This isn't an important post, but it concerns something that is ... well, a puzzling fact: Instapundit is one of the most popular blogs in the world. A link from Glenn can bring your blog thousands or tens of thousands of hits. So... who does Glenn link to the most - nearly incessantly?
Ann Althouse. WHY?! Is she the most fascinating person/blogger in the world, with the most fascinating things to say NEARLY EVERY OTHER DAY?!? Or just to Glenn?! (Glenn also links a lot to Postrel, and he used to link to Lileks every other day, too.) He links to Althouse more than Michaels Yon or Totten, more than Steyn, more than all the PJM bloggers put together. Weird.
I guess he's just doing a person he likes a favor. Throwing a link to someone he likes every once and a while keeps THEIR traffic up, and while it doesn't cost him a penny, it might help them make a dime or two. Cool. There's nothing wrong with that. Zero. Reynolds calls his podcast "The Glenn and Helen Show"; perhaps he should call his blog "The Glenn and Ann Show". Heh.
I think Glenn would be the first to say that his blog is NOT meant to be a general clearinghouse; it's just his blog, and it just reflects his keen mind and broad interests. And his likes and dislikes. He has never recommended news-hounds make it a stop for all the news that's fit to blog.
Nevertheless, Instapundit ranks high as a blog that blog-surfers check out everyday a few times a day, (and wish they'd get MORE links from!) - even though there are many BETTER blogs which post more interesting news in greater depth & breadth, with more links, and with more incisive original analysis & more "in-depth" views more regularly, and they do it more quickly and more thoroughly, like DR SANITY, GATEWAY PUNDIT, AJ STRATA, and SONDRA K, THE AMERICAN THINKER, (and this group blog, too we hope!) - to name just a few. So I find it weird that Glenn's become so "central".
It's certainly not the bells&whistles at Glenn's blog - he doesn't have them. It's not the "community feel" either - he doesn't even allow comments!
I think it's his brevity, the illusion of comprehensiveness, and the illusion of "up-to-the-minuteness", he centrism (pro-guns & pro-choice for instance), and his ever-present snarkiness: the blogosphere just loves brief sarcasm and a link.
Especially a link to Ann - I guess... That's it.... this whining, jealous rant is over...
UPDATE - 3/11/07: Well well well... Ann will be guest-blogging at Glenn's for a while. So now more people will get to read her and decide for themselves whether they agree with me that she is one of the least interesting big bloggers in the entire blogosphere. Guesting along with Ann is TOM MAGUIRE - one of the BESTEST!
Ann Althouse. WHY?! Is she the most fascinating person/blogger in the world, with the most fascinating things to say NEARLY EVERY OTHER DAY?!? Or just to Glenn?! (Glenn also links a lot to Postrel, and he used to link to Lileks every other day, too.) He links to Althouse more than Michaels Yon or Totten, more than Steyn, more than all the PJM bloggers put together. Weird.I guess he's just doing a person he likes a favor. Throwing a link to someone he likes every once and a while keeps THEIR traffic up, and while it doesn't cost him a penny, it might help them make a dime or two. Cool. There's nothing wrong with that. Zero. Reynolds calls his podcast "The Glenn and Helen Show"; perhaps he should call his blog "The Glenn and Ann Show". Heh.
I think Glenn would be the first to say that his blog is NOT meant to be a general clearinghouse; it's just his blog, and it just reflects his keen mind and broad interests. And his likes and dislikes. He has never recommended news-hounds make it a stop for all the news that's fit to blog.
Nevertheless, Instapundit ranks high as a blog that blog-surfers check out everyday a few times a day, (and wish they'd get MORE links from!) - even though there are many BETTER blogs which post more interesting news in greater depth & breadth, with more links, and with more incisive original analysis & more "in-depth" views more regularly, and they do it more quickly and more thoroughly, like DR SANITY, GATEWAY PUNDIT, AJ STRATA, and SONDRA K, THE AMERICAN THINKER, (and this group blog, too we hope!) - to name just a few. So I find it weird that Glenn's become so "central".
It's certainly not the bells&whistles at Glenn's blog - he doesn't have them. It's not the "community feel" either - he doesn't even allow comments!
I think it's his brevity, the illusion of comprehensiveness, and the illusion of "up-to-the-minuteness", he centrism (pro-guns & pro-choice for instance), and his ever-present snarkiness: the blogosphere just loves brief sarcasm and a link.
Especially a link to Ann - I guess... That's it.... this whining, jealous rant is over...
UPDATE - 3/11/07: Well well well... Ann will be guest-blogging at Glenn's for a while. So now more people will get to read her and decide for themselves whether they agree with me that she is one of the least interesting big bloggers in the entire blogosphere. Guesting along with Ann is TOM MAGUIRE - one of the BESTEST!
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