Why is it that as bloggers we love to share a bit of link luv with other bloggers? Sure we do it because we found a particular post to be interesting, and therefore worth sharing with our readers, but I put it to you that another reason is that, deep down, we hope to get some recognition from that blogger. A simple visit to our blog with a quick thank you isn’t too much to ask now is it?

Yeah, I can hear some of you mumbling in the background that the likes of Darren Rowse and John Chow are way too busy for such common courtesies and I understand that. Seriously, I do. Let’s look at it another way.

Have you ever been in a room with people who are engrossed in a conversation? You’ve got something that you think will be of interest to the rest of the group but they just don’t seem to be listening? Well that’s how I feel when I visit most problogger’s blogs, whether I leave a comment or whether I link to one of their posts. I may as well be in that damn room talking to myself for all the good it does.

Well no more! From this day forth I won’t be linking to any of their posts. OK, I’m hearing that nagging voice somewhere saying, ‘But what if I find something interesting that I want to share with my readers?’ Well, that’s not going to be a problem either, because I’ve unsubscribed from their blogs. No more notifications, especially those annoying ones from Chow every time he visits a restaurant. Honestly I don’t really care what he’s shoving down his throat.

As far as I’m concerned it’s no great loss, because there are so many other great bloggers out there. They may not be as well known, but that does not make what they have to say any less important or interesting. Sure Darren and Chow have a huge readership, and I’m not arguing that they are not good at what they do. What I’m saying is that they are not the only good bloggers out there.

There are so many other great bloggers who are not as well known, and who have a greater need of my link luv than any of the probloggers. These are just a few of those bloggers who are great at what they do but do not get the recognition of the so called ‘big boys’.

• Extreme John: Now this bloke is bloody entertaining. He’s not scared of telling people how it is and won’t stand for any lip. He also understands, unlike those problogger snobs, what link luv is all about, as can be seen from his 12 Bloggers that Share Link Juice post.
• iBlogZone: This is a blog that is full of great information, and DiTesco is another blogger who is not afraid to share a bit of link luv. His post Google AdSense Webinar – Free Online Seminars is just one of  many posts that are aimed at helping others to improve the earning potential of their blogs.
• Kikolani: Kristi the owner of this blog does weekly updates where she shares with others all the interesting posts that she has come across during the week. She calls them her Fetching Friday posts, but other posts such as 5 Bad Reasons To Quit Blogging show that she has a wealth of information to share.
• Social @ Blogging Tracker: Ching Ya, like the majority of women , loves to mix it up in the social networks and her posts, like 6 Twitter Lists Applications to Expand Your Network helps others to share in her expertise.
• I’m Just Sharing: Mitch is a blogger who is all about sharing and his posts are many and varied. My only complaint is that I don’t have the time to keep up with all his posts. One you might find interesting is How He Writes Blog Posts.

Of course there are many more, too many for me to name here. What I am trying to show is that because there are so many really talented bloggers out there, men and women who cover almost every subject imaginable, I don’t need the likes of those so called Probloggers. I have a pool of bloggers that I enjoy reading, ones that I know recognize my presence when I visit their blog and are not afraid to pop in on occasion to say hello by leaving a comment.

As far as I’m concerned blogging is more than sharing your ideas or ideals in a blog post. It’s also about conversing with them and dropping in on them once in awhile to see how they are going.

It seems that this post has created an interesting discussion over on David Risley’s blog titled, When Commenting Begins To Hurt Your Blogging Success. Perhaps you would like to add your thoughts to the discussion.

For those wondering how Darren got to where he is today.ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income

The FlexSqueeze Theme gives my blog that professional look. I loved it so much that I bought the developers license. It's the easiest most customizable theme I've come across. See how easy it is to change your theme's appearance! Compare it to Thesis to see how much better it is!

I highly recommend you to get your FlexSqueeze copy today!

For those newbie bloggers out there who may be wondering as to why so many bloggers insist on their link luv feasts where they, sometimes weekly, link to a whole heap of blogs, well I hope the following three points may clear things up a bit.

1. To reward their commentators:  There are many who feel, and rightly so, that this is a great way to reward those commentators who come back time and time again to add their contribution to their posts.
2. Sharing a great find: We’re all mates right? So if we come across a great post, that has inspired us, why wouldn’t you want to share it?
3. Hoping for some reciprocation: I’m sure that even though most bloggers do not actually say outright that they want some link luvin in return, they hope that some of the luv that went out will actually come back in one form or another. Sort of like the old, ‘you scratch my back and I will scratch your back’ mentality.

I would like to point out that point three hardly every occurs when commenting on the so called ‘Pro Blogger’ bloggers. It seems that bloggers like John Chow and Darren Rowse just don’t seem to have the time to reciprocate any favors, heck they don’t even have the time to reply to some of their commentators. Sure they’re blogs are a whole lot busier than ours, but then their pros who have made it to the stage that their blog is their job, whereas many other bloggers have to hold down a job as well has maintaining their blogs.

Still, this post isn’t about a rant at all, I just got side tracked there a bit, it’s about sharing some link luv with those of you out there who have either commented on my blog, or whose blog I have read that had struck a chord in me leading to some link luvin.

Most of you who visit my blog know of Kristi of Kikolani fame, but rather than link to her post about Google Trends I want to tell you about her new venture. It’s her DoFollow Blog Directory and Compendium where you

will find out everything you want to know about DoFollow, and where to find DoFollow friendly sites.

If yours is a dofollow blog and you want to advertise the fact you should check it out, as Kristi plans to make this the best DoFollow resource center on the net, one that goes beyond the normal dofollow posts you will find as it also allows you to mention any addition features your blog may offer, such as CommentLuv, whether or not Keywords are allowed and the presence of the  Top Commentator plugin etc. The fact that she also won Doug’s professional Custom Banner Giveaway Package will ensure that her new site will stand out from the rest.

Trey’s post at Swollen Thumb Entertainment have always been an interesting read, but his A Better Approach To Leaving Comments I found to be a par above the rest. You all know how important I believe commenting is to a blogs sustainability, I’ve been on about it long enough, well Trey has managed to put it in such a way that everyone reading the post will leave a wiser commetator, and if they don’t, well there may be something wrong with them.

Mitch of I’m Just Sharing is an excellent blogger and I am constantly astounded that he is not up there with the big boys. He writes extremely well and is always willing to try something new. Not one to give up, if after giving an idea a good run for it’s money, if it’s not working the way it should be he is willing to change as can be seen from his post, Post#500 Something New For Me.

Now, not everyone is a fan of becoming a dofollow blog, because it sometimes does lead to people leaving stupid nonsensical comments just so they can get a link back to their site. Don’t they realize that there is a spammers hell waiting for them? Luckily Todd of Todd’s Tips has found a plugin that will enable you to Reward  Only Your Blogging Friends With DoFollow Links.

Ever since moving from Blogger to WordPress, on her own domain not that free WordPress.org thingy, I reckon it’s safe to say that Ching Ya has never looked back, as can be seen from the amount of comments she’s getting from her happy readers on 16 Social Bookmarking Plugins to Promote Your Posts.

Ever wondered how to create  a One Page Adsense Site for your niche? Well that link I’ve just provided will take you to Brian’s Exreme Ezine which is full of marketing tips and other little tid bits.

Last but not least I best not leave out Cheryl who’s ‘Marketing Help Blog‘ is a treat, especially her post on how to Get Backlinks Indexed Faster. Also, if you haven’t had Sheryl comment on one of your posts, you don’t know what your missing. When Sheryl leaves a comment you just know what your going to get and I always read them with some trepidation

Well, I reckon that’s enough link luvin for one post, and I know you must be tired from examining all those links, so I would like to leave you with a little video. I may have spatterings of the ‘F’ word so don’t watch it if you find it offensive.

Ages ago I remember reading a post by Darren Rowse  about how resurrecting old posts could be a good thing. It took me awhile to find it, as it was buried in the archives, but I finally managed to dig it out. It was called The Why And How Of Repeating Content On Your Blog, and he wrote it in response to a question from one of his readers. It’s a pretty good read and I suggest you go on over and take a look at it.

One of the methods that Darren uses is to revisit an old post, update the information and then change the date so that it appears as a new post. This is all well and good but I much prefer to find a post from one of my other blogs and then migrate it another blog of my choice, one of the many benefits of having multiple blogs. In this way I can see what sort of effect it would have on a completely different audience.

The following is a post I did on my What A Load Of Bullshit Blog, and naturally enough I called it, It’s Bullshit The Way Women Treat Men. I must say that it did create a bit of a stir and I am waiting with bated breath to see the reaction it will have with a new target audience. So, without further ado I present to my WassupBlog Audience the reposted version, ‘There Is No Way In Hell That A Man Can Please A Woman‘.

Let’s face it guys, us poor blokes have definitely got to be the underdogs when it comes to the way we are treated by the so called ‘weaker sex’! Sorry girls, but I don’t care what you say, its damn hard being a man. Shit, what chance have we got when women have it all over us?

Men all through the the ages have been seen as being the protectors of women, yet ever since the burning of the bras we have to be extremely careful of what we do or even say. If we put a woman on a pedestal and try to protect her from the rat race, we’re considered a male chauvinist pig. If we stay at home and do the housework, we’re a bloody pansy. If we work too hard trying to give them the lifestyle they have come to expect then we are selfish and uncaring because we don’t have any time for her and the kids. Hell I would rather spend time with them but then I would get my arse kicked because I am not providing for their every need.

If, on the other hand, we don’t work hard enough, we’re a good for nothing layabout. If we have a boring repetitive job with low pay, we should get off our asses and find something better. If a man gets a promotion ahead of her, then that is favoritism, but if she gets promotion ahead of a man, that is equal opportunity.

Tthe workplace is a minefield ready to explode in regards to the way we handle ourselves around women. If we mention how nice she looks, that is sexual harassment, if we keep quiet, that is typical male indifference. Shit it doesn’t get any better when we get home either, as we still have to take care of what we say or do. If we cry, we’re a sheila, if we don’t, we’re an insensitive bastard. If a man thumps her, that’s wife bashing. If she thumps him, that’s self defense. If he makes a decision without consulting her, he’s a chauvinist, if she makes a decision without regard for his feelings, then she’s a liberated woman. If he asks her to do something she doesn’t enjoy that is domination, if she asks him, its a favour.

If we appreciate the female form and sexy underwear, we’re sexual perverts, if we don’t notice, we’re poofters. If we like a woman to keep in shape and shave her legs, that is sexist, if we don’t care that is unromantic. If we try to keep ourselves in shape, that is vanity, if we don’t we’re slobs. If we buy flowers, we’re after something, if we don’t we’re forgetful. If we are proud of our achievements, we’re up ourselves, if we aren’t we’re not ambitious. If we ask for a cuddle we never think of anything else but sex. If we’re totally whacked after a bad day at the office, then we never give a stuff about other people’s needs.

If she has a headache, its because she is tired. If he has a headache, its because he doesn’t love her anymore. If we want it too often, we’re oversexed, if we can’t perform on cue there must be someone else. If we tell the truth, “Honey does this dress make my ass look big?”, we’re bastards, if we don’t then we will get it in the end after the party and some so called girl friend commented on her poor choice of clothes.

I tell you gals, its bloody hard being a man.

That was it, and it apparently offended some of the gals out there who couldn’t see it for what it truly was, a poor bloke’s attempt at satire.

I was pleased to read Darren Rowse’s letter to the big boys at Amazon, not because I think he will get non-US affiliates a better deal, but because it has galvanized me into promoting Amazon products a whole lot more. I never thought that there was that amount of money to be made. Sure Darren is able to bring in the big bucks because of the amount of ‘pull’ his blogs have, and maybe one day I will be close to being in the same league but for now I will take every dollar that comes my way, even if I have to wait 6 weeks to get it.

In regards to the post itself, I reckon that Darren is starting to forget his original roots. Like us, he started off as a small time blogger who was quite happy to get whatever income came his way through his blogging efforts. With consistent hard work he has been able to fulfill the dreams of most of the bloggers out there, that of being able to make blogging their career where they can work from home and be their own boss. So you have to wait 6 weeks for your check, so what, at least you are getting a check. If Amazon decided not accept foreign affiliates, like a lot of other US companies, you would be $70,000 worse off so perhaps it would be best to accept things as they are.

Personally I would be quite happy to wait 6 months for that kind of money let alone 6 weeks. Whilst I hope that they take heed of your letter I can only imagine their response upon receiving it.

Amazon CEO: Hey Bill, check this out, now that Darren Rowse is a member of the million dollar club he reckons we should treat him better than the rest of our affiliates.

Bill: Your kidding? The cheek of these damn Aussies. And check out the bit where he says we should be paying him more ‘personal attention’ because of the size of his account!

Amazon CEO: (Laughing out loud) Yeah that’s really rich isn’t it? Damn Aussies are lucky we let them in on the program at all. Don’t think they realize the hassles of dealing with foreign affiliates let alone the extra costs of changing the system, especially now with the current economic crisis. The nerve of some people.

Bill: Say Boss, are you going to reply to the letter?

Amazon CEO: Are you kidding? That’s Darren Rowse we are talking about, of course I am going to reply……..in about 6 weeks or so.

Hey Darren, I would have left you an actual comment on the post but it’s been getting so that I never know if you get my comment or not and I’m feeling like I talking in the wind. Still, it was a good excuse to do a post and so I took that option instead. All the best of luck with your letter mate, I honestly hope that the big boys sit up and take notice, but I don’t like your chances.

I just want to encourage those potential bloggers who are sitting out there on the sidelines wondering whether they should enter the Blogging world. I reckon the thing that is holding you back is that you’re just not too sure what you can blog about. Considering that the web is so big and that there are a whole lot of people out there ready to absorb information I reckon it is safe to say that you could blog about almost anything at all.

Take for an example an Aussie blog called Karen Cheng’s Snippets of Life, a blog that has been in existence since around 2000. Karen is thought by many to have reached power blogger status and was even featured on Channel Ten’s News along with ProBlogger Darren Rowse. You are all probably thinking that she is another blogging guru, full of tips, tricks and ways of making a fortune via your blogs. You couldn’t be more wrong.

She actually just talks about her life in general, her kids, cooking, fashion, shopping and even goes so far as posting about her dealings with the fertility clinic. Certainly not a blog that you would think would amass a world wide audience now is it, at least not one full of blokes.? Yet she has done it and so there is no reason why one of you couldn’t do the same.

There is one thing that I notice that was highly unusual about Karen’s blog and that is the total lack of comments, as she has comments turned off. Imagine that.