29 September 2005

BlogSpotting (because I couldn't think of anything else to say)

BlogSpotting
Blogtool Update:

  1. The Truth Laid Bare suddenly rediscovered a bunch of links to PyroManiac that had gone missing. It's still not working correctly, though. I've seen several bloggers' references to the vacillating way it accounts for links. Almost everyone's numbers seem to go up and down wildly every day. And some pretty odd blogs keep popping in and out of the top rankings. I've concluded it's giving me stats and other data that are practically worthless. I understand it's only a part-time hobby for NZ Bear. No wonder he's had a hard time keeping up with the explosion of blogs. It's frankly amazing that the TTLB concept works at all without lots of staff and corporate resources to maintain it 24/7.
  2. IceRocket is still very reliable. It always returns results rather than error messages, and that's good. But it doesn't seem to search as many blogs or index as frequently as the other two search engines I use regularly.
  3. Technorati finally seems to be fixed. It's been more than a week since I got the "server busy" message. Let's hope they keep it running. It still seems slow to index new posts, but it's at least 400 percent better than 2 weeks ago. If it works for another week or so, I'll put the Technorati link back on my blog template.
  4. Google's Blog Search, as you'd expect, is already very good and getting better every day. It seems to update and index new posts more frequently than the others. I predict its performance is going to be very hard to beat. But hey, am I the only one who thinks all the tools related to Blogger.com (Google) have ugly interfaces? Between the three major search engines I've linked to here, the Blogger's Blog Search is far and away the ugliest. (My favorite is the slightly retro look of IceRocket.)

Phil's signature

15 comments:

Chris Meirose said...

To increase the speed at which Technorati and IceRocket get to your new posts, you can just visit their "Ping" site. Once you bookmark the link to the ping related to you site, all you have to do is visit that ping link and it knows you have a new post. So for example, IceRocket's would be http://www.icerocket.com/c?p=ping and you would then enter your blog. When you hit submit, then bookmark the resultant page. Now when you go back to that page, it automatically pings them to let them know you posted. Other fancier blogging software actually allows you to integrate this to your code, but us poor saps on blogger must rely on doing it manually, or waiting for new indexing.

The fact that IceRocket works well doesn't come as a surprize to me, as IIRC it is owned by Mark Cuban (owner of NBA's Dallas Mavericks). Technorati certainly has been better, but still isn't what it could be. I'm sure it's an issue of funding as much as anything, as I can't imagine revenue streams being all that large for something like that (yet).

Big Chris
Because I said so blog

Neil Cameron (One Salient Oversight) said...

Phil,

It's been a while since the whole Mohler/alcohol thing blew up. You have probably noticed some of my Anti-Mohlerite posts as well.

It would be good of you to address the alcohol question that Mohler raised at Reformissionary's blogsite:

http://www.stevekmccoy.com/reformissionary/2005/09/sbts_alcohol_an.html

Away From The Brink said...

Ah, Phil, one of my favorite WWII posters. Thanks.

Oh, and I like this one also.

Cindy Swanson said...

Hey, I was thinking "convivial" meant something like "fun to be around," and I was fine with that, too!

CSB said...

Pyromaniac, do those liberal do-gooders over at Google really need more publicity?? Come on!

Greg Linscott said...

Regarding blog search engines, I agree that the Blogger interface leaves much to be desired. I prefer the Google GUI myself- same results as Blogger, but better looking.

Greg Linscott
SharperIron

FX Turk said...

Is that wrong? Can someone tell me what that's wrong?

It's not wrong to want to know where your stats are coming from. It would be self-deceptive to say I don't care if anyone is reading. And most importantly: it proves to me what a great friend you are, Phil.

Not that I need proof, mind you. I'm just saving up for the day that someone tries to tell me, "That Phil Johnson is no friend." Anyone trying that stunt has about 2,000 hits on my blog to contend with. In that respect, you are a better friend than my wife.

Just don't tell her I said that.

FX Turk said...

And no, that last comment is not defensive.

Jeff Jones said...

You made me tear up again, you know. Phil, where do you dig these covers up from? Was this one a Johnson original?

Maybe you should trademark your spoofs. You never know if some graphic artist from Thomas Nelson might happen upon your blog, and think, "Hey! That's brilliant!" (He'd be right, though he wouldn't quite mean it the way most of your readers would...)

Be careful, else you may be surprised to see one of those things actually land on a bookstore shelf someday.

LeeC said...

"My life verse James 4:9"

Priceless.
As someone who was very much into the punk and metal scene I have to say that piece of ironic wit is very pertinenet to me.

Rock & Roll and in particular punk and metal are predominantly driven by discontent. I could not reconcile that with my faith and salvation. I am abundantly content now thanks to Him!

After several years of not listening to any secular music, a kind of detox if you will, I every now and then do listen to the likes of Metallica or Social Distortion with a very different view. I can listen and enjoy the music but insofar as it helps me to one; reeber what I was saved from, and two; engender a more fervent love for the lost as I listen to them crying for help and satisfaction in everything but what they really need.

That said, I could never desire to "get back into the scene" in dres or otherwise. That man is dead.

I DO listen to some Christian pop/rock though. When I was a teen all Christian contemporary was either
A. Good music with terrible/heretical lyrics.

B. Terrible musically with Ok to good lyrics.

These days there are some good ones though that I think of first fr the messaether lyrics convey and their musical skill, or style second. But you have to look hard.

Although it took a while musicaly I predominantly prefer old hymns now simply due to content. I don't care what style it is as long as it is properly portaying God and the Christian walk.

steve said...

one salient oversight thinks that Phil should address the alcohol question. I'll drink to that!

CSB said...

I was confused by this blog post to tell you the truth. What is the point in all the linking?

Julian Freeman said...

Hey Phil, I haven't been around the blogosphere for a little while, so I wasn't sure if you had noticed that Michael Haykin has started a blog? Would that blogdom had more minds like this!

Scott Hill said...

Phil, what do you consider cheap?

Ruthanne said...

Love the Gothpel for Girls bit. :) Bob Beeman (of Sanctuary, The Rock & Roll Refuge), my former pastor and one who discipled me as a new Christian, would get a kick out of this.