Comments on: Flattering Influence http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influence/ Knowledge comes from inspiration - one bit at a time Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:42:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Vivien http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influence/#comment-4739 Vivien Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:35:01 +0000 http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influencehttpwwwinspirationbitcomwp-adminpostphpactioneditpost430/#comment-4739 oh, you're very welcome, dandelion. I guess sometimes those public RSS numbers on my blog can discourage some readers from subscribing to this blog, but I don't worry about that, I'm much more interested in another type of readers, like yourself, who are not influenced by those numbers. oh, you’re very welcome, dandelion. I guess sometimes those public RSS numbers on my blog can discourage some readers from subscribing to this blog, but I don’t worry about that, I’m much more interested in another type of readers, like yourself, who are not influenced by those numbers.

]]> By: dandellion http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influence/#comment-4577 dandellion Sat, 07 Jul 2007 19:44:44 +0000 http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influencehttpwwwinspirationbitcomwp-adminpostphpactioneditpost430/#comment-4577 About public RSS numbers.... it never made me subscribe. The fact that thousands are subscribed doesn't mean that I will love the blog. But I like that on this site.... I spotted it at its early days and it is handfull to know how it grows. Thanks for sharing that. About public RSS numbers…. it never made me subscribe. The fact that thousands are subscribed doesn’t mean that I will love the blog. But I like that on this site…. I spotted it at its early days and it is handfull to know how it grows. Thanks for sharing that.

]]> By: Vivien http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influence/#comment-4575 Vivien Sat, 07 Jul 2007 18:01:40 +0000 http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influencehttpwwwinspirationbitcomwp-adminpostphpactioneditpost430/#comment-4575 oh, Simonne, you don't need to thank me, I thank you for believing in this blog since its early days of existence. Johno, thanks for your meticulous answers to my questions. So what's the trick to artificially inflate RSS numbers? :-) just kidding! There's nothing wrong in displaying the RSS numbers, competing for awards or displaying the badges. I was only questioning their worthiness, usefulness and influence. I personally love watching Oscars simply due to its entertaining factor, not often I get a chance to see so many celebrities under one roof :-) Sometimes great movies and actors are deservingly recognized there, and other times not, but as you said - it doesn't influence my movie taste and choices. And you're right about the Web Awards - if anything they allow us to discover some blogs we didn't know about. But in the end it all boils down to "A comment is worth more to me than a thousand subscribers or a score of awards." oh, Simonne, you don’t need to thank me, I thank you for believing in this blog since its early days of existence.

Johno, thanks for your meticulous answers to my questions.
So what’s the trick to artificially inflate RSS numbers? :-) just kidding!
There’s nothing wrong in displaying the RSS numbers, competing for awards or displaying the badges. I was only questioning their worthiness, usefulness and influence.
I personally love watching Oscars simply due to its entertaining factor, not often I get a chance to see so many celebrities under one roof :-) Sometimes great movies and actors are deservingly recognized there, and other times not, but as you said - it doesn’t influence my movie taste and choices.
And you’re right about the Web Awards - if anything they allow us to discover some blogs we didn’t know about.
But in the end it all boils down to “A comment is worth more to me than a thousand subscribers or a score of awards.”

]]> By: johno http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influence/#comment-4572 johno Sat, 07 Jul 2007 16:19:37 +0000 http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influencehttpwwwinspirationbitcomwp-adminpostphpactioneditpost430/#comment-4572 Vivien I like this post, and I think that this topic is rarely raised for fear of offending other bloggers. Awards...where to start? Well, I believe that most awards, whether they be Oscars, Web Awards, whatever, are of little real value. I've never been particularly interested in the opinions of the majority. When it comes to reading, fine art, graphic design...well, just about anything, then it's what I like that counts. For fear of that sounding a arrogant, let me restate it as "...it's what I like that counts for ME". I don't watch films because they have won Oscars; I don't read blogs because they have been nominated for the "Best Blog in the Universe" award. I came across this very blog through your comments on another blog. I read it now because I like it--simple really. I do think that the recent proliferation in "awards" only aids in diluting the value of all awards. It's not that I am against awards per se, but most of them carry no weight with me. If people wish to display them, then that's their choice, their right even, but they will do nothing to persuade me. I make a decision about the worth of something based on my own--personal--criteria. For my blogs, the only thing I'm interested in is "comments". A comment is worth more to me than a thousand subscribers or a score of awards. In summary, an Oscar is little more than a lump of well-crafted metal; web awards are little more than pixels. However, awards sometimes showcase work that we might otherwise miss out on it, so they are not innately bad. I must also say that I do differentiate between awards and some of the other web badges. Some of those badges are all about building community--that can never be a bad thing. And just one more thing: displaying the RSS Subscriptions. I don't see anything wrong in this; however people should be aware that it's very easy to artificially inflate the number of subscribers--very easy. Vivien
I like this post, and I think that this topic is rarely raised for fear of offending other bloggers. Awards…where to start? Well, I believe that most awards, whether they be Oscars, Web Awards, whatever, are of little real value. I’ve never been particularly interested in the opinions of the majority. When it comes to reading, fine art, graphic design…well, just about anything, then it’s what I like that counts. For fear of that sounding a arrogant, let me restate it as “…it’s what I like that counts for ME”. I don’t watch films because they have won Oscars; I don’t read blogs because they have been nominated for the “Best Blog in the Universe” award. I came across this very blog through your comments on another blog. I read it now because I like it–simple really.

I do think that the recent proliferation in “awards” only aids in diluting the value of all awards. It’s not that I am against awards per se, but most of them carry no weight with me. If people wish to display them, then that’s their choice, their right even, but they will do nothing to persuade me. I make a decision about the worth of something based on my own–personal–criteria.

For my blogs, the only thing I’m interested in is “comments”. A comment is worth more to me than a thousand subscribers or a score of awards.

In summary, an Oscar is little more than a lump of well-crafted metal; web awards are little more than pixels. However, awards sometimes showcase work that we might otherwise miss out on it, so they are not innately bad. I must also say that I do differentiate between awards and some of the other web badges. Some of those badges are all about building community–that can never be a bad thing.

And just one more thing: displaying the RSS Subscriptions. I don’t see anything wrong in this; however people should be aware that it’s very easy to artificially inflate the number of subscribers–very easy.

]]> By: Simonne http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influence/#comment-4566 Simonne Sat, 07 Jul 2007 11:52:43 +0000 http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influencehttpwwwinspirationbitcomwp-adminpostphpactioneditpost430/#comment-4566 I'm happy that you displayed my badge and I thank you for that. This was exactly the idea of my project: to find total strangers, running good blogs which don't get the deserved attention, and write about them. I’m happy that you displayed my badge and I thank you for that. This was exactly the idea of my project: to find total strangers, running good blogs which don’t get the deserved attention, and write about them.

]]> By: Vivien http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influence/#comment-4552 Vivien Fri, 06 Jul 2007 23:47:45 +0000 http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influencehttpwwwinspirationbitcomwp-adminpostphpactioneditpost430/#comment-4552 Thanks for the joke, Lauren. I've decided to place that comic for this post because I wanted to make my readers smile before going into the serious subject matter :-) I do support the iFollow movement, I'll be setting it up on this blog soon, although I did link to most of my commenters sites through my posts, so I'm all for giving some link love :-) Yes, Simonne, I do remember that part from Forest Gump. And No, I don't think you're anti-social. You're a confident young woman with a great sense of humour :-) Marc, what about Web 3.0 ? :-) And what's that meme you're tagging me for? Dandelion, I agree with you regarding the importance of good SE ranking. I was talking mainly about the Technorati ranking. And even though my blog's Google PR is only 3, I'm getting lots of traffic from Google, so I don't worry about my page rank number much. Paul, we all enjoy praise for the good work we've done - of course there's nothing wrong about it. I too have the Technorati Fav icon for the same simple reason of convenience for readers. I also keep Simonne's badge simply because I've received it during my infant blogging days from a total stranger who became one of the most loyal fans of this blog. Thanks for the joke, Lauren. I’ve decided to place that comic for this post because I wanted to make my readers smile before going into the serious subject matter :-)
I do support the iFollow movement, I’ll be setting it up on this blog soon, although I did link to most of my commenters sites through my posts, so I’m all for giving some link love :-)

Yes, Simonne, I do remember that part from Forest Gump. And No, I don’t think you’re anti-social. You’re a confident young woman with a great sense of humour :-)

Marc, what about Web 3.0 ? :-) And what’s that meme you’re tagging me for?

Dandelion, I agree with you regarding the importance of good SE ranking. I was talking mainly about the Technorati ranking. And even though my blog’s Google PR is only 3, I’m getting lots of traffic from Google, so I don’t worry about my page rank number much.

Paul, we all enjoy praise for the good work we’ve done - of course there’s nothing wrong about it. I too have the Technorati Fav icon for the same simple reason of convenience for readers. I also keep Simonne’s badge simply because I’ve received it during my infant blogging days from a total stranger who became one of the most loyal fans of this blog.

]]> By: Paul Enderson http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influence/#comment-4549 Paul Enderson Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:17:29 +0000 http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influencehttpwwwinspirationbitcomwp-adminpostphpactioneditpost430/#comment-4549 I certainly enjoy recieving praise for something I've done, and I'm not ashamed to admit it! But I'd choose a positive comment from a new reader over being highlighted on countless showcase sites every time. It's nice to see that my blog is getting visitors, or climbing the Technorati rankings - but I'm not anal about it. I don't start weeping if my feed subscriber count goes down. On the flip side (when I'm the reader) I'd never subscribe to a blog based purely on it having a high feed count, and an iReply badge on a site certainly wouldn't affect whether I make a comment or not - but I do find it slightly annoying when I take the time to comment on a newly discovered blog, only to be totally ignored by the author! I have five badges on my blog... One's a Technorati fave button - there because I find it unnecessarily complicated to manually add a blog to my own favourites! I then have an iFollow badge, because it's a movement I believe in myself. The other three badges are there simply because they have to be for the sites related to them to track what I write. Oh, and the Best-Designed Weblog of 2007 contest? A joke and a sham. Either that or the judges were all using screen-readers. ;) I certainly enjoy recieving praise for something I’ve done, and I’m not ashamed to admit it! But I’d choose a positive comment from a new reader over being highlighted on countless showcase sites every time.

It’s nice to see that my blog is getting visitors, or climbing the Technorati rankings - but I’m not anal about it. I don’t start weeping if my feed subscriber count goes down.

On the flip side (when I’m the reader) I’d never subscribe to a blog based purely on it having a high feed count, and an iReply badge on a site certainly wouldn’t affect whether I make a comment or not - but I do find it slightly annoying when I take the time to comment on a newly discovered blog, only to be totally ignored by the author!

I have five badges on my blog… One’s a Technorati fave button - there because I find it unnecessarily complicated to manually add a blog to my own favourites! I then have an iFollow badge, because it’s a movement I believe in myself. The other three badges are there simply because they have to be for the sites related to them to track what I write.

Oh, and the Best-Designed Weblog of 2007 contest? A joke and a sham. Either that or the judges were all using screen-readers. ;)

]]> By: dandellion http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influence/#comment-4548 dandellion Fri, 06 Jul 2007 19:03:04 +0000 http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influencehttpwwwinspirationbitcomwp-adminpostphpactioneditpost430/#comment-4548 Badges and rankings are not the same. I never cared for the badges, neither on my blogs nor the blogs I read. But SE rankings are important, like it or not. If the site doesn't come out on the first (maybe second) page it will hardly get much traffic from the search engines. Ok, there are other ways to get traffic, but it is hard to claim that SE's are not importaint in the life of a blog. One can say that not everything is in traffic. And I can't agree more. Once there is an amount of readers to communicate to a blogger can stick to them and live in happy little community. (Numbers what is enough and little are not importaint here) But, if I as a blogger am offering some information and somebody outthere is searching for it, we both want to connect, that is we want the reader to find the site. There are not many ways to do that. When you search for something you use search engine. They are most used wayt to find needed info on the net. And that is why rankings are importaint. Not because there will be one or ten or 5000 hits in site's tommorow stats, but because what is written will find its readers. Badges and rankings are not the same. I never cared for the badges, neither on my blogs nor the blogs I read. But SE rankings are important, like it or not. If the site doesn’t come out on the first (maybe second) page it will hardly get much traffic from the search engines. Ok, there are other ways to get traffic, but it is hard to claim that SE’s are not importaint in the life of a blog.
One can say that not everything is in traffic. And I can’t agree more. Once there is an amount of readers to communicate to a blogger can stick to them and live in happy little community. (Numbers what is enough and little are not importaint here) But, if I as a blogger am offering some information and somebody outthere is searching for it, we both want to connect, that is we want the reader to find the site. There are not many ways to do that. When you search for something you use search engine. They are most used wayt to find needed info on the net. And that is why rankings are importaint. Not because there will be one or ten or 5000 hits in site’s tommorow stats, but because what is written will find its readers.

]]> By: Marc Rapp http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influence/#comment-4547 Marc Rapp Fri, 06 Jul 2007 18:53:56 +0000 http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influencehttpwwwinspirationbitcomwp-adminpostphpactioneditpost430/#comment-4547 No. The nature of the web is to leverage all information with non-synchronous access. There is no top or bottom. I have a feeling we're in for a ride with–ahem–Web 2.1. ;) And–tag. I'm adding you the meme. No. The nature of the web is to leverage all information with non-synchronous access.
There is no top or bottom. I have a feeling we’re in for a ride with–ahem–Web 2.1.
;)

And–tag.

I’m adding you the meme.

]]> By: Simonne http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influence/#comment-4545 Simonne Fri, 06 Jul 2007 18:24:40 +0000 http://www.inspirationbit.com/flattering-influencehttpwwwinspirationbitcomwp-adminpostphpactioneditpost430/#comment-4545 Do you remember that scene in Forrest Gump, when Forrest just stops running, and all those who were following him asked "And what about us, now"? I have this sensation when looking at some blogs out there which have thousands of subscribers, yet so little to tell. As of the labeling system, it doesn't impress me at all. Nor do all the rankings out there. If I'm not interested, I won't waste my time reading any blog, may it be the winner of all awards ever invented by humankind. However, the phenomenon is interesting, and I suppose that this need for hierarchy is worth a closer look. What I think is that there are a lot of people who are uncertain about themselves, and they seek the recognition of others, to reinforce their self-respect. I may sound selfish and anti-social, but the only important opinion about myself is my own opinion. This is why I don't feel the need to put a badge on the good things I do. Do you remember that scene in Forrest Gump, when Forrest just stops running, and all those who were following him asked “And what about us, now”? I have this sensation when looking at some blogs out there which have thousands of subscribers, yet so little to tell.

As of the labeling system, it doesn’t impress me at all. Nor do all the rankings out there. If I’m not interested, I won’t waste my time reading any blog, may it be the winner of all awards ever invented by humankind. However, the phenomenon is interesting, and I suppose that this need for hierarchy is worth a closer look. What I think is that there are a lot of people who are uncertain about themselves, and they seek the recognition of others, to reinforce their self-respect. I may sound selfish and anti-social, but the only important opinion about myself is my own opinion. This is why I don’t feel the need to put a badge on the good things I do.

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