Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Blog Changes, Baby, Link Back.

As of this weekend, probably last week actually, the "Modern Pharisee" became the biggest "FLDS Centric" site on the internet. Worldwide. By a long shot.
As always (depending on when you read this) that could and almost certainly will change. As of THIS MOMENT though this site ranks 87,262nd in the United States. No other blog with highly FLDS oriented content, no other site in fact, ranks that high through Alexa. None in fact, rank even in the top 100,000 in this country.

I am therefore putting several blogs and sites on notice. I link to you, I watch my stats. I know you get a lot of traffic as a direct result of my blogroll linking to your site. Link Back, or "Baby, step back."

On a case by case basis, I will be eliminating the link to certain sites, starting with "the Plural Life." If I cite them for any reason, solely based on the fuzzy feeling I may have, I will or will not include a hyperlink. If I do not include a hyperlink, I will cite the source in a more traditional literary way, as a footnote or as a detailed description of where the article might be found.

The reason behind this? This morning I made a comment on "the Plural Life" which is Brooke Adams Salt Lake City Tribune sponsored blog. Brooke has stated she would moderate comments, then said it wouldn't work for her, and then this morning the comment I made was flagged as "awaiting moderation." Hmmm, I think, moderation is "Back on." Then several other posters commented and mine is still pending. One of two things is then true.

I have had my registered identity at that site flagged for moderation.

I used a "keyword" that automatically flagged the comment for moderation, (kinda like farting in church.) If so, the keyword was probably "Nazi" as I said the following: "The trip to the Nazi side of the street is only a short walk and most of us believe we are too far from that reality to worry about it. We have never been far from it, ever, in this country’s history."

If the latter is true, it's excusable and I get it, totally. Really. But it did get me to thinking and once the pink color of my neck died down I still think this is best.

Brooke has an uncomfortable relationship with FLDS supporters. She talks to them, she has talked to me though I will not say what about. She has in fact solicited such conversations and we have had more than one over the phone. I probably did more to initiate contact, but it's been a two way street, or has been.

Combining the fact that I regard the following from her blog regarding Brooks Long to be potential plagiarism of the blog "Sore Toes and a Bleeding Heart" who is a good friend and a thorough researcher, there are a number of similar concerns and I simply can't in good conscience promote someone who links to blind FLDS haters, and won't link to the best of the blogs out there on the FLDS supporting side. Here's the possibly plagiarized remark/research:
"The Schleicher County Medical Facility has 14 beds, according to a December 2007 report by the American Hospital Association.

That year, there were 766 visits to the emergency room. That is less
than 3 patients a day."
Toes first mentioned that. It deserved a cite. Toes offered that research to me, as always I said to her "you found it, you blog it and you get the credit." It would have been fun to look like an omniscient genius but credit should go where credit belongs, and I'm disappointed that Brooke can't seem to do that.

Continuing to use Brooke as the "Bad Example," here is her blogroll:

* Bountiful Elementary-Secondary School (never been there)
* Coram Non Judice (biased FLDS hater)
* Holding Out Help (even more wildly biased state subsidized FLDS hatred)
* Introspection of Plural Wife (Daddy Like)
* Just Ducky (FLDS Supportive, but "Ducky" has had a stroke and doesn't blog)
* Merry Wives (Daddy Like)
* Share The Light (Daddy occasionally cites)
* Truth Will Prevail (Daddy Cites, is quoted in, is linked to by, and Daddy regularly mentions)

In that the "Modern Pharisee" is bigger than each of them, and probably all the sites other than "Truth" combined and hourly refers traffic to several of them, "the Plural Life" included, they benefit from the association. Only "Introspection" links to me. "Truth" is not a blog, and isn't on my blogroll, but they cite me, I cite them.

So, as time goes by, depending on how I feel and on how I'm treated by other sites, I'll be pruning my blogroll. Last year for instance I trimmed internet behemoth "Little Green Footballs" from my blogroll, and I've been getting bigger ever since. It's content people, not backscratching but if I scratch your back, show some courtesy. I know I do.

The Modern Pharisee's blogroll will continue to be dominated by what I think is interesting and include some sites that I frequently question, and some that don't choose to link back. It's my blog after all. But if you don't link back because you think this site is somehow toxic, and I perceive that (ahem), I'll cut you off.

Love you all! Ta ta for now.


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