Open Source Algorithm for Metric for understanding of blogs
Mary Hodder's post Link Love Lost or How Social Gestures within Topic Groups are More Interesting Than Link Counts comes directly out of the discussion at blogher at the Technorati 100.
Currently, blogs are measured in systems like Technorati or ranked in PubSub by links or by number of subscribers to a feed in Feedster. In particular, these are the not very interesting, subtle or telling measures used to make indexes like the Technorati Top 100 or the PubSub 100 or the Feedster 100. In Particular, the Technorati Top 100 is based purely on inbound links. All of these lists tend to favor those who blog in more general, popular topic areas, and not those who are specialists in an area.
For many bloggers the relevant sphere of influence is not overall popularity, as those indexes express. It's influence and connection within a community. And the relevant measure of connection isn't the number of connections -- it's the depth and impact of those connections. This is about celebrating the niche, and measuring engagement over time.
She has a table that lists the items that could be in a new metric and their relative weight. Interesting food for thought. This is not only important to bloghers, but also niche communities such as nonprofits and nonprofit technology bloggers as well.
Also, Danah Boyd does an analysis of linking behavior on blogs and differences by gender. (Via Nancy White
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