Technorati : surveying blogging and social media : USA egocentricities

My blogging buddy, Steve Hayes in South Africa, is having a big whinge.  He is whinging about a survey authorised by Technorati.  Steve is asking bloggers to pass on the word about this and respond to the survey and he tells you why.  Do the survey yourselves, fellow-bloggers, (Steve has the link) and you will see for yourselves.  You get a chance to rate the survey at its conclusion and then you get room to comment on why you gave the rating you did.  Below are my comments on why I gave it a '3' - which I thought was being a bit on the generous side.

Now, where all this will come out in the statistical wash is anyone's guess.  As for me, I have long since given up on thinking that Technorati was of much benefit to me.  Some of my blogs would still be linked on Technorati - I think - but I don't think I bothered to link this one.  So, who knows, if enough bloggers respond in a manner that helps Technorati to lift its game, things might change for the better.  Was a time when Technorati was a big wheel in the blogging world.  I doubt if that is the case any more.  Blogging and other social media have taken on lives of their own and there are social media savvy people galore out there now.

We have newspaper emperors whinging to-day about bloggers.  Perhaps in about three years time, bloggers will be complaining.

When Twitter started out with its 140 characters including word spacing, did we really think it would become the powerful force it has become? And I think predominantly of that supreme Twitterer, Stephen Fry, when I say this.  He turned an oppressive and unfair legal judgment in the UK into an item of ridicule and is now using it to assist in earning money from public appearance and book sales.  Clever lad, young Stephen!

So who knows where it will all end...if it ever does?  And here below is Miss Eagle's whinge.  A book-end for Steve's.

Many limitations.  I've 4 blogs and this survey did not allow me to include them.  Blog categorization is limited. Most stunning category omission is 'Food'. Food blogs have massive readership.  Categorization of what is read on blogs - news items, celebrities - were USA focussed.  How egocentric!  Do you think the world only discusses what happens in the USA?  Or do you think the USA is the biggest blogging audience?  What about India and China and their diasporas across the world?  I've long since given up on Americans being interested in or knowing anything about my country, Australia.  However, to ignore huge IT-loving markets like India and China is incomprehensible by any standards.  Language used is very American. International testing of your questionnaire would be more professional and would contribute to the fairness of questions and inclusiveness of responses.  Your report card?  Need to do a whole lot better next time - and you might consider getting more professional assistance to do it.