You're thanking me for blogrolling? We ought to thank you for writing. =,

I had to wrestle with how to handle reciprocal links for a while, but wound up deciding that the best policy was not having a policy. On the one hand, I like links as much as the next blogger; on the other, if every blogger rewarded every reciprocal link, we'd all have blogrolls longer than Homer's Catalogue of the Ships!

A blogroll that endorses a digestible few sites seems more inviting, less daunting, and more authoritative than a sea scroll's worth of links. Much as I want to link everybody, I like to save that for the blog itself. When the blogroll gets too long to stay on the main screen, maybe I'll put it into a drop-down menu or a daughter window.

Thanks again for the mention. I appreciated it. Best--
G²

I am also sometimes bothered by the divided blogroll. I don't have a link policy though. I generally link to the 20 or so blogs I tend to gravitate towards. Of course, I rank pretty low on the ecosystems, and I am sure that has something to do with the fact that I have only about 20 links up. There are people on my blogroll that don't link back to me. And I take no offense at that. So I wouldn't worry too much. Just link to the places you would like people to check out. Or send them to the lefty directory if that does as good a job.

I don't expect any kind of reciprocal link.

Too many people link to other sites just to get links back, rather than provide a list of sites they actually find interesting.

I can't even explain what it is that makes me come back and read your site, because most of it concerns people, events and places totally unknown to me. Still, whatever it is you're doing, keep it up.

Thanks for the mention, Charles. I've only been at this blog game for three months - one on Radioland and two on Blogger, so my "roll" is in its infancy and really just a listing of what I like, a kind of sidecar "favorites list." Of course, I've not encountered the problem of swarms listing me and demanding reciprocity. I'm surprised some entrepreneurial type hasn't come up with a Blog Listing Service.

Where did I find your weblog listed? Hmmm. Could have been the Lefty Directory...or it might have been on one of the other "liberal" sites I'd been reading. You're on quite a bunch, as I recall. While I don't exactly remember WHERE I found you, I do know WHY I linked you. I really enjoyed your Pete Rose segment - not simply because I agree with you that Deford isn't Deford anymore, and not because I've got a Cooperstown/Rose rant...but really, for the writing. I liked the writing.

Now, I think I'll just settle back here and read up on Prairie Dog Town before heading off to the sites of the three boggers above me. Warm regards and thanks again, Charles!!!

Lisa

I'm not a big fan of the divided blogroll either -- except maybe by topic. I pretty much link everyone that links me, but since mine is a mostly political blog, I break up political sites from others. Oh, and Slug blogs -- gotta plug my fellow Slugs. :)

I say link everyone that's not rude or annoying. You never know when someone you didn't find particularly impressive will draft a gem.

Wow. Thanks, everyone! I'm getting all verklempt over here.

Lisa, there are some blog listing services. Check out Blogdex and BlogTracker, for example. Also, since I gather you're in New York, there's a New York Bloggers page. Check 'em out.

verklempt?

Arseblogger, "verklempt" means "emotional" or "all choked up". The expression became popular due to a skit on "Saturday Night Live" called "Coffee Talk". Here's a transcript from one to give you an idea.

I understand that Mike Myers based the Linda Richman character on his mother-in-law. I bet they have interesting family get-togethers.

EatonWeb Portal is a really good listing service.

URL: http://portal.eatonweb.com

I think it has some 5000 blogs listed in multiple categories. It looks nice and is a great volunteer effort.

Thanks Charles and Eric for the suggestions on blog lists...this neophyte is appreciative.

A little note here on the little issue of Charles' being visited by the White House Spanish Language page. I checked into my "referral log" (thanks also for that bit of direction..lol) and have come to learn I'm being visited by uscourts.gov

Gives me that warm fuzzy federal feeling...all over.

The main problem is that reciprocal linking means that blogrolls just keep growing and growing, until eventually all blogs have huge blog lists that are 90& the same.

And in my eyes, it is far worse to be on a blogroll in the "Well, he linked to me so I better link back" category than just to not be listed at all.

As for Linda Richman, she was pretty amused by the portrayal, and has really played up her near-fame, even writing a book or two about it.

http://www.pbs.org/whatson/press/winspring/linda_richman.html

Just for the record, I absolutely don't believe in, for my personal policy, in trading links. I links to thems I want to. I enjoy being linked to, and am flattered, but I'm not going to blogroll someone in return. As it is my blogroll is far too long, and I need to get Harsh and Cruel about dropping a few. I'm just a bit wimpish about that. Which makes it increasingly harder and harder for new blog (to me) to get added to my blogroll. Which ain't fair, but whaddya gonna do?