133 million blogs can’t be wrong.
No doubt you’ve heard of blogging, maybe you subscribe to a few great/informative/thoughtful/whacko blogs, maybe you’re a hardcore blogger, posting a half-dozen times a day (TMI!). With everyone from my prof to my cat blogging these days, how is one little web surfer supposed to navigate the great big blogosphere? The answer is Technorati.
What exactly is 
?
A massive blog search engine that has amazingly comprehensive tagging and ranking features,
“Technorati was founded to help bloggers to succeed by collecting, highlighting, and distributing the online global conversation.” (from their website About Us page).
Boy does it succeed. The e-heads at Technorati also publish the annual “State of the Blogosphere” report that features some pretty spectacular numbers. Between 20 and 30 million blogs exist in the US alone, with over 75 million readers. (Sorry for the American-skewed stats – big surprise, Technorati is a US-based site.)
You say you’re not interested in blogs?
You may want to rethink that one. 95% of the top 100 US newspapers currently have blogging reporters (stat from the State of the Blogosphere Report) and with the number of print media readers dropping on a daily basis, it isn’t too far off before we all get informed online. Blogs are already a big part of that – it’s up to you to keep up!
Blogs offer a personalized approach to any topic you can think of – that you’re studying right now in class, that you’re thinking of getting into for a career, or that you’re just plain interested in. Plus, they’re so dang convenient. Just sign up for RSS and you get notification of new postings to your reader or portal, making them easy to enjoy at your leisure.
1. Go to Technorati.
2. Look around the home page.
a. Check out the current headlines and featured blogs.
b. Check out the blog categories on the main menu.
c. Check out the What’s Rising tag cloud on the left for the buzz words of the day.
3. Scroll down and click on the About Us link at the bottom of the page. Read the quick intro and then click About Us at the top of the page. See what they have to say about themselves.
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Remember, this is a for-profit site. We’re not saying that Technorati is spinning yarns, but as you read this section, realize that (sometimes) self-promotion = exaggeration. Keep your critical eye firmly open! |
| And now, back to your regularly scheduled tutorial… | |
4. Take a quick peek at the State of the Blogosphere Report. It’s long and involved, but even just a quick glimpse at the information here paints a pretty vivid picture of the blogging world. If you’re into business, want to see how the internet makes money, or are concerned about the corporatization of the web, don’t miss Part 4 Blogging for Profit and Part 5 Brands Enter the Blogosphere.
THE SCAVENGER HUNT
5. Time to make this personal! Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to find five blogs in your areas of interest. Look for:
- A blog about something you’re studying. (1 point each)
- A blog to help you learn about a career you’re considering. (1 point each)
- A blog about improving your health or keeping up with current events. (1 point each)
- A blog about a topic you love. (1 point each)
- A wildcard blog – maybe a ranter, maybe a cantor, maybe one that gets
you all riled up! Find the craziest blog you can. (3 points) - A blog that you think is full of hooey! (5 points)
6. Post some of your favourite blogs in the comments below.
