I love going to look at the sites of people who've given hedgeblog (or the egeltje group) a lowball (five stars or below) rating. Their sites are usually so badly designed there's just no way it could be something like their lofty aethetic sense being bruised by the cuteness of my hedgehog. Or sheer adorableness of my punk rock fairy. It could only be jealousy. Possibly of my cute hedgehog ownership but more likely they're just upset about my designs making their pages look like little nutty pieces of crap. We're talking animated gif dogs and reindeer here, people. And not in an ironic way.
Oh I could link to them and let you point and giggle and say mean things right along with me. But I won't. Because I'm kind. And I understand.
Drunk. Drunk with power they are. I was tipsy like that myself in the beginning. Wildly clicking "1" on weblogs just because I didn't agree with their Bush-votin ways. Yes, I was petty and sucked like that for about a day. Coincidentally the day Kerry conceded? No doubt heh. Until I got a 1 from someone who clearly just disagreed with me. Then I stopped voting at all for a few days in a big pout.
Now I only vote when I know I'm going to give them an 8 or more. No, it's not honest but despite what some may say I don't feel it's my job to be everyone's critic. I also try to leave really nice comments on the sites that I've truly enjoyed.
To the lowballers:
I'm not going to perpetuate the stupidity and vote your site low as well. I'm even going to start fighting the urge to look at who rated mine because I'd never change my site to just please semi-anonymous star-clickers.
I didn't decide to start a weblog again after being offline four years to receive your approval. I did it to have a place where I could play with code. Learn CSS. Jot down my random thoughts. Share links with friends and family. And as a bonus meet new people and hear new stories.
Not to play some stupid junior high clique game. So put that in your pipe and shove it up your ass.
I just kill em with kindness. (especially if I truly do love their blog) I don't let it bug me! I blog for me and not for them. Blog Explosion just lets them peek into my life.
Oh and PS I came via Blog Explosion today!!
*waves HI!
Posted by: Hula Doula at November 8, 2004 11:07 PM
I have just had exactly the same epiphany. I was following through the links to see the blogs that rated me. I have mostly been rated highly, not for my design which is virtually non-existent. I had a flashy design on my first site. Since I moved to my current one it has been in the middle of the business end of Uni, so I have been concentrating on writing (that's s'posed to be what it's about isn't it?), rather than 'flash'. Skinning can come when I have the entire summer to arse about making things pretty.
But I digress.....
Back to rating, I even asked the BE admin. people to look into making opting out of being rated an option. The same way you can opt out of having comments left in the BE 'toolbar'. It is such a wildly subjective, spurious preocess. It's mostly people sucking up for links or people who just hate/love your opinions. It just seems such a pointless exercise (though I too went a little mad with power for a day or two initally ;) )
Anyway, I want out of rating dammit!
Sam.
p.s. More hedgehog pictures, pleassse?
Posted by: Sam at November 9, 2004 2:27 AM
100% agree.
although something that miffed me is that someone offered a point by point critique of how my blog hasn't "found its identity" yet and how i should add more content.
i was like "dude, it's a blog. what identity is there to find?" but then i guess i brought it on myself by asking people to let me know what's wrong with my blog.
Posted by: marie at November 9, 2004 6:22 AM
If it makes you feel better, my blog is probably lower rated than yours. *grin*
Posted by: mac at November 9, 2004 10:28 AM
I am insanely jealous of your hedgehog ownership, but I love your blog :)
I did the same as you initially, I rated all the pro-bush hate spewing blogs low at first too. Now, if I rate them at all, I try to rate it according to reasonable criteria - content, layout, design and spirit. Overkill with the bells and whistles makes me a little mental.
Posted by: jen at November 9, 2004 11:07 AM
I love hedgehogs! I used to have one named Penelope. she was a darling.
(hello from another blog explosion visitor!)
Posted by: krissy at November 9, 2004 1:01 PM
I hear you. I've been all bitter about the fact that a couple of people rated my site poorly, and it's just a waste of time. Thanks for the reminder.
And your site looks great! Mine's just a crappy template. I can't do any coding for myself, but someday I'll learn.
Posted by: sic at November 9, 2004 2:11 PM
that's yet another point of view..
but i'm getting tired now.. 90% of the posts i've read today have been related to BE/BE ratings/BE comments/BE crap..
apparently the blogging community works on some kinda telepathy..
and BE now doesn't allow u to chk u rated u wat..
cheerz
SEV
http://satish-ev.blogspot.com`
Posted by: SEV at November 9, 2004 5:20 PM
Yes, your site is wonderful looking, and you will always get a ten from me. However, the rating system is silly and unimpressive. The true test of a blog's rating is that people want to return.
Which is why I keep returning to yours!
Posted by: michele at November 9, 2004 6:05 PM
Ouch!!! giving your site 4 or below is really stupid.
I think in the end, BE is going have to do away with the ratings. I think some people are giving high scores, so you'll give them one. Which one guy did and I'm not giving him one back!
Posted by: Cathy at November 9, 2004 6:55 PM
Isn't amazing how all of these poeple have started blogs becuase, presumably, they had xomething to say. And now we are all talking about these damned BE ratings. Myself included. I am grateful to BE because it has let me find great sites like this one. I am even more greatful that it has let some great poeple find my site.
But... (you saw that coming didn't you?)
BE has reduced this to some Hot or Not Middle School like contest. Who are they or you or anyone to tell me my site needs work? I'm not here for advice and I don't think most of us are. Is so hard to read, think about what we've read, and comment if so moved? Must be. It easy apparently easier and more fun to give 10's to our friends and 1's to those stinker we do not like (anonymously now.)
Posted by: jcklsgk at November 9, 2004 8:55 PM
I wanna hug jcklsgk. They're the first person to say exactly what I was trying to say to the creator of BlogExplosion yesterday.
But I, in essence, was told that if I didn't like the ratings, I should suck it up or remove myself from their services.
(that "offer" apparently doesn't extend to anyone since one of my readers told me that they were informed that ratings may be done away with altogether.)
But, hey, we can wait to vote in their little "should we allow ratings" poll and if we don't like the outcome we can vote with our proverbial web wallets and no longer participate or link to them. I guarantee with the popularity of this thing there will be imitations.
Posted by: marie at November 10, 2004 6:50 AM
*everyone, not anyone.
ok, i'll stop fugging your comments up now ;]
Posted by: marie at November 10, 2004 6:51 AM
LOL, Yes! I agree with you! I'm actually glad Blogexplosion turned that feature off (where one could see who voted) . Still, I am amazed at the crap sites I see (e.g., white with a blue bar across the top) and the comments people write, like "Great clean look, love the site!" or "Very professional!" Who ARE these people? My mother and her friends?! LOL And I, too, give low scores to extremely right-wing people. Please, it all evens out because they're giving me a 1 for my pro-choice links. And for the record, I think your hedgehogs are adorable (but then again, I've got ferrets so I'm not exactly neutral on little critters). :-)
Posted by: Cheeky Prof at November 20, 2004 1:20 PM
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