 5 post have less than 100.
The next contender is the post about China, and most of that is between Ann and Peter.
I still stand by my comments that the quality of your posts have changed, and thats alright, it’s your blog. With your job at PodTech, you need to work that also, (the magic of channel 9 is not there, hopefully you will find the magic in this endeavor), With these latest post this weekend you have defined who and what you are, somebody that can start a conversation and keep it running.
I started reading your stuff about a year ago (when CoComment started) it was then that I saw what can happen when anybody talks to the world.
Guy
January 28th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
My Blog is at dotcult.com - It’s basically a mixture of everything. Mostly internet culture related stuff. (please ignore the fact that the current post is kitten pictures.. I’ve been told it’s a requirement if you’re a geek blogger)
I’ve had just about every type of writing published (book, articles, poems, essays for a book of essays, etc) … but now I develop software and just blog about random shit on the internet that intrigues me, makes me laugh, or pisses me off.
January 28th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
thanks for bringin your link blog to live again ;)
January 28th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
The MediaVidea blog has a related story:
http://mediavidea.blogspot.com/2007/01/listers-vs-long-tail-underdogs-life.html
January 28th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
See, this is the side of Scoble people love. Forget that other Scoble who had the meltdown earlier. He’s the evil twin.
Because of this thread I found Louis Gray and his Oakland A’s comic strip! I guess today’s not a total loss. I take back all of the bad things I was thinking earlier (mostly).
To be honest, I’m not sure if you’ll dig
medialoper.com, but you might take a look just in case.
January 28th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
Robert, this thinking of your is one of the reasons you are held in esteem in the blogosphere. As my blog, Silence and Voice http://www.silenceandvoice.com/ is about organizational power issues, your work here is exactly the social aspect of social networking that helps make this online world a community.
January 28th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
I personally think that a-list” bloggers can be in some of a conundrum; larger blogs get more traffic and comments, which means that the blogger has to respond more on their own blog & that the blogger then has less time to venture off of their own community (Scoble does a great job at responding to as many posts as he cam, IMHO). I think it can be extremely hard for larger guys to “link out” to other folks…
Why is my blog interesting? Ummm…not sure;-) Perhaps it is because I’ve already had a great deal of success participating in online communities & have some practical perspectives on it? I also don’t look at blogging as the only aspect of community relations w/customers (I can be quite critical of blogging).
January 28th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
I don’t think bloggers are “obligated” to link to others, but when its relevant, by all means do so.
Serendipity35 is my blog about educational technology (K-20 though primarily in higher ed) based at NJ Institute of Technology (NJIT).
http://devel2.njit.edu/serendipity/
January 28th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
I think linking to others is a key part of the conversation.
My blog, the Depraved Librarian, is a link blog. It’s a carnival of news and information about culture, law, music, technology and research, from a computer librarian, Palminatrix, and choral singer.
Thanks for visting.
January 28th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Robert,
Data360 is a website where people can find, track and report on data…any kind of data. See http://www.data360.org.
The blog for Data360 is at http://data360.wordpress.org.
Thanks for doing this. Regards, Tom Paper
January 28th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
I was just blog surfing and I came across you. I’m not much of a tech guy and my blog is not a tech blog, but I saw this post and just wanted to say, very cool of you.
If you or any of your readers want to read about being a dad and a husband from a slightly raw point of view, please visit me at http://www.mitchmcdad.com .
Now I’m going to check out your blog a bit more and get a little more tech savey.
Take care
~Mitch
January 28th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
I keep the blog for EmiratesMac.com. We’re the only English-language web site in the Middle East (as far as we know) that focuses solely on Apple stuff, and we’re the only registered Apple User Group in the UAE (and one of very few in the entire Middle East). I try to write about local/regional issues that would be of interest to our members, and try to cover any Apple news with a local/regional perspective. We face a number of particular issues here in the Middle East, including higher prices on Apple products, Apple not being well known, and Apple being represented here by an IMC.
January 28th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
So whos gonna link and subscribe to monkeynuts? (linked via my name) Mostly just linking to other stories but from time to time my own life including my love affair with all things tech is covered. Oh and you may also get lucky and find the odd drunken ramble on there too.
Oh and I need more followers on twitter (http://twitter.com/monkeyleader) :(
Nige
January 28th, 2007 at 11:51 pm
Opps - and in answer to your original question (why can’t I edit my original comment) Yes I agree linking is the number1 rule in blogging !
Nige
January 28th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Hey Robert interesting article and since my pingback didn’t came through I’ll just add it manually. http://blogs.msdn.com/mscrmfreak
A site you linked to last year just because you liked my name..I hope you and everydbody else al