Weekly Roundup: Blogs I Comment On

Shel Israel recently wrote about lurkers, listeners, and the amplification factor among bloggers and their readers, suggesting that the term “lurker” for someone who reads blogs but doesn’t comment or otherwise participate should be called a “spectator” instead. Do you agree?

While I lurk or spectate on some blogs, I usually post a comment on other people’s work when inspired. Sometimes, I Digg or Sphinn their posts, too.

Social networking is not just about Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Social networking is also about blogs and the relationships formed through interactive comments and how a few back-and-forth comments can lead to emails and relations on other social networks.

Social networking is an easy conduit to friendship.

Here is a list of some of the blogs I commented on over the past week. I subscribe to some of their feeds, and other sites I found through word of mouth or because they left a comment somewhere else and I clicked their name.

• Do You Need a Social Media Policy?: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if your employer does not have a policy for online behavior, it needs to get with the times. (@ the Blog Herald)

• Get Rid of the “Permalink” Link: Some blogs still employ a Permalink, specifically Typepad-hosted blogs, such as Shel’s, linked above. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. (@ Daily Blog Tips)
• Talk Like a Pirate Day: Will the Web Audience Ever Grow Up?: I only noticed the pirate speak on Google. Svetlana Gladkova has more pirate friends, it seems, and shares why it’s silly. (@ Profy)
• 5 Reasons Why You Don’t Need to Write a Book: If you have a blog, you don’t need a book. I’m tossed on this one. What do you think? (@ Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist)
• 50 Ways to Take Your Blog to the Next Level: Do I really need to write why I was inspired to write a comment here? Based on his 145 comments so far, you should too. (@ Chris Brogan)
• On the Road to One Million: Is it selfish and egotistical to want a million blog subscribers? Mark Dykeman doesn’t think so. I feel it’s about the content, not the count. (@ Broadcasting Brain)
• Top 25 Marketing and Social Media Blogs – Week 122: Again, shouldn’t content be more important than number count? And if someone has a large following, does that necessarily translate into quality? (@ The Viral Garden)
• New Twitter Design for Its Benefit, Not Ours: I like the new Twitter design, and I made that sentiment clear in my comment. (@ Marketing Pilgrim)
• Make Twitter Safe: David Bradley profiles a useful tool that can backup your Twitter contacts and conversations. I don’t know if I’ll use it, but maybe. You? (@ Sciencetext)
• Twttter Grader… Um, Who Cares?: Web tools are fun to play with, but unless if they serve a purpose beyond showing a egotistical value, what’s the point? (@ Jacob Morgan’s Blog on Social Media, Technology, Marketing, and Life)
• How to Build Your Personal Brand: Lots of tips here, but don’t trust me. Read them for yourself. (@ Social Media Explorer)
• My Blog is Less a Destination Site Than a Conduit: Is that what blogs are turning into, with people subscribing to RSS feeds and email newsletters? I’ll continue to offer value on my blog, though, as minimalist as I can do it. (@ Louis Gray)
• 10 Tips to Keep Down the Cost of Recruiting: I wish every HR department followed these tips to reduce overhead and be more productive online. (@ First Librarian)
• GM Unveils the Production Version of the 2011 Chevy Volt: I serve on a local energy committee and keep up to date with the green movement. I’m curious how the Volt will be received. (@ Max Gladwell)
• In memoriam: Susanna Burgett: It’s important to step back and recognize people who make a difference. (@ Running a Hospital)
• Are You a Writer?: I’ve written for 18 years and can identify with Sean Platt who explains why he’s a writer and how anyone can write if they look deep within themselves. (@ Copyblogger)
• Olly Olly Oxen Free: Without the kindness of strangers, Sean Platt would never have divulged his name to the world. Before his post on Copyblogger, he was just Writer Dad. But enough people expressed an interest in his blog posts, that he gave it all up – and became himself. (@ Writer Dad)
• Good Reads For Your Weekend: Coming full circle with this roundup, Tim Walker explains his three reasons for commenting on other people’s blogs and provides examples of those he commented on. (@ Hoover’s Business Insight Zone)

I hope you are enjoy these posts (and the people behind them) for the same reasons I do. If you are inspired, shed your spectator status and post a comment on their blogs. They are the movers and shakers in my world.

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