Learning 2.0: Assignment #14

Back we go to Technorati, though this time I did pause long enough to register and Claim My Blog. Only you have the power to pull me out of the 4,601,744th spot, so get to clicking on the little Technorati link down there on the right side of the page!

In all seriousness, I still find Technorati a bit...cluttered, I guess. I'm one for simple, clear web design when it comes to usable tools. I don't like ads, I don't like flashing things, and I don't like so much information that it becomes overwhelming. I'd rather have a site do one small thing really well (or at least have the appearance of it -- dinner table conversation tonight revolved around this being the precise reason why Google has been so wildly successful) than ten things that all try to compete for your attention and space.

Why is it that so many tools want you to become so involved with their sites? Yes, I know, the more investment you have, the more likely you'll return and tell your friends, which equals increased business. But who has the time to be tagging everything and authorizing 50 websites on 12 different tools? When does technology stop being helpful and start becoming obsessive and, in itself, the end goal/product?

In sum, to answer one of the questions posed in this exercise, it is not in the least surprising that most of the top ten blogs on Technorati are tech- or gadget-focused. And this is the frightening part about listening to blogs too much: by default, we are generally only listening to one subsect of the population. This scares me.

What thrills me, however, is that LOLcats are ranked #11 and rising. Srsly!