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A-List Google Reader Back-Slapping

posted on October 14, 2007


Over the weekend, Google started displaying Google Reader subscriber numbers for blog RSS feeds. The number shows how many Google Reader users have subscribed to a particular feed–note, only Google Reader users.

I was going to add the news to Monday’s Pilgrim’s Picks, but something else happened.

Michael Arrington and Robert Scoble jumped on the opportunity to create yet another Top “Blah Blah Blah” list of blogs.

As expected, the list has quickly turned into a mess.

Why? As what always happens whenever someone tries to compile a list of blogs: someone gets left out. This usually happens because the list is confined to the small piece of the blogosphere the compiler lives in. Consequently, there’s a lot of “add me” or “you forget this blog” comments.

Here’s some honesty. I love seeing Marketing Pilgrim on any list–like many bloggers–and I suggested MP be added to this new list. Guilty, as charged. But then I stopped and asked, “when will this blog-list insanity stop?” Do we really need to keep compiling lists of top blogs?

The blogosphere is all about the “long tail.” If we continue to highlight only the top 0.0001% blogs we do nothing but encourage the echo-chamber when instead we should be trying to delve deeper/wider into the blogosphere.

What do you think? Do we need another top blog list?

(Note: Scoble & Arrington should know this is not a personal attack on them, but the concept of blog-lists).


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  • http://www.beagooddad.com/ Mike

    I just made a list of blogs on my blog. But I was looking for other parenting blogs and asked the people that read my blog to add their own and the favorite one that they read. So it ended up being a nice little list of a lot of new blogs.

    As for big lists of top bloggers making lists of all the top blogs, I never read them when they get posted. But I guess getting lists from people like Scoble would be good for SEO whether anybody clicks on the link or not.

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  • http://www.constantskeptic.com/ the constant skeptic

    Any a-lists or top ten lists do two things, they bring people to your site, and then generate lots of debate. Also, they usually require less effort than typing an actual full length blog post. So the only negative is really for those who don’t join in the debate, whether included in the list or not. Either gripe that you aren’t on it, or praise yourself that you have been included, but please do something. Actionable intelligible useful content generated by long tail users will be the basis for web 3.0, that and streaming live HDTV over broadband. CNN is finally listening to bloggers, look for other media outlets to do the same. They actually linked one of my posts.

  • http://www.constantskeptic.com/ the constant skeptic

    btw, a big wad of hate at your red toolbar with uber cool lowercase letters.

  • http://www.marketingpilgrim.com Andy Beal

    Toolbar? Are you jealous of our navigation? ;-)

  • http://symbiancorner.blogspot.com William

    Creating tops is useless.

  • http://www.audiomecca.com/music-software/ Music Software

    No, we do not need any more blog lists. Enough is enough!

  • http://www.brianchappell.com Brian Chappell

    I agree Andy. Top lists are garbage. I want to find the small man at the bottom of the barrel, that is trying to make his way up. Very focused, niche blogs are where its at.

    Will those sort of blogs ever make a list, probably not. But does that mean there not worth reading, definitely not.

    A list of potential blogs that have less than 50 readers, but have solid content. Now that would be worth seeing.

  • http://www.marketingpilgrim.com Andy Beal

    @Brian – a list of “fastest growing” blogs would be something worth compiling.

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  • http://www.thevanblog.com Steven Bradley

    Add me to the growing list of people tired of seeing the top blog lists. At this point can’t we already name them off the top of our heads. Do we really need another list to tell us who has the most subscribers?

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