Blogroll Policy

I link only to those blogs I read.  Whether I read them daily, weekly, monthly, or on some other schedule, I do read them all.

I do not offer automatic reciprocal links; likewise, I do not expect them.

I do not take requests to be added to my blogroll.

My blogroll is always in flux.  I add and remove items on an ongoing basis.  As my mood and interests change, so too does my blogroll.

I generally will neither link to nor read a blog that offers no RSS/ATOM syndication simply because I read so many that aggregation is my best hope for keeping up with those I enjoy.

On that note, in my opinion partial (synopsis only) syndication feeds are equivalent to no syndication feeds.  I’m therefore more inclined to read blogs that offer the full post content via RSS.  But this is not written in stone.

The quickest way to get booted from my blogroll is to stop posting on your blog for an extended period of time.  I don’t have an itchy trigger finger and won’t drop a blog just because it’s been silent for a week or two, but anything over 30 days usually gets my attention and bubbles to the top of the executioner’s list.  Extenuating circumstances are always considered.

Blogs that offer regular photographic content but choose to significantly reduce the size of or block access to those photos via syndication usually fail the popularity contest with me.  If I have to “click through” to see the image clearly, or if I have to “click through” to see the image at all, you’ve defeated the purpose of your syndication feed.  I’m all for protecting copyrights but not at the expense of usability/convenience.  Besides, if I can view the image on your site, I can steal it in all its glory and use it elsewhere without you being the wiser.

Ultimately, my blogroll is a subjective endeavor that doesn’t always fit within neat little rules.  The most important point, however, is to remember that I will not link to someone if I don’t read them on a regular basis.  That’s the one rule that always applies.

a life in progress