Blog etiquette question
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Now I’ve been blogging for a while and I have several links in my blogroll to blogs of friends/aquaintances and just other blogs I comment on whose authors also comment on mine.
I noticed in my Referrer stats the other day that I had a link coming in from an unknown blog. I went to that blog and I’ve been added to the blogroll. Never been there before and as far as I’m aware don’t know the poster. Furthermore the blog is entirely in Spanish, a language I don’t speak.
My problem/dilemma is, I have no idea what to do. I’m flattered that I have been added to the blogroll, but I don’t know anything about the content on the blog or the poster. I kind of feel like I should return the favour or do something similar. My blog is only small though and I don’t want to link to just anything.
What do you think?
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That’s happened to me too. I noticed that I have been added and I never even talked to them. If the site is also the same type as my site, then I usually email them saying I’ll add them too since they did me. But I don’t email asking for a link exchange anymore because I got shot down alot. So I wait until they email me if they want. It’s completely up to you. You don’t have to and have no obligation to do anything. I’ve added a few newbie sites and never told them because I rather link to them and give them the traffic as a source than the bigger sites since the bigger sites rarely link back to me.
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Forgot to say that maybe when you go to their site, open a new window and enter the url link that way instead of through your dashboard so that they don’t see on their referrals that you went to their site. Lessens the guilt factor a bit. lol
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Yeah, I thought of that the moment I clicked the referre in my dashboard. It was a little too late for that. :)
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There is no reason to feel obligated to return a link. I haven’t really put much in my blogroll yet, but I may link to a “big-name” blog, for instance, and I certainly wouldn’t expect them to link to my relatively insignificant blog in return.
My suggestion would be to take a look at the linking blog. If it’s something you’re interested in (or you think your readers might be interested in), keep an eye on it (RSS reader, or Friend Surfer). And if you think it’s good enough, add it to your blogroll. Even if it doesn’t make that high bar, you can still follow it and post comments and such if you like.
But you’re not obligated to do any of that. And especially in this case, where the blog is in a language you don’t understand, I would not link to it.
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my personal policy is, you link me i link you, regardless if i know you or not (but every case of my links has been people who i’ve commented in their blogs so far) – we can get to know each other after the linking anyway. but i expect to maintain a relationship and see them constantly visiting my blog, and vice versa – it’s pointless to put their link on my blog if they aren’t going to visit it.
yours, however, is a bit tricky, seeing as you don’t know spanish… well, up to you i suppose. i wouldn’t, since i don’t know spanish! (yet – taking classes soon)
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Suppose you link to a blog which was good but then it falls off, what does one do? Should one wait for the person to become regular again…I mean if a site is not updated for weeks, what does it mean? Am I not disappointing anyone who clicks on the link?
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yea, that’s one of my reasons not to put unupdated links. what you can do is keep the link invisible, and when you see signs of the blog revived, you could restore in your blogroll.
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The game is called “The Blogosphere”.
Relax and enjoy your new popularity, carocat. Your voice is heard in the world. You are on your way to immortal fame and there is nothing to fear about. You link to people and people link to you. That’s what life is all about. That’s blogging at its finest. Isn’t it?
Speak. Listen. Respond. Track back. Hear. Comment. Enjoy. Peace.
Be part of the game. Keep on blogging.
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I don’t have a blogroll, but if someone links to me in there then I’ll subscribe to their RSS feed and start reading their blog.
I’ll usually link to them every now and then if they post something I’m interested in.
Of course, if I’m not interested in their subject matter then I’ll probably stop reading. :)
But yeah, it’s a complement. It means they like you. I think a lot of people use the blogroll to keep a bookmark of the blogs *they* read.
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Yeah, and I’m glad someone likes me and links to me. (Anyone, feel free to go to my blog ;))
I think the main problem I have is that I relly don’t speak a word of spanish and I tried reading his blog using a translator whihc was just very, very odd.
I don’t think I’ll link to him, but maybe he will post in english or another language I can read soon. :)
Thanks for the help everyone. :D
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carocat, try this as a simple multilingual online translator for text pieces in English, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, and French:
http://ajax.parish.ath.cx/translator/
Btw, for the techies: It’s AJAX based. It’s fun. Enjoy.
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My theory is that if someone wants to blogroll my site (why I can’t think!) then they are welcome to. I normally go check the site and if I like it I will link back to them. If I don’t (or if the site is not in English) then I won’t bother.
I use the blogroll on my site to list the sites that I regularly visit. As much as anything it’s my IE “Favourites” stored right where I can easily get to them.
It’s entirely possible that the Spanish blogger is doing exactly the same thing.
Collin
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