Gardening tips, gardening info and heaps of ideas to help gardeners of all experience get more out of their hobby and out of their gardens.

Hanna from This Garden is Illegal has written a post on Bling for your Blog where she highlights a few personal badges that garden bloggers use to embellish their sites. Each 'badge' reveals something about the bloggers taste and style and helps readers identify with the blog.
Permit me to take this a step further.
Each blogger has a blogroll (blogs that they think are worthy of commendation) are placed in a prominent position, usually on a sidebar. This honour roll also personalises the blog and tells readers who the blogger considers important enough to recommend.
But there are a few ways that bloggers try to use blogrolls to maximum effect. Here's what I've seen;
1. Add anyone (and everyone)
This strategy is by far the most effective for showing readers that everyone counts. It also helps other bloggers feel accepted when they stumble across a blog that rates them in their list. Suddenly, one has an obligation to the recommending blog - 1. To possibly reciprocate with a link on their blog, or 2. To start reading the recommending blog.
2. Be Choosy
This can really be an awkward strategy. If you choose some and not others then bloggers could dismiss you as being clicky and perhaps snub your blog. Your choice may be based on blogs that you would recommend; blogs that are of a particular origin; or even blogs that are produced via similar pubshing platforms (eg. blogger blogs).
3. Don't link to anyone
This strategy is up there with not accepting comments. As the saying goes "No man is an island" so not having a blogroll could ostracise you from the rest of the blogosphere who are looking for community and acceptance.
4. Link only through posts
This is an interesting position to take and one that Darren from Problogger does quite well. He doesn't have a blogroll but regulary posts articles referring to other sites.
This probably isn't an exhaustive list of the reasons for bloggers to blogroll so I'm keen to hear your comments on what strategy you employ when it comes to blogrolling!
Comments
There are things for and against all methods. I have a looooong list of links on my sidebar which still doesn't include all of the blogs I access on a fairly regular basis. I feel that I should add the ones who are nice enough to regularly read and comment on my postings, but my links list could become 'bigger than Ben Hur'.
Although they are on my list, I don't actually use them to gain access to their blogs - I do that through my Favourites list (which is in several categories, and longer still). I feel that the Links are there more to encourage others to visit them.
Posted by: Alice | October 18, 2006 11:14 PM
Since I'm very interested in what other regional gardeners are up to, I made a point of adding Great Lakes gardeners blogs to my blogroll. They have their own category, and make up most of my (not very big) blogroll. I have a couple who aren't regional, but whose blogs I enjoy a lot, so they are on there as well, under a separate heading.
Posted by: Colleen | October 19, 2006 12:10 AM
I'm a little concerned about your comment that blogs with no blog roll go against community and acceptance. I've only been blogging for a few months and I don't know the etiquette for making a blog roll...maybe someone could explain this...do you just make a blog roll with blogs you enjoy or do you ask permission to include someone on your list?
Posted by: Leslie | October 19, 2006 6:36 AM
I have 195 feeds across a dozen different categories. I don't put them all in my blog's blogroll. And I am being choosy. At this point, I don't have time to read any more, so if I add another, someone's got to go. Sorry!
I have two categories in my sidebar on the main page: Gardening, and Nature. These are in keeping with the character of my blog. I don't know how many feeds they have in them, but they're the two largest categories, so at least half of my feeds. I'm thinking of adding another category or two, but they don't have as many blogs in them.
When I post about something I heard about from someone else, I always provide a link back to my source for the info, regardless of whether they're in my blogroll or not.
Posted by: Xris (Flatbush Gardener) | October 19, 2006 8:41 AM
Hi Leslie.
My comments weren't aimed at bloggers who are not aware of setting up blogrolls but were directed at bloggers who consciously make the decision not to link to anyone.
The etiquette is simple. Link to whichever blogs you like. I haven't found a blogger who has knocked back an offer of being on someone's blogroll, but if you prefer to ask first - ask away!!
All the best with your new blog.
Posted by: Stuart | October 19, 2006 1:10 PM
I agree with Xris, if you don't want to link then don't! Let's hope internet bullys don't get into the blogosphere!
Posted by: Andrew Culture | January 6, 2009 4:51 AM
i love blogs and I love badges too!
Posted by: Jayesh Love Badges | September 17, 2009 10:43 PM
I think pinup a badge is a symbol of status, that express your id & social status & responsibility.
Posted by: Window Badges | October 27, 2009 9:08 PM
I think pinup a badge is a symbol of status, that express your id & social status & responsibility.
Posted by: Window Badges | October 27, 2009 9:11 PM