Google is a great company, but ranking the official Google blog among Time Magazine’s 25 Best Blogs of 2009 is kooky.
Imagine my surprise when I saw this list, recognized a few names as worthy selections, raised my eyebrows at the inclusion of others, and scratched my head wondering who picked the rest.
Who decided Discover Magazine’s Bad Astronomy made the cut?
The New York Times‘ Paul Krugman, dancing under the moniker, Confessions of a Liberal, is hardly representative of the blogosphere.
What about Confessions of a Pioneer Woman? I never heard of that one, and it’s the best?
Time Magazine has it wrong.
There is no best. If you don’t believe me, ask this giraffe to pose her best side.
I’d like to go further with this line of thought. Whether or not you agree with me that the list’s modifier of “best” is faulty, let’s verify we’re on the same page when defining a blog.
What is a blog?
Six months ago, I credited Daily Blog Tips writer Daniel Scocco with five features that define blogs:
- content is published in a chronological fashion
- content is updated regularly
- readers have the possibility to leave comments
- other blog authors can interact via trackbacks and pingbacks
- content is syndicated via RSS feeds
Blogging, I defined at the time:
…is not about “me” pushing information to “you” anymore. It’s not about “my” and “your” or “their.”
It’s about poly-directional conversation, collaboration, and communication using “we” and “our” as the new mediums of information sharing and knowledge retention.
How does the official Google blog fit into that definition?
Maybe my definition is wrong.
Two more things
For the geeks: Do you read Boing Boing? Would you agree with me that it’s overrated?
For that matter, how about TechCrunch?
See, the magazine placed TechCrunch in its mini list of five overrated blogs, but included Boing Boing in the larger list of best blogs. I admit I don’t follow the music and lifestyle side of the blogosphere, so if that’s where Boing Boing shines, I’ll retract my opinion. But I agree with Time’s perception of TechCrunch, for whatever the magazine’s worth holds.
If you want to improve: I’d like to echo what the magazine says about Guamian blogger Leo Babauta of Zen Habits:
This is the rare blog that can actually improve your everyday life.
I don’t read Leo’s blog frequently, but when I do, I am impressed.
Photo credit: kjunstorm
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Ari Herzog is an online media strategist and Newburyport City Councilor-Elect.
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Maybe Time is still just too old media and their list simply makes that assertion all the more salient. I agree with you on pretty much everything. Even Zen Habits, though, is well…habitually hung up on lists…The Best 7 of This, The 11 Ways to do That…ho hum…and to my mind this is the most brutally overworked, overtired rhetorical form of all, as if all of life’s knowledge somehow militantly fits into dresser of 4, 7, or 17 drawers, tidy, crisply folded, finite and manageable. It strips away the inescapable uncertainties, the ineluctable questions, the inevitable truth of the great abyss swaddling the nip-and-tuck, hand-dandy, list of 19 ways to contain infinitude.
I guess it comes down to whatever floats your boat. I might add that my own personal preference inclines to those bloggers who venture a bold thesis now and then, just as you’re doing right here, right now. A little risk, a little provocation, goads us on, gets me thinking, challenges the big, lazy, comfort of thoughtless thinking.
Thanks for this.
Bob
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@ariherzog Agree. Best “anything” lists are typically as meaningless as the vacuum that creates them. [link to post]
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There’s a ton of lists like this, and they should all be taken with a grain of salt. The blogosphere is vast, and everyone has their own tastes and allegiances to certain bogs. The “five features” are largely valid guidelines, but sometimes there can be compelling content that operates outside those guidelines. The Google blog may not be a daily page turner, but it’s Google. And the past two weeks especially, they’ve been on fire rolling out Gmail features and Latitude, among other things. It’s not the same type of content I’d get from someone like Chris Brogan or Huffpost, but if I’m invested in Google from a consumer/enthusiast standpoint, then I want to read about their product roll outs and developments. Is it in the top 25 blogs? That’s up to the individual to decide. People can’t take these lists too seriously. They’re all written from a subjective standpoint; that’s the nature of blogging now. TechCrunch could be seen as the bible in many eyes, but there are others that will just diss on it regardless because they hate Mike Arrington.
Traditional media outlets like Time and NYT still report on social media phenomenons such as Twitter from the viewpoint of a newbie. So it stand to reason that their blog tastes may be decidedly more mainstream or somewhat different than you, me, or anyone. That’s why you don’t see Chris Brogan, Conversation Agent, and a slew of other great, rich content blogs on the list. The Time editors probably never heard of them either. The point is it doesn’t really matter. We can debate the merits of these lists, but there’s no right or wrong answer. It’s all based on our personal preferences. The bottom line is that blogs and social media in general are part of a process of discovery. There’s a million slants on the same topic, and people gravitate towards the opinions they find the most useful to them.
It’s such a subjective list that it’s impossible to fully judge. What is the criteria for “best blog?” One of my favorite blogs is related to PSU sports updates. I do agree Techcrunch is overrated. There is no beset blog because each one is unique in its own way and people like them for various reasons.
I agree – Zen Habits is a great blog. I was so impressed with not only the info on their site, but the sites they linked out to as well. I certainly need more zen in my life.
~ Kristi
Kikolani | Blogging, Poetry, Photography´s last blog post..Twitter Photo Mosaic
I always wonder how they determine “best of” anything. Few lists describe the selection criteria or reasons in detail, which leads me to believe they are obviously biased. No matter who determines who the best of the best are, ultimately we are the judges of what we decide to read and have our own best of lists. It probably would have been more beneficial for Time’s editor to list his favorite reads, rather than a “best of” list with blogs no one has ever heard of.
If lists are subjective to the writer and the reader, then why do lists continue to be created?
Because people like a good list. They stir conversation, and build suspense. Whether you agree or disagree it will get you talking.
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