Should I ask to have Gentle Wisdom, this blog, included in the list of the top 50 biblioblogs? I am currently in these people’s list of “Related Blogs: 1. Christian Spiritual, Theological, or Homiletic”, but I think I should qualify for their main list, at least according to the criteria just in clayboy’s latest post – at the moment. I accept that in the past there have been times when the focus of this blog has been a bit different, more on church issues than on the Bible. However, recently even when I have discussed matters relating more to the church they have been linked with biblical interpretation. I think I would also qualify according to the top 50 biblioblogs blog’s own criteria:
A blog is included in the rankings if it contains substantial content related to biblical studies or closely related fields, evidences a scholarly approach to biblical studies (not requiring academic qualifications, but excluding blogs with mainly homiletic or devotional content, unscholarly approaches, or a primarily theological focus), and is currently active and posting.
Also my current Alexa ranking of 1,226,422 is high enough for Gentle Wisdom to go straight into the top 50.
I know their current focus is on adding more women bibliobloggers. I don’t want to detract from that laudable aim. But maybe they would like to add this blog as well. I would ask them straight away, except that I have plans in hand to move Gentle Wisdom to a new domain of its own, and it would make more sense to wait until I have done that before looking for more publicity.
Peter, I submitted your blog.
I’m glad Joel submitted you. I’m surprised you weren’t already on the list.
I’ve thought about quitting and starting again, like Pahl did, just to get a feature from the hockinflautin people, or however you spell that. 😉
Peter, I have several concerns about that list. First, the BMOC and groupies are not really Bible bloggers in the sense of people I would wish to learn from. They tend to be minimalists, deconstructionists and academics who focus on fringe and unorthodox topics. That’s all well and good but it’s not what I really mean by biblioblogging. In an effort to get on that last you might blog for the list owners rather than your actual audience.
The use of Alexa seems to be contradictory. Alexa is a straight popularity contest. But Biblical studies is not about how many but who. It took me years to get this into my head (You know me and Technorati! 😉 ). At some point I realized that my most satisfying experiences as a blogger came not from having a lot of visitors but from knowing that Peter Kirk reads my blog, and so does Tim Bulkeley, and so do a small group of very smart people whose opinions I care about.
All that to say, don’t worry about whether or not you’re on the BB50.
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Should have been there already. My take. 😉
David, I don’t see the BB50 as anything but fun – and sometimes enlightening – and a helpful list when my PC crashes and takes my feeds with it.
It is also a different arena which focuses on different things, that’s for sure, and for me, helps me to focus my own writing and direction.
Joel, thanks for submitting me. As the pingback shows, I have already been added.
I don’t take this list too seriously, but I do want others to take me reasonably seriously.
Also, in response to David, by getting myself added I tip the balance a little bit away from the “minimalists, deconstructionists and academics who focus on fringe and unorthodox topics”. I’m not going to blog to get myself on the list (that wasn’t really even the purpose of this post), or keep myself on it, but if I choose for other reasons to meet their criteria I may as well be listed as someone who does. Some may think that “Biblical studies is not about how many but who”, but I don’t care who reads my blog, certainly not in terms of their academic credentials – unless anyone wants to offer me a job of course. Nevertheless it is an honour that no. 2 biblioblogger Joel reads my blog. And, David, Bitsy, Bill and TC, it makes me very happy that you also read my blog.
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It’s a community, Peter, and I hope that whether we disagree at times or not, we can still support each other.
I’m also surprised you weren’t already included.
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