Jul 21, 2011 / Topic Ideas

Write a top ten list about why top ten lists are lame (or awesome)

Topic #195:

There are tons of blog posts out there and all too many of them take the form of top ten lists. Perhaps David Letterman is to blame, or there’s just something satisfying about the number ten that we can’t avoid. They’ve been around for a long time, and there are even websites dedicated to top ten lists for everything.

Either way, make a list of the reasons why top ten lists are often so disappointing. If you can’t quite come up with 10, go for a Top 5 list. And if you’re feeling more positive today than I am, go for a top ten list of why top ten lists are awesome.

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  1. Hey Scott,
    I get around 75-100 hits per day on the Top-10 Songs list posts I do in my blog at times. So, I don’t think its lame – BTW, I spend a lot of time listening to various songs, eliminating them and then come up with Top-10 songs list. So, I guess these top 10 lists need some efforts to create – That’s why maybe they do well!

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  2. I think Top 5 or 10 lists are great because people can discover new good things this way, from someones point of view, or similar stuff you like.
    For example, top 10 80s rock albums, or something similar. I think that’s always great. On my blog I recommended this way great movies of some of my favorite actresses.

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  6. Didn’t think I subscribed to caring about top 10, 5 or any other type of list of favorities. “Who cares?” I thought. I don’t like to be told what to like, where to go, what to do. But as I typed away at my keyboard, it slowly dawned on me that I do peruse lists. Maybe not every day, or even every month. But I do…I do.

    i’m not immune…after all. 😉 check out what i have to say on the subject. 🙂

    http://hugmamma.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/daily-post-challenge-195-top-10-or-5-lists/

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  7. If I really had to do a top ten list Scott Berkun would be at the top, nice one.
    I have 101/1001 and A-Z lists, as do a lot of people and for me it gets me thinking and focused and it’s way of fitting in as a new blogger.

    All I have to say on the matter 😉

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  10. All Bloggers Dream to become on top and for me likes and good comments
    are enough to continue my work , That`s why we are here 🙂

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  11. mm, I realized Top 10 Reasons is harder than write than Top 10 Lists….
    Top 10 Reasons why top 10 lists are lame….uhm…I need some time to crack my brain 😀
    As for Top 10 Lists of lame Top 10 sites, that sounds much easier. We just need to browser shop a bit for these sites.

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  12. A couple of the reasons that a top ten list is lame is because different people like different things. the list can easily mislead because the producer of this list will be writing from his or her point of view. Another thing is the producer of the list simply overestimate the value of whatever he or she is promoting. A person go looking for that particular item or whatever it was, and don’t see or feel what was projected to them, then they come away disappointed.

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  15. I enjoy top ten lists of any kind. I enjoy disagreeing with them possibly more then agreeing with them. I can usually learn something new, or get ideas from top ten lists. They often make me curious and look things about them up. I learn some I learn something. So when I started my blog a few months back I started a weekly top ten list. They usually end up taking a lot of time. Even this list took a chunk of time but I lost momentum at seven. Now I need to look over my blogs list and make sure I’m avoiding these violations:)

    Top Seven Things I don’t Like in Top Ten Lists:
    7. Lists that obviously had very little thought put into them.
    6. Lists that don’t welcome or invite other opinions.
    5. Lists in the wrong order. A count down to #1 is only appropriate for items that have weighted preference or importance. 1-10 is more appropriate for groups of ten things that are more or less equal.
    4. Lists that are not proceeded by an explanation that helps readers find common ground or relevance.
    3. Lists of things without any explanation or any details on each items.
    2. Lists that imply this list is the only true definitive list, fact, not just someones opinion.
    1 Ugly, Blah, or jumbled formats. (I found it difficult to create a pleasing list on WordPress but I’ve learned how to work around limitations.)

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