Web logs or blogs have become so popular and influential that even cable news pundits make mention of them in nightly newscasts. The blogosphere refers to the online world of blogs, which in the bigger picture includes not just the influential blogs, but all blogs. As of fall 2006, the total number of estimated blogs is over 54 million, and according to one source, it is climbing at a rate of 75,000 per day. So how does one find ‘good blogs’ among this sea of blogs? The definitive source by many accounts is Technorati.com.
Technorati monitors blog updates, organizes blogs by subject, and rates them according to popularity. Popularity is measured by the amount of hyperlinks to a blog, the reasoning being that the more hyperlinks a blog has, the more popular it is. If you would like to look at the most popular blogs relating to Entertainment, for example, you need only click on that category. A set of time-stamped bloglines come up with the title, author, and opening line. If you’d like to read the entire blog, simply click on the title.
If you’d like to become a free member, Technorati makes it easy to organize your favorite blogs into a personalized list using built-in website tools. Another handy feature is the Watchlist. Enter any keywords that interest you, and Technorati will return blogs that mention those keywords.
Technorati membership might also help new bloggers to get a leg up. By becoming a member, one can upload a photo and profile and “claim a blog,” thereby becoming part of the blogosphere and the Technorati database. Though a new blog may lack hyperlinks to increase its popularity rating, the Watchlist feature that Technorati provides to its membership could result in people finding a new blog more readily than if the blogger were going it alone.
Technorati’s huge clearinghouse also tracks video logs or vlogs, podcasts, and homemade videos. So whether it’s the hottest blogs, vlogs, or podcasts you seek, chances are Technorati.com has you covered.
This article is provided for informational purposes only. Conjecture and wiseGEEK are unaffiliated with Technorati.com and hold no position with regards to its endorsement.