Do You Care About My Side Bar? October 15, 2010
Posted by Wilhelm Arcturus in blog thing, entertainment.Tags: Atom, FeedBurner, Google Reader, poll, RSS, side bar
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You know, the side bar. That column of stuff on the right. Over there.
over there
Do you ever look at it?
I ask this for a reason.
Up until this point, the things on that side bar have been mostly for me. I use or look at most everything there. Things that I do not look at or use tend to go away sooner or later.
So if you never look at it, I’ll understand. It wasn’t necessarily meant for you.
But now I have something there that is pretty much solely for people other than me.
There it is, a little ways down, under the heading of “Posts From Other MMO Blogs.”
I’m looking for a better title, by the way. Feel free to suggest one.
In the past I have always appreciated those “posts from other blogs” posts that people like Syp, Tipa, and Gordon do on a regular basis. I have often thought that I should do something like that, but aside from a single parody, I have never managed it.
I’m too introspective I suppose. Or selfish. I am always secretly jealous when one of my posts isn’t included on those summaries. But then I am always secretly jealous when somebody else wins the Nobel Peace Prize or gets crowned Miss America.
Anyway, I decided to finally act on the impulse to point out other blogs posts on a regular basis, but in my own lazy way.
What that new item presents is a selection of links to blog posts on which I have clicked the “share” button in Google Reader.
Google Reader will let you publish an Atom Feed of your shared selections which, due to the fact that WordPress.com doesn’t seem to like Atom, I ran through FeedBurner to turn into an RSS feed so that it would display nicely and in a timely manner there in the side bar.
It is easy and quick for me. It has a prominent place on my blog. It isn’t as good as a post when it comes to directing traffic to another site, but it is better than nothing.
Or it would be better than nothing if people looked at the items in my side bar.
So it is time for yet another poll.
I am also happy to entertain suggestions about the side bar.
I read most blogs in google reader so never see the side bar. once in a blue moon I jump to a blog to check their blogroll, but honestly the last thing i need are more blogs to read :)
RSS feeds pretty much defeat all design and layout.
I read you in my Google Reader, but I visit when the post warrants a comment, like todays! Unfortunately, The company computer I use to do this during the weekdays (like now) is running Windows 2000 with the matching Internet Explorer, and so your site, when I visit it, is kinda wonly looking, through no fault of yours! I’m starring this article so that I remember to visit on my not antiquated machine when I get home :)
Oh addendum, I also look at the sidebars when posting comments :P
I don’t really know what an RSS feed is, and I don’t plan on finding out. I come to all the blogs I read either from Virgin Worlds or from links within the blogs, threads or other websites.
I was aware of your sidebar. I occasionally use sidebars to navigate back to earlier posts. That’s about all I use them for, though. Once in a very blue moon I have followed a link from one to another blog.
I do like and use the “catch-ups” that Gordon and Tipa do, though and I will almost certainly enjoy yours too.
“I’m looking for a better title, by the way. Feel free to suggest one.”
The Wise Words of SynCaine, and some carebear ramblings that clutter the Syn-o-Sphere.
Trying to be modest while truthful.
Google Reader – except for when I come to the actual blog to read or post comments.
:)
I only see it when I click from the RSS to comment.
I normally read on RSS, but to celebrate this post, I took a look and clicked on a few links. Found some interesting stuff, too, thanks!
I don’t look at ANY blog’s sidebar. One news/political discussion blog I read has a daily post/discussion about things in its sidebar — I never participate, becuz I CBA to look at it.
Thanks for posting your thoughts on your blog, that is the first thing I want to say. I appreciate the work you put into it.
As I read all blogs via a RSS reader, I never see any blog’s sidebar.
Now, I understand that because of this, some blogs do not offer RSS/Atom (or because they get a little bit of money with ads). It makes sense to think of this approach very carfully; I, as an example, will just not read any blog that does not offer syndication.
There is a way to add out-of-article-scope info to RSS posts, in case you want to do this. Broken Toys does this, and at least it works on Google Reader. I am not sure if it is restricted to ads out of the box, or if you could publish let us say a sidebar this way.
I check out sidebars quite a lot although I’m not sure how much effect they really have on normal readers. Still though, to me I see it as a way of the blog owner tipping the hat blogs he enjouys reading. That’s why I have a blogroll and do my weekly roundups.
In general, yes, I do pay attention to what’s in folks’ sidebars. When I go to their sites directly, anyway, as opposed to simply reading their stuff in my feedreader. Back in my early days of blogging, I’d scour all the blogs I knew of for new sites to look at.
I use sidebars as navigation way gates to other blogs for “Sunday afternoon drives”.