Referee in a catfight

While some say I don’t get a lot of comments, normally I don’t mind that as long as the comments advance the post in some way, shape, manner, or form. I have to tell you though that once in awhile it’s amusing to be the referee in a catfight, and the comments on my weekend post about Red Maryland being tagged as a spam blog have reached that point.

There was a point that was missed to some extent amdist the comments back and forth, and it came to mind after reading this:

I see your Blog Rankings are more where they should be, #14 in Maryland and # 14 on Delmarva. You must have slacked this week in cross postings?

You know we love ya Michael but this is a reality and IMHO where you should be. With all due respect.

Pardon me, I happen to think top 5 is a little more realistic. But those I’d be behind would be sites like Red Maryland, O’Malley Watch, Hedgehog Report, or even a site from the left like Free State Politics, not a site that barely dabbles in serious political thought but has no problem “borrowing” some when it needs to. (With all due respect.) It is a political influence rating, is it not? Maybe “news” blogs need their own category.

I’ve not met Brian Griffiths yet, but by reputation he seems like a reasonable person with some writing talent. I think his readership numbers suffer somewhat because he’s actually posting on Red Maryland quite a bit – why go to his site when you can read his stuff there?

And I seem to recall a few months back at the start of the year, when Brian was pretty much king of the hill, that there were accusations of him “gaming the system” and how poor the BNN ratings were because of the number of crossposts Brian did. With the shoe on the other foot, suddenly there’s no complaints but the comment insinuated that I was a similar beneficiary who fell sharply in the rankings because I didn’t have any crossposts last week – as if that were holding me up. Perhaps it was, but the incestuous relationship between the top 3 Delmarva blogs (who are 1, 3, and 6 in Maryland as well) might make one ponder who’s gaming who. (Both Pocomoke Tattler and Delmarva Dealings crosspost to Salisbury News, Delmarva Dealings also crossposts to Red Maryland as I do.)

I don’t know what the answer is to this issue, but I do know that I have a reader base who likes what I have to say and doesn’t really worry about my BNN ranking. I mean, if crossposting is what I have to do to achieve a higher ranking I certainly have places where I’ve been invited to do so (and did last night.) But it’s more important to me to write well for whatever number of eyes read through what I have to say.

On a related note, I do have to give kudos to G.A. Harrison for increasing the participation on the Delmarva BNN network; I’ve noticed a lot of new sites on the ratings over the last couple weeks. He’s also managed to put Delmarva Dealings on four different state/region rankings this week so hats off to him.

Finally, a bit of fair warning: I’m taking a few days off over the weekend. I’m planning to have fresh (to you) content each day but comment moderation will be much more sporadic. I’ll bring things back up to speed by next Wednesday.

Author: Michael

It's me from my laptop computer.

6 thoughts on “Referee in a catfight”

  1. Michael, I can answer your question immediately.

    Salisbury News has always been in the top 10, more like top 3 every single week we’ve been involved with Blognetnews.

    Red Maryland and you were NOT. Once the two of you started that cross posting crap, you all of a sudden rose to the top and even with that, you’re still not beating out Salisbury News.

    I know, I know, I should leave this alone but quite frankly you’re in a dream world. So are you also suggesting that if “I” were to start cross posting on lets say GA Harrison’s Blog, people would rather go there to read my news, like you’re suggesting with Brian?

    Then, the mere fact that you continue to go back on your word, (which is ok by me) on the fact that you won’t get into these personal pissing matches, yet you enjoy it at every possible opportunity in the hopes of making a good point.

    I entertain people withy 25 to 30 Posts a day now Michael. Much of which is local Politics. Some of it is filler with opinion and current event information, hence the larger amount of hits and interest. DUH, is it not your goal to achieve more visitors and KEEP them Michael?

    Your hat tip to GA is clearly one in which you’re enjoying the Pro Maryland Gazette to the roster, another Anti Albero Blog in which YOU participate in. I can assure you, GA isn’t too happy with your participation in that and you can ask him face to face how he feels about that.

    Nonetheless, GA and I spoke about that exact subject last night and we BOTH agreed that they have a First Amendment Right to voice their opinion and I encourage that. Each and every one of you had just better remember to keep my Wife, Family, Children and Grandson out of any of your Posts or I’ll come after you like a bat out of hell. I’m fair game, that’s cool.

    Anyhow, you have a nice weekend Michael and think about just how wrong you are with this Post.

  2. BNN/Maryland does not consider the 1 and 3 blogs to be political blogs. If you look at the Most Influential Political Blogs with Conservative leanings, 1 and 3 are not included.

    http://www.blognetnews.com/maryland/influence-index.php?type=conservative

    BNN also hints that blogs with a high volume of posts each day are more likely to rank higher on the list. The description of the Per Post influence ranking states the following.

    http://www.blognetnews.com/maryland/influence-index.php?type=perpost

    “This somewhat experimental measure attempts to distinguish the difference between blogs that have a lot of impact, at least in part, because of the volume of posts they produce as opposed to blogs that post less often, but whose posts have a greater individual impact on the state’s blog conversation.”

  3. The last shall be first in this instance.

    ShoreThings, I never noticed that conservative or liberal blogs were being ranked, and quite honestly that makes a lot more sense to me because it’s essentially comparing apples to apples. I guess if they took the “political” out of their main list I could understand it better. In the conservative category, I’m 4th this week and that’s probably about right. (Even better, I was first last week.)

    Now for Joe. I’m not sitting at my PC but at my laptop; however, I can pretty much guarantee you haven’t “always” been in the BNN top 10. Once you started getting crossposts you were so you and I are in the same leaky boat. And I made my statement only because you complained about your rank early on, wondering how these little-read blogs could beat yours. I’ve never noticed O’Malley Watch or Hedgehog Report complaining and they have thousands of readers too.

    Secondly, if you got rid of the filler and had maybe 10-15 posts a day I personally think it would improve your site. After all, how many stories do you read in the Daily Times? And you’d still have plenty of content to draw readers several times a day. It’s the same reason I strive to do two posts a day in the time I have available for doing it, just for more repeat business.

    If G.A. Harrison has a bone to pick with me re: Pro-Maryland Gazette, he’s free to pick up his phone or shoot me an e-mail and let me know himself. Considering the website has had 179 posts and I’ve contributed maybe four, it’s not like I’m a major player on the site. But they have stuck up for me in the past on other issues you and I have had and I appreciate that.

    Meanwhile, since you put Brian’s Site Meter numbers up, where’s yours? I know, you don’t want them public. Whatever. I know you have a lot of readers but you’re nowhere near Daily Times territory.

  4. Over the last 19 weeks I have yet to hit below the top 10 Michael. The light color is me and the dark color is you.

    Before you go talking a bunch of bullshit you should actually get your facts straight. I have gone as low a #7 ONCE! 95% of the time I have either been at the top and or the top 3!

    As far as crossposts, you need to get your facts straight there too Michael. When someone crossposts to y Site, it does NOT up MY rankings. It ups the rankings of the persons Blog who is cross posting to my Site. THEY get the additional credit, not me.

    You guys also talk about the more posts you put up, the higher rankings you get. That’s such bullshit, it isn’t funny! Look at Delusional Duck. He’s rarely ever in the top 10 Michael, so again, more bullshit.

    Michael, as far as hits per day, you of all people have a lot of nerve challenging what I do. Especially with the low numbers you achieve every day. Again, if you’re so concerned, open your eyes whenever I walk into the Shorebirds Stadium or any Political event anywhere. People confront me everywhere I go because they all go to my Site. You know it because you have been present on many occasions when that’s happened. Also note, I’m the guy introducing you to those same people as a Blogger and they always stand there and say, WHO? Then you go on to explain what you do. A time will come when my numbers will be regularly Posted. Until then, I guess you’re all just going to have to keep challenging me as being wrong. I can assure you of this though, it doesn’t bother me one bit.

    The chart doesn’t lie Michael. Perhaps you’ll be honest and fair and let your readers know you have seen the chart, since I can’t put it up on a comment and let them know I was exactly right and you were exactly wrong.

  5. Joe could put up my site meter numbers because mine are public.

    Joe’s are not public, probably because he has something to hide and since he doesn’t have any credibility….well, you know the rest.

    Of course, Michael, since you and I have things to do besides sit at a computer all day, if Joe wants to call himself king of the jungle, I couldn’t care less. Nobody likes him. Nobody respects him. And if he wants to continue doing what he’s doing, it’s not like he’s contributing anything to society…

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