Every once in a while, on a slow day, I’ll do what I call link hopping. That is, for those of you bloggers who visit my site, I’ll visit yours and see who you have on your blogroll (that reminds me, I need to do a better job of keeping my up-to-date). If you don’t have a blogroll, then I’ll read comments and click though to some of the commentators’ sites. Then, I’ll visit a site or two, see if I like the photography and/or writing, then perhaps add them to my RSS reader.
What I have found is that, for the most part, if I like your site, I will, the great majority of the time, like the sites of those who comment or who you have on your blogroll. Now, I had to try the counterpoint to that. I went to a blog that I really don’t care for, the writing or the photos, did the same thing and had similar results. That is, for those commentators that commented on his site, regularly, I clicked through and found that I didn’t care for their photography or their writing. I do admit that I could have already been heavily biased against those who frequent this blog because of my personal opinion of the opinions and photography therein. It is a bit pretentious, in my opinion. 
As they say, birds of a feather, flock together.
Naturally, there is no point to mention the blog, for that is not the point. Both Tom and Earl know which blog that I speak of because we discussed a similar topic during our get-together in Salisbury.
It’s just interesting, at least to me, to notice how similar people/photographers tend to find a comfortable place to hang out. Not surprising, though. I think that it is not necessarily the photography that doesn’t interest me, it’s more of the attitude that goes with it – If you don’t like ‘this’ type of photography, you’ve not grown as a photographer. I’ve never cared for that particular attitude.
Anyway, link hopping is pretty fun and I’ve found some cool blogs. I try to keep my number of RSS feeds down to about 30. So, when some go dormant and don’t post for a long while, or go away, I start hopping and always find new and interesting blogs! There are lots of interesting folks out there and all sorts of styles to admire.
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This is an interesting subject. I have not updated my own blogroll in quite some time and it’s one of those things that should be maintained regularly. Except in one instance, I’ve never blocked a comment, even though I don’t normally visit the blogger who originated it. I like the comments, it’s good feedback if they’re constructive and I make an effort to reply to each one.
My biggest problem is finding enough time to visit the ever growing number of blogs I really like.
Ken Bello recently posted..CARD TRICKS
I love to visit the blogs of my commentators. That’s how I found all of you guys and what great finds those were.
Same here. Problem is only that link-hopping usually leads to a quite substantial amount of time going out of the window. Instead of myself going out.
My link-hopping activity hence depends quite strongly on the weather and non-photographic, social-life activities…
Thomas recently posted..Couldn’t resist…
That’s the problem with Link Hopping, Thomas. It just goes deeper and deeper in to the rabbit hole. You find so many interesting sites that you just keep going.
Do you really think Blog Roll is a good thing ? I do not have one, not because I hate everyone but I never click on such links and it take to much space on a site and I’m afraid to lose my visitor after such a click.
Arnaud recently posted..Chronique et photos de Caravan Palace
@Usine( Istres)
Yes, I think it is a good thing. It might let someone discover a blog that they might not have otherwise discovered. I’ve never thought that providing a link would cause me to lose a viewer.
Paul recently posted..Link hopping
I’ve gone link hopping from your comments quite often
I saw a different approach in a couple of places where instead of having a complete blogroll, they would have selection of maybe 5 sites, once a month. It’d take a bit of work, but I think it has its advantages…
julie recently posted..kittens and donkeys and bunnies, oh my
Well, that’s good, Julie! Just as long as you keep returning, keep hopping.
When I have some down-time I like to go hopping around. It gives me an idea of what trends are evolving (HDR it seems) and what other like minded individuals write about. Of course, there is that old problem of getting lost in the bottomless depths of blogdom but that’s a risk I don’t mind taking on occasion, and besides, I’ve discovered not only many new people I’d love to hang out with, but new perspectives, new techniques and new equipment options. It’s a good thing.
John recently posted..This Just In – Man Not Smitten With Nex-5n!
I have always wondered if there is a “proper” length to have on a blog roll. I have quite a few on mine, and tend to use them a bit like bookmarks. Occasionally I second guess whether I should have that many or not as it does take up quite a bit of page space. I am liking the CommentLuv feature I added as it lets me know quickly when someone has some new material.
I am with ya on the hopping around – sometimes I get in so deep I don’t know where I started from!
Mark recently posted..Ignoring the camera
p.s. I don’t know what is up with that wordpress gravatar?!
Mark recently posted..Ignoring the camera
Ever since WP changed some things, it’s been a real pain about the Gravatar. They are linked, wordpress.com and gravatar.com. In order for my own gravatar to show up, I have to be logged into my blog. Not sure how the rest of it works out, as in why yours won’t show up on mine. I know that a lot of people are complaining about it, though.
Yep, I’m a link hopper. I’ve discovered interesting things about them or photography or found inspiration from their words or images. It is not something I do on a regular basis.
Monte Stevens recently posted..Our Passport