When I started my blog back in 2009, concepts like ‘linkies’ and ‘blog hops’ were fairly alien to UK bloggers.
However, in the past 18 months, as American blogs and bloggers have become increasingly influential in the UK parent blogging scene, we have begun to adopt the Linky as our own.
Few topics can split a room of bloggers like a Linky. While some bloggers love the opportunity to take part in a group activity, others see Linkys as being only of benefit to those who organise them, or stripping the personality out of blogs.
We asked two Tots100 bloggers on opposite sides of this debate to share their views of the Linky with us. What do you think? Are you a lover or a loather?
The Linky Loather – Nickie, I Am Typecast
There is a lot of linky love in the blogosphere at the moment. Somewhere in the community it is always Blog Hop O’clock. There appears to be a link or meme for every day of the week and every conceivable subject matter.
Loathing is a strong word – and I admit there are a couple of Linkys I occasionally join in with myself – but I do feel the parent blogging community is in danger of being taken over by the Linky. My (perhaps controversial) view is that some people create Linky themes to boost their stats; page views, comments and rankings – all of which count towards stature in a competitive community.
As a bit of a stats geek I’ve noticed that on days when I do my favourite Linkys my page views are quite high – but my comments are average, and my bounce rate is extremely high (suggesting the majority of visitors look at the Linky and leave the blog immediately)
I agree that Linky posts can be a way of building ‘community’ or meeting new bloggers, but in an ever-growing blogosphere, shouldn’t blogs stand out on their own merit? Why are some of us so keen to write on the same interpretation of a prompt?
In the early days of the Linky I welcomed the opportunity to find new blogs to read. Now it seems more like a chore to plough my way through all the entries, feeling I have to leave a comment on each to ‘acknowledge’ my visit. Is this showing the strength and success of the parent blogging community?
Not too long ago, I wrote a blog post asking “Where are the words?” after noticing a trend among bloggers to simply post a random photo rather than writing a post. It was a short post but prompted a lot of response from people both sides of the fence. Should we just dial it back a little and try to remember why we started our blogs in the first place?
By all means, use Linky love to find your blogging feet but mix it up with a healthy dose of your own ideas and words, too! A blog should be what you want it to be, and not just what you think your audience wants.
The Linky Lover…Cathy from NurtureStore
A glorious aspect of blogging is that there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re passionate about making crafts with loo rolls or discussing existentialism there’s a blog community for you – but how do you get out there and make connections with others?
One way is to join in with a Linky. Some love them and some hate them but I’ll say it loud and say it proud: I love them. I run a children’s play and craft Linky on my blog, and I join in with lots of others each week and benefit from them. Here’s why I’m a Linky lover:
For inspiration
A linky is a fabulous way to gain inspiration. I’m a mother of two and I work with preschool children so I’m always looking for new activity ideas. The early years blogging community is passionate about sharing resources and a key way we do this is through Linky posts. I run the Play Academy Linky at NurtureStore, which each Friday becomes a hub where people can pool ideas. Kids’ crafts might not be your thing but whatever you’re interested in the chances are there’s a linky out there waiting for you to join in and take inspiration from.
For community
Linkys bring together like-minded people and introduce you to new contacts, so if you’re looking to join an online community taking part in a Linky party can break the ice and get you mingling. In my experience, people taking part in Linkys are a friendly lot so I encourage new people not to be shy but to dive in and take part. I’d suggest finding smaller linky parties where I think it’s much easier to get to know the regulars than parties which have hundreds of linkers each week.
To grow your blog
Whether you’re a linky host or a linkee, taking part in linkys can help to grow your blog. By their very nature they’re set up to encourage visitors, for all bloggers taking part, so if you’re interested in more traffic or widening your group of readers, joining a linky can help.
I wouldn’t assume that you can launch a linky and then sit back and expect it to hurtle your blog stats sky high though. Don’t underestimate what it takes to make a link-up work though. As with any aspect of blogging you need to put in time and effort to get the results you’re after: visiting all the blogs that link to you, leaving comments, helping to promote their posts in your twitter stream and on your Facebook page.
I guess Linkys are a bit like Marmite and musicals – you either love them or hate them. I love my linkys and I’ll be interested to hear from you whether you agree.
What do you think? Lover? Loather? Somewhere in the middle?
If linkys are about content they can be incredibly useful as a user/reader of blogs (rather than a writer of blogs) – I can find lots of stimulating posts often on the same topic. For example Cathy’s linkys are a great resource to come back to or to know about for a future date – lots of ideas in one convenient place. But as a writer of a blog I find linkys sometimes annoying – so rarely do participants take the time to visit every one else’s links (at least in my experience) so that leaves me feeling sorry the community isn’t stronger.
Yes, I think some Linky posts can be a great resource of information and inspiration and Cathy’s are a great example.
It’s great to hear you find NurtureStore’s linkys useful Zoe – I definitely pick up lots of ideas from the posts that are linked.
I totally agree here – the method of gathering links to fit in with a particular subject can serve as a great reference tool.
I completely agree with Nickie and would like to subscribe to her pamphlet.
I would also add the phrase “creatively bankrupt” to the mix
To me the who linky thing seems a way of generating content when you haven’t got anything to say. If you haven’t got anything to say, don’t say it, it’s okay, your blog isn’t run by a team of professionals who have to have content up every day of the week, it’s run by you, when you can be bothered.
If you want to run a photo group, join a flickr group and be done with it. Much more flexible.
Given the size of the internet and the number of people that can write well, to a degree discovering new blogs doesn’t matter, I already know too many to keep up with and when I do discover a new one I like, it’s far more often via the medium of twitter where I spot a tweet/retweet and think, gosh that person makes sense/was funny/seems a top chap. This is a lot less manufactured and a better introduction to a good new read than seeing 100+ people follow the herd like sheeple.
I can see where you’re coming from, but I still every so often find a new blog that I’ve never heard of before, and just love – the Ten at Ten we run is great in that respect.
Love em. Good way of getting new readers, gain links going to your blog and those who comment are usually very nice as well. I run the Blog Bus kinky on Petit Mom on Wednesdays (shall be out soon!) as middle of the week I always find a bit dull and sluggish so thought it’s always nice to find a new blog to read and perhaps gain a friend from it.
It sounds like you’re really enjoying using Linkys!
Love em! Like to join in with others and share, helps bring others to your blog and you to theirs – there’s some real great reads out there .
I think that both Nickie and Cathy make fair points – linkies are a bit like junk food in my mind. All right once in a while, but not something to build a healthy diet out of. It does depress me that every new blogger seems to think they’ve got to come up with a button or a link or something though.
I agree in the sense that I get disappointed when I visit a blog and see a stream of Linky-related posts. I do sometimes wonder where the blogger is in all of this – but that’s my personal preference, I’m very nosy and love a blog that’s revealing of someone’s personality!
That is where I try to find balance with my own blog. I freely admit that I join in with about four linkys but it’s not every week and it is only when I feel that I can write something relevant to my blog/readership around the theme. To me, it doesn’t make sense otherwise.
Hate them with a passion! Blogging by numbers! Surely most people started blogging to find their voice so why then drown themselves in a sea of similiarity.
I never click on a linky nowadays, even if you’re one of my favourite bloggers I won’t bother to look at your post if it’s a gallery/silentsunday/flashbackfriday/maudlingmonday/havenoimaginationsaturday post.
*I may have made the last two up…
I imagine that for some people blogging isn’t just about their voice but about joining in – I always think of Linkys as being like a choir, since it’s lots of people saying similar things at the same time. It’s a sense of participation, maybe?
I don’t think linkys necessarily have to be a sea of similarity. Even when I host a themed carnival there’s a variety of posts that join in. For mine it will be on a kids play/learning theme but we might get homeschooling perspectives, special needs perspectives and so on, giving ideas I’d never have considered before.
I sort of agree with both
On our home ed blog ring we’ve run a meme for years, a day in the life of a home edder, once a year in may. I can’t remember who started it, it might have been me but it might well not. The host varies, or it is done more as a carnival.
I like carnivals, I like that notesfromhome puts in time and gets a reward but so do we all. I join in others when the title appeals or I have something to say. I think it is best done that way. I guess from a stats pov, ending up top because you run a clever linky is one thing in itself, but it isn’t then all about what you really are.
I like linkys that inspire me and where people put in tine and effort, I like it if the host then bothers to go and comment, it seems great ‘manners’ to do that. I use them to find new blogs and people but I would never do one just to belong or get hits. Fwiw
I like my blog to be mine, so my entry will always have to fit.
One reason some people like taking part in carnivals is they they share the link love around a bit more effectively than a widget, I think.
I think it depends on the linky itself. I join certain linkys to share my craft ideas (because I am insanely proud of them) or to get new ideas, for crafts in particular. I join others such as the photo-ops because it encourages me to take better pictures.
The problem comes when the number of entries is so large, it takes you three days of intermittent reading to look at them all: I invariably give up and just look at the entries of people I follow, or ones that sound intriguing.
I have only hosted one linky. It seemed like a lot of work!!
I admit I don’t ever bother clicking on those Linkys with loads of entries, and no real clue of what the content might be. I just don’t have time!
Where I like linkies is when you’re writing on a specific topic, and you want others to join in, i.e. in a carnival. I think it’s great to have posts on the same topic linked up so people who want to read more have easy access to more.
Definitely agree!
Hehehe very controversial….
But I always think: if you don’t like something ignore it. If you loathe them, why take part etc etc… (same goes for the debate re “entry conditions” on giveways, if you don’t like them, don’t do them. But don’t moan… not your problem)
If you like it, enjoy it.
Linkys have helped grow my blog tremendously – it is not about hosting one – that has actually impacted my blog stats relatively little, but about taking part in them. I am so glad I found the linky network, as it has really helped me connect with crafty blogs and I love it! If you are new to blogging, I would say: Link up.
Hooray for linkys.Especially topical ones!
Maggy
PS Also, joining link up parties has NEVER driven the content of my blog. I write what I want to write and the submit where appropriate!
I am a big believer that the Internet is big enough that we can all pick and choose what we do and don’t take part in. I choose not to take part in the Linkys because they don’t suit my style of blogging, but that’s not to say someone else doesn’t get a lot out of it.
I think it depends on the content. The ones where it is literally just a photo I don’t partake in and I don’t ever look at a single entry even if they come up on my blog reader. Last week I took part in one of the most popular ones but like somebody else has said here – so many people enter that only three people actually looked at mine from the Linky.
I’ve started joining in with one on a weekly basis that I enjoy because it’s a subject I enjoy – films. It’s a much smaller linky which means I can easily go and read everybody else’s submission which I also enjoy.
I’ve got a linky on my blog but again, it’s topical to me rather than being just “content”. Mine is about meal planning because cookbooks and meal planning are kind of my thing. I do it every week anyway and I’ve started blogging it and I like having other people link their meal plans to mine so I can be nosey.
I also make sure I go comment on anybody who links to my blog post, and I like that the film one I join in with is the same – the host always comments on the entries which is how it should be I think? I don’t get why you would host a linky and not go comment/thank people for joining in.
In short, yes I like them but only if they are relevant to me and my blog and if the host actively engages with the participants.
Oof.
Gosh, only three visitors? That’s surprising to me, certainly.
Just to add – my Blogger onsite stats say that today I’ve only received 12 visits direct from The Gallery link list yet I’ve got 16 comments (and not everyone who visits leaves a comment) and over 450 page views. There are many ways that people access the linky blog posts (for instance, FB, twitter, Google Reader, email) so if it’s something you want to carry on joining in with then don’t be too disheartened by stats.
I agree with both too. As a new blogger linkys have allowed me to get readers and find some amazing blogs. I wouldn’t have known where to start without them, but blogging should not just be about doing lots of linkys it should be your opportunity to share you thoughts, experiences and feelings.
Emma
It’s comments like “getting new readers” I don’t get, along with “building a readership”, “growing your blog”. Absolutely no offence meant to you Emma, I could have replied to others but yours happens to be at the bottom.
As VBiC says above, part of what makes people read a blog is the unique voice. How can copying what a 100 other people do achieve this?
I’ve never understood the need to grow readerships or whatever it is either, I didn’t think blogging was a competition. I do mine for my own edification and my reader numbers bear that out
All depends why you blog! And one of the reason I blog is to get a pat on the back and feel good about something other than my wonderful children.. and that is where new readers come into it… 100 pageviews a day is nice. 1000 is rather exciting! Now that is the difference joining link up parties CAN make..
But each to their own. We all blog for different reasons.
Maggy
My view is that it depends on how you manage the project. I don’t run a linky on my personal blog, I’ve thought about it but I think the key is to find one that is engaging, creative and adds value to a community.
I like joining in with some of them, but again it is about finding one that fits with what I’m writing about anyway.
I do however host a linkup on my writing blog. I get 14 or so entrants a week, I’ve been running it for ten weeks and I’ve seen a big increase in my readership, but I would be writing anyway. I started it to increase reader numbers but it works because the genre it is in, unlike the parent blogging genre, isn’t over subscribed with link ups and the people that participate have taken genuine ownership of the theme and have seen benefit in participating.
I think, like any other tool, if used well they can have a great impact. The themes that engage and communicate with people will stand and last and those that don’t will fall by the wayside.
They also give people a sense of community and belonging and the importance of that shouldn’t be underestimated.
I think the key for me is that notion of ‘finding one that fits in with what I’m writing about anyway’ – that’s making a Linky work for you, and makes total sense to me!
I agree with the idea of finding a linky that fits with what you want to blog about – rather than writing something only to join in. As I said in the main post, there’s space for every kind of interest – so yes, make a linky work for you.
It is very interesting to see that the majority of the comments agree that Linkys are part of the process in “commercial” type ventures (writing, craft, etc) but on a personal blog they can be a tad annoying.
I do find the amount of linky’s now are quite overwhelming. I use to do some but actually found they were restricting my writing and creativity rather then inspiring me. I find having to write for a subject hard work. I do like the craft/food ones I find them really helpful to have a look through and get ideas but I don’t write for them. I do add my comps to Mellow Mummy’s linky but I would do them regardless of the linky. I have also started to add mine music post to Jen’s linky but again I write them anyway I have my own musical week which is just for me really.
I can see that they may perhaps stifle creativity in some ways – oh, it’s Wednesday so I do X and then on Thursday I do Y … but it sounds like you’ve found a balance that works for you.
I think I’m somewhere in the middle but I’ve only been blogging just shy of 4 months so what do I know?
I first discovered the ‘linky’ about a week after starting my blog and it helped me to find new blogs and meet new people and to establish my presence in the online world.
I have always taken part in The Gallery and Silent Sunday (not missed a week yet) because I do have a love for photography and although The Gallery gives a prompt each week it challenges me to think about my photograph and write a post around it in my own words – my own voice. Silent Sunday is a fab concept because it makes you capture ‘that moment’ from your week and it sums up your week with one picture. It’s a perfect photographic diary for my blog.
I try to have a mix of the world of linkys and my own posts and I think I am just starting to get the balance right now. Sadly, some of the linkys I used to be involved with have fallen by the wayside and I only join up with them occasionally if the mood takes me.
Sounds like you’re enjoying what you do, and at the end of the day, isn’t that what’s important?
Definitely – I’m a firm believer in each to their own and if people just want to blog their own posts…fine. If people want to do both (like me)…fine and even if all people do is join in linkies then that’s fine too. It’s whatever floats your boat.
I’m with you, blogging should be whatever you want it to be. I do some linkys but usually on separate pages in case they annoy regular readers.
I an in two minds. As a relatively new blogger I have benefitted greatly from Silent Sunday and Blow Your Own Blog Horn. I haven’t written for any specific carnivals, but if one came up that I had an archive blog for, I would link to that. After three months of blogging I feel that I have a small but solid following and am content to write what I want to write unprompted by an ‘event’. However, if i saw something that inspired me I would join. I agree about not having time to plough through all the entries. It is thrilling when someone links to you but I dread being tagged for a meme that I don’t want to do. I wouldn’t have the heart to decline but I would adapt the rules to suit me.
Bottom line: Linkies are a great tool and it’s good to have them for those that enjoy the ‘we’re all in this together’ aspect. Also good for dipping in when you feel blog-lonely. But you can also bypass the linkies for a while and have the courage to adapt the prompt to your own style and convenience.
Great comment, thanks!
The thing is, with the “big” linkies, there are SO many people taking part that it’s impossible to get round more than maybe, 10-15 of them (if that!), and that’s where the secret lies. If you want to get lots of communication going on, you’ve got to put the work in and comment on as many of these blogs as you can, otherwise it won’t really work out.
Or that’s what I’ve found over the last 3/4 years at least!
I see where you’re coming from and if Linkies work for you, I personally think that’s brilliant, but it sounds like a lot of hard work. Do you ever think, oh, why not just let people comment because they’re genuinely moved to because of what I wrote?
I think if you do want to get communication going you do have to ‘put the work in’ and go and read other blogs, leave comments, start chatting. What I like about linkys is they’re a good starting point to find other blogs which I’m likely to want to communicate with, if you see what I mean, as we’re likely to be interested in the same discussions.
Oh yes, I know exactly what you mean! When I first started blogging, memes were a great way of meeting new people, and I loved them!
I guess what I was meaning to say is, it can tend to wear off after a while, particularly when you’re at a stage that you already follow a ton of blogs already. Know what I mean?
I think Linkys can be fun, but there is a danger that if you follow more than one linky then a lot of blogs are going to have similar content.
They can be quite useful for bringing new visitors to a blog, but I’ve noticed a trend for more and more linkys and I do wonder if bloggers are starting them to get the extra ranking points.
It would be good to see more bloggers doing their own thing, because a good blog will get readers whether they join in a linky or not.
I am stuck in the middle with this, I run a linky once a week but nothing as high profile as the photo ones. I’m lucky if I get 10 links per week but I love it. It is a weekly challenge to me to find a theme, and people are enjoying joining in and adding something non parental to their blogs a bit of themselves in their musical tastes.
I agree that the more similar link ups to mine that I see popping up each week I have started to question if link ups are a bit grubby and dirty my blogs originality.
I started mine from one post actually written for another purpose and people asked me to start it weekly, it was organic and fun. I am however considering stopping mine to save my blog from looking cheap and needy which is a shame because it was never about anything other than fun.
But I read all the negative comments popping up about the place about this kind of thing and feel pressure to stop running them or risk being tarred with the same brush.
Most of all I am just sad that my blogging experience is stressed by blogland politics and a bit angry that I might cave in under other peoples opinions.
I think that’s a real shame, and I say you should ignore anyone who makes you feel less than brilliant about your blog – it’s yours, and if it makes you happy, that’s all that matters. Bugger the rest of ‘em.
I think these comments show lots of positive *and* negative opinions about linkys – so rather than feeling any pressure from anyone else, I think a blog should be about what you love. You can’t please everyone, so put yourself first (!) and blog in the way you enjoy.
I am torn as sometimes I like to join in, but increasingly I am getting tired of there being so many. Some are great, ones that lead me to ideas of things to do or cook or make but all the films, music, lists make dull reading.
Sometimes they put me off posting my own content as I figure I won’t get readers if it’s not in the linky, but I’ve decided I need to ignore this as if anyone is like me they would welcome something different to read
I actually really enjoy taking part in a few of the linkys around although I do try to limit myself to just a couple of linky posts a week because I can see that you could start to lose yourself if you took part in them all.
I enjoy Silent Sunday because I take stacks of pictures every week and it’s nice to post a random picture once a week. I also enjoy the Friday Club that Ella does as the topics she chooses are generally thought provoking and make me think about things.
I did actually start a cooking with kids linky a while ago because that’s what I love doing, cooking with my children, but there were a few comments made about linkys been mainly for the purpose of backlinks (which mine wasn’t) and that took the fun out of it for me because at the end of the day, if I’m not having fun blogging then I don’t really see the point.
Sorry that’s how you felt Cass – I wondered what had happened! As the first blog I ever read I loved taking part in yours
Hi!
I run the Blow Your Own Blog-Horn blog hop every Friday.
It’s not really to increase my own stats – as most visitors go on to read through the other blogs on the list rather than staying on Mummy’s Little Monkey – LOL!!!!!
But I enjoy bringing different blogs together and helping people ‘find’ each other.
I also take part in other Linkys and really enjoy them. But I try to balance them so there are a good mix of personal/meaty/funny posts too – not just a string of Linkys.
Still, my blog ain’t gonna be everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s totally OK.
Sounds like you put a lot of thought in to having a great mix of posts, and promoting others, Jacqui
I just love joining in! Sometimes there do seem an awful lot of them going on. I try to do silent sunday & sometimes the gallery, but always do Mich’s reasons to be cheerful as it really makes me look at my life and reflect – I love that one!
Must admit i often don’t get chance to visit all the gallery & silent sunday posts as there are just so many – I tend to look at ones I see on twitter and visit those who leave comments on mine. A shame though & I wish I had the time to see all
Reading through so many of these replies I once again feel like I must have missed the memo (or blog) post about who is in charge of blogs and wrote the rule book. As with any community if the members didn;t change, evolve or get replaced it would stay the same forever. And yes maybe some people want that, they go be closed and read the same thing all the time.
In a way I am very new to this, the actual taking part bit. the reason I started blogging in the ‘Mummy Blogger’ sense now was to join in with Silent Sunday & The Gallery as I was seeing twitter friends do it and loving the snap shot without hundreds of words. My online time is spread very thin between twitter/running a parenting forum/facebook/emails/msn. And I can’t pick just one as they all cover different bits of my life. I don;t have the time to read blog after blog, I rely on things like Silent Sunday and the Gallery to find new blogs and people to follow on twitter.
I love taking part in them as for Silent Sunday it makes me take more photos again, something I had got lazy with, but something I love. With the main thing being there is no photo snobbery, it can be a shitty quality on your iPhone that just catches a moment of your week. the gallery makes me think and makes me go over old photos too – last week with the ‘yesterday’ theme it really had a huge impact on me and I wrote (yes I do actual words too) from my heart relating to the topic as it hit a nerve.
But is this blogging? Well you know..for me it is as until someone sends me this rulebook , My Blog…My Rules
I have up until now avoided responding to any blogging politics but when people start mentioning the word community I can’t help myself! I can’t stand snobbery in any form, or anyone that thinks they have ownership of an idea just because they have been doing it since back in the day. For me community is support, laughter and enjoyment…the same reasons I blog.
Hi Jo, I think it’s great that you’ve re-discovered something you love and started taking pictures again – blogs are great for sharing passions.
You’ve got it spot on – your blog, your rules. This is an opinion piece looking at both sides of the equation. And like it or not, parent blogging is a “community” in the sense of the word. Parent blogging is actually a community I’m proud to be a part of.
I have put a Mr Linky onto one page of my blog, as a way of collecting nappy-related posts. Because I write a lot about nappies (reusable vs disposable etc) I get a lot of blog traffic from people interested in finding out more about nappy options. I’m using the Linky as a tool to allow other bloggers to add their own posts on the subject. As readers find a lot of useful info in one place, bloggers on the link list will hopefully benefit from more traffic. So, I think the Linky is a potentially useful tool.
I use a linky in this way too, especially when hosting a carnival. I get lots of traffic from google searches on early years themes so though it would be good to have an archive of posts from within the blog community for others to use.
I take part in one linky regularly, which is Silent Sunday – this floats some people’s boats and not others. I get an immense amount of comments and reads on these days but this isn’t the only reason I do it – I do it because I enjoy it. Does it do anything get me freelance WRITING work, which is half the reason I blog? Not a thing but is bleddy good fun so I’ll continue. Others I don’t tend to bother with though have linked some of Kieran’s craft in Maggy’s RedTedArt Carnival (which is great!) and the odd post here or there ie there was a linky on what your workspace looked like, very interesting actually, but that is about it.
I wouldn’t ever host a linky or carnival – simply because they seem to be a pain in the ass, and I wouldn’t want the hassle, despite the extra stats etc.
Memes – not a lover to be honest,(not least because if I do a post like that I want to do it sooner after tagging and that messes with my scheduled posts!).I’ve been tagged a few times, have done two and felt faintly guilty for tagging others after so have made the decision to not do any more.
Are there too many linkys etc? Maybe, maybe not. They are there because people use them, they’ll disappear when they are no longer “fashionable” or the next new thing comes along.
I guess that puts my in the middle of love and loathe, but that’s ok because I’m comfortable with that, and I’m happy with the way I run C&C. That’s the most important thing surely?
I like some of them but there are a bit too many.
I quite like the linkies though I don’t take part in many regularly. Though British, I do live in America so was already quite familiar with them. They seem to have fallen out of popularity a bit over here, it seems, mind you, so maybe they will run their course in the UK too. They are a good way for brand new bloggers to get exposure, and to find their own blogs to follow. I too now have a lot of blogs that I follow and stay away from the linkies if I don’t have time to do a lot of commenting, but for new folk I think they can be very community building.
I’m sure they boost the stats of the bloggers who host them, but I don’t have a problem with that at all. Nobody is forcing anyone to take part. I love looking at other peoples photos, and I particularly liked the writing workshop linky, since I have read some really beautiful writing there, and I have been inspired to really write well on occasion.
Again, I can see both sides. I can see the benefits but I think there are too many.
I do take part in linkys. I do the Gallery most weeks and I find that the theme makes me think about the photo and the words. Some of my best posts have been Gallery posts when I have written about how the pic fits the theme or the story behind it. I like that it makes me think. I like Silent Sunday for the opposite reason – I’ve had pix that have totally flummoxed some people and it becomes a bit of a guessing game.
If you are near the top of the linky, you’ll get reasonable views from the linky but if you write a good post, you’ll get views. I did one Gallery post one week and I didn’t even publish it until Weds pm and it got comparatively lots of views. Similarly, my Silent Sunday last week got lots of views because my tweets got a lot of RTs. I do however agree that the size of the linkies makes it impossible to visit them all now, which is a shame but there is just not enough hours in the day.
The others, I do because they fit in with my blog or I decide to join in. Jax’s Blow your Own Blog Horn is great and I don’t think she can be accused of trying to get her stats up because no-one links back to her.
I do really miss Writing Workshop because I didn’t do it enough, I always read the prompts but rarely took part because I found them hard. I’d decided I was going to do more to push my writing a bit but I noticed that it’s not running at the moment, which is a damned shame.
I’ve hosted one linky on my blog, but that was to collate soup recipes over winter. It didn’t get many entries and probably went when he started charging. Hey ho. I think linkies are a good way to collate similar posts.
If it is a phase, then it will pass. I think there may come a point where they don’t run quite so regularly. I think it’s because the big ones are pretty much weekly that they seem to take over- which might mean I miss a great post on that day.
As with everything, for me, it’s a balance the same as sponsored posts or hot topics.
That said I’ve started a monthly one more as a reminder for me personally to write a specific type of post; ‘Live in the now, dude.’ To force myself to take a moment and capture what’s happening right now. I found that really these were the posts that I loved most, that I know will be the ones that my children will read in years to come.
For me it’s not about stats but I thought if I felt like this then maybe some other people did too. Who knows, if it dies the death then I’ll just do it myself!
I don’t know who does the silent sundays but my issue with it is this, why start silent sunday when there is already wordless wednesday? Wordless Wednesday has been around for donkeys.
I take part in Wordless Wednesday. I do it because I find it quite challenging to find a pgoto each week that will provoke comment because of the subject of the photo, rather than because it’s on a linky.
I have found a few blogs that I now read regularly since taking part in it, and I get to visit a lot more blogs through doing it.
I don’t see it as a cop-out. I have made a commitment to post every single day, so one day a week, having a photo that has taken thought is just as good as a written post, just in a different way.
Every Friday, I do something I called TFI Friday – again something I do for myself, to find the positive in the week (not always easy for me). I invite others to join me, but I do it for my own benefit. The other 5 days a week are not set, I don’t take part in any other linkies or memes and I write what I feel inspired to write.
I’m a linky lover definately and hops are a great way to read new blogs too