The Egotistical Priest
An irreverent and opinionated discussion of the many classes
in the World of Warcraft gaming universe.
Help My Blogroll
by Vonya
I need your help.
My Blogroll is pitiful. It’s based on the blogging community nearly a year ago, and doesn’t reflect the current warcraft blogging community at all.
I’ve tried to come up with ways to keep it trim and useful, and I’ve failed every time. I joined the Blog Azeroth forums, but I didn’t have the time needed to stick with it (even though it is an incredible community). I’ve tried following links for people who comment here and on other blogs, and I keep forgetting to save the link, or I slap it in my feed reader and forget to add it to my blogroll.
So, since you guys were so awesomely forthcoming in my “help, I need podcasts” post, I figure you know what you like to read. You are, in fact, experts in the WoW Blogosphere.
What I’m looking for
Any blog that spends at least 75% of its time being :
- Educational. I want blogs that help readers become better players. Resto4Life, for example.
- Entertaining. I want blogs that are not just well-written, but exceptionally well written. I don’t care how educational it is, as long as it’s fun. Need More Rage, for example. An RP story blog that is engaging, easy to follow, and keeps my attention is JUST as important to me as one that breaks down hunter shot rotations. If anything, I tend to like those more than the Educational blogs.
- Grammar. I’m not going to be a huge stickler on this one, but I’m going to be honest and say that any blog more than seasoned with leet speak and flagrant misspellings is unlikely to make the cut. I’m old-fashioned that way. Perhaps that means I miss out on excellent advice and helpful entries, but if my brain starts hemmoraging because I spent too long trying to decipher your crazy moon language, I doubt you’re going to pay my medical bills.
What I’m NOT looking for
Any blog that spends more than 75% of its time on the following topics :
- Loot that has dropped (without some kind of comparison and explanation of why it was an upgrade)
- What percentage they’ve managed to get X boss to during raiding this week (without some kind of discussion about tactics used)
- A blog that hasn’t been updated in the past month - and rarely before that.
- A blog that is less than one month old (sorry, but newer blogs are more likely to fold, and I don’t want to be pruning my blogroll. Generally, if it’s been a month, the blogger knows whether or not blogging is something they enjoy and will continue. If you’d like to recommend a blog that falls here anyway, make a note in your comment so that I know to go back and check it again later.)
- Non-Warcraft focus. (Individual non-warcraft posts are not only fine, they can be a nice change of pace. But if more than 75% of a blog is non-warcraft, regardless of how entertaining and fabulous it may be, I won’t add it to my blogroll. Otherwise TJ would have been linked a year ago.)
Size Matters
My blogroll will remain small. I’m not looking to beef up my SEO statistics by linking to every WoW blog ever written. I want to link to those blogs that I myself read, or will read. Being on the blogroll of my site is a personal recommendation for anyone who visits, and that’s the way I want to keep it.
I hate visiting a site and seeing a blogroll that would choke a rhino. How do I even know where to begin on those?! I’m lost before I even start.
How to Recommend
Just add a comment with a link or series of links. Some of you may get stuck in the spam filter on this one, I’ll be watching it and unsticking you as soon as I can.
If you feel like adding a one line blurb about the blog, feel free - but it’s not required.
I promise to visit every blog linked here, but I do not promise to blogroll them all. Don’t worry about whether or not your suggestion is “obvious” or whether or not I already have it on my blogroll, or even whether or not someone has already suggested it. A vote is a vote is a vote, and I take five mentions of “Banana Shoulders” to be five votes for that blog. You can bet I’m going to take a long look at the ones mentioned over and over again.
And if you don’t want to find the link but you know the name of the blog, I will attempt a google search to find it. You don’t even have to paste the link as long as you spell the blog name correctly and google knows how to find it.
Pimp your site! Pimp your friends’ sites! Go hog wild
September 30th, 2008
I fortunately have a job that lets me catch up on my feed reader pretty well. A few of the hundred or so blogs that I follow that seem to fit your criteria are:
http://aspectofthehare.blogspot.com/
http://thebigbearbutt.com/
http://www.bigredkitty.net/
http://gunlovingdwarfchick.com/
http://www.maniasarcania.com/
http://altoholicsareus.com/
http://needmorerage.blogspot.com/
http://pinkpigtailinn.blogspot.com/
http://www.worldofmatticus.com/
http://toomanyannas.com/blog/
September 30th, 2008
Other than your blog I only regularly read 3 others. I also occasionally read some of the druid blogs you have links for and should probably at least add Resto4life to my favorites so I can stop coming to your site just to link to it! Anyhow here are the blogs I read….
World of Matticus
A Dwarf Priest - http://dwarfpriest.com/
World of Snarkcraft - http://snarkcraft.wordpress.com/
September 30th, 2008
My reader is way too long to mention them all, but some of my favorites:
http://dwarfpriest.com/
http://misery-blog.blogspot.com/
http://pugnaciouspriest.wordpress.com/
http://twistedfaith.wordpress.com/
http://www.worldofmatticus.com/
http://www.destructivereach.com/
http://www.chickgm.com/
http://gnomeaggedon.net/
http://www.bananashoulders.com/
http://gunlovingdwarfchick.com/
http://www.2ndnin.com/
http://www.frostnova.ch/tachyon/blog.do
http://pinkpigtailinn.blogspot.com/
http://parttimedruid.com/
http://www.resto4life.com/
There’s my blog, too, but I just barely fall outside of your “new blog” category.
I have a lot of time to read at work some days. >.>
September 30th, 2008
I know this one breaches the ‘one month’ rule, but as a RL journalist I know about writing stickability! I am and will be dealing with Wow-wide issues as well as class relevant ones (my blog tomorrow is actually on ‘it may be a game, but there’s real people behind those chars’ and I’ve already posted on ‘attitude to noobs’ plus a liberal dosing of humour.
Anyway, if its too ‘raw’ and new for now please keep me in mind four weeks down the road and check that I’m still around.
Draigg
September 30th, 2008
@Draiggoch
I’ll check it out again in a month (thank you for the notice!) and/or you can pester me again when the time comes. *grins* It sounds like it’ll be a great blog!
September 30th, 2008
Dechion named all of my suggestions. I would suggest my own blog but we don’t try to be educational and while I’m not a flagrant spelling violator, I very rarely use spellcheck. Matticus and Anna especially are awesome.
September 30th, 2008
Dang it I didn’t see Isis’ list when I was writing mine. I wanted to stop and say that:
http://www.chickgm.com/
This is the best single site guild leadership resource I’ve run into. A+++
September 30th, 2008
Grammars and spellifications count? Bugger, I ain’t never gonna make the cut.
Coupla educational ones I reads is:
A Dwarf Priest
Mystic Chicanery
Another one I likes, what has a little of everythings, be:
4Haelz (Yeah, the title be in leets, but she don’t talk that way.)
September 30th, 2008
Well I kinda skipped the whole part on not posting links to new blogs….please don’t beat me!
World Of Snarkcraft is very new just so you know. And boy do I feel lame posting 3 compared to these other people. Wow that is a lot of blogs to read!
September 30th, 2008
Lovingly formatted out of OPML, for your gentle perusal:
4 Haelz
http://feeds.feedburner.com/4Haelz
http://4haelz.blogspot.com/
Bringin’ the Wood
http://bringingwood.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
http://bringingwood.blogspot.com/
Girl Meets WoW
http://feeds.feedburner.com/GirlMeetsWow
http://girlmeetswow.blogspot.com/
Pew pew lazers!
http://pewpewlazerz.wordpress.com/feed/
http://pewpewlazerz.wordpress.com
Pookies Is Not A Bear
http://pookiesisnotabear.wordpress.com/feed/
http://pookiesisnotabear.wordpress.com
Resto4Life
http://resto4life.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
http://www.resto4life.com
SPAM MOONFARE!
http://spammoonfare.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
http://spammoonfare.blogspot.com/
Unbearably HoT
http://feeds.feedburner.com/UnbearablyHot
http://www.unbearably.net
Yet Another Warlock Nerf
http://feeds.feedburner.com/YetAnotherWarlockNerf
http://www.locksucks.com
Sinfest
http://www.cartoonlabs.com/comics/index.php?rss2&sinfest
http://www.cartoonlabs.com/comics/index.php
I can’t promise they meet your criteria. Sinfest is nothing to do with WoW but so full of AWESOME you must read it anyway.
September 30th, 2008
I’ve got a pretty large blogroll, but I’d heartily recommend the following WoW blogs:
ChickGM http://www.chickgm.com/ (GMing)
Spicytuna http://spicytunas.com/ (frost mage)
Ardent Defender http://ardentdefender.blogspot.com/ (protection paladin, WotLK focused atm)
TankingTips.com http://www.tankingtips.com/ (warrior tanking)
On the fun non-wow side:
Looking For Group (http://www.lfgcomic.com/)
September 30th, 2008
http://criticalqq.wordpress.com
http://www.tankingtips.com
I know of 5 great mage bloggers, making them the most represented class in the ’sphere. I single out Critical QQ because it’s the most educational and the one you’re most likely to miss, as the writer doesn’t seem to comment as much as the other mages.
Tanking Tips has nothing to do with anything in WoW I care about, but I still read it because I think it’s the best WoW blog, period.
For blogroll maintenance, the Blogspot software has a function to sync with Google Reader, so my link list is easily and accurately a reflection of what I’m actually reading.
And please visit my recently created PvP blog in a month. Hopefully you’ll find it to your liking.
September 30th, 2008
Hi Vonya! I’ve been a longtime fan of your blog. Your terrific postings inspired my friend K and I to start our own priest-oriented blog called The Sacred and Profane. We hope to entertain, edify, and delight. You may find us at:
http://priestlyendeavors.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the consideration!
Best wishes,
Mugglebane.
September 30th, 2008
Great suggestions here so far. I also recommend…
http://www.groupsofwords.com/
http://altosis.blogspot.com/
September 30th, 2008
I few suggestions but visiting these will provide you will other links to many other great blogs as well.
Blessing of Kings: http://blessingofkings.blogspot.com All around perspective on WoW and always well written and updated by a Paladin.
Ardent Defender: http://ardentdefender.blogspot.com Perspective on WoW by a Paladin and other thing of perspective. Well written and always updated.
Many other links can be found among those blogs as they read elsewhere as well. So hope you find some good you may be looking for.
September 30th, 2008
Priest:
I second the suggestions for World of Matticus and Dwarf Priest. Both are great blogs.
Rogue:
Parry! Dodge! Spin! http://www.parrydodgespin.com
Non-Denominational:
Chick GM http://www.chickgm.com
P.S. Thanks for the thought, Lillend.
September 30th, 2008
Seri….If it counts for anything Ego should add you anyhow. Your blog is excellent and I’m sure it will stay around. It had better anyhow!
September 30th, 2008
My suggestions have all been listed except maybe http://honorscode.blogspot.com/
September 30th, 2008
May I tentatively suggest rewording slightly? As it stands, you appear to suggest you are looking for blogs that spend 75% of their time “being grammar”. I wouldn’t normally point out such a simple error, but the irony was too delicious. How about “well written” or “gramatically correct”?
October 1st, 2008
May I pop in here and say “Thank you for the warm fuzzies” to the people who linked to me? <3 Heehee.
October 1st, 2008
http://aspectofthehare.blogspot.com/
Humbly seconding or thirding or however manying AOTH. BRK and AOTH are the two WoW-related, non-database websites on which I spend the most of my time. Pike’s writing is engaging, informative, full of personality without needing to rip off certain large, crimson-hued huntery celebrities, and most importantly, she feels very strongly that people, hunters especially, should not only be able to play their class well, but to understand why things work the way they do, too, and I know I can get behind that.
Down with anti-intellectualism! Down with huntards! Up with Aspect of the Hare!
October 1st, 2008
Thanks Ixisxotic for the referral!!
I myself would heartily endorse:
http://www.chickgm.com (for the umpteenth time). Between this and the well known suggestions which hardly need my vote, I think everyone has ‘educational’ covered.
http://www.airee.net/ - Don’t think I can put it better than Cynra herself: “Welcome to Airee.net, a World of Warcraft themed blog maintained by theorycrafting enthusiast and avid roleplayer Cynra” Possibly one of the most entertaining blogs I read.
http://elunesguidance.blogspot.com/ - Indescribable, but still a fun read.
October 1st, 2008
I’d like to shamefully pimp my blog to you. Been blogging since 06, chat about all things WoW and like to think its very rarely about drops, and more about the experience.
http://typhoonandrew.wordpress.com
I play many many classes, so they all get love. However its sometimes dry and sarcastic.
October 1st, 2008
Like many others, I have a fairly large blogroll. There are a few that I ALWAYS hit when they have a new post, so I thought I’d give them my vote.
http://4haelz.blogspot.com/
http://www.bananashoulders.com/
http://thebigbearbutt.com/
http://www.chickgm.com/
http://www.qqpewpew.com/
http://www.resto4life.com/
http://tobolds.blogspot.com/
http://www.worldofmatticus.com/
There are many more great blogs out there, but these are the ones I read nearly every post. I know a lot of them have already been mentioned as well.
October 1st, 2008
I felt quite guilty about the choking a rhino stuff. If you visit my blog (since a couple of people so kindly recommended it, huge thanks!) you’ll find a pretty long list.
In my defense I must say that this blogroll is not random at all. I do read all the blogs that are on it - and they are all there for special reasons, since they each satisfy a special kind of cravings I get from time to time. They all have their very own flavour.
Since I notice that you don’t have a single mage blog that you recommend I can’t refrain from buffing a few of my collegues, hoping that at least someone will make it into the list. They all have their individual style and are all essential reading for me as a mage. Some of them are a bit older and more reliable than others and require to be pointed out:
Armaggedon’s coming http://gnomeaggedon.net/
Frost is the New Black http://frostisthenewblack.blogspot.com/
Critical QQ http://criticalqq.wordpress.com/
Spicytuna http://spicytunas.com/
I sheep things http://www.isheepthings.com/blog/.
I also must mention Automagica http://automagica.blogspot.com/. It’s a wonderful blog, but Zupa hasn’t posted in three weeks now, which makes me a little worried. I hope he’ll be coming back soon.
October 1st, 2008
First Awwww I have warm fuzzies all over.
Second
http://dwarfpriest.com/ (love the braids)
http://www.worldofmatticus.com/ (now only 1/3rd Canadian!)
http://www.destructivereach.com/ (Shadowbolt goodness)
http://www.bananashoulders.com/ (has a guide to EVERYTHING!)
http://gunlovingdwarfchick.com/ (my Chick in Arms, like brotheri in arms, but with chick…)
http://parttimedruid.com/ (makes me think)
http://www.resto4life.com/ (duh)
http://thebigbearbutt.com/ (tanks with his face)
http://www.bigredkitty.net/ (now with podcast)
http://needmorerage.blogspot.com/ (<3 Ratters who knows the true meaning of the word Pug)
http://toomanyannas.com/blog/ (tougher then a hurricane)
http://www.lumethemad.com/ (Same Niche as me, only better at it!)
http://kestrelsaerie.us/ (the honorable TN wikibrarian)
http://www.slashhug.net/ (my daily injection of positiveness)
http://www.twistednether.net/ (Nether Twisting Podcast geared for bloggers)
This reminds me, in 2 weeks someone poke me and remind me to update my blogroll.
October 2nd, 2008
Most of what I read has been listed by the community. What follows is the rest:
http://kaliope.wordpress.com/ : My favorite crafting blog.
http://playervsdeveloper.blogspot.com/ : Game design and customer relations and more.
http://relmstein.blogspot.com/ : General MMO commentary, lots of WoW thoughts too.
http://casualraidleader.com/ : Thoughtful articles on the nature of guilds, also WoW assorted.
And I have to throw one more vote to Larisa: http://pinkpigtailinn.blogspot.com/ is both high volume and high signal. I don’t know how Larisa does it.
October 2nd, 2008
Crap, my blog lacks 4 days to get on your list!
*Runs back to the AH to make even more money, just like he teaches people to do in more than 75% of his blog *
October 2nd, 2008
I tried to post a reply twice yesterday but for some reason your comment feature seems to hate me. I try again!
It’s possible that you’ll choke when you see my blogroll (if you visit my inn since a couple of commenters were so kind to mention it). To my defense I want to say that there are no random links there - every single blog there is there for a reason, because they add a very special flavour of their own to my daily blog reading diet. It’s too hard to sort some of them out.
Now that you want some ideas I realize I can’t buff them all. So now I want to point out a few of my mage collegues, since you haven’t got a single mage blog on your roll.
There are quite a few good ones these days. I give special mentionings to those that have been around a bit longer, who are realiable and probably will remain up in the future:
Armaggedon’s coming
Frost is the New Black
I sheep tings
Critical QQ
Spicytuna
A special mentioning to Automagica. He hasn’t posted in three weeks, which makes me worried - we miss him in the mage community. But hopefully he’ll come back.
October 2nd, 2008
Oops… there it was! I beg your pardon for spamming your comments… must have been a temporal error stuff. *blush*
October 2nd, 2008
Green Text on Black is a Discipline Priest pvp/pve blog. Guides and playstyles, no math.
October 2nd, 2008
Pimping myself, which as we all know, isn’t easy.
Http://startaruckus.blogspot.com
Oh, and I pvp.
October 3rd, 2008
Wow! Thanks to everyone who listed GLDC. I cracked my jaw with my wide smile. Many on my *must read daily* list have been mentioned already so please bare with me.
The list:
Umm…you. But then you won’t link to yourself on your own site…that would be just silly…
*cough* Sorry, okay putting the serious face on:
http://chickgm.com
http://bigredkitty.net
http://needmorerage.blogspot.com
http://dwarfpriest.wordpress.com
http://toomanyannas.com
http://spicytunas.com/
http://kestrelsaerie.us/
http://www.thehuntersmark.net/
http://priestlyendeavors.wordpress.com/
http://www.worldofmatticus.com/
http://parttimedruid.com/
http://pinkpigtailinn.blogspot.com/
http://gnomeaggedon.net/
Let me know if you want a list of podcasts. That is another ball of wax!
Much <3
October 3rd, 2008
Oh! Since it was late, please add to my list http://resto4life.com and http://unbearably.net
October 3rd, 2008
/cry I think your database ate my long list with my silly attempt at wit! Hence why the comment before refers to a list that is not *ahem* listed.
One thing though, thanks to everyone to listed GLDC, I am goo! And Ego, going to send you that long list via email. It is late and I spent too much time copying and pasting addresses and my eyes hurt.
It is times like these that I wish the net had an recovery system. /le sigh.
Much <3 and watch for email.
October 4th, 2008
[...] Amber wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptI need your help. My Blogroll is pitiful. It’s based on the blogging community nearly a year ago, and doesn’t reflect the current warcraft blogging community at all. I’ve tried to come up with ways to keep it trim and useful, and I’ve failed every time. I joined the Blog Azeroth forums, but I didn’t have the time needed to stick with it (even though it is an incredible community). I’ve tried following links for people who comment here and on other blogs, and I keep forgetting to save the link, or I slap it in my feed reader and forget to add it to my blogroll. So, since you guys were so awesomely forthcoming in my “help, I need podcasts” post, I figure you know what you like to read. You are, in fact, experts in the WoW Blogosphere. What I’m looking for Any blog that spends at least 75% of its time being [...] [...]