Yo Mama Reads Alltop!
Friday, March 21, 2008 Well, at least mine should.
Because her son's blog is on it! Right here, front and center (well, go to the right, then scroll down... a little more, yeah yeah, your scrolling finger is sore! stop complaining, keep scrolling, we're scroooling... aaaaand stop!) BOOYAH!
Alltop is the brainchild of venture capitalist/entrepreneur/tech celebrity Guy Kawasaki. Did you click on the link to Alltop yet? Did you think "what? that's it? a page that aggregates RSS feeds?" Yeah, so did I. But that's because I'm not the visitor Guy is trying to reach. That's the genuis of this website.
If you are reading this blog, chances are you are a blogger. Chances are you are a mom blogger between the ages of 24-45 (don't think I don't do my homework, I am a wily counter-stalker). Chances are you have 234 unread posts in your Google Reader right now. Alltop wasn't built to appeal to you.
Guy Kawasaki built Alltop for my mom. My mom who after a 5 or 6 emails and phone calls back and forth finally figured out how to configure a reader, and after many attempts managed to successfully subscribe to my RSS feed.
My mom, who several months later had this conversation with me:
"So, I can get your blog on my Google, but isn't just as easy for me to just go to your website?"
"Yeah mom, you can get the same thing by going to my site, but then you have to do the same for all the other blogs you visit. Isn't it a lot easier to have the most recent posts show up in one place?"
"But I only have your blog on my reader. I don't read other blogs."
*forehead smack* "oh... yes, just go to my website then."
Ok, on second thought, maybe he didn't build this for my mom. Maybe your mom, or the average non-blogging internet user who has probably seen the ubiquitous orange radar looking doohickey but is too intimidated to figure out what it's for. To these folks, Alltop is everything they ever needed: the blog feeds and excerpts from of all the top sites organized by category (e.g. small business, celebrities, humor, gadgets, green living, dads, moms...). Sure, it's simplistic. But so is Craigslist.
[Editor's note: look at me getting all excited and not minding my manners! Big THANK YOU to Guy Kawasaki for adding me, and to anyone who recommended me to him of which I know Amy T Sharp of Doobleh-Vay is one, and to Jenny (aka The Bloggess) for clueing me into the significance of Guy and all he does!]
Reader Comments (18)
And Guy has seen your genius...as pointed out by AmyTSharp (oh, yeah, I'm stalking you on the Buzz)...you may be closer than you think to that 24 x 7 fishing lifestyle you crave! ;-)
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[BusyDad] heh... you're good! And you know exactly what motivates me.
Congrats on getting put on Alltop. I thought the dad section had existed for some time when I got my email about being listed.
I'm so late getting into all of this blogging stuff... and then this comes up... Finally!
Something I am at the start of. I feel so privelaged!
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[BusyDad] Thank you! And keep it up man - congrats on the quick rise!
Just another reason why you are more awesome than me. It's a good thing you deserve it!
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[BusyDad] I'm so not. I swim in a much smaller pond and I have very vocal readers. All things that make me look a lot more awesomer than I deserve.
Very cool, you are waaaay cooler than me!
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[BusyDad] I have inadvertently crafted a persona (largely by piggybacking on the insane coolness of my kid) that has totally exceeded reality. I'm a cool guy, as in like I'm really nice, though. I'll accept that :)
I just don't really 'get it'...
I am a bit simple though.
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[BusyDad] Check your stats. Alltop is starting to bring visitors. It's gotta be doing the same for you. That's the only thing us two need to get.
I scrolled down to Joeprah and snarfed my Diet Coke. I love looking at lists of blog names--you guys are so clever! :-) I just started (like yesterday) using Google Reader. I'm way behind, technologically speaking. I don't even have an ipod. Yet.
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[BusyDad] Google reader will now be the bane of your existence. Your unread posts number will haunt your dreams.
I hate the reader thing; I think I am the only one in the free world who doesn't like it? I like to go directly to the site, though as you mentioned, there are disadvantages to that as well....
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[BusyDad] The Google Reader is a double-edged sword. It helps you keep up on all the new posts you haven't read yet. And constantly reminds you of how much of a blog-reading slacker you are.
Congrats!
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[BusyDad] Thanks Jen! It's more like winning the lottery than anything I had to earn, but it's nice all the same.
See? TOLD YOU that you were better than me.
SEE?
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[BusyDad] My readers are influential. My pond is OH SO MUCH SMALLER.
Congratulations Jim! You totally deserve that. I have just learned of Alltop and when I went there I saw lots of my very favorite bloggers, I am so thrilled for you! More people need to discover you and learn of your super fabulosity. Big congrats to you!!
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[BusyDad] Thank you Rachel! I believe that's the first time I've seen the term "super fabulosity" associated with me :)
May it bring you many, many visitors!
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[BusyDad] That would be nice! There's a nice trickle right now. I'm sure once Guy really promotes it, it'll start flowing. Thanks!
How totally cool! Alltop itself, which I was unaware of, (What, I work as a tech geek and should know these things? Oh no, not I!) and the fact that you're on their list. The more sharing of your observational and writing talents, not to mention Fury's true brilliance, the better.
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[BusyDad] :) Thank you Sadia! Fury's brilliance does make the other two items a breeze.
Hell yes! You totally belong there, my friend.
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[BusyDad] :) thankyouverymuch Jenny!
Congratulations! I have no idea what it is, but it sounds great!
You deserve all kinds of accolades, awards and medals of honor. So...yay!!
I hope they included the comics!!
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[BusyDad] Thanks Soapy B :) You are too kind. I don't know how to respond!
Congrats to you!
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[BusyDad] :) Thank you! I was pretty surprised and very honored!
Hey, congrats! I see a lot of daddy blogs on there that I frequent.
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[BusyDad] Thanks Stephen! I've discovered quite a few new ones in there myself!
I think we were added the same day. I was so excited I nearly jumped out of my skin! Congratulations BD!
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[BusyDad] Yes! I saw you on there and thought "yup - Guy knows his stuff."
Woo hoo! Congratulations!
LOL at your mom. My FIL -- "Well your blog went away. What you wrote before, we only have a new one." ??? Apparently, he didn't know about the "archive" facility. We tried to explain it but he's 80, and in England, and not very tech savvy, But he tries!