Link Farm #1 With Meta

ampersand of amptoons regularly posts what he calls link farms where he lists links to good posts from other blogs. like skippy's reciprocal linking policy, link farming is an effective way to focus attention on lesser known bloggers who produce quality writing. another side benefit is that a blogger can use link farming as an opportunity to explore blogs outside the A-list sacred circle and their own personal daily reads list.

time permitting, i will post a weekly link farm with five to ten links to posts from blogs on the WFD blogroll. at the end of my last comment on this thread, i demonstrated a profound and astonishing ability to state the obvious: atrios and markos attained their A list status because _everyone_ links to them. A list blogs have a strong tendency to link only to each other. however, the A list pioneers did not make themselves into A listers. they got where they are because lesser known bloggers linked to them in increasing numbers.

while A listers individually have the power to be kingmakers, the multitude of lesser known blogs hasn't lost its ability to do the same. standing outside the warm glow of the A list circle jerk and crying because the kool kidz won't invite you to their parties is the fastest way to get labeled a whiny loser whether it's true or not. it only increases the A list aura because kool kidz get to be kool kidz only because of all the people pining away for their approval and attention. if no one gave a crap, or if most people managed to pretend that they didn't, the kool kidz would magically transform into dorks with unjustifiably large egos.

the crowd outside the A list circle is bigger and more diverse than the A list. if you're complaining that the A listers slammed the door shut behind them, stop. just stop it. haul your butt over to your computer and start exploring the vast territory of liberal blogs with fewer than three thousand visitors a day and LINK to them on your OWN blog and encourage others to do the same instead of wondering why atrios and markos aren't doing all of this work for the good of the liberal blogosphere.

skippy, maryscott, and others such as the independent blogger's alliance have been diligent in doing some of the heavy lifting. even so, many of the beneficiaries of these efforts haven't followed their example. i've linked the vast majority of blogs from skippy's say hello posts. some of them haven't been added yet because they were added after i expanded our blogroll this weekend.

i don't care deeply about how many people link WFD because this blog is a hobby for me and my co-bloggers, and i personally rarely write anything serious anymore. i don't have time to put a ton of thought and care into long meaty posts with a full-time job and two upper level computer science courses to juggle. i remark on it because it makes me question how much solidarity really exists in the liberal blogosphere or blogtopia* as skippy calls it. it doesn't seem terribly productive or fair to rail against atrios and markos for being stingy with links in the name of solidarity if lesser known bloggers don't foster a little solidarity of their own.

for example, the semi-annual "Where Are All the Women Bloggers" flap used to raise feminist blogger hackles. instead of uselessly sniping at the largely male A listers, some women bloggers took matters into their own hands. i went to the first BlogHer conference and had a blast (Photos: Part one, Part two). hopefully, they'll hold it on the east coast this year, and i'll be able to attend again. when i get time, i'll be adding the BlogHer blogroll to WFD. i should have done it much sooner.

now, on to the link farm:

God bless the child by belledame222 from Fetch me my axe

Summary:

belledame222 explores the intersection between racism, fundamentalism and authoritarianism in response to a recent case in texas in which Shaquanda Cotton, a 14 year old african american girl, was sentenced to 7 years in prison for pushing a hall monitor at her school.

On Evil and Good by Sage from Persephone's Box

Summary:

Sage explores the difficulty and complexity of fostering good moral development. her post is a good followup to belledame222's God bless the child.

People banned from SNL by Seth Anderson from B12 Solipsism

Summary:

this is a good read for those who are interested in rock and roll badassery.

On Current Weather Patterns in Blogtopia* by AltHippo from Alternative Hippopotamus

Summary:

AltHippo suggests that bloggers use rss readers and bookmark managers such as del.icio.us to collect links for monthly link farm posts. what a brilliant idea!

Untitled by Shark-fu from AngryBlackBitch

Summary:

Shark-fu reminds us that we need to focus on the basics of civic duty. blogging furiously is not enough.

*skippy coined this term