ENWorld last week had a posting about their being #2 on the Top 100 RPG Blogs List. Now, there are some really obscure sites listed on that list - which currently only goes up to 75. There is some sort of equation using Twitter, Facebook and Alexa ranking that pulls it all together.
Following the link to the Top 100 RPG list I found on ENWorld, I noticed you had to submit your site for consideration. I figured, what the heck - nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Then I received the above email this morning.
So, in order to be listed, I would need to subscribe for 3 bucks a month. A list of 100. The list can potentially bring in 300 bucks a month, 3600 a year.
And Feedspot has "Top XX" lists for everything.
Second, Congratulations for paying to be on a list!
Third, the list is FAR from the "most comprehensive list of best RPG blogs on the internet." But I guess Anuj is "honored" to take your cash every month.
Last, as I said above - the list doesn't even hit 100.
In any case, I won't be paying to play and neither should you.
Pay me $1 a month, and I'll put you in my TOP 99 RPG WHATCHAMACALLIT INTERWWEBZ THANGS list.
ReplyDeleteI mean if you are going to pay to be ranked, there should be some competition.
I am really enjoying Anuj’s real estate agent-like headshot.
ReplyDeleteLooks more like a high school yearbook to me!
DeleteHe’s right, though, I do find your blog to be with high quality and useful content on RPG.
ReplyDeleteBut isn't this essentially the same deal on your site? You list the sites of your Patreon contributors below. You used to list a wider range of interesting sites but that went away a long time ago, leaving only your Patreon backer site. I'm not saying it's not a good idea to incentivize your site if you have the time and are willing to make it worth people's while to pay, but I am saying that this seems a bit kettle/pot/blackish here.
ReplyDeleteThere's a difference between "here's a list of sponsors" and "here's a list of the best whatevers".
DeleteThe first is labelled advertising. The later is editorial. Advertising masquerading as edutorial has lomg been an ethical (and legal in many places) problem in the media and will be for a long time to come.
If the patreon backer list was labelled "Tenkar's Top 25 RPG sites" then yes it would be hypocrotical to call this out.
My Patreon Backers list is just that, links to my Patreon backers. Its not a "best of" or "Top XX List". I dont offer a badge you can proudly display for making this "Top RPG Blogs List" - Heck, I dont even make claims to the quality of the sites on the list - although many are excellent, just as many rarely update.
DeleteIt is not the most comprehensive list of top RPG blogs on the internet, it is simply a list of those that support The Tavern.
I encourage my readers to "call me on my shit" but this quite simply is far from the pot calling the kettle black.
"Patreon Backers - They Support The Tavern" =/ "Top 100 RPG Blogs List" even if you pay to get on both lists.
A friend asked me recently about where to get a link to provide exposure to his excellent, multi copper products website; I could only think of one place: Tenkar's Tavern!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many "awards" like this Enworld has purchased instead of "won". What a clownshop.
ReplyDeleteMan, this guy is getting paid for putting together a list, and here I am working. Like a chump.
ReplyDeleteI'll bite. What is "enworld" and why do I care?
ReplyDelete