There's One, Only!

Filthy Lie: Who's the Bigger Link Whore?

The debate has been raging across the Blogsphere for the last week or two, about weather or not link-whores like The Alliance of Free Bloggers are good or bad for the whole concept of blogging. Some people feel that we members of The Alliance are just a bunch of goof-offs that are taking away some of the attention that serious blogs rightfully deserve.

Well, they're partly right. We are a bunch of goof-offs, but I don't feel that we're taking anything away from anyone else. The internet isn't a net-sum-zero place. Just because someone follows a link to The Alliance, and maybe to my site, doesn't mean that took away any hits from a more serious site. At least in my opinion... whatever that matters. Besides, anyone who spends a lot of time on a goof-off site like There's One, Only! or the Alliance isn't usually going to be the kind of person who spends a lot of time on a more serious site anyways.

But that isn't the whole point of this post. This post is intended to answer the question as to which is the bigger link-whore, The Alliance of Free Blogs or Instapundit?

To me, the whole answer lies in how you define link-whore. Is it someone who does anything for a link (like a crack-addict), or someone who'll give a link out to anyone (like your stereotypical streetwalker)?

In the first case, The Alliance would clearly be the winner. After all, Evil Glenn doesn't do anything to get links. He's so big they just happen without any effort on his part. But this definition doesn't really fit the whole situation. In this case, you would really be taking about link-junkies. And at that, there is no doubt that The Alliance is made up of the biggest link-junkies around. We will do just about ANYTHING to get a hit! Just ask; we'll probably do it.

However, when it comes to handing out links like a woman of the night hands out her affection, no one can compare to Evil Glenn. He'll link to anyone as long as they catch his eye. Weather it's something humorous, something controversial, or a particular political insight; if he likes it, he links it.

At least at The Alliance some standards have to be met. A member site has to catch our eye, and they have to let us know about it (usually by linking to The Alliance first or at least sending an e-mail). And while we do occasionally link to non-members, they still have to meet the same rigorous standards that members do (namely the aforementioned link or e-mail to The Alliance). See. Much higher standards.

So while The Alliance may be a bunch of link addicts, willing to do anything for a hit, up to and including making up filthy lies about an upstanding member of the Tennessee legal community; at least we don't hide being a link-whore behind the facade of appearing as an upstanding member of the Tennessee legal community.

Posted by GEBIV at June 24, 2005 06:10 PM