Greg Hartnett

Approximately six months ago, I was speaking with a friend about how much information I consume on a daily basis. There is so much to digest, and with my interest in RSS and blogging, the amount has only increased exponentially over the last year. As I come across useful and interesting material from authors across the globe, my feed subscriptions grow daily and I find myself getting my news from an ever-widening circle of sources.

Back in February, I decided to start tracking the stuff I read. Part reference for future reading and part mindfulness training, I use my linkblog as a quick place to log what I read online daily. Thus far, it has worked out pretty well. Unfortunately, I don’t use it quite as much as I thought I would. I typically only throw in a handful of the highlights on a daily basis - I find that I get too distracted throughout the day to keep a truly accurate picture.

While doing it the past few months, I have learned a few things:

Another reason I like using my linkblog: I think it’s much better than merely commenting on somebody’s blog. If the author has taken the time to write something from which I have benefited, I feel that the least I can do is repay the author with the little bit of web currency that I have - a relevant link. When you comment on a blog, while you participate in the conversation, you don’t really help the author with any link building. Instead of simply commenting on the author’s blog, by using my linkblog I can have the same participation in the conversation, and show the author my appreciation for the information with a link from my linkblog. Furthermore, I am creating content on my own blog, while sharing a snippet of the content on the author’s blog. So, it works out as a win-win for each party.

Some notable linkblogs:

Jeremy Zawodny’s Linkblog
Erik’s Linkblog
Nelson Minar’s Linkblog
More Linkblogs