Friday Links 101: Where Do the Links Come From?

Being out of town this week, I tried to stay up-to-date on my blog reader, but, I’ll admit, I wasn’t able to read each post closely. However, one of my goals this week was to drop a few blogs that have not updated in some time, while adding a few others. The more I use rss through my Google reader, the more I like getting articles and posts this way. While it is hard to read tons of posts in a word-for-word fashion, it is a great way to get a lot of information in one place.

If you are unfamiliar with Google Reader (or “rss”), here are two things that might help you.

First, from Wikipedia:

A web feed (or news feed) is a data format used for providing users with frequently updated content. Content distributors syndicate a web feed, thereby allowing users to subscribe to it. Making a collection of web feeds accessible in one spot is known as aggregation, which is performed by an aggregator. A web feed is also sometimes referred to as a syndicated feed.

A typical scenario of web feed use is: a content provider publishes a feed link on their site which end users can register with an aggregator program (also called a feed reader or a news reader) running on their own machines; doing this is usually as simple as dragging the link from the web browser to the aggregator. When instructed, the aggregator asks all the servers in its feed list if they have new content; if so, the aggregator either makes a note of the new content or downloads it. Aggregators can be scheduled to check for new content periodically. Web feeds are an example of pull technology, although they may appear to push content to the user.

The kinds of content delivered by a web feed are typically HTML (webpage content) or links to webpages and other kinds of digital media. Often when websites provide web feeds to notify users of content updates, they only include summaries in the web feed rather than the full content itself.

Web feeds are operated by many news websites, weblogs, schools, and podcasters.

Second, if you have a (free) Google account, here is a brief video showing how to add “feeds” to your reader. The video is less than 5 minutes in length, but turn your speakers way up to hear it properly.

I set up my Google reader not long after they started this service (it went “live” in September, 2007). Originally, I had probably 10 or 15 feeds and stayed there for some time. Now, after a little more than 2 years, I have over 100 feeds in the reader. A few times each day, I try to scan the new items. No, I don’t read every post on every blog word-for-word, but I do read a lot of each post.

It is mostly from these feeds that the Friday Links Roundup comes each week.

So, why share all this? For two reasons. First, I want to share with you EVERY blog and site to which I currently subscribe (not all are religious, but I thought it would be fun for you to see everything I get through the feed). Then, after you have scanned that list, I want you to share with me some more to add. One of my goals for the next couple of months is to try to increase the number of sites to which I subscribe, and to read them at certain times each day. More about that after the list.

Here you go. Here is a list of every blog and site to which I currently subscibe in my reader:

365 Things to Do in Nashville

A Spoon Full of Sugar (Heather Fortenberry)

Albert Mohler’s Blog

Ancient Words (Jeremiah Tatum)

As I Travel Through This Pilgrim Land (David Brumley)

Barber Clippings (Jerrie Barber)

Baseball Card Bust

Baseball Cards Come to Life!

Bible Money Matters

Bless Your Heart(Cindy Colley)

Blessings for Bible School Teachers(Becky Welch)

Blue Devil Nation

Breaking Free (Covenant Eyes)

Brotherhood News

Burl’s Musings(Justin Burleson)

CFO: Chief Family Officer

Christian Courier

Christian Personal Finance

Corn Nation Front Page (Nebraska Cornhuskers news)

Cusco Missions(Barton Kizer)

Daniel Hope’s Blog

Dave Ramsey feeds

Debt Free Adventure!

Desiring God Blog (John Piper and others)

Do You Dave Ramsey?

Donnan Days(Tiffany Donnan)

ESPN: Andy Katz

ESPN: Sweet Spot

ESV Bible Blog

Evernote Blogcast

Evidence of Things Unseen (Jonathan Jones)

Forthright Magazine

Frankly Speaking(Frank Bellizzi)

From Calm to Chaos(David Courington)

Get Rich Slowly

Holly Hill Church of Christ (Brian Dill)

Ideas from Mark Stout

In Search of the Lord’s Way

It’s About the Money (Yankees information)

Jim’s Gems(Jim Faughn)

Joey Sparks

John Brown’s Blog

John Maxwell on Leadership

Joyful Noise(Layna Rowlett)

Just Thinking (Jeff Foster)

justBECCAuse

Justin Gerhardt

Justin’s Blog (Justin Guin)

Kingdom Living (Matt Dabbs)

Kristi Montague

LemmonsAid(David Lemmons)

Life on the Edge (Dale Sadler)

Mackenzie’s Meanderings (Robbie Mackenzie)

Management Craft

Michael Hyatt >> Resources

Michael Hyatt’s Blog

Ministry Tools (Trent Wheeler)

MinistryTech Online(Mike Hite)

Money Help for Christians

Morning Drive(Scott McCown)

Musings on Spiritual Matters(Matthew Morine)

My Electronic Pulpit(Doug Brackbill)

Nashvillest

Neal Richey

New York Yankees News

Nicoll’s Nonsense (Nicoll Burleson)

No Credit Needed

Out Here Hope Remains(John Dobbs)

Perpetual Timothy (Mark Adams)

Picture of the Day(from Wikimedia)

PowerPoint for Preachers

Preacher Caleb’s Blog (Caleb O’Hara)

Preacherman(Kenney Mabry)

Preacher Pollard (Neal Pollard)

Preacher’s Pen (Chris Gallagher)

Preacher’s Study

Preaching Help(Steve Higginbotham)

Quote Shack

Ron’s Evernote Tips

Rush the Court

Seasons of Freed-Hardeman University

Seth’s Blog (Seth Godin)

Slipping Through My Fingers(Becky Welch)

SmallNotebook

Step by Step (Sherry Fisher)

Steve Sight (Steve Sanders)

Stuart Speaks (Stuart Yancy)

Student Blogs (5 students from Freed-Hardeman University)

• Stephanie Benge
• Whitney Pirtle
• Erin Haddock
• Bryson Leach
• Joel Slater

Student Minister(Rusty Pettus)

The Blog Prophet (Brian Nicklaus)

The Blog that Binds (Dale Jenkins)

The Dave Ramsey Show Highlight

The Mind of Mitchell(Mitchell Skelton)

The Scoop Blog (Dale Jenkins)

The Simple Dollar

TheBradBlog (Brad Montague)

Thinking Jesus (Paula Harrington)

Thinking Out Loud(Tim Pyles)

Thom Rainer

Thoughts from the Mound (Jeff Jenkins)

Tim Spivey

Titans Insider

Train Up a Child (Paul Kelsey)

Trey Morgan

Truth & Repose (Drew Kizer)

Unclutterer

Whitticism(Dwight Whitsett)

Wishing You a Better Life Now and in Eternity (Joe Palmer)

Yet to be Blog (Heather Wamble)

Youth Minister 101(Neal Matthis)

Zen Family Habits

Ziglar Pure and Simple

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Now, that’s quite a list, but I’m looking for more. Please leave comments with good sites you use in the following areas:

1. Christian blogs. I usually like conservative blogs, but, if someone is a writer who makes you think, I’ll check out the blog.

2. General news. I am looking to add “regular” news to my feed, but am having trouble finding a site I want to add.

3. College basketball news.

4. Funny stuff. I need a good (clean) laugh in my reader!

5. Good sites that send pictures or PowerPoint ideas.

Please leave some comments with sites that you enjoy in these areas. My goal is to raise the number of feeds into my reader to closer to 200. Right now, it’s about 115.

Thanks for your help! Remember, your suggestions also help with our Friday Links Roundup, as we will have more variety.