Let's Talk About Blogging... Blog Rolls | Blogging

It's no secret that I'm a Blog Whore. I love nothing than to lose myself in the realms of what we call the blogosphere. So it's no great surprise that I like a good Blog Roll. Love em in fact! A blog roll is a great little insight in to the mind of the blogger who's roll I'm perusing. It lets me know a little about the types of blogs they like, and it quite often leads to the discovery of other great blogs to read.

I've noticed lately though that not many bloggers have them anymore. Especially amongst the 'newer' blogging set, Blog Rolls seem to be a dying breed. It saddens me. I think all bloggers should have a Blog Roll somewhere on their blog, and here's why...

Let's start at the very beginning (a very good place to start!) and explore what a Blog Roll actually is.

What is a Blog Roll?


A Blog Roll is a list of blogs or websites that a blogger loves to read.

A Blog Roll can come in many shapes and forms. For example, I have 3 Blog Rolls (see, I told you I was a Blog Whore!). I have a list in my sidebar of the blogs I generally tend to check-out on a daily or weekly basis. Then there is my Ladies I'd Like to Lunch with page. It has two forms, a page on my blog, which can be accessed via the menu bar at the top of the page, and also as a Pinterest board.

These ladies (and one or two men) are top-notch. They're the ones I think give good blog, and who I think you'd enjoy reading too. Not only is it an easy way for me to find and click-through to the words I like to read, but it's also my way of giving a digital tip-of-the-hat, a shout-out if you will, to bloggers who never fail to brighten my day.

Why should I have a Blog Roll?


It's not essential to have a Blog Roll. There are no blogging rules that say you must display who you like to read. Personally, for me, I think it's good blogging etiquette. If there are blogs that you love, show em that love by listing them. If there are bloggers that are always there, reading your words every day, and are super supportive of the things you write and share, add them to you Roll.

There's always the worry that someone might get a little down or disappointed that they don't appear on someone's Blog Roll. And you might not want to appear to play favourites. That's why I think having a couple of Blog Rolls is a good idea. The Blog Roll page I have in my menu bar isn't changed very often. It could actually do with a little updating to be honest as some of those bloggers don't actually blog anymore! But it's a great place to be able to display a bunch of buttons without cluttering up my sidebar.

My Pinterest board is the one I update often, and add new blogs to whenever I find them and want to remember them and let the world know, hey, you should read this. Pinterest makes it really easy to have a constantly updated Blog Roll, and if you're only gonna have a Pinterest Blog Roll then make sure you include a visible link to it somewhere on your blog.

How do I get a Blog Roll?


As I've mentioned above, there a few ways to include a Blog Roll on your blog. In Blogger, you can create a static page and include text links or buttons to all of your faves. Add the link to your sidebar or menu bar and away you go.

I know that in Wordpress you can display a list of links in your sidebar, a nice little line of text that is hyperlinked to the blog you wanna shout about. In Blogger, there is a Link List widget you can add to your sidebar that can be customised to suit your needs. The one I use displays the blogs I've added in the order of their most recent posting. I choose to have their blog name, and the title of their most recent post displayed. You can also choose to just have the blog name, or even include a thumbnail and snippet of their most recent post.

For the sidebar minimalists, having a dedicated Pinterest Blog Roll board means you can just have the one link that people can click on to see who you're currently crushing on. It's easy to do, and again the Pinterest Blog Roll can be updated with ease at any time. You can have a plain text link, or you can go a bit fancier and build a customised Board Widget like the one below (this is the header version, but you can also make it square, as a sidebar, or a complete custom widget to whatever size specs you like. You'll find the Pinterest Widget Builder here). If you'd like help setting up a Blog Roll for your blog lemme know, I'm happy to help a blogger out!

Follow Kylie Purtell - A Study in Contradictions's board Ladies I'd Like to Lunch With on Pinterest.

Some of my favourite blogs have been found via the Blog Roll on someone else's site. I have spent many a night falling down the rabbit hole of Blog Rolls and it saddens me that there aren't more of them.

So consider this my public service announcement to the world of bloggers. Do yourself and your readers a favour and get rolling with a Blog Roll now!

Do you like to check out the Blog Rolls of others? Do you have a Blog Roll yourself? 
If yes, then High Five to you! If no, then why the bloody hell not?!
Linking up with Essentially Jess and Huckleberry Love


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Comments

Kylie Purtell said…
After reading this and nodding the whole way through I suddenly realised that I DIDN'T have a blog roll - although bizarrely I THOUGHT I did! I do now though so thank you. I love checking out other peoples too,
Kylie Purtell said…
I have been meaning to do this for 2 and a half years!! The thought of adding things to my sidebar makes me want to vomit as I know I would stuff up my whole blog by doing it!! I promise to start a whole page as a blog roll today with you first on the list!!
Kylie Purtell said…
Where is your button??!!
Kylie Purtell said…
Haha, it's on my Blog Roll page xx
Kylie Purtell said…
Lol! My sidebar sickens me too!
Kylie Purtell said…
All valid points. I don't have a blog roll. In honesty, there are two international blogs I always read and don't miss anything on.
I feel that via linkups, I try to spread myself around by visiting frequently and commenting and that for me, has to be enough. (There are 6 kids doing all kinds of crazy behind me at all times!)
Forgive me, I just don't have the time to compile one.
Kylie Purtell said…
Thanks for bringing this up. It's one of those things I've been meaning to do. I'm just so tardy when it comes to the layout of my blog and getting into ship shape. I am adding it to the list and getting all of my blog sorted pronto. You're a good blog whore Kylie!
Kylie Purtell said…
I have a Worth Casing list which I'm slowly revealing on Agent Mystery Case but you are right I should look to have a blog roll on Mystery Case.
Kylie Purtell said…
Thats a great idea! I love reading my fave blogs each day and checking out all the other awesome ones as much as I can!! Love the idea of Ladies you'd like to lunch with - off to check it out now! xx
Kylie Purtell said…
I've been thinking about creating a blog roll for a while and I love the idea of a Pinterest Blog Roll. Thanks for the inspiration:-)
Kylie Purtell said…
Very interesting that you bring this up. I only removed mine recently because I hadn't seen them around much and I was doing a layout update, so I didn't want to look like the fossil I am. I also had the issue with not updating them, so that was a problem as well. It just seemed like more maintenance for something that never actually got many click-thrus.
Kylie Purtell said…
Oh, and I had too much going on in the sidebar! I hate clutter!
Kylie Purtell said…
Hahaha, I know what you mean about side-bar clutter. It's a tricky thing to navigate. I have to say that my Blog Roll page is the third most viewed page after the About Me and Welcome pages, so I really should get on to updating it! I think having a board set-up on Pinterest is the easiest way to keep it up to date.
Kylie Purtell said…
No worries. It really is such a quick and easy way to have a Blog Roll
Kylie Purtell said…
I love seeing what other bloggers like to read, I can lose hours going through them all!
Kylie Purtell said…
I love your worth casing list (and not just because I'm on it!), it's like an uber Blog Roll!
Kylie Purtell said…
I know, I only start to play with the design and layout when I know I have quite a few hours to spare for it (and know that I can have a sleep-in in the morning because I will inevitably be up till the small hours playing!)
Kylie Purtell said…
Are you on blogger? Do you follow blogs by GFC? I only ask because I know there is a widget you can use that shows the blogs you follow via GFC as a Blog Roll. You don't have to do anything but add the widget to your layout which is great for the time poor x
Kylie Purtell said…
I remember a little while ago after one of my many redesigns, my Blog Roll had completely disappeared. That's when I created my Ladies I'd Like to Lunch With page, now I can't lose it accidentally (although I really must update it!)
Kylie Purtell said…
I had one many years back. But not now. To be honest my blogging happens at dawn before my business day starts. And for another 10 minutes twice a week as I try to quickly check out a few blogs via IBOT and FYBF, So I don't actually spend the time outside of that I'm afraid, I do not check out the blog rolls of others either. Weak answer I know ...
Kylie Purtell said…
You don't want to have lunch with me?!?!?!?!? ;-) HAHAHA. I used to have one, but then I thought it was false advertising because I wasn't doing ANY blog reading! I also felt bad leaving people off who might read me but I didn't read them or whatever. I only just updated my 2 year old "about me" page the other day, so it could be a while before I get around to a blog roll. Sorry!
Kylie Purtell said…
Oh, I am such a beginner... I didn't even know what a blog roll was... Thanks for your explanations :)
Kylie Purtell said…
I'm guilty of not doing this, but only for the reason I have no idea how - and I know you have just shown me so except it to happen in another year, as long as it took me to get a real logo!! xx ps, I'm very honoured to still be on your blog roll even though I'm a bit of a gronk at times x
Kylie Purtell said…
I've thought about it - and also worried about offending if I don't list people on it. It's a hard one!

Visiting from #teamIBOT xxx
Kylie Purtell said…
my blog roll is my facebook page likes. that's how I keep track of my faves :)
Kylie Purtell said…
I used to be so good at this, and then I tidied up my side bar and it kind of disappeared. And I've got slack about my pinterest board too. So thanks for the reminder. I must get my but into gear.
Kylie Purtell said…
I am guilty of not having one. The main reason is that I don't like to play favourites or offend anyone. If I did have one it would be about four million pages long, so I don't hurt anyone's feelings. I will think about it though. I do like the thought of giving bloggers I enjoy a nod.
Kylie Purtell said…
I just realised my blog roll is no longer ther- it probably happened when I had to make changes to my sidebar by phone. Many wheels have fallen off since I've been phone confined. One of the things I'd like to be able to do is have a rolling blog roll, as you do- but I don't know if you can do that via Wordpress?
Kylie Purtell said…
I do not have a blog roll - primarily because it's the first time I've heard of it as I read your post today! So thank you! As the saying goes we learn something new everyday! Having said that I am not sure if I will put one now as you say some people might see it as you playing favourites and I don't really want to do that to my fellow bloggers - I know that if I know a blogger really well and I do not find my blog on their blog roll I'll be feeling pretty disappointed. This might all very well change in the future - perhaps as I learn more about blogging and revamping my site! Thanks for sharing Kylie!
Kylie Purtell said…
I love Blog Rolls and I think it's a great way to showcase some blogging talent. I also get a little flutter in my stomach when I see someone has added me to theirs.
Kylie Purtell said…
This is another thing on my "to do" list Kylie. I'm such a disaster at maintenance!
Kylie Purtell said…
There are no weak answers here, everyone has to do what they can, and there shouldn't be any pressure (despite the tone of my post! Lol!).
Kylie Purtell said…
No worries! It's super fun making one, especially a Pinterest one
Kylie Purtell said…
Hahaha, you'll always be o my blog roll Em! xx
Kylie Purtell said…
It can be hard, but I reckon people shouldn't worry about being on other people's blog rolls, but that is easier said than done!
Kylie Purtell said…
If only FB would show me updates from all of my likes! That's why I love the Pinterest one, when I'm looking for something to read I just go clicking through it.
Kylie Purtell said…
Yep, my disappeared for a while there too, it's easy to do when you're redesigning and tidying.
Kylie Purtell said…
I think that's why a Pinterest board is a good idea, because you can add as many as you want and you don't need to worry about space. I think the worry of playing favourites it totally valid but I try not to worry about it, I figure I'm never going to please everyone so I don't even try anymore! Lol!
Kylie Purtell said…
Hmmm, that's a good question, I know you can because Woogsworld has one and she is on Wordpress now. It's the same as the one I have in my sidebar. I'm not sure how you would do it though as I don't have a lot of experience with Wordpress. From what I can see, Kelly Exeter designed her site so you may be able to ask her, I'm sure she could tell you.
Kylie Purtell said…
No worries Winne!
Kylie Purtell said…
I love them too, and it is nice to see yourself on someone's but I also don't even think twice about it if I'm not on someone's, which is why I don't worry too much about playing favourites, but I know not everyone is like me in that regard.
Kylie Purtell said…
Maintenance can e be hard and it takes so long! It's definitely something you have to do when you can dedicate a good few hours to it.
Kylie Purtell said…
THANK YOU! I want to put Comment Luv on as well- still not sure about Disqus. Thoughts?
Kylie Purtell said…
I don't have a lot of experience with Comment Luv, but I'm not sure if it has down time. For the most part, I have enjoyed using Disqus, it does have it's issues, and doesn't seem to work at all for some people, but I suspect that has more to do with their computers and settings than Disqus itself. It has had down time but personally, I really like having it. Moderating comments is really easy, and ever since I installed it I've had only a handful of spam comments and I've had it for almost 2 years now.
Kylie Purtell said…
I remember when blog rolls were a proper "thing"! I too found so many of my favourite blogs now through blogrolls back in the day. They are so few and far between nowadays. I wrote this post a while ago about why I stopped having our blogroll on our blog.
http://carbis.com.au/2011/11/why-there-is-no-blogroll/
I really like just sharing links in a monthly style blogroll (not listing blogs, but listing specific articles) http://carbis.com.au/category/blogroll/.
Kylie Purtell said…
I have popped over from IBOT and have clearly been drawn into your blogosphere and am happy to be here. And I am sorry I don't have a blogroll!! I am blaming it on being new to this blogging world (there is so much to learn it is a little overwhelming at times) but I will do my best to remedy this situation....soon...there's just a few more posts that I want to read.....

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