Blogroll Amnesty Day

From the day I started this modest blog I have tried to follow one simple rule, the Golden Rule of Blogging: Blog unto others as you would have them blog unto you. I don't call people nasty names because I don't like being called nasty names. I don't try to out pseudonymous bloggers because I don't want to be outted. I don't attack bloggers' families because I don't want my family attacked. And when someone is kind enough to add me to their blogroll, I add them to mine as well. It seems to me that it is the polite thing to do.

I remember how difficult it was to get people to notice my blog when I first started out. "Build it and they will come," apparently only works with magic baseball fields. The only way to get anyone to notice my blog was to get them to link to me and that was not always easy. I linked to other bloggers and clicked on those links hoping they would notice my link in Sitemeter. I sent emails to other bloggers asking them to take a look at my latest piece or to add me to their blogrolls. I instituted my "Liberal Blogrolling Policy" offering to exchange links with anyone who linked to me. As more blogs began to link to me and add me to their blogrolls, a curious thing began to happen. More people came to my blog from those links and from Google. And many of those readers then visited the blogs that I linked to. Though it cost nothing to link to someone, I realized that on the Internet links are capital. Every link has value. And when two bloggers link to each other, they both profit.

The idea that links are the capital of the blogosphere seems so obvious that you would think an economist like Atrios of Eschaton would have realized it long ago. And as he is a progressive who has accumulated quite a bit of link wealth, you might also think he would be in favor of redistributing some of that wealth instead of just letting it trickle down. So when he announced last year that he was declaring February 3 Blogroll Amnesty Day, and other bloggers followed suit, I assumed he meant that he was opening his blogroll up to the masses. I sent him a polite email pointing out that his blog was on my blogroll and I would really appreciate it if he would add my blog to his. I never heard back from him.

When February 3 rolled around, many bloggers discovered to their horror that instead of adding new blogs to his blogroll he was throwing many off, including some bloggers who were his longtime friends. Blogroll Amnesty Day, it turned out, was a very Orwellian concept. Instead of granting amnesty to others he was granting amnesty to himself not to feel bad for hurting others feelings. Though Atrios has stubbornly refused to acknowledge that he made a mistake, some bloggers who initially joined him, backtracked. Markos of the Daily Kos instituted a second blogroll that consisted of random links from diarists. PZ Myers of Pharyngula now has real Blogroll Amnesty Days where he invites anyone who has blogrolled him to join his blogroll. And in the wake of the bloodletting quite a number of smaller blogs, like my friend skippy the bush kangaroo, changed their own blogroll policies and now link more freely to others.

Ironically, Blogroll Amnesty Day had a net positive effect for the blogosphere as a whole. I discovered a number of great blogs and made new friends and I am sure that is true for others as well. And so instead of remembering February 3 as a day that will live in infamy, let's turn this day into a celebration of the power of smaller blogs. Let's recognize that building an inclusive community of diverse voices is what the blogosphere should be about, not creating a new elite to replace the old mainstream media elite. This year there were a number of stories that the big blogs missed that were being covered by smaller blogs such as the Jena 6 and the situation in Burma. I hope someday that Atrios and other A-List bloggers will join us in recognizing that they could learn a lot from reading smaller blogs rather than getting all of their news from a few limited sources. And instead of attacking big blogs or each other, I hope smaller blogs will take this opportunity to expose themselves to other voices that often don't get heard.

All weekend I will be updating this post with links from other bloggers who are recognizing Blogroll Amnesty Day and skippy will be doing the same. Blue Gal is encouraging bloggers to link to a few of their favorite blogs with traffic less than their own. Let us know how you plan to celebrate Blogroll Amnesty Day and send us a link to your post and I'll link to it here (even if I disagree) and then please check out some of the other blogs linked to here or on my blogroll and add a few of them to your blogroll as well. It won't cost you a thing.

skippy the bush kangaroo: "this weekend, take a moment to click thru to a smaller blog, and read a new perspective. everyone in blogtopia and yes, we coined that phrase, will be better off. and happy blogroll amnesty day to everyone!"

Blue Gal: "Happy Blogroll Amnesty Day! Today is the day the small blogosphere celebrates itself by giving each other a little lurve.... Not to get all mushy here, but do you know how f---ing great it is to be here in the blogosphere? Take a moment. Take it in. Today's the day. And thanks."

Drinking Liberally in New Milford: "Links are capital! It is the foundation of bringing views from fellow bloggers out of obscurity and into the top of search engine results. And just how much does it cost any blogger to spend some of this valuable capital? ZIP. Zilch. Zero dollars. Not even one penny to use the most effective marketing tool that Blogtopia* has to offer."
*I believe skippy coined this word.

Kiko's House: "This is a day when we celebrate new and small bloggers by making sure that they are well represented on blogrolls, which are those lists of links to blogs that snake down the sidebars of many blogs. The day, which many bloggers of distinction mark on February 3, began in reaction to big bloggers dumping small bloggers from their blogrolls or eliminating blogrolls altogether, which is like denying oxygen to a widdle baby with breathing problems."

Moderate Voice: "Blogs are supposed to be discussions, which should assume that there is more than one argument. But too often only the left links to the left, only the right links to the right. If the trend continues, it makes it harder than ever for bloggers to write what THEY feel and see, versus what they think they NEED to say to get a link from a bigger blog that will help provide them with readership. In other words, the only way now for many blogs to GET readership is to write posts FOR the big blogs, in essence." As Joe Gandelman (who was the first big blogger to blogroll this modest blog) often says himself, this post is a MUST READ so READ THE WHOLE THING.

The Impolitic: "I can honestly say thank you Atrios. If it wasn't for that awful purge, us 'little guys' may never have found our sense of community or come to appreciate our own value. In the end, you kind of did us a favor."

Rubber Hose: "maybe it's my socialist leanings, i don't really buy the links are capital theory because i don't think that hit rankings are a measure of the success of a blog. in a perfect world people would be free to link or not link to whoever they like. a blog is (or at least can be) a personal expression of the blogger and so the blogroll, like everything else, is just a reflection of what the blogger likes. it shouldn't be seen as a slight on anyone else....but i digress. my real point is kind of the opposite of where i seem to be heading here. my point is that, like i joked a year ago, this really is turning into an annual event. except instead of bitching and moaning about how the big fellars aren't linking to the blogs that the small bloggers think the big fellars should be linking to, they're making "blogroll amnesty day" an opportunity to link to and feature smaller sites that they think deserve more attention. i don't have any problem with that."

Chuck For...: "While you're reading one of these P-list blogs it is important to remember that some real effort goes into doing this stuff consistently. Your three minute read may have involved hours of work, most of us are rank amateurs as writers/editors/publishers and we are all of those."

My View of "It": "When I hear the word 'amnesty' I think of words like 'justice' and 'pardon' but in this case it would mean more of a sovereign act of unbiased kindness to do good. Unfortunately this wasn't the case for this Day of Amnesty. Instead, some of the big fish emptied their Blogrolls and this certainly wasn't a very benevolent or sovereign thing to do at all."

The Art of Peace: "It was a few big 'liberal' bloggers who declared they wanted their blogroll to consist of bloggers they actually read - and who don't seem to be looking for interesting new blogs to read now that they are established. Not only is this their privilege, it may be a good thing for the left side of the blogosphere in the long run. Atrios and Markos couldn't read each good small Progressive blog for long enough to pick out the superb ones even if they wanted to. The job has to be crowdsourced, largely to the people who are hoping to be among the discovered."

Edicts of Nancy: "As a loyal reader of Michelle Malkin, I can say with the utmost certainty that "amnesty" is a liberal plot to soften America's borders, make Spanish our national language, and force the school children of America's Heartland to eat chips and salsa with their lunch every day. This is especially true of "Blog Amnesty," that fateful day last year when a group of liberal elite bloggers (and their "conservative" allies in the business community) decided to purge me from their blogrolls so they could link to -- and be linked back by -- cheaper Spanish-speaking blogs, like Matt Yglesias."

Blue Girl in a Red State: "I felt like the Blogroll Amnesty bloggers were snobby. To some people, there's no better way to make themselves feel important than by making other people feel less important. I also thought they were hypocrites. No surprise there either."

konagod: "What goes around comes around. Especially true with blogrolls."

Zippidy Doo Da: "This is week that small bloggers band together in part by writing about blogging. My theme this week is, resolved: blogging is like rock and roll."

ROTUS: "There was a guy who said something to the effect of 'Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me.' The more established bloggers should be wiling to give a hand up to those who come after."

The Political Cat: "Take a minute out of your busy schedule and go click on an unfamiliar blog. Read what they have to say." And he adds some more links here.

The Great Endarkenment: "I initially decided that I would link to anyone who left a comment on my blog, and I believe I have done so. I will also adopt the Swiftian policy of linking to anyone who blogrolls me. Leave me a comment, drop me an e-mail or send smoke signals, and it shall be done."

WTF Is It Now? gets the party started with some links to a few good blogs.

Three Sticks: "Many of these bloggers used Blogroll Amnesty Day as an opportunity to remove smaller, lesser known blogs paring their blogrolls down to most popular blogs. This has the effect of creating an elite club of the most popular blogs recursively endorsing each other and reducing the chance of a smaller, lesser known blog from joining their elite ranks."

Newshoggers: "What started as a blogroll cull be some A-Listers ended up becoming a celebration of diversity and independence by smaller blogs. Newshog's transformation to Newshoggers group blog and large uptick in daily readers dates to the surge of energy after that auspicious day."

Publius Endures: "The modest success I've had on this blog the last few months has been far more than I ever thought I'd have. Much of that success has been due to the liberal policies of other blogs, and to the surprising amount of blog-love they send my way by linking to my posts on a semi-frequent basis."

The Grand Panjandrum: "This weekend don’t send anyone a box filled with a severed horse’s head, dipped in the blood of an endangered species. That would be bad. Instead use your time wisely and link to small blogs, put small blogs on your blogroll."

Reno and Its Discontents: "Blogging is a blast, but it can be really hard work. And I gotta tell you that there is no feeling more exhilarating for a struggling blogger than getting on the blogroll of one of your coveted blogs. Its like you’re a blogroll virgin again; touched for the very first time, except this time, it actually feels fabulous and you don’t get all sweaty."

45s and Under: "Being a small-d democratic sort, I am all about helping to boost new products into the marketplace of ideas. I myself wish I had more time to trawl the blogosphere because I know there's some sharp stuff out there."

Last Left Turn Before Hooterville: "I feel that the beauty of the blogosphere is that it doesn't matter who you are or how high-profile your blog is, there's a place for everyone. If you have something to say, there's a very good chance that there are readers out there to appreciate it."

Barefoot Bum: "Yes, it's officially the Blogroll Amnesty Weekend, leading up to Blogroll Amnesty Day, February 3rd, in remembrance of the great blogroll bloodbath. You're supposed to link to "lesser" blogs, but as The Barefoot Bum is... er... not the most trafficked or linked-to blog in the blogosphere, I'll just have to link to blogs I like."

Crinch Pin: "Library Fine Amnesty Day was always my favorite day of the year. Now that I no longer read (even street signs, mind you) I've been looking for a new Amnesty Day which will liven the spirits and bring people with something to share out into the light of day."

Zen Comix has created a Blogroll Amnesty Day cartoon, which he is offering to anyone who wants to use it for his or her own post, as well as links to a bunch of great blogs, which he has also crossposted at American Street, Pushing Rope and The Aristocrats.

Wrythings has a question.

Comments From Left Field: "I’ve a confession to make. There are things I think I do well when it comes to blogging; I have my own little comfortable sphere in which I operate. But I have always been a terrible blogger when it comes to sharing thelove with other bloggers. It’s not something I do intentionally, it’s not as though I snub people on purpose, I just… well… lose track....Blogroll Amnesty Day reminds me that I should myself be a little less like Atrios and start tossing some well deserved linky goodness around."

Centerface: "If I link to a news story in the next two days, I'll go to Technorati to find some D-listers like me to link to instead of say, The Washington Post."

The Crone Speaks: "A-list bloggers also support centrist and republican-lite DNC politics, rather than TRUE-BLUE liberal candidates, and that is also witnessed in their linkages to only other A-list, centrist or republican-lite, claptrap, bloggers, instead of the vastly diverse liberal voices of blogtopia (skippy) Perhaps, as Blogroll Amnesty Day gains more and more traction, liberal blogtopia (skippy) will result in more successes in promoting liberal presidential candidates."

Fausta's Blog: In the comments Fausta offers to blogroll anyone who blogrolls her. Write her at faustaw "at" yahoo "dot" com.

Brilliant at Breakfast: "With the Unitary Executive Declaration of Blogroll Amnesty Day last year, the battle lines were clearly drawn -- and not by us. So in the spirit of revolution that the Big Boiz have so clearly lost, those of us on the low end of the pecking order need to help each other. "

Bildungblog: "Just remember it's B.A.D., it's nationwide."

Welcome to Pottersville: "Well, it’s been a year since Big Duncan Black and Blue and his Type A-list cohorts had carried out the Night of Long Knives on the blogging proletariat."

The Midpoint: "Answering the call of modest Jon Swift in recognition of Blogroll Amnesty Day, I would like to link to some blogs that get less traffic than The Midpoint. Unfortunately, there aren’t any! So instead, I will link and highlight blogs that more people should be reading."

Monkeyfister: "I went off recently about the "Blog Nobility," and I hold true to my Mission of supporting Small Bloggers above all others. We.Are.Legion." And check out some more links here.

Writes Like She Talks: "I love the concept of what Blogroll Amnesty Day has become. Now, thanks to the efforts of people who really get how it all should work, the goal of Blogroll Amnesty Day clearly is to promote smaller blogs that don’t get as much linkage as they deserve."

The Seminal: "Writing pieces, promoting them throughout the web, reading other blogs, and developing this site is a huge amount of work, and everyone who writes here does so at great personal sacrifice. I'm proud to say The Seminal is well read, and our audience is growing. Still, we started from nothing like any other blogger. While we try to link to as many other blogs as we can and spread the wealth around, today we hope to make that a bit more explicit."

A Blog Around the Clock: "But before I go ahead and turn my monstrously big Blogroll into something even bigger, please let me know, in the comments, who is still missing from it yet deserves to be there? Is it your blog? Give me the URL."

The Democratic Daily: "I’ve always had a liberal blogroll policy, linking to blogs who include The Dem Daily on their blogroll and randomly adding new blogs that I enjoy reading regardless of whether they link back....If you’re not blogging about Blogroll Amnesty Day — you should be!" And check out yet another post about the day at The Democratic Daily, with even more links and a video to put you in the mood: "We're Havin a Party!"

PhysioProf: "Here at PhysioProf, Blogroll Amnesty Day will be celebrated by linking to, and blogrolling, bloggers who have supported PhysioProf in the genesis of this blog. Also, I am adopting the Jon Swift continuous amnesty protocol, and will blogroll anyone who blog rolls PhysioProf."

Rook's Rant: "I have to admit, I've been without a blogroll myself for quite some time. Well, today I've done something about that. I have re-instituted a Blogrolling.com account and am now in the process of populating those rolls with links....So, I am asking for Amnesty while I rebuild my links."

On My Mind: "This phrase has cropped up on the net the past couple days, and I finally found out what it means. It has to do with how you get on the "blogroll" of the big important bloggers. For small unimportant bloggers like me, all you have to do is ask. Send an email saying that you've added me to your blogroll and asking that I reciprocate, and I do so at once."

Culture Vultures: "If you drop by and want to be on our blogroll, drop us a line and we'll add you! Of course, we'll have to create a blogroll first, so excuse our dust."

Ex-Lion Tamer: "Today is the day we try to reciprocate all of our wonderful bloggy bloggingness. so: if you have EVER linked to me, either in a blogroll or just in a post, and yet you can’t find yourself in my blogroll - let me know, and i will add you forthwith."

The Pajama Pundit: "I first discovered this very acceptable form of amnesty as I was perusing The Moderate Voice yesterday. So thought provoking that it is, I went to see skippy the bush kangaroo to get a broader definition. And, needless to say, I sincerely liked what I read."

If I Ran the Zoo: "Bloggers have the right to link to whichever and however many (or few) blogs they want to. Obviously. Smaller bloggers can't presume to tell the mega-bloggers what to do. What we can do is tend to our own gardens; we can try to make our own little patches of the blogosphere resemble our vision for the blogosphere as a whole."

Media Lizzy: In the comments Media Lizzy says she is happy to add anyone to her blogroll. Send her an email at eliz "at" medializzy "dot" com.

Rightwing Snarkle: "Folks like me with s----y little blogs should link to others who also have s----y (and non-s----y) blogs for the simple purpose of boosting each others' traffic and learning about each others' points of view. That's a good idea, and one that I incorporated when I started this blog."

driftglass: "Happy Blogroll Amnesty Day Eve, citizen! That day whereon we little folk rise early, get down on our wee, dimpled knees and celebrate the glorious anniversary of that glorious moment when certain glorious A-List bloggers finally got shut of the smelly, little monkeys amongst whom they had been ingloriously trapped."

The Freedom From Patriot News Censorship Blog: "Although I write at a much larger blog, how in the world can I find blogs that are smaller than mine when I only started producting this site last night? Well, I can't. But what I can do is link to Central Pennsylvania Blogs that I have found in the last few hours."

Ornery Bastard: "Email me or leave a link in the comments and I will add you to my Blogroll as long as you reciprocate. Thats it, simple. Now get busy."

Shimoda and When Will I Use This have a few blogs they would like you to check out.

Liberty Street: "One of the great things about other bloggers' blogrolls is that you discover wonderful, intelligent, engaging, laugh-out-loud blogs you would most likely never have discovered on your own.... Read. Link. Blogroll. It's the B.A.D. thing to do."

I'm Jus' A Lil' Dizzy!: "Every day is Blogroll Amnesty Day at Dizzy's."

Scriptoids: "I am not sure whether one wishes another blogger Happy Blogroll Amnesty Day or not, considering its origins. Nonetheless, in the spirit of Blogroll Amnesty, I definitely will try to link to more blogs in the coming year."

The Reaction: "It's hard for many bloggers to get the links they so badly want, namely, links from the A-listers, the big blogs that with a single link can generate enormous traffic. We all want those links from Kos and Atrios and Drum and C&L and all the rest, but, alas, those links aren't always forthcoming. And so we do what we need to do, linking to each other, supporting each other, forging connections, making friends, and otherwise building up the liberal/progressive blogosphere into a genuine network. That's what this is all about." The Reaction has more here and here, as well as two link round-ups here and here. It's a BAD extravaganza.

The Kenosha Kid's Blog: "Jon Swift and Skippy say it's Blogroll Amnesty Day, so who am I to argue? I think the idea is to give exposure to blogs lower down the totem pole than you are."

Bad Attitudes: "Some time ago, Atrios over at Eschaton, for which I think I still have a link sitting around somewhere, decided his blogroll was overblown. Perhaps it was costing him extra money to store so many links, or maybe he ran out of open threads before the blogroll ended. In any case, he decided to prune, and a bunch of people who previously had a little traffic directed to their blogs by being on his roll found themselves off the list. I don’t think anyone’s claiming intent to harm, but harm was felt. Soon after, Kos at Daily followed suit (as is his wont).... The result of all this is that we B-listers gotta hang together, or we shall assuredly hang separately."

My Left Wing: "No one will ever convince me that making my blogroll more selective has anything to do with anything but sheer f---ing superciliousness."

The Field Negro: "Last year when a bunch of these large blogs got together and conspired to exclude some of the smaller ones from their blogrolls it was pure bulls--t, and they knew it. They called it Blog Amnesty Day, but it was just a way of purging their blog rolls of blogs they consider beneath their stature by hiding behind the facade of a phony ass campaign. I was proud to join a few of the smaller blogs who called them on their bulls--t, and told them in no uncertain terms where they could take their Blogroll Amnesty Day."

Play On! assembles some links and videos to commemorate this day.

Moue Magazine: "The B.A.D. (heh) holiday traces back to last year when Atrios of Eschaton declared the event. Many assumed it meant he planned to open up his blogroll to other, smaller bloggers. What he actually meant was it was the occasion on which he could clean up his existing blogroll without feeling guilty about booting people out. The reaction to that move wasn’t…good."

Long Live the Village Green: "If the idea of Blog Roll Amnesty Day is to give some love to blogs smaller than one's own, then I'm not sure I want to embarrass anyone by pointing out that their readership has yet to reach the not very astounding average of 59 visits per day. On the other hand, I do confess that it thrills me to see the monthly visits and page views climb ever upward. Links do matter, as well as writing things that particular groups of people want to read."

Liberal Values: "Many blogs are celebrating Blogroll Amnesty Day in reverse of how it turned out last year....I think the best way to celebrate is to take a stroll through the blogroll and give some random examples of what I’ve stumbled upon."

Ice Station Tango has "a gigantic, blowout Blogroll Amnesty Day Edition" of their regular link round-up.

Mahatma X Files: "I suppose if one merely wants an echo chamber, one will do what Atrios and his ilk did. Personally, I prefer to be contrapuntal: variety is the spice of life, and hopefully my blogroll reflects that. One huge benefit for me has been practically impossible to quantify: I've managed to meet (at least within the confines of the internet) some really interesting folks whom I might have missed out on otherwise, and have learned a thing or two in the process."

Alternate Brain: "Unlike some of the major blogs who look at us the same way politicians do, no names but you know who you are, we here at the Brain have an extensive blogroll rivaling Skippy's and we're always happy to add new blogs. We're all in this together, ain't we?"

SteveAudio: "I've discussed the power of blogrolling with other bloggers who tut-tut and assure me it means nothing, that links never come from other blog's blogrolls, well, it's usually multi-thousand hits-per-day folks who say that. In other words, it may not help your traffic, but it sure will help mine."

Politickybitch: "Yesterday I wandered around blogtopia (yes, skippy the bush kangaroo coined that term) looking for interesting blogs that I had never seen before, or I thought were great places to visit."

DrugMonkey: "Drop me a comment with a blog you think I should be reading."

distributorcap NY: "What better way for us Leona-type 'little people' to play with the big boys like Atrios, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, Media Matters etc."

Osterley Times: "My policy here is that I will link to anyone who links to me."

Writhe Safely: "It’s so amazing to read all these talented writers this weekend, knowing they will never make the big blogrolls, since as of February 3rd, 2007, that’s the policy! So here’s a toast to true amnesty, community, empowerment, virtual cake, and, as Tom Waits put it 'champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends.'"

Miss Cellania: "All that smaller blogs are asking is that you try them out. They will sink or swim according to whether they connect with readers. If you find something you like, you’d certainly want to recommend them."

Bark Bark Woof Woof: "I don't read every blog that's listed on my blogroll every day. But then, the blogroll isn't just for me; it's for you, the reader, to explore and follow the stream. It can be a wonderful journey."

Simply Left Behind: "Studies have shown (and this was PRE-BADay) that 'A' list bloggers tend to link to other 'A' list bloggers nearly exclusively. This sets up an echo chamber of thought, one that resonates and creates a feedback loop that makes it hard to sort reality from a rumour that's shot around the world three times."

Connecting.the.Dots: "In all the exhilaration about blogging as a new frontier, it's easy to forget that, even in digital democracy, human nature does not change. This deep thought is prompted by Blog Amnesty Day, a generous impulse to share the wealth of attention by bigger bloggers with their impoverished brethren. Ironically, or perhaps not, it started with an event at the other end of the selfish-selfless spectrum, the tendency of the haves to turn their backs on the have-nots."

BlondeSense: "Apparently the big shot 'A list' bloggers have cut their blogrolls. Well harumph because I don't need to read those blogs to get news and I certainly don't need to get talking points when I am perfectly capable of making up my own."

Blogging Out Loud: "It’s blogroll amnesty day, a day which will live in some sort of infamy on all of the internets. Get yo click on and check these out, all with a queer bent."

Never Yet Melted: "Some of the rich-with-links top leftwing bloggers like Atrios do not practice, blogospherically at least, what they preach."

Mike the Mad Biologist: "If you link to me (and you're not a truly evil or crazy person), let me know in the comments, and I'll link to you. Now go click through some blogs on the blogroll."

PSoTD: "In honor of the anniversary of Blogroll Amnesty Day, I'd like to make a recommendation to those liberal bloggers that have very, very high traffic - use a slow day, perhaps a holiday or a sunny Saturday, to post somebody else's blogroll - not as your blogroll, but just as a post."

FranIAm: "At the end of the day, I love you all. My world is bigger, better, smarter and far more interesting given the amazing presence that each and every blogger has brought to the 'tubes."

Terryfaceplace: "It's a long story behind Blogroll Amnesty Day, but the basic idea is to link to blogs that are smaller than yours."

The Largest Minority: "Instead of picking a handful of my own personal favorites to highlight, I thought I’d make this process truly democratic and allow you to bring our attention to an under-appreciated blog. Post a link to a blog or YouTube channel you enjoy in the comments section."

Frieda Bee: "In fact, I have and do link to the little one's regularly, but do not wish to go around calling other blogs small, because, well, my current average number of visits a day is 31. Woot, woot!"

American Street: "I join skippy and hundreds of others in extending an offer to list your blog. Just leave an URL in comments and check our blogroll categories and tell me where you best fit."

The Garlic: "The Garlic, I believe, can say that sharing has been at our heart since the beginning. While our Link List is modest (at least, in relation to a good many other blogs), without counting, I would hazard to say it is populated by more "B List" people than the Big Dogs."

Suburban Guerilla: "It’s as good a reason as any to link to some great blogs you might have missed."

Undeniable Liberalism: "In honor of Blogroll Amnesty Day: If you have a blog that links to me and I have not added yours, let me know and I'll add you to the blogroll of this humble, obscure blog."

Maryannaville: "If you link to me (and you're not out to cause harm to others or are embarassingly absurd), leave a comment."

Mahablog: "In keeping with the spirit of the day, I want to give a shout out to some blogs on my blogroll that don’t get the attention they deserve."

Crooks & Liars: Mike Finnigan reminds us that Blogroll Amnesty Day is something Mike's Blog Round Up "celebrates all year round."

Phillybits: "Today is the 1 year anniversary of Blogroll Amnesty day, and as such, Jon Swift is celebrating this day in good fashion by not only blogging about of what today means, but by also including links and excerpts from all those non-A listers who frequently get lost in the mix of the biggest and brightest bloggers across the tubes yet have made it a point to also celebrate Blogroll Amnesty day today."

The Aristocrats: "One of the two pillars of this grand idea is reciprocity, so if you link to the 'crats and we don't link back, just drop us a note in comments. The other pillar is spreading the love by alerting readers to other worthwhile blogs that they should give a look at."

Terra Sig: "I've also tried to follow the golden rules of blogging and welcome the chance to blogroll anyone who blogrolls Terra Sig. I've been incredibly fortunate to garner links from a good many higher-traffic colleagues that have allowed me to emerge from near obscurity to only moderate obscurity."

Pygalgia: "In "Blogtopia" (y!sctp), there is a wide gulf between the largest and smallest, with many thousand good blogs flying under the radar. I think there is a good analogy in the world of music: everybody knows who The Rolling Stones and Led Zepplin are (i.e. orange and blue), while thousands of great bands are known only to a small audience. The smaller blogs are like the local and niche bands that entertain there audience for little more reward than the joy of "the doing of the thing" (river runner phrase). We're one of those blogs that will never fill a stadium, but hopes to entertain our audience, like the local band. Blogroll Amnesty Day is a chance to recognize and share the contributions of the unique voices of smaller blogs."

Northman's Fury: "I figured it would be a good opportunity to correct at least some of the oversights on my blogroll of the sites I visit on my daily surfing."

All Spin Zone: "We’ve always tried to cultivate relationships with the smaller and more left-wing eclectic blogs than do the big boys who just cross-link back and forth to each other. (Want to see who I’m talking about? Just go check out the 'Approved Sites' list at TPM.) "

The Sideshow: Avedon Carol, who links to smaller blogs all year round, gives a shout-out to B.A.D.

Zaius Nation: "Blue Gal suggests that we should post the link to a few of our favorite blogs, and post them so that others can read about them, become aware of them - and finally blogroll these newer and most recently discovered blogs."

Fallen Monk: "In the spirit of B.A.D.(not that my mention will help much). There are two blogs on my blogroll that I think deserve much more attention than they receive."

Pharyngula: "Nobody succeeds in the blogosphere without making connections, lots of connections, and joining in the spirit of profligately linking to sources everywhere … and getting linked to in return. All the big dogs get that way by growing from small beginnings with the help of a community of readers -- and once you've grown large, that does not mean your obligations to that community end."

Targa's Tirade: "I wasn't around when the "Big Purge" happened, but I understand the BAD campaign and the need to recognize good bloggers and not just BIG Bloggers. I, therefore, hopefully, am doing my part."

Make Them Accountable: "More than ever in this world, it’s not what you know or how well you express it, it’s WHO you know, and how much they’re willing to do to help you. That’s true these days in business, in politics, in media, and even, as of one year ago, blogtopia (and yes, skippy the bush kangaroo invented that term)."

Left in Alabama: "Links are the stuff of life in the blogosphere and today we're linking to some blogs we like that happen to have less traffic than we have -- yes, there are some and they aren't less deserving, just off the beaten path."

World O' Crap: "Yes, it was exactly one year ago that Atrios, deciding the blogtopian ecosystem was getting a bit untidy and could use a bracing splash of monoculture, declared that all the world should be taxed. No. Wait. That was Caesar Augustus. Check that. He announced “Blogroll Amnesty Day,” which immediately earned a spot in the “I Don’t Think That Word Means What You Think It Means” Wing of the Museum of Disingenuousness, right between the “Clear Skies” exhibit and the “Healthy Forests” food court, since by “amnesty” he actually meant “massacre,” although it sounds better in the original Aramaic (“Slay all their kine, they go down to slaughter, Woe is on them for come hath their day and their site meter shall be as a desert”)"

Culture Kitchen: "Skippy birthed the idea or at least kept it warm and cozy in his marsupial bag. Jon Swift was the midwife (or was it the other way around) and I am just one of the many godmothers to take care of their baby."

It All Goes Here: "At the time, I didn't communicate with many other bloggers - I still don't really, but am starting to - and had a small blogroll myself. So, I didn't see much of an issue with the widely-read blogger's wish to prune his links. Who doesn't want a clean blog? However, I was stunned by the blogger's desire to 'shoot people in the face' for complaining about being unlinked."

Media Bloodhound: "I first read some of the blogs I'm linking to as a consequence of guesting at Mike's Blog Round Up over at Crooks and Liars. Mike Finnegan (along with C&L proprietor John Amato, Nicole Belle and Blue Gal) have consistently supported and promoted smaller blogs, and Mike's roundups daily present the best of the blogs, both large and small, in a refreshingly democratizing fashion. (C&L - along with Skippy and Avedon Carol - was also generous enough to be one of the first to link to MBH in its infancy and support this site as it has grown out of its teething stage)."

litbrit: "Will I sound too much like the archetypical Dirty Hippie if I urge people to Share the Love? Fair enough. I'll do it anyway--Share the love!" (Crossposted at Cogitamus)

Taylor Marsh: "A whole bunch of bloggers are calling this "blogroll amnesty day," weekend, whatever. Playing my usual contrarian role, I chose a different title. I also don't have any history whatsoever with how this all got started, so I'm not any part of that aspect. If you want to know the back story read Jon Swift or skippy, who are coordinating this, though not responsible for my contrarian take on it or for my adding a nod to a few bloggers or diarists who are at least fair to Clinton, simply because it's such a rarity to find. I'm just doing this today because I feel like it, but they clearly deserve all of the credit for giving me the push. Also, being pro Clinton isn't a criteria for being linked, just to be clear. Nothing fancy, just links. Oh, and the point is for everyone to click on the links below and actually check these blogs out, you know, send them traffic."

Cuddlefish: "Jon Swift and skippy have all sorts of linky goodness in celebration of this special day. "

Brass and Ivory: "I'm subscribed to more than 200 different blogs and often scan through what others are saying, with more than half of them MS-related. I've also created a huge blogroll as an attempt to organize sources for myself and for readers who stumble across Brass and Ivory."

Virgotex: "I’ve had a great time, met some wonderful friends, and maybe even did something worthwhile here and there. For that, I owe big thanks to the bloggers upstream and down that linked here via posts and blogrolls."

Stampin':"Do have you some regular reads where you have found inspiration, valuable information and/or some grins and guffaws? Link 'em up and share the love today!"

DeRosa's World: "Judge me by my size, do you?"

Newshoggers: "In the spirit of celebration, here's a tiptoe through the tulips from our own blogroll. There's some great writers and thinkers out there and the A-listers who see themselves as "gatekeepers" shouldn't be shutting the gate behind themselves."

The Apostate: "My big contribution to the blogosphere is the Apostate Blogroll -- people do click on those blogs. So if you are an Islamic apostate and have a blog, let me know and I’ll add you. But you knew that. Happy Blogroll Amnesty Day, folks."

Futile Cycle: "Today is apparently Blogroll Amnesty Day, in which small blogs link to smaller blogs, and so on. Alas, my blog is one of the smaller ones around, but since I tend to read across genre’s pretty broadly, perhaps I can help some people find some new blogs that they’d not seen before."

Shakespeare's Sister: "I'm grateful for every link in a post that we get, and for every Shaker who visits every day, who reads and/or comments. All these things build and sustain this community, and I never take it for granted. No blog is an island."

Byzantium's Shores: "Jon Swift is spearheading Blogroll Amnesty Day, but with a reversal of the original idea, which was coined by Atrios as "Permission to Delete Any Blog You Want From Your Blogroll Day", about a year or so ago. Not a big deal, if you're one of the highly-trafficked blogs removed from blogrolls, but a big deal indeed if you're a small fish."

Genomicron: "My own take on this will be slightly different from that of the major blogs. What I want to do is single out a particular group of bloggers: graduate students."

Yikes!: "Today is blogroll amnesty day -- when we share the luv with other small blogs that we think deserve recognition. Actually, I think we are supposed to highlight blogs smaller than our own, but I’d be hard pressed to find one! So instead, I’m going to share the luv with blogs I enjoy."

Gentilly Girl: "In order to work with the concept of this day, this week I’ll be adding a new section to my Blogroll: Good Voices. These are Blogs which aren’t about New Orleans, but about day-to-day lives and thoughts of other folks making their way through Life and the B/S of the ruling 2%. I’m stepping up my campaign to help birth a more Progressive world."

Boxer Rebellion: "I could link to everybody on my blogroll as it is not that long and I love all of you, but I am going to try and pick out just a few to highlight."

Benny's World: "I haven't quite put my finger on what Skippy or others are pushing when it comes to blogroll amnesty, but I guess it is giving shout outs to others that we don't notice very often."

Monkey Muck: "To celebrate blogroll amnesty day, here are some new additions to my blogroll."

The Unexamined Life: "Thank god for Blogroll Amnesty Day. It's lonely over here..."

State of the Day: "After over two years of blogging, I'm sorry to say, my blogroll has been sorely neglected. So, in honor of the day I will be updating my roll."

Pen-Elayne on the Web: "I don't get that much pleasure out of demonizing anyone, for instance, even if their politics are diametrically opposed to my own. I refuse to consider most people as inherently evil for believing differently than I do. I'm used to most of the folks around me having opinions that diverge from my own, whether it's about cooking or comics or Congress."

The Hackenblog: "In honor of Skippy’s very excellent Blogroll Amnesty Day (b.a.d.), the anniversary of the despicable actions of the Bully Blogs and the size-cleansing of their blogrolls, and the fact that smaller blogs, LIKE MINE, run by people who have lives outside of blogging, can last five years and beyond, here is a very small sampling of my list of sympatico blogs, because we are legion, on my blogroll."

Old Fashioned Patriot: "These blogs may or may not have less traffic than me so I linked to blogs that used the term 'bush junta'"

Lilole: "Ta vikend je baje proglašen kot Dan Amnestije Blogrole ko naj bi v svoje blogrole vkljucevali tiste, ki niso zelo razvpiti blogerji pa jih imamo vseeno radi. Tudi sam ugotavljam, da prevec skoparim s tem priznanjem; obljubim, da se bom poboljšal." I agree wholeheartedly!

Outta the Cornfields: "I find reading the little guys more entertaining and just about as informative. Our opinions have more credibility than the whores in the media because of just that."

Adventures in Ethics and Science: "I think that the blogosphere is (or could be) different from media wherein news and commentary is "broadcast" to an audience by allowing back and forth communication -- the kind of thing that works best when there's a healthy community of people taking part in the conversation."

Vidiot Speak: "'We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.' And we're appalled that Duncan and Markos have forgotten that blogtopia (y, wksctp!) is a mutually supporting community, not a self-serving one."

Pam's House Blend: "So many folks email me or ask me in person how PHB gained its readership. There are lots of factors..." Pam has also created a Blogroll Amnesty Day widget you can copy to your own blogs.

The Brad Blog: Brad gives skippy the keys to his blog to talk about B.A.D.

Firedoglake: Jane Hamsher joins in the effort to "encourage folks to visit places you might not ordinarily frequent."

The Rude Pundit: "The Rude Pundit's not really sure he fully understands Blogroll Amnesty Day, but he loves him some Skippy, who, along with Jon Swift, asked him to participate. So here's five less-trafficked sites o' bloggery that the Rude Pundit reads on a semi-regular basis who deserve a little more notice in the big, bad, Darwinian Internet."

Electronic Cerebrectomy: "It feels like it would be condescending and pretentious of me to take my tiny little blog and sagely offer up blogs that need a boost. Like a pat on the head from someone treating you like an idiot. So instead I offer this: if you link me and you notice that I've not linked you, let me know."

The Galloping Beaver: "We do, however, fail to pick up on a lot of blogs which are linked to us which we should be linking back to. If you're one of them, we need to know, because we have found the best blogs and some great material just that way."

Polite Company: "I SHALL figure out how the Sam Hill I can put together a blogroll. Today. Before bedtime, I hope, but given my semi-Luddite nature, that may be asking too much." Somebody please lend a hand.

I can't believe it's not a democracy!: "I will direct you to the left side of this blog to the list of those who should be read and suggest that you check them all out. Yes, I can't limit myself to just five."

Dandelion Salad: "Check out some lesser known blogs today. Add new ones to your blogroll, too."

Instapundit: Glenn Reynolds remembers. Heh!

618 Rants and Raves: "Much as I like to think of myself as a wonderful writer, with the breadth of the blogosphere, I would never have achieved even the modest level of success I have, without the help of those who blogrolled me."

Comrade Kevin's Chrestomathy: "You know I must love you all, readership, because I am skipping the best part of the Super Bowl to write this---the commercials!"

Group News Blog: "I've never been quite certain about the whole idea of blogroll amnesty per sé, and the gnashing and carping that seemed to blow up around the premise just sort of made me a little bit sick inside. Some folks appeared to abuse it for personal gain and self aggrandizement. But...as a small blog, I can understand the sentiment of helping out our “blogren”™ in getting out their messages, or just simply giving props to those who you maybe don''t see enough of, and who many of us take for granted."

Peace Arena: "If you're not a blogger or webmaster yourself, you may not know that the list of other blogs that you see on many sites, including this one, is a political statement. Who is listed (i.e. linked), and how many are listed, are decisions that are a factor of status, empowerment and community."

Hugo Zoom: "As an added inducement to persons who might wish to 'blogroll' me, I'm offering a free j-peg of virtually-rich, virtually-buttery Lorna Doone cookies."

Painted Veil: "I just recently discovered this and realized that it is in fact something that merits support. Of course, it would take me forever to mention all of my favorite reads. So please forgive me if I forget to mention you."

Pidomons Posts: "I'm part of a community now. And for any and everyone who drops by because they mean to or not, Thanks."

Ratiocination: "Here I am, visiting the Oregon coast, where internet access is spotty and depends on a satellite signal punching through the ever-changing cloud layer, and it turns out to be Blogroll Amnesty Day. (Who knew?)"

Daveawayfromhome: "The idea is to encourage links to smaller blogs. Being a smaller blog myself, and woefully short of apparent readers these days (Sitemeter is depressing the hell out of me), I'm all for that. I also personally have little use for the Big Boys."

kittywampus: "As one of the minnows of the blogsphere (please just ignore how that metaphor clashes with my cat theme), I can't really go any further down the chain or I'll land somewhere in the primordial ooze. Not that this has stopped me from visiting some of the smart and inventive people that Jon linked to, and then some of the folks they linked to."

The Jade Gate: "I just want to say, for this year's BAD, I, as a progressive thinker and erotic culture activist and certified small fish, am grateful and promise that when I become a media juggernaut of erotic power and progressive political trends, will remember this day and those who reached out, clicked and linked for Solidarity!"

Fitness for the Occasion: "Today is blogroll amnesty day. This means finding smaller blogs that link to you (that you do not yet link to), and offering them a little attention. "

Grace Magazine: "Blogroll Amnesty Day doesn’t really affect my blog and other fashion and beauty blogs, but I do support the liberal bloggers. Here is an inspirational quote from Benjamin Franklin for all those bloggers who fight for freedom of speech..."

Buck Naked Politics: "There are certain bloggers---naming no names!---who seem uninterested in the views of others and simply issue their views like proclamations without really seeming to consider anyone else's thoughts. I no longer read those blogs because I know what they're going to say on every issue before they do. They doubtless see themselves as maintaining some detachment, but detachment implies the ability to entertain, and even to honor, points of view that are not your own." Go here for some more links from Buck Naked Politics.

Dyre Portents: "Essentially they have issued a call for bloggers to link to blogs smaller than them in remembrance of the day Atrios declared blogroll amnesty day and deleted a ton of smaller blogs off his blogroll which in turn set off a string of link deletions on other similar minded monster blogs. I'm all for voluntarily supporting the little guy."

Mental Detritus: "I am not a deeply read blogger by far yet, but I have a few that I follow daily (and some I even respect ;) ), and this is a good excuse to get me off of my rear about updating my blogroll."

Vagabond Scholar: "I'm rather fond of gigantic mutant lizards, as well as the work of many 'A-list' bloggers. But there are times I read posts that seem surprisingly dismissive of bloggers who aren't as prominent, and who aren't necessarily blogging as their primary job, for greater influence with a given political party or for media." (Crossposted at Blue Herald)

Over the Cliff, Onto the Rocks: "I have to admit, when this came up last year, I was secretly on Atrios' and them's side....I do however, appreciate a little subversion now and then, when it's for a good cause."

Cannablog: "Every day is blogroll amnesty day at Cannablog."

Pacific Views: "Go ahead and check out a few places you might not have visited otherwise. In the meantime, here are a few I've been reading..."

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood: "One of the neatest things about the internet is the way you can find people all over the world who share your interests, your concerns and even your sense of humor."

Cat in the Bag: "As I find out, it's not just a day but the whole weekend and then some. So. If you link to me, I'll link to you."

Canadian Cynic: "This is your chance to make me feel terminally guilty about my overwhelming laziness in updating my blogroll lately."

Man Eegee: "As web activists, we should be willing to share the work of each other con gusto. The 'we' depends on who you read, obviamente, but as you'll see if you check in with my periodic Pro-Migrant Blog Roundups, the center of the blogptopic universe does not revolve around the sites that have knighted themselves as The Netroots™. We are much more diverse (and liberal!) out here."

Corrente: "I may have been off a day on this. Whatever. Every day is blog roll amnesty day!"

The Inscription: "In the spirit of remembrance, and out of respect for the Dean of St. Patrick’s and that antipodean marsupial, I’m going to fill my blogroll with as many blogs as I can, until I throw up!"

Saying Nothing Charmingly: "I continue to be amazed by the internet and what an amazing leap forward it is for humanity. So, please go meet my friends."

Sir Robin Rides Away: "Most of the bloggers listed on my site are regular readers and commenter here, I have met them all over the internet, and consider myself very blessed to know them. If you see a site listed over there you've never been to, go check it out!!!!Please, check them all out!!"

No Fish, No Nuts: "It's the day smaller blogs wait all year for, when we can stand up to the behemoths and their gatekeepers and boost each other over that digital wall."

Whirled View: "I particularly enjoy the distinctive voices in the blogs that find ourselves below the salt of media recognition. The MSM are still struggling to make sense of it."

Drifting Through the Grift: "Today we celebrate that day raising a toast to other little guys. Folks you may not have yet seen. Well, since I've gone pretty much Georgia exclusive, y'all are just gonna have to notice a few southern voices."

A Poetic Justice celebrates, fittingly, with a poem.

Lance Mannion: "There are lots and lots and lots of good blogs covering stories and addressing topics and issues that the A list bloggers can't get to or have no interest in. There are lots and lots of good little blogs that could and will grow into big important and influential blogs if only readers find out they are there and as the A-listers are turning, quite naturally and inevitably, into a set of exclusive clubs and---this is important and a very good thing---as many of them are morphing into professional journalists with paid gigs and real world demands on their time that make them too busy to do as much blogging, let alone blog reading, as they'd like, they just aren't going to find their way to as many blogs down the totem pole."

Republic of T: "I think I stopped trying so hard. After the Clinton blogger lunch debacle and the Blogroll Amnesty Day experience, I made a conscious decision to stop trying to be "one of those people," whoever they are. I’m not sure if I’ve slowed down, or what’s changed, but it marked a change for me. So, today seemed like a good time for a round-up, in honor of Blog Amnesty Day."

Shadow of the Hegemon: "Post your blog in the comments, I'll give it a gander, and I'll link it up."

The Spitting Vessel: "As bloggers, even if we are separated by distance or hidden by names and avatars, we are all human beings and are expected to act this way and be treated in the same manner."

Marginal Utility: "Blogging means never having to know you're alone."

I Miss Fafblog, Spot: "We notice you linking to IMFB,S - we add your link to the rolls. Simple. Long live the cause of discovering and promoting fellow 'small blogs!'"

Done With Mirrors: "I really don't buy the philosophy that says you always should link to everyone who honestly link to you. Most of the blogs I link to are ones I actively read, or occasionally visit, or used to read. They are a record of the influences that went into what I write -- as well as a utility for me. Whether they link to me is immaterial. When I buy a Civil War history book, I don't look at the footnotes first to see if my books are quoted in it (but it helps open my wallet if they are). There are exceptions to that philosophy. After Andrew Olmsted got killed in Iraq, I was reading his site and I was mortified to see DWM on his comparatively short list of rolled blogs. Mortified because I didn't at the time have him on mine. I had had him there before, and had moved him into the Watchers Council section when he joined it. Then when he left it he stopped actively blogging because he was redeploying. So I never put him back on the roll. And it's too late now."

Abandoned Stuff by Saskboy: "Generosity always wins on the Internet."

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