Everyone’s talking about BlogShares, the fantasy stock market for weblogs. In some ways it is just another online popularity contest, but that doesn’t stop it from being fascinating. For me, what’s most interesting is how a little homegrown project like this can capture the imagination of the weblog community (whatever that is). I hope to do the same one day.
I’m listed on the system, but I can’t “go public” until my site is valued at at least $1,000. Right now, it’s $547.11. The way you increase your value is by getting valuable weblogs to link to you. Chris Pirillo, are you out there? I love you, man. 🙂
It is a popularity contest, but they got one thing extremely right: links are crucial. They’re also artificial, since a lot of great weblogs toil in obscurity, and a lot of mediocre ones are famous by virtue of being famous. But the “real” stock market is pretty artificial anyway, so it fits. (Please don’t let that stop you from linking to me.)
My outgoing link value is artificially inflated, since unlike most people, I have only one entry in my “links list” for each time you view the page. But that’s OK. It means if I link to Arthur, for example, he gets a much-deserved boost (I hope). The same goes for Haidi, Tuesday, Mike, Maurice, John, and all the other great people who deserve recognition.
UPDATE: Apparently now my weblog has plummeted in value to $261.04. And that’s less than the value of my incoming links. So I’m not sure what’s going on. 🙁
Actually, all you have to do is claim your own blog to go public I guess.
My blog isn’t worth shit but you can still buy and sell shares in it; at a deeply discounted 3 cents a share.
Go ahead, you know you want to buy some.
And yes, I thought it was yet another silly blog linking thing. Well, it is but it has a twist and it’s actually really fun. It’s a great concept.
I don’t understand how this “blogshares” stuff works. But then again, I don’t understand how the real stock market works either. What happens if you buy/sell blogshares? Do you win something?
i have no clue how the stock market works or why our economy is tanking or where taco bell meat comes from but i like your blog so i linked you anyway.
Jumpin’ Jehosaphat! I just checked and Hidden City’s valued at $9500+! What the hell kind of glitch caused that?!
And I tried to buy shares in WMT, but it isn’t giving me the option, for some reason.
I keep getting my connection refused when I try to look at BlogShares. I think I know what that means.
John: They’ve been getting a ton of traffic and have apparently been having problems with their database. I also hope they redesign the pages, since all the elements seem to crowd together and overlap each other.
MKH: According to their docs, you have to have a value above $1,000 before shares are offered. I haven’t been indexed in a while, and my “claim” on WMT hasn’t been validated by their spider yet. I’m sure these problems will get ironed out eventually.
I’m not sure why give love:get love and blog of the day have gone public so quickly with virtually no value, but WMT has not. Investors are clamoring to get in on Adam’s IPO.
one thing i never get about these BLOG RANKING things is why things that AREN”T BLOGS, like Blogger, Movable Type, etc are in there (and usually at the top)……. anyone know why?
Arthur: Thanks.
BJ: I agree, those sites shouldn’t be included. But some things are just unknowable.
Like your blog, I’ll give you a link..