One, Two, Into The Amplifier
Not too far back in my current blogging incarnation, I added a blogroll page and divvied it up amongst blogs, newsletters, news sites, and blog directories. I’d indicated it was somewhat provisional, as I dislike blogroll maintenance.
It’s not that I dislike the idea of the blogroll itself. Since the beginning, most people discovered new blogs by seeing what was recommended by the blogs they read. It’s that the ongoing cognitive decision-making around a blogroll just doesn’t fit with the resources budget of my autistic midlife.
In this latest re-theme of the blog, I’ve decided to try something of an alternative. One that effectively builds itself, organically.
In my Instapaper account, alongside my long-running Linklog folder I’ve added a separate Bloglog folder. Just as the Linklog can be followed via RSS so, too, can the Bloglog be followed via RSS. The latter feed now sources a space on the blog’s front page showing the five blog posts I’ve read most recently.
It’s cached a bit, I think at twelve six hours, so it’s not precisely in real-time but close enough for these particular purposes. Rather than needing to devote resources to managing a blogroll, you can see the specific things from other bloggers that I’ve actually read.
Below this, I’ve also added a short list of places you can go to browse or search for other blogs.
Parenthetically as well as lastly, an imaginary gold star to anyone who knows why this post carries this title.