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Thanks to SJ for another great guest post here in the Summer of Love. Yes, it’s true, I hate LOLcats AND I hate the “word” w00t. But SJ was able to take both concepts and make me laugh…not easy.
Tomorrow it’ll be Shelli from Shelli’s Sentiments! Woo hoo!
I’ve had people ask me recently why I’m never on chat. It’s true that I am kind of allergic to chatting, though I go through some chat spurts once in a while. Most of the time, chatting is rather boring for me, truth be told. Unless I’m chatting with a good friend like Hilary.
And because it’s such a rare occurrence, me chatting, on the odd occasion I DO get online with my chat client I get barraged with people hitting me up for chat. Bing! Bing! Bing! Bing! Bing! Suddenly there are 15 windows open and I don’t even have enough hair to pull out at the moment. It’s overwhelming.
So there you have it…why Karl hardly ever chats.
I’ve heard the term “Alpha Blogger” batted around the blogiverse for a while now, so it’s nothing new. What IS new is that I’ve recently been labeled an Alpha Blogger myself. Huh? ME?
I don’t know how you could possibly confuse me as an Alpha Blogger. Hell, I don’t even know how you DEFINE Alpha Blogger. So let’s look it up, shall we?
If you look up the definition of Alpha Blogger on Allwords.com you come up with the following:
alpha blogger
noun
- (internet) A very popular, widely read blogger.
Hmm, okay. That gives us at least a starting point to discuss the term. How, then, do you define “popular” and “widely read?” I get a decent amount of traffic, I suppose, if you’re going to use statistics as a metric. Nothing amazing, really, but I’m happy with the traffic I get.
According to Woopra, I get anywhere from 120-500 unique visitors a day. Nowhere near some people I know, like Jester or Dave, but still.
So is it traffic stats that make you an Alpha Blogger? If so, I don’t think I qualify.
Is it comments? Again, I don’t think I’d qualify. I generally get 20-40 comments a day. Sure, there are some posts that generate more comments, but that’s a common phenomenon on most blogs. When I’m writing a post, I can’t gauge whether or not it’s going to get a ton of comments. Seems to be arbitrary, which ones get more attention than others.
Then there are odd cases like Jester’s blog. During one of his hourly radio shows, we talked about blog traffic and he mentioned he gets quite a lot of hits every day, but very few comments. He gets far more traffic than I do; yet I get far more comments than he does. How the hell does that fit into the Alpha Blogger scheme of things? I have no idea. But he was thrown into the same Alpha Blogger pool that I was.
I admit that when I hear the term Alpha Blogger I kind of get the heebie jeebies. It smacks of elitism somehow, at least when you hear it in the context it’s often used. Someone said recently, “Oh, you’re one of those Alpha Bloggers, aren’t you?” in the same sort of tone you might say, “Oh, I just stepped in dog shit, didn’t I?”
I replied, “Who, me?”
It’s true that I hang with some really good bloggers, some of them with relatively large readerships. Hilly, Miss Britt, Avitable, Dave, Kapgar, and the list goes on and on. But that’s what happens when you reside on the Internets…you connect with people. You find good blogs to read, you comment, and eventually those people check out YOUR blog and hopefully bookmark it. Over time, you become friends and you introduce them to other friends…they introduce YOU to some of THEIR friends, etc. That’s the nature of the Internet.
Everyone has their own little corner of the Internet, populated with their friends. Some of these corners overlap here and there. But MY little corner is certainly not an elite group. It’s not something that “outsiders” can’t get into. (For a nominal fee, of course. *cough*) Really, it’s pretty simple. Write good blog posts on a semi regular basis and you’re pretty much in. Come to TequilaCon or any of the other blogger gettogethers and you’re pretty much in. There’s no secret formula, really. We joke about the PRB (People’s Republic of Blogistan) but really have no idea what the boundaries of this little country are.
But having a little corner in the blogiverse does not make you an Alpha Blogger. Those are totally separate issues and somehow they seem to have gotten lumped together.
Alpha Bloggers, to me, are people like Heather Armstrong, Robert Scoble, Arianna Huffington, and Seth Godin. People in the Technorati Top 100. They get mega traffic and are probably raking in the major money from their blogs, too.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d LOVE to be an Alpha Blogger. More specifically, I’d love to make a living from my blog. But that’s not the case. As it is, I get enough to cover my monthly blogging costs, but that’s about it.
If anything, I’m a C-List Blogger. Or a SecondHand Blogger. And that’s just fine. For now. 
What do you think? Am I an Alpha Blogger? What defines an “Alpha Blogger” for you? Is it a clique thing or a popularity thing? Both? Go ahead and discuss. I really want to know. I mean, if I’m going to belong to a club I think I ought to know how the hell I got in in the first place.
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Filed under Blogging, Uncategorized, Web/Tech, Weblogs |63 Responses to “Alpha Blogger. Who, Me?”
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I wish I had as many readers and commenters as you get. You are quite lucky!
Re: chat.. It is how I connect with people when friends of the RL variety are not available by phone or e-mail and so forth.
A very wise blogger once told me:
It doesn’t matter what your traffic stats are, how many comments you get, how many RSS readers you have, or how much your ads make.
What matters is how you have been able to affect someone’s life when they walk away from the computer.
Take it for what it is worth to you… but I value that piece of insight as priceless.
Gina - I’m not knocking chat in anyway. It’s cool. I just rarely do it.
NYCWD - Wise words indeed. I’m in total agreement.
I used to read those guys you linked to. Couldn’t really relate. Seemed very artificial and “hollywood”, so to speak. Money machines, appealing to the niche masses. I know you would like to make so bucks from your blog. I think deep down we all would. But the difference is you and others like you have maintained that sense of real that is appealing to the rest of us that are mostly just seeking some anonymity, some long distance friendships, and some places to hide behind the curtain. You are an “A” blogger in my book. I hope I can be as successful when I grow up.
OMG your stats depressed me.
I’ve never heard of this term before, but it makes sense to me that a lot of it has to do with popularity..but one doesn’t get a “popular” blog without good content, so I think they go hand in hand.
And yeah. I would think you would be considered a “Alpha Blogger” …because again, your stats depress me.
Willie G - I’ve read them, too, and don’t any more. Like you said, they stopped being people I could relate to. Thanks…I feel pretty successful at blogging because it’s doing what I pretty much want to do: connect with people.
Glenda - I didn’t throw my stats up there to depress anyone. Just really trying to process this shit out on paper, so to speak.
Sounds like you are very happy with your place in the blog-o-sphere. Sure, Dooce has a gazillion readers who fawn over her crap…but how many comments does she take the the time to reply to? How many bloggy friends does she have?
So call it what you will, but I think you are doing it right. Keep on keeping on.
You are better than an alpha blogger. I love what you write and you are in my reader, not many bloggers can say that, thankyouverymuch.
But seriously I blog because I like to write about random crap that pops into my head or things that happen, etc. I hardly get traffic, but my friends come by and comment and I’ve made some really good online friendships and that’s all I need to be happy with my blog.
I have been blogging since 98′ and I am still a D-list blogger….
I guess my lot in life just isn’t being the Alpha Blogger…but I still do it because I love it.
By the way, I want more Karl porn…
As far as personal blogging goes, I almost think that once you reach that Alpha or A-list status, you’re no longer a personal blogger, so it seems like a catch 22.
I would say you’re an alpha blogger. You’re completely “out there” in the blogisphere, and everybody knows your name. Plus, you attend all of those blog soirées. I only get about 15 to 200 unique visits a day, depending on who has linked me… which makes me a mere Padawan blogger. I don’t mind though, I’m really only writing for about 5 people anyway.
I think it’s pretty relative. To me you and Britt and Avitable are definitely Alpha Bloggers because you usually get at least twice as many comments as I do.
I’m happy with the traffic I get. My readers have been great and very supportive of me. But seriously you guys are like rock stars. I think it’s completely different when you’re talkinga bout professional bloggers. I mean yes they have a following but they are getting paid.
I’m such a retarded blogger I can’t even GET woopra to work for me! I’m lucky to get 20 to 80 hits a day, so to my little corner….you are an alpha blogger.
It’s funny to comment here on something we’ve talked about extensively in private. LOL
I know what my traffic and comment numbers are. I know that there are a lot of blogs that get less than that.
But I also know that
a) there are a TON of blogs that get way, way more than that
b) in the grand scheme of things, having 400 or 500 people out of THE WHOLE WORLD read what I’m writing every day… drop in the bucket. Drop in the fucking OCEAN. LOL
c) I still don’t feel like I make a difference with my blog. A meaningful impact at all. A product I recommend isn’t going to fly off the shelves. An idea I have isn’t going to become widely discussed. My name isn’t a verb.
So no - not Alpha Blogger.
Although honestly, blogging itself is still so “subculture”, it really is hard to measure.
B.E. Earl - Well, I honestly don’t know how many blog friends Dooce has. I know very little about her, truthfully, since I don’t read her site any more. She’s going to be at BlogHer this month. Maybe I’ll get a chance to talk to her. But to be honest, if I got as many comments as she gets (on the rare occasions she opens comments) I couldn’t possibly respond personally to every comment. That’s why I’m happy with where I’m at now.
Sarah - Ack! Your URL didn’t work for me. Thank you very much. I am honored to be in your feedreader.
Robin - It’s impossible to be a D-List Blogger having attended TequilaCon. And I’ll see what I can do on the porn request.
Avitable - That really is a catch 22. I think I tend to agree with that, which is why I’m not an Alpha Blogger.
Fox - Huh, I don’t see the Alpha Blogger for me, but that’s why I asked for comments about it. Is it a relative thing, then? Sure, I put myself out there and attend a couple of gettogethers, but those are really more social things from where I sit. Besides, you’re getting a nice amount of traffic yourself.
Lady Jaye - Me? A rock star? P’shaw. I’m just a dude.
Blondefabulous - I can probably help you with Woopra. It’s not difficult. As long as you can install Javascript on your site, then it’s doable.
Miss Britt - Well, I think you sell yourself way short every day. You DO have an impact on people. Just because you don’t have the selling power of, say, Oprah doesn’t mean shit. Who DOES, after all? Aside from Oprah, I mean.
Well… I’ve always kind of wanted to be Oprah.
I see you more as an Omega blogger. Well, Omega-3 specifically… you know - oily, but still the healthy kind.
In my opinion, those people you mentioned are *commercial* bloggers, and don’t really interest me. About the only commercial blog I read is BoingBoing. I barely have time to read the blogs of my friends!
We have our own little corner of the blogiverse, and it’s just one of thousands. I am daily reminded of that fact because a co-worker is also a blogger, in a completely different corner of the ‘verse. She’s never even heard of Dave2, Avitable, Hilly, etc. and was surprised to learn I’d never heard of *her* Alpha Bloggers. It’s all relative.
To me, an Alpha Blogger would be a leader of the pack, so you definitely are. In our little community, you are on the A-list.
I have tried so many times to read Heather’s blog..but I just don’t get it. It’s too impersonal, IMO. Sure, she has a bazillion readers, and probably makes an ass-load of money. But I read people like you, Adam, Britt, Dawg, Poppy, Jester, Becky, etc, because you all interact with your readers. It’s more like a group of friends, that interact, share things, etc. It’s so much more important to me.
Having said that, i also see you guys as rock stars, and would probably ask for an autograph if I ran into you on the streets of Amsterdam…or somewhere.
You’re in my Top 10 bloggers, so yeah.
Very educational for this blogger Sir Karl, thanks. I still consider myself a relative fledgling, so I really am learning a lot from the more experienced, such as yourself and the people you cited. To me personally, the term “Alpha” has a rather negative connotation, just as in an Alpha personality type. Aggressive, cutthroat, egomaniacal. I wouldn’t want to be labeled that. Of course, I don’t need to worry about it for a long time - if ever.
To the people that relate to you, you’re an Alpha blogger. But I agree with your assessment. Dooce = Alpha Blogger. But you are certainly a Beta +. I’m an Omega. A Zeta at best.
I’m not a big chatter either, with a few exceptions. It wears me out. I’d rather talk.
Britt - You’re much better looking than Oprah, and wittier, too.
Jeff - Heh, I like that.
SJ - Me? Leader of the Pack? I don’t see that, but I find it interesting that there are other sections of the blogiverse where people are “famous” and we’ve never heard of them.
Stephanie - Ha! You can have my autograph any time you want. I used to read Dooce, but just can’t get into her any more. She was a better writer, I think, before her daughter was born. But maybe that’s just me.
Dragon - Awwwww.
John - That’s exactly how I felt about it when someone called me an Alpha Blogger.
Finn - Yeah, I’m a Beta Blogger, at best, I think. Probably C-level.
So funny…we talked about this as well last weekend when Othurme called us “A-List” bloggers! I had to disagree with that since really I don’t see myself as even being that popular (although I truly am okay with that).
Expanding upon what Avitable said, I truly do believe that you lose a lot of who you are the more readers you get. It’s like you start trying FOR them rather than just being yourself. I’ve said this alot recently…I am completely fine with what I have right now and don’t need to actively go out and comment on every blog I see just to get comments on mine. No thanks….
Which brings me to now agreeing with Dawg…the most important comments I ever get are those where people relate to me, think I’ve helped them, have sent them on a “thinking path” of their own, etc. It is so nice to know that words that flow from my crazy brain may actually be important enough to help someone and vice versa.
I’m all about the sense of love, friendship and community, big or small.
It’s not something that “outsiders” can’t get into. (For a nominal fee, of course. *cough*)
good to know…
You speak from the heart and you personalize your blog to reflect you - you are not wrapped up in the world of fake. In the long run, friendship outweighs mass readership and you are a great friend to a lot of people. That is why I continue to read you. (Even though my work censors you and makes it a bitch to comment)
Hilly - I’m all about the sense of love, friendship and community, big or small. Agreed. This is what makes the blogiverse a necessity for me.
Blue - Yep, if you just forward me the cash, I’ll get you in through the secret door and teach you the club handshake.
Foo - Ooh, I’m censored? Now I feel like I’m a success!
Is that a badge we can all steal and put on our sites? If so, I’m'a stealin’!
Me? A big name blogger? If those are your hit counts, you dwarf me. I’m anywhere from 100-250 in a given day. Can’t remember the last time I had 500 in a day. Been a long, long time.
Kapgar - Steal away, my man. That’s why I made it. The most I’ve ever had was 1,200 in one day and that was as a result of one of my Fab/Turnbaby posts.
Um, this is an awesome post. It’s also something that I have been thinking about for awhile and something I feel very strongly about.
Do you mind if I use it as a springboard for my post for tomorrow?
Shelli - Of course not, silly girl.
i’ve never been about labels. besides, you will always be my kawol who whacks it, jacks it and pees on the floor. and i love you for it.
I always thought you’d know you’ve arrived as a blogger when the hate mail starts pouring in.
If popularity is the judge of Alpha bloggers, then yes, you are an Alpha blogger, although in a different way. (Although Alpha does have a shitty connotation) Those who make assloads of money from their blogs are no longer in it for the love of blogging, for the love of words, or even just the release of putting it all out there. Just because you — or Britt, or Adam, or Jester or Mr Lady — aren’t raking in the bills, it doesn’t make you guys any less popular than the cash cows. In fact, you’re probably MORE popular because you ARE in it for the love of it.
Ever watch minor league baseball? It’s so much better than the pros for exactly that reason. The pros aren’t in it for the love of the game. They’re in it for the cash. And sex with Madonna.
Hello - And I love you right back.
Stacey - That’s true. In that case, I have arrived. Well, it’s not POURING in. But I get the occasional hate mail.
K8spade - Very true. I’m definitely in it for the love. I can’t imagine that never being the case. Even if I make big money.
Hrm…for some reason it doesn’t seem to work if you put http://www. but without the ‘www’ it’s fine. Weird, it’s probably something I’m doing wrong. But hopefully it’ll work now. If not then I am officially retarded and you can point and laugh.
Omega Blogger…
So Karl had a post yesterday about what he called Alpha Bloggers. Now this is a term I've heard a few times when it came to bloggers, but apparently it has a more humane definition. See, I always thought that the Alpha Bloggers were those cut thro…
I get around 1400-1700 uniques a day and comment numbers vary. I have no desire to get popular anymore. At one point I did, but now I like the people who drop in and there’s no fake fake nice nice going on. I have a boring blog most days, and that is really okay with me.
p.s. I had to look those numbers up! I had no idea they were that high - it’s kind of scary.
If I had as many hits from strangers, as I do from my in-laws, I would be pretty frickin’ happy.
I haven’t found my “niche” yet, so my audience seems to vary. I guess I fit in the personal blogger category, which is eaten alive by the alphas.
“Blue - Yep, if you just forward me the cash, I’ll get you in through the secret door and teach you the club handshake.”
WHEEEEEEEEEEW…and here I was afraid you were gonna say…”okay, Blue…now…see this here live chicken??? okay. all you have to do is…”
I would never want the pressure of being what you call and “Alpha Blogger”. I write a personal blog and if my life somehow affects someone else’s in a positive way then it’s totally worth the energy it takes to write a post. I get a decent amount of comments and a large number of hits. I have a large number of people subscribed to my feed but my blog started as a personal journal and I’ve tried to remain true to that for the past three years. So, far I think I’ve done a pretty good job.
Karen - those are good numbers, for sure. But I’m with you. Blogging is about connecting with people, not about getting numbers.
Andria - I’m a personal blogger, too. I think if you’re true to yourself and you write from the heart, that’s what matters.
Blue - Well, if you want chickens involved, I’m sure we can make that happen.
Lisa - You helped serve one of my points. It’s all about putting yourself on virtual paper and making connections with people.
I’ve never been jealous of big bloggers like Dooce, even if I make fun of her sometimes. There is no way I could ever compete. My content and demographics are totally different. It is the same with your blog. There is only so far that you can go as a male who writes somewhat-humorous material.
On the other hand, I have been jealous of bloggers like you who have been able to translate their blogging into serious friendship.
Neil - Well, the friendships come over time, I think. Hilly and I met over seven years ago at another blogging site (Blurty.com). From that, emails and chats came, and eventually phone calls. I think meeting up with bloggers also helps a great deal.
I prefer to think of myself as a Delta Blogger. or maybe Epsilon.
@Busy Mom - take it from someone who has met you: You’re a DTE Blogger.
(Down to earth)
I adore you.
KS, you’re sweet and I am heartbroken I won’t see you in SF.
Why I’m telling you this on Karl’s blog, I have no idea.
Well once the house is totally finished, I want to have a blogger sleepover so git yer passport ready for 2009!
I think we use Karl’s blog because it’s like Facebook here. Highly addictive and easy to connect.
Forget getting Karled, now you can use Karlbook, or FaceKarl? (Both sound equally wrong - ha ha)
I’m in!
KarlFace? KarledIn? KarlFeed?
Nevermind…
Just don’t KarlPoke me.
I consider you, and others you mentioned, GREAT bloggers, period. There’s a reason you (and they) are so popular, so if that translates into being an Alpha blogger, then, yes - you are.
Is it weird that I like never, ever look into any stats on my blog?! It would probably depress me!
Let me see, I found you through Miss Britt. I find you funny and amusing, so I keep coming back. I click on the names (those with links at least) for the commenters of my fav blogs and then if I like what I’m reading, I save it to my favs and I keep coming back. Alpha Blogger? Um, I’m sorry Karl, but you seem more small potatoes to me. Well, bigger potatoes than I am personally, but definately no big kahuna. How about rose bush? I’m a small potato, you are a rose bush. Folks like Pioneer woman ( http://thepioneerwoman.com ) are big kahunas. She gets 1000’s of comments a day, and I’m sure many many more who just read, like myself, and don’t comment every day. When she has a contest, her comments go from about 1000 or so and sky rocket to at least 5 or 6 thousand. That’s Alpha Blogger to me. I don’t even have ads on my blog. I’d like some, I’m thinking about it. I highly doubt I’d get enough hits to make them pay anything, unless it accumulated over months. But I digress. You don’t need to be an “Alpha Blogger” to keep the folks coming over and reading. And I don’t think you are elitist at all. If I did, I wouldn’t be reading you.
uhhh…NO…flightless birds are unnecessary at this juncture…I’ll get back to you though–you know–if things change.
I wouldn’t want to be so high on the scale that any one reader felt out of touch with me, or that commenting (or putting thought and effort into a comment) would feel or be pointless, thinking what if the author never even sees it, so lost in a vast sea of other comments is theirs. Like fan mail. No kid worth his salt ever let himself with complete certainty believe that a famous person would really ever read his wee note.
Personal online journals are good for connection with others; the point at which that sense fizzles out for me is the point at which I lose interest, with rare exception.
Oops, screwed up, srry (I couldn’t figure out why some of the text in my comment above look BOLD, but it was because I was editing it, I guess).
Busy Mom - Epsilon Blogger…heh.
Karen - I think we want to stay clear of the FaceKarl. As we both know, that is too close to a particular phrase that I’m not at all comfortable with.
Sybil Law - Awwww. A great blogger? Well, I try, that’s all I can say. Stats are really tools but shouldn’t be obsessed over.
Jamie - Thanks. I agree, if someone I read seemed to be “above” me and/or out of touch with the people, I’d drop them in a heartbeat.
Blue - Gotcha. No chickens.
Catherine - If I got hundreds of comments a day, I’d have to rethink my position on answering every comment individually. But that doesn’t seem likely to happen.
2HBlogger is a nice title for you. Going Alpha has a lot of responsibilities with it. With more traffic, you get more assholes and dipshits that want to always piss on your parade.
Martymankins - Yeah, Alpha would be way too much work.
In this corner of the Blogosphere you are definitely one of the shining stars.
I, too, have tried reading some of the Alpha’s you listed and just couldn’t keep up… and commenting? Hell no. Naked in front of class type feelings.
Bec - Awww, you’re too kind. And yeah, I can’t follow a blogger who won’t make time for me. heh.