In response to White Males and the Blogosphere, my “blog brother” Michael Bowen wrote:
“In the blogosphere there is a real contingency of patronage. I’m not sure that everyone is so eager to say so, but it’s real. As real as is the term ‘blogosphere’ is the term ‘blogfather’. Ask any blogger of substance, and if they’re honest (and are abetted by a technical clue or two) they’ll know which other blogs send them the most traffic. They will also almost surely know who gave them their big break and under which circumstances that occured. There is not a conspiracy of white male bloggers, and I’d guess all of them would be loathe to admit any such clubbiness, but all popular bloggers belong to a club and none of them are about to delink anytime soon.
Dead White Male Blogs - The Elvis Factor
One way to look at the question of whether or not there is a conspiracy to keep all the goods is what [white male] bloggers do to police themselves. I think they don’t. I know for a fact that there’s a lot of dead linkage out there that nobody really trims, and that this ossifies marketshare. Once popular, always popular. It seems to be a one way function from which few people fall. DenBeste at USS Clueless has over 800 links and he hasn’t blogged regularly for many months. In fact, I’ve been checking his latest post as I write this one and note that he has gotten the equivalent of one week’s Cobb traffic in about 90 minutes. Here are several other dead blogs that still suck up oxygen. (I’m giving Andrew Sullivan a pass)…”
I dig the word “ossified”.
Comment by Rafael Daniel — 03.16.05 @ 9:00 pm
They read me, they really read me
I’ve stayed out of the “Is blogging a boys’ club?” discussion stirred up by Steven Levy and abetted largely by Jeff Jarvis, but this piece by Cobb got me thinking:…
Trackback by dustbury.com — 03.16.05 @ 9:49 pm
“. . . all popular bloggers belong to a club . . .”
So how do I join the club?
“OVERNIGHT COMMENT MODERATION IS IN EFFECT.”
Comment moderation is like editing letters to the editor. How journalistic-like. Does the MSM know about this?
Comment by Dodo David — 03.17.05 @ 6:04 am
…all popular bloggers belong to a club…
So that is what I’m doing wrong!
Comment by King of Fools — 03.17.05 @ 9:08 am
I will usually watch traffic, and if someone links to me I will check it out. If it is a quality blog, I will probably return the linkage.
I also regularly “clean house”, removing links that no longer inform or amuse me, and add newly discovered links every couple weeks.
I also resist linking to the really big guys, since everyone knows who and where they are.
Comment by Greg — 03.17.05 @ 9:31 am
I have a blog that nobody reads. But the fact that my stuff is amateurish, poorly-written, curmudgeonly drivel might have something to do with it.
I’m not holding my breath for an invitation to the White Male Blogger Clique.
Comment by RedBeard — 03.17.05 @ 9:34 am
Not related La Shawn, but did you see the the Florida House passed legislation last night to delay the Schiavo case?
Comment by Renee — 03.17.05 @ 10:51 am
Across the blogosphere
Michelle Malkin still doubts there are really 8 million blogs out there. She offers more proof. La Shawn Barber has…
Trackback by JackLewis.net — 03.17.05 @ 12:01 pm
While I agree that there are a lot of “dead blogs” out there, I would not lump the likes of USS Clueless into that (I’m sure there are others as well, but I like DenBeste best). USS Clueless contains archives full of good reading (and re-reading). Personally, I haven’t really checked the site in a long time, but that’s because he offered the whole thing up in a zip-file. Now I don’t even have to be online!
But to the point: An extended hiatus isn’t necessarily “blog death.” I neglected mine for several months, but I had good reasons. While those like DenBeste are fairly permanent in their hiatus (unless you like anime), they have many links, and I think they feel that they should keep them up to avoid creating more bad links (the one thing I hate about the web).
Comment by Jason — 03.17.05 @ 12:12 pm
A clear headed analysis of the blogosphere
He’s right that there are some personal elements to it. Mick and I both pay attention to who links to us. Moreover, there are other people we make a point to check for links from our end. But it’s not conspiracy, just normal human interrelations.
Trackback by UNCoRRELATED — 03.17.05 @ 12:28 pm
RedBeard,
LOL! At least you’re not blaming it on whitey.
Comment by Carlos — 03.17.05 @ 1:50 pm
My filter on this is not the limitations imposed by the network of white male patronage (I’d benefit from that), it’s the limiting political range of interests that totally dominate the so-called “blogosphere.” This blog’s link list is a major exception. Otherwise, the link list on your political favorites’ shows a lack of interest in anything non-political - a sick state of affairs.
My personal blog favorites list - the nav list I use in my daily rounds - has a lesser number of political blogs. I suspect that is the case with almost everyone.
The blogosphere presents a picture of political psychosis, one that cannot reflect the reality of blog readers.
Comment by Dimitri Rotov — 03.17.05 @ 2:24 pm
Baseball steroids GRANSTANDING
As predicted and expected certain representatives found it too difficult to stick to topic. Bernie Sanders, the socialist representative from Vermont could not resist hijacking these proceedings to promote another rape of US taxpayers in the form of socialized health care.
While I too am opposed to this TYPE of forum to address this form of cheating in “America’s Pastime” and think it is a waste of tax dollars. These hearings do not need to be on air. This issue could have been handled in a less sensational, “showtimesque” format. It only provides congressional hacks with a forum to show off and promote themselves. I do not discount the presence of some true sincerity from some committee members, but most went off on tangents that had nothing to do with the topic. Speeches and hot air.
WHO WAS THE REPRESENTATIVE WHO INSULTED SAMMY SOSA BY CALLING HIM “MR. SO-SO?” He corrected himself, but this reminds me of former Rep. Dick Armey “erroneously” referring to openly homosexual Rep. Barney Frank as “Barney Fag.” While Barney fits that description as it is commonly used. Mr. Sosa does not. THIS IS A STORY. PLEASE FOLLOW UP ON IT!!!
I DO HOWEVER, think we are seeing history in the making. A political star is born.
CURT SCHILLING FOR PRESIDENT in 2008, and yes, he is a conservative Republican!!!!
Hello Lashawn. Glad you are back up and running. Will you please start a thread on this topic?
Welcome back!
Ray
Comment by Raymond — 03.17.05 @ 6:03 pm
Well, I know I don’t have a “blogfather” because I’m not beholden to anyone for traffic. For every hit I get from a linked blog, I get 3 from search results and 10 from regular readers, most of whom I know personally. If anywould would like to be my blogfather… well, just make me an offer I can’t refuse.
Comment by Salim — 03.17.05 @ 11:33 pm
In all fairness to Steve Den Beste, he does have plenty of worthy articles that many people link, and re-link. Why he hasn’t turn his website to dead tree archive is kind of beyond me.
Comment by BigFire — 03.18.05 @ 10:15 am