Previously: Against Facebook – Call to Action, Against Facebook – Details

Note (5/2): Due to my need to prepare for Magic: The Gathering’s Pro Tour: Amonkhet, updates to this blog and progress exploring new blogs will be slow for the next two weeks. I will still get to the full list in time, and anticipate finishing in May.

Inspired by posts by and conversations with Alyssa Vance, and the desire to do some tangible things beyond laying out my case, this post will attempt to start fixing the biggest problem that personal blogs have: by default, no one knows about them.

Ideally, this problem is addressed gradually over time, as those who do see such blogs post links to their best posts, and those who follow those links then discover the blogs, resulting in growth. Also helpful is the blogroll, which allows those who like one blog to discover other similar blogs that the author recommends. This is not the worst system, but it is not great either, and right now I am not even doing my part in having a proper blogroll.

I can at least fix that, and while doing so, give those who have blogs I do not know about a chance to find me. So here is the plan:

If you have a blog, comment here with your name, the name and concept of your blog, and a link to either your blog and/or what you consider your best post. I will then read at least one of your posts (at least a few thousand words, unless it is unreadable), leave one comment, and consider adding you to my RSS feed and blogroll.

If you don’t have a blog, but you want to start one, this post will still be around, and I get an email whenever anyone comments. Email me when you feel you have hit your groove and have a few good posts. If we are personal friends, one post is enough to get you on my RSS.

Whether or not you have a blog, you are also encouraged to name and link to one to three additional blogs that you feel are great that no one has mentioned yet, and I will check them out.

If something is R-rated (as in actually inappropriate for kids, not just dropping an occasional f-bomb) please say so. If something is X-rated, do not link to it here, as this is neither the time nor the place.

Note that for now I have turned off approval-first comment moderation for this blog. Let’s make sure I do not regret that!

To avoid getting in too far over my head: These commitments are good for the first 100 people to comment here, although if it gets into the 100-person range it may take me a while to catch up. It is also good for anyone I am friends with regardless of how many people post. If this exercise seems productive, I will keep doing it even beyond 100 people, but I am very careful not to commit to things if I am not willing to follow through.