In response to Dr. McLeod’s question on how his survey on the Top EduBlogs can be improved, I had put forward 5 suggestions. You can read them here.
One was that the rankings should reflect blogs that are currently popular, blogs that are fresh. In the same post, I recognised my limited understanding of internet metrics, site ranks etc.
This morning, I decided to read around on Technorati and see that their Authority Rank really meant. Here’s what I found.
On Technorati, only links to you from the last 180 days count towards your authority. So, it does seem that the EduBlog rankings show the fresh, now popular stuff.
It also means that if I want to keep Ms.Teacher or Clay’s Beyond School consistently ahead on the Technorati scoreboard, I need to link to them at least once in 6 months. One link from One Blog = One Authority Point on Technorati.
Before one of you Good Samaritans go on and send several links from your blog towards this one, let me tell you that one blog gets one vote for every other blog. So even if I link to Ms. Cornelius’ Shrewdness of Apes 15 times, she will get only 1 Authority Point.
Another interesting point. Technorati does not distinguish between a ranking from a Top Ranked Blog and a less ranked one. So, a link from Inside Higher Ed (Rank #1) or from Christian’s Think:Lab (Rank # 22) will not count for more than the link from Exhausted Intern’s Not enough Hours (Rank # 569) or Kelly Christopherson’s Educational Discourse (Rank #650), all sites I like to visit (the first two are old bookmarks, the latter two new discoveries I am savouring).
However, Google does make a distinction. Its PageRank alogrithm gives greater weightage to sites with more pages linking to them, so if Christian at Think:Lab were to link to you it would do more to bring your page higher up on Google than if I were to link to you.
That, ladies and gentlemen, was my learning for the day. Hope it gave some of you something new too.
Btw, I encourage you to visit all the links above, they are some of the blogs I enjoy reading.
(image courtesy: Inky Circus)
Well done, fantastic blog and great posts!!!
Hi Vivek,
Really interesting comparison of rankings. Something about the whole enterprise seems dangerous – ‘school-y,’ we’re still into grading ourselves as edubloggers – but at the same time useful to show what the market is choosing to read in this field.
I like your UCB idea. I do it occasionally – tip, look at Australia! – but your suggestion to make it a habit is worth following.
I notice you say you’re learning Photoshop! It’s on my list of top priorities. Easy?
And – where are you located?
Finally – thanks for the kind mention. A benefit of linking beyond the ratings game is that Technorati plays matchmaker for Those Who Don’t Comment
Nice to have found you that way.
I like your blog on this first visit. Nice writing, nice look.
How do you get around WordPress’ restrictions on Java? It drives me bonkers, and keeps me with Blogger, which allows everything under the sun.
Sorry for the barrage. Hope you’ll answer them:)
Clay
Clay: Thanks for the comment on the blog!
Yes, the old scoresheet is back, alongwith feedback from other students over at Technorati. Personally, the Technorati authority matters to me. I write to improve my thinking, to reach out and collaborate with others with similar interests and to create conversations that may lead to an improvement in our collective understanding. For that Technorati (as a proxy for reach and engaged(?) readership) is a very useful tool.
I am not learning Photoshop actively- I tinker with it every time I need it. My current passion is photography (maybe I’ll post some on my blog!)
I am based in Mumbai, India but am moving to Cambridge, MA at the end of the month – I’m getting a degree and researching at Harvard.
I love WordPress. I used to be on blogger but moved here. I dont use Javascript at all on WP, its not allowed by the system.
Do you go through what Skoolaborate is trying to do? I look forward to possible collaboration on the student blogger initiative
Best,
Vivek
Hi Vivek
This is not a blogger initiative, it is a teen second life initiative. We are creating a safe and secure island (eventually a group of islands) where innovative and creative schools can collaborate. It is the combination of schools that will be it’s strenght. I am keen to grow this slowly but also very keen to get some schools from Asian countries involved. So far we have a definate New Zealand School, one rom Western Australia, heavy interest from Tasmania (Aust.) and Victoria (Aust.). I can’t wait until we have our first from Japan, India, Singapore, Malaysia or else. For those concerned, I have been using the web for to may years and this site is the most difficult site to actually get to be a member of – I think Linden have made a very secure system completely opposite to what alot of the press suggests.
So far the ideas that are coming in are fantastic – hope that you will be onboard soon.