If I didn't track the hits to the EVE Blog Pack, and instead I measured its success based on the numbers of requests I get in comments, in tweets or emails, it would still come up as one of my most visited posts. And that in of itself is a measure of the quality, diversity and consistency of the content that the Pack members provide to the EVE Community. And we must thank them for it!
But that high measure of quality demands very high standards. I long ago recognized that need and wrote about it back when I wrote about "The Few, the Proud, the EVE Blog Pack Members!". And so, I've always tried removing outdated blogs, either at the request of their owners, or by their inactivity.
This is such a time. Currently the Pack has 4 openings, though I might have a few more free spots if some blogs are not updated shortly (see the list below). Blogs that haven't seen a post in 4 weeks, risk being removed at any given time from the pack. That's just the nature of things. Additionally, I like to ask from time to time if you know of any blogs that should be part of the pack. With the hundreds of EVE Blogs out there, it's now virtually impossible for me to catch all the best. That's why I need your input. So below, you'll also find a list of blogs I'm considering. Should yours be in there? Please leave a comment to let me know.
Might get REMOVED from the Pack:
- EVE Online Wormholes <-- Off the hook due to recent post!
- Diary of a Bored Spaceman
- The Planet Risk Show <-- Off the hook due to recent post!
- The Captain's Log <-- Off the hook due to recent post!
Might get ADDED to the Pack:
- TooNu
- Tiger Ears
- EVE HUB
- Cogito Ergo Yarr
- Diary of a Garbageman
- Depths Unknown
- Scrap Metal & Faction Ammo
- Scram Web
- Yours? Please provide suggestion below in the comments!
So "How do you get into the EVE Blog Pack"? Here's what Pack members need to do!
[The original post can be found here]
The Privilege of Membership, comes with Responsibilities
As the popularity of the Pack grew, more and more bloggers wanted in. But as my initial goal was to foster both quality and quantity, I couldn't simply accept everyone. There are tons of great EVE blogs out there, all of whom deserve to get noticed. Which is why I've got the EVE Player Blogroll where I list every player's blog as quickly as I get requests. But for the Pack, I wanted to create this sense of belonging to an elite group of bloggers.
So I've decided to limit the members to 51 blogs for now - with a few conditions though.
Being part of the Pack comes with its responsibilities and obligations. The first and foremost is to blog regularly. Ideally a few times a week, at the very least once. And that is a no easy feat, believe me. Real Life often gets in the way - as it should since remember people, this is just a game - and missing a week is not uncommon. But going beyond the 3 week mark puts a Pack member in a situation of potentially being removed from the Pack.
Taking it One Step further
Now, along with the regular blogging and commenting, I want to ask a bit more of the Pack Members. This is what will make the Blog Pack different from my Players Blogroll.
Here's a list of To Dos that all members should strive to accomplish as part of their duties.
- Blog regularly about EVE Online, a few times a week preferably.
- Comment on Pack members blogs.
- Make a post about the EVE Blog Pack (if you haven't done so yet). Make sure to link to it!
- OPTIONAL: Add other's blog to your Delicious, Reddit, StumbleUpon and/or Technorati accounts.
- OPTIONAL: Digg posts that you find useful or interesting.
- When writing a post, try to link to each other posts, bringing the community even closer together.
- Have a blogroll listing all the Blog Pack members.
Doing all, or some, of these action items will add value to our individual blogs, and will bring the Pack to a whole new level.
Remember, we're each individually responsible for the success of the Blog Pack. It's up to us to decide what we do with it!
