Mitch Keeler, apparently, is not impressed.
After a little sleuthing (or maybe “straightforward observation” would be a more appropriate description) Keeler, operator of the Mitchelaneous Web hosting blog and podcast discovered that we WHIR bloggers are posting comments on each other’s blog entries.
However, he seems to have the mistaken impression that some kind of unsavory business is going on. In a blog post tagged with the words “funny,” and “self promotion” he says:
Now this is just funny. I was skimming through some of the comments over at the Web Host Industry Review’s new blog section, and something struck me as odd. All the comments i saw were from the same people. So I figured, well they have a few fans – good for them. The closer I looked though, all the comments I saw came from the other “blog writers”. They are sitting around and commenting on each others different posts so they look more busy it seems.
I’m not sure “funny” is the right word.
Mitch seems to think he’s unraveling some sort of conspiracy. But this is hardly a revelation. It ought to be patently obvious to anyone reading the WHIR blogs that we’re posting comments on each other’s entries. We’re certainly not doing it in secret. In the example he posted, for instance, the hyperlink on Isabel’s name leads right to her WHIR blog. Hardly a stealth maneuver.
We see the cross-posting as one of the benefits of the WHIR blogs setup. We’re not trying to trick you into thinking we have “fans.” And we’re definitely not trying to “look more busy.” We’re trying to take advantage of having six blogs working together. We’re creating a dynamically evolving channel for ideas. And each of those comments posted adds to the value of the original post. I may have an opinion about something to which David Snead, a lawyer, might be able to add a whole new point of view.
Ultimately, I’d rather have a well thought out, insightful comment or criticism from one of the other WHIR bloggers than a “that post rocked!” from an anonymous poster.
That’s not to say reader comments aren’t welcome – they’re definitely something we’re after, and we’ve had a few great ones. Feel free to add some yourself. That goes for Mitch Keeler, too.
About Liam Eagle
Liam Eagle has worked as a contributor to the Web Host Industry Review since its inception in 2000, and as editor since 2003. He has been editor of the WHIR's print magazine since its launch. His daily involvement in the gathering and reporting of Web hosting news and his regular interaction with Web hosting leaders gives him an uncommonly broad appreciation of the issues and tends facing the business. Through his WHIR blog, Liam spots Web hosting trends and offers opinions on the industry-wide impacts of major developments and the motivation behind big announcements. Follow him on Twitter @liameagle
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