Question for the community

Are links valuable content for the community? 

On weekends (ie. days with no commute), I am torn between actually creating some quality original content for my blog vs. continuing to put out my “Interesting Finds” links ... so I am wondering if  link postings are valuable vs. original content (which is usually related to disassembling/decompiling right now - but I'm starting to look at F# ...).  Anyone have a comment?

posted on Saturday, February 04, 2006 5:29 AM

Feedback

# re: Question for the community

I like the links a lot (find a lot of goodies in them), but if you feel they're keeping you from creating other content you want to create on your own, you should stop collecting them.
2/4/2006 7:26 AM | Omer van Kloeten

# re: Question for the community

Whatever groove you're comfortable with, you should do that. M-F Interesting Finds on the commute, original posts on weekends and afterhours? Do that. SURE the links are valuable to the community, but there are a lot of super geeks out there interested in your disassembly/decompling work, too, as evidenced by the number of people who came to your Code Camp talk! Its good to read about other stuff your interested in, too.

Whatever makes you happy, Big Guy. We'll still be subscribing.

2/4/2006 7:40 AM | Dave Burke

# re: Question for the community

depends on what you want your niche to be.
right now i think of you as the 'interesting link guy'
2/4/2006 7:52 AM | casey chesnut

# re: Question for the community

I like 'em both from you, so whatever mix you end up is great with me.
2/4/2006 8:06 AM | Jim Holmes

# re: Question for the community

Thanks for the comments guys.

Well I guess the truth is that I'm not sure if I want to be known as a "Link blog", but I read a ton of blogs ... so I figure, why not blog the ones I find interesting? Originally I didn't read blogs on my commute, so I didn't have as many links to blog ... but now that I do - I have 3 hours a day to read more and more blogs looking for the good ones ... so I seem to be posting more and more links which is blowing the percentage of links vs. original content look worse to me. I don't think I ever thought that I would have any more that 20 - 40 readers that would find them mutually interesting.

The fact of the matter is, I'm not going to stop reading a ton of blogs and I really do like starting Saturday and Sunday mornings off with a cup of coffee and reading the blogs... but I think I'll start writing more original stuff and maybe, just maybe, get to designing my web site so the original content that is here is easier to find amongst all the links ;)
2/4/2006 8:33 AM | Jason Haley

# Re: Question for the community

For many, you're not <strong>A</strong> link blog, you are <strong>THE</strong> link blog. They may actually have to start subscribing to more feeds if you stop. ;)

But ultimately, it's your blog. Do what's best for you.
2/4/2006 11:35 AM | haacked@gmail.com (Haacked)

# re: Question for the community

Jason,

Jason Haley
Ramblings of a .Net Politician - .ver 2:0:0:1

Polls are useful, but speak what is on your mind.

If what is on your mind is "Interesting Finds", post them. What you think about, whether it is your own content, or your ability to find the useful stuff elsewhere, keeps me here.

I agree with Haacked, you are THE link blog. But your decompiler/disassembly work is good stuff.

---O
2/4/2006 7:54 PM | optionsScalper

# re: Question for the community

Jason,

Maybe you should start putting up advertisement revenue links to amazon and others. I'm sure with the traffic stream you can hire others to post links to interesting blogs and allow you to focus on original content.

Is this sounding like a magazine publication or what?

8^0
2/4/2006 11:55 PM | Gary C.

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