Down With The A-Bloggers! Stop the link incest!

I have been blogging actively now for about 2 years, been schmoozing at blog events and have been advising media agencies on how to best utilise blogs to engage in conversations and created blog strategies for a leading mobile brand.

Although I know many of the so called A-bloggers, have benefited from their links and most of them are really nice people. I have really started to get enough of the A-listers. I want to emphazise that it is nothing personal. It is just that the great thing about blogging and the real power of blogging has been corrupted by these new gatekeepers.

Most of the so called A–list bloggers have very little to say besides reporting their latest parties, or their other fellow A-list bloggers latest links and posts. Very, very seldom you find any quality in their post – just an endless so called naked conversation. The word naked is really the perfect description here. Just like in the story of the Naked Emperor.

Don’t get me wrong, they have definitely led the “blog”revolution. But now they are becoming institutions, creating their own networks and actually becoming the NEW main stream media. I would even go so far as to say that they have become the blog counterpart to the old Communist Politburo– they are becoming the Blogburo.

They are now telling the rest of us, on how to pitch them, how to engage in a conversation with them and link to them and so on. And if you are lucky enough and have been kissing up enough time, they might consider you worthy and link back to you.

Let’s get this straight once and for all, the A-bloggers are all dependent on us other mortals bloggers to link to them.

Just like the Firefox slogan goes – Take back the Web. I would suggest that all ye bloggers out there unite and take back the blogosphere. After all this is the beauty with blogging anybody can publish and get their message through.

So stop linking to them, stop kissing up. Turn the Blog Pyramid upside down. Discover and link to new bloggers every day – and start looking outside of the US as well. Arise the Z–Bloggers! YOU MATTER!

I personally only read two so called A-blogger on a daily basis, namely Steve Rubel – because he is such a resource and Gapingvoid – since what Hugh does is so original, creative and because I love his ideas about global micro branding. 

Finally traffic & popularity does not equal quality. Traffic = traffic & popularity - nothing else.

Have I comitted Blogicide now?

Comments

[Noah Brier]

Isn't it bound to happen, though? How can we avoid some sort of 'a list'? To reach that level of fame you have to appeal to a wide variety of people. Most of us are writing on topics far too narrow to reach blog superstardom (whatever that might mean).

I think the revolutionary part of this whole thing is that there are millions of 'a lists': One for each topic.

That's not to say I don't agree, I have to admit that I read very few of those sites anymore. But it's mainly because I can't keep up with the posting frequency.

[Duncan]

I sypmathise with what you are saying, but your obsession in this case with the A-List in itself is more the problem because for the vast majority of people the A List not only doesn't matter, but they probably wouldn't know what it was as well. The bulk of people out there inter-network amongst themselves already, and if you like there are already thousands of little "A-Lists" out there amongst each network, take celebrity bloggers for example, the like of Perez Hilton or Trent is the New Blog don't make the traditional A Lists and yet they are amazingly powerful and influential in the celebrity blogging field (Perez in particular is quite amazing, he's become good friends with people like Paris Hilton and Lyndsay Lohan). They also, in many cases, get a whole lot more traffic and (where appropriate) make a lot more money from blogging as well. A singular A-List is sooooo 2004 :-)

PS: this is blogicide...at least if you are only really wanting lists from the so-called A List any way :-)

[Net]

Noah, you are right. There are many A-list. What I am against is the ridicoulus "stardom" and authorities many of these A-listers get. Just because you are very popular or have a lot of traffic doesn't mean that you are an expert or an authority.

[Net]

Duncan, I am not obsessed. I just ready a few post (that I will not link to here) that triggered this. It is just something I wanted to say for a long time. Especially when many bloggers not belonging to this Blogburo, have too much respect for them and are looking to them as expert on how to blog, receive traffic etc (and the answer is most of the time: link to me, comment on my posts, engage in a conversation with me etc and I might do you the favor of linking back to you if you are worthy..).

But I agree with you that you can have different A-list categories - some peopole are highly popular with nessecary being popular bloggers like the examples you mentioned. You are also right when you say that most people couln't care less about what these "A-listers" are saying.

I actually also agree that talking about A-lists is a problem. I just pointed to a phenomenem that is often referred to as an A-list.

[Daniel]

You lost me a "global micro branding"

I think this article makes some very important points, about the need to keep blogging as this open enterprise... Then you go and counteract your own work by throwing out the most generic "industry speak" you can come up with.

It maybe accidental but it causes you to speak from both sides of your mouth. You are both denouncing the establishment and propping it up at the same time.

[Net]

Daniel, you might be right. It is a two-edge sword in a way, not really black & white. What I wanted to say is that too much respect is given to a few high traffic/popular schmoozers posts which then turns them into authorities, experts on all kinds of issues and gatekeepers.

I would like to encourage people to go beyond their regular-out-of-lazyness-convenience and pro-actively seek out "new", different, small and unknown bloggers all over the world.

[Daniel]

"...too much respect is given to a few high traffic/popular schmoozers posts which then turns them into authorities, experts on all kinds of issues and gatekeepers."

Amen.

[shel israel]

Thanks for the mention. I'm sitting here, fully clothed and wondering. To reach your conclusion on my blog's worthlessness, did you read it all the time fr a prolonged period? If not, how do you know it is worthless?

If you do not read my blog regularly, on the pother hand, how did you reach this conclusion?

How do you explain all the people who do come to my blog with frequency? Have they nothing better to do? Id their TV cble broken, denyingthem access to Oprah?

[Net]

Dear Shel, glad that you came by :) In my post I never linked to you - others reached that conclusion and linked to you. I just think that the title of your book so well captures the overal quality of so many on the so called "A" list. By coincident, you actually linked to a great picture of naked people (and the first time I really felt for linking to you - it fitted to well with naked conversations.. ).

Yes, I have actually been following your blog for quite a while since we met at Les Blogs in Paris last year.

Your blogs "worthlessness" is your statement - not mine. I never said so. Some people linked to you and Scoble - but if you take a look at my post you will see that I never did.

Again, like I said in my post. This is not personal and it is not about you.It is the idea and the concept I want to question and the general arrogance.

Finally, blogs conversations are not naked. Quite the contrary..

All the best,

Net

[Nichelle]

What about "The Long Tail" of niche blogs?! I barely read the A-list any more. In fact, now I just rely on good niche blogs to be my filter for news, trends, gossips, fashion and media.

[Net]

Hey Michelle, you are absolutely right. I too rely in the Long Tail of blogs. Long live the long tail!

[Tom Asacker]

It's all about the $. You know that, right Net? I had enough a long time ago: http://www.acleareye.com/sandbox_wisdom/2005/11/tom_peters_on_t.html

[Net]

Hey Tom, you are soo right. Makes you sick. Anyway, like your blog! Interesting stuff - will continue to come by :)