Thursday, August 16, 2007

at sidebar

Every blogger has her own blogroll philosophy (and, no doubt, blog role philosophy, but that's another post altogether). Some don't have a blogroll; some list a few of the blogs they visit most often; some link to their most frequent commenters; some try to include all blogs that touch on a given topic.

I've tried to fill the space on my sidebar with links to lots of blogs that I, well, like. I'm hoping that there's at least one blog there that you've never heard of before and that one day you'll decide to click on it and find yourself immersed in someone else's story. If your blog isn't included and you'd like it to be, just leave a comment with the address of your blog or send me an email. Conversely, if your blog is listed and you don't want it be be, let me know and I'll remove it.

How do you decide who to list on your blogroll?



(the photo is of end-of-the-afternoon rain falling on our balcony)

32 comments:

S said...

I like the new Google Reader Sharing feature. Instead of keeping a traditional blogroll, I spotlight 5 posts per week or per two weeks that I think are worth reading. This allows me to have a more or less rotating blogroll.

E. Phantzi said...

That is a seriously beautiful photo.

Never having figured out how to use things like blogroll or its ilk, I just slapped in links to blogs that I find myself checking often.

I have realized that the names I list them under are inconcistent - either the person's name/pseudonym, or the blog name, or (probably worse) a truncated version of the blog name. Or even just the "liner note" under the blog name. It's usually whichever of those options appeals to me the most. But I'll probably go in and regularize it one of these days.

I noticed you have a really long list on your sidebar - impressive!

Now I'm going to stare at your photo again (have you ever considered addding a copyright notice at the bottom of the page, like Mel does? Because I think you should consider it!)

E. Phantzi said...

Errata:
I just reread my comment and realized that "your photo" in the last paragraph could be read as meaning a photograph in which you appear - I hope it's obvious that this is not the case! I meant the photo you posted. Of rain.

I also spelled "inconsistent" in a manner inconsistent with standard English.

niobe said...

Elizabeth: Don't worry, I knew exactly what you meant about the photo. I hadn't thought about a copyright notice, but maybe I'll take a look at what other people have done.

And I've never understood why comments don't have an editing function. I hate looking at mistakes I've made, but being unable to correct them.

Mrs. Collins said...

My blogroll is small compared to some, and it is not all I read. I usually only have blogs that are pregnancy loss related, but I do read other blogs, many of which came from your blog roll. If I find myself going to a blog a lot, I just add it to my roll. Then there is the, "when someone adds you should you add them delima?" I have a few more that I'd like to add but I keep forgetting. I have one I've never posted once to, but I lurk on.

The Oneliner (Christina) said...

I add them for all of the reasons that you listed. Most on my blog roll are blogs that i like to read. Some are written by people who comment on my blog a lot. My blog is listed on most, but not all, of the same blogs that I read. It doesn't bother me.

I've taken a couple of them off (!!!) Shameful. I took one off b/c she quit posting all of a sudden when she got PG (was a goodbye post too much to ask for??) and someone who turned their blog into baby adore central. (Which i will do WHEN the day comes...but at the moment its.too.much).

Fess up, have you taken anyone off???

DD said...

I have tried a dozen different sorting options. I had the one big list; I had a list sorted by blog topics that was a reall PIA b/c many blogs fall under multiple categories (adoption/parenting/infertility); then I tried just leaving my bloglines link but then technorati isn't able to tell that other blog I'm linking to them; so I went back to the first option - listing them all by including the name of the blog and author as a visual cue if someone notices a comment they want to follow.

My blogroll has changed a LOT in two years.

niobe said...

the oneliner/christina: I can only think of one blog I took off my blogroll. I can't remember why I did it, but I'm sure I had a very good reason at the time.

thirtysomething said...

I think I add blogs to my blogroll after I notice myself going there often enough from someone else's blog that I just add it to my own roll to save myself that step.
I am very impressed with your blogroll. Wow.
And the photo..Niobe. You ahve such an incredible eye for taking the most mysterious, capturing, beautiful pictures. I find myself looking forward to your posts just that much more in hopes that there will a new interesting photo to see. :)

Anonymous said...

Since I started using bloglines, I have gotten *really* lazy with my blogroll. Maybe I will update it again soon. Maybe not.

L said...

I am still kind of new at this, so my blogroll is just the blogs that I read everyday (most dealing with pregnancy loss) and the two that got me into blogging, alittlepregnant and babyfruit.

It's sad, but I have loads of trouble keeping track of who is who so I limit myself to just a few so I can maintain a personal connection. Is that weird?

Anonymous said...

Hi Just wanted to let you know you can take mine down- www.deviations.typepad.com, I have finished my short lived blogging experience, I found it was taking too long to write posts and I'd rather spend my time reading more talented writers blogs ie: that's why I'm here:)

Angel Mom said...

I've been too busy (lazy???) to add a blogroll yet. Which is really stupid because then I have to use other people's blogrolls to get to the ones I read daily.

I, too, love your picture. Between your photos and your writing, you are one talented lady.

Catherine said...

Bloglines and my lack of free time combined led me to the decision to delete my blogroll. I don't need it and I'm too lazy to keep it updated for other people (plus I'm not that nice). :o)

Just love your photos!

Julia said...

I need to update my roll-- there are a couple of blogs that I go to through your roll, but a lot. So I figure I should edit my roll. But I am a procrastinator. :)

Sunny said...

I started by linking to those I read. Then I found google/reader and started subscribing to blogs. When I got time I moved them over to my blog. I have to admit I read all that I am linked to BUT I only comment on those that really touch me. Man that was wordy!

Long comment long when I am super busy I go through my list and read those that hold a spot in my heart first.

Antropóloga said...

I used to have it be all people who had pumped/exclusively pumped, and then another section of non pumping ladies that I read and other blogs/sites, and finally a third section on pumping resources. That's when I was, clearly, really really into pumping.

Now that I'm all done with that nonsense, I kept the pumping resources, and then just have one long list that is all the blogs I read. Basically I keep it for ME so I can check things regularly since I don't seen to use my bookmarks in my browser. From time to time I'll clean it up, adding new things I am reading and deleting ones I don't read anymore.

Aurelia said...

Bloglines can delete blogs if their feed gets turned off, so I've actually lost a few by accident! I need to update my blogroll. It's badly out-of-date. Kind of problem when it's my backup.

For reading I do sort them by subject, and I have some at the beginning that are my constant reads.

Caro said...

I just import my bloglines list as my blogroll so it's pretty much the blogs I read and gets added to if I add blogs to bloglines. Which happens if I visit a couple of times and want to keep reading.

There are quite a few I don't comment on though.

Drowned Girl said...

I have a list of DE related blogs, inc those that are egg donors, and many that have children after DE.

I have a separate list of other blogs I read, though it's not totally up to date. Every now and then I add to that list from my current bloglines.

cinnamon gurl said...

Oh Jeez. My blogroll is so out of date. I think I may just take it down and do what slouching mom does.

Casey said...

I do not keep a blogroll because I am too afraid of committing some kind of bloggy faux pas.

Also, it protects me from self-loathing when a blogger I love to read does not add me to her blogroll. I can think, "Oh, Niobe just isn't adding me because I don't reciporocate links." Instead of, "Niobe hates me with the fire of a thousand suns! The burn! The burn!"

I really like the idea of a rotating blogroll, though. I might try that.

Furrow said...

If someone comments on mine a couple of times and vice versa, I add it. I don't necessarily have to be on her list. There are a few blogs on my list that I don't read anymore, and I'd like to remove them, but I don't want to hurt any feelings.

Someone dropped me from their Bloglines subscription this week (my number dropped), and ouch. It hurts.

Beruriah said...

Um, mine is very short, I guess because I don't read that widely? And I get lazy about updating the list. I think about it sporadically, but not often enough to have it very long, apparently.

Anonymous said...

I also import the list from bloglines, although not very often, so that there are probably some I read which haven't made it to the blog yet. Actually, I don't manage to read all of them anyway, some post too much or too often and I cannot catch up, but I still like the stuff I do read so they stay. In the beginning I grouped by topic but most blogs don't fit just one box so I gave up on that.

jo(e) said...

I began my blogroll first by listing all the blogs that I read every day. Then I started blogrolling anyone who blogrolled me plus adding any cool new blogs I discovered. After two years of blogging, my blogroll is ridiculously long and unmanageable, but I don't have the time and energy to sort it all out.

OneTiredEma said...

I actually don't use bloglines (I know, the last in the universe) so I use my own blogroll to get to people sometimes. I am finally updating my blogroll for the first time in months and months because it seems like suddenly several people have new URLs.

There are people--like you and Casey--that I read very often but am just now getting around to posting. Sorry! This blog thing can sometimes be like another job I am doing badly....

Joy said...

I also use my own blogroll to keep up on blogs I like to read.
I have the blogs I read regularly and pretty much anyone who comments regularly on my blog. But generally if they comment regularly, I'm reading theirs regularly so it works out to again be the ones I read.

meg said...

I just have the ones I read on my blogroll. I should have a look at your list though, you have a ton of them.

And I love the photo too. I could see it blown up to a huge size, stretched on canvas (it's so cool that they can print photos on canvas now).

Anonymous said...

Lurker here...hello!
I list blogs that I read. And pretty much 99.9% of the blogs I read are about infertility.
I'd love to be listed with you, but um, is that too pushy??

niobe said...

Calliope: Look over at the sidebar. There you are. It's not pushy at all. That's why I asked: to add blogs I might not know about or have carelessly forgotten to include.

Emily said...

I am a newbie in the blogosphere. I am compiling my blog roll as I write. You will certainly be on mine, and I'd love to be included in yours.

I was trying to come up with a rule box to fit all of the blog roll nominees in, but after reading this post, I have decided to throw caution to the wind, and list them all...just 'cause I like them.

Your photos are therapy...ache and laughter in the same movement. Thank you for sharing them.

www.collectingraindrops.blogspot.com