Thursday, September 30, 2010

HUGE RUINED PILE and GROGNARDIA Tie For Hottest Blog

I've been hoping that my recent blogometrics exercises would be useful for highlighting excellent blogs that readers may have previously missed. A problem with ranking blogs by raw follower number, however, is that long-lived blogs have an unfair advantage because they've had more time to accumulate readers. Newer blogs, however great they may be, are left in the dust in this regard.

Here I sought to correct for this longevity bias by reporting the number of followers GAINED over the last 19 days. This is a fairer analysis because it reflects the RATE at which readers are being added over an equal time span in the current blogosphere. With 240+ old school RPG blogs currently online there is a lot of competition for readers' attention. I think rate-of-follower-accumulation is probably the best indicator of how hot a blog is (at least the best I can do with publicly available data).

Congratulations to Scott (HUGE RUINED PILE) and James (GROGNARDIA) for a tie at the top of the list with 28 followers gained! No surprise here, these are both spectacularly great blogs. I am sure you all read GROGNARDIA, but if you haven't checked out HRP go there immediately - it is purely awesome in terms of both quality and quantity of creative output!

I am shocked and flabbergasted that Cyclopeatron made second place! I feel like this is the fluffiest blog in town! Well, I'll enjoy it while it lasts... Thanks everyone!
Before showing the whole list, I want to be clear about the problems with my analysis:

1. I can only retrieve follower numbers for blogger.com blogs. Therefore, blogs using Wordpress or other platforms are not included in the analysis.

2. This list only includes 60 out of the 240 blogs I am aware of. Therefore a lot of great blogs are sadly missing. The reason for this is that my Sept 11 data only include blogs from this list of blogs with 50+ followers. I am now keeping a better spreadsheet of historical data, so for my next comparison I should have 220+ blogs included. Please accept my apologies if your blog is not on the list - if it is listed here it will be in the next comparison!



Followers
Followers
Follower
Rank
Blog
11-Sep
30-Sep
Gain
1
GROGNARDIA
628
656
28
1
HUGE RUINED PILE
53
81
28
2
Cyclopeatron
96
123
27
3
Playing D&D With Porn Stars
504
522
18
4
Jeffs Gameblog
366
380
14
5
LotFP: RPG
250
263
13
6
A Paladin In Citadel
164
176
12
6
From the Sorcerer's Skull
73
85
12
7
Destination Unknown
81
92
11
8
Sickly Purple Death Ray
57
67
10
9
B/X BLACKRAZOR
161
170
9
9
Akratic Wizardry
106
115
9
10
The Society of Torch, Pole and Rope
178
186
8
10
Dungeons and Digressions
158
166
8
10
The Underdark Gazette
145
153
8
10
Risus Monkey
52
60
8
11
Beyond the Black Gate
221
228
7
11
Telecanter's Receding Rules
92
99
7
11
The Other Side blog
79
86
7
11
Dungeonmum
70
77
7
11
THE LAND OF NOD
69
76
7
12
Bat in the Attic
146
152
6
12
Trollsmyth
143
149
6
12
Greyhawk Grognard
141
147
6
12
Ode to Black Dougal
117
123
6
12
Green Skeleton Gaming Guild
75
81
6
13
Tankards & Broadswords
112
117
5
13
Daddy Grognard
96
101
5
13
The Warlock's Home Brew
83
88
5
13
Delta's D&D Hotspot
73
78
5
13
Axe & Hammer
64
69
5
13
Weird Worlds of Geoffrey McKinney
52
57
5
14
ChicagoWiz's RPG Blog
218
222
4
14
Swords Against the Outer Dark
126
130
4
14
How to Start a Revolution in 21 Days or Less
109
113
4
14
PLANET ALGOL
90
94
4
14
"It's okay; Gary sent us."
72
76
4
14
Aeons & Augauries
59
63
4
15
Monsters and Manuals
173
176
3
15
The Hopeless Gamer
152
155
3
15
Gothridge Manor
88
91
3
15
Havards Blackmoor Blog
79
82
3
15
Dungeonskull Mountain
62
65
3
15
Warning - Mutagenic Substance
58
61
3
15
Dungeon Mistress
55
58
3
16
Lord of the Green Dragons
212
214
2
16
The Grand Tapestry
118
120
2
16
TEMPLE OF DEMOGORGON
109
111
2
16
OEF
105
107
2
16
Sham's Grog 'n Blog
99
101
2
16
Joethelawyer's Wondrous Imaginings
93
95
2
16
Uhluht'c Awakens
74
76
2
16
Vaults of Nagoh
61
63
2
17
The Savage AfterWorld
91
92
1
17
Save Vs. Poison
70
71
1
17
Bite The Bulette
50
51
1
18
Troll and Flame
70
70
0
18
Grimmhaus
62
62
0

Blog List Update: 240 Blogs Ranked by Follower

A lot of people seem to enjoy these blog ranking posts. I hope they are at least functioning to advertise and highlight some interesting blogs you all haven't seen before. I get the impressions that this is indeed the case, because after I posted the previous lists readership shot up for a bunch of blogs. I'm glad I could be of service!

Here's an updated list to close out September. I hope this catches most of the blogs out there with old school roleplaying content. If I have missed anything, again, PLEASE let me know in a comment. I am trying to track all old school RPG blogs, so any omissions are purely accidental.

I want to sincerely thank everyone who has alerted me to blogs that I missed in previous posts. We now have a spectacular 240 blogs on the list. Apparently old school roleplayers like to write! Click here to find an alphabetical list of links to all of these blogs.


1
GROGNARDIA - 656 followers
2
Playing D&D With Porn Stars - 522 followers
3
Jeffs Gameblog - 380 followers
4
LotFP: RPG - 263 followers
5
Beyond the Black Gate - 228 followers
6
ChicagoWiz's RPG Blog - 222 followers
7
Lord of the Green Dragons - 214 followers
8
The Society of Torch, Pole and Rope - 186 followers
9
A Paladin In Citadel - 176 followers
10
Monsters and Manuals - 176 followers
11
B/X BLACKRAZOR - 170 followers
12
Dungeons and Digressions - 166 followers
13
I SEE LEAD PEOPLE - 157 followers
14
The Hopeless Gamer - 155 followers
15
The Underdark Gazette - 153 followers
16
Bat in the Attic - 152 followers
17
Trollsmyth - 149 followers
18
Greyhawk Grognard - 147 followers 
19
The Lair of the Evil DM - 135 followers
20
The Gallery: Russ Nicholson - 133 followers
21
Swords Against the Outer Dark - 130 followers
22
RPG Blog II - 127 followers
23
Cyclopeatron - 123 followers
24
Ode to Black Dougal - 123 followers
25
HeroPress - 122 followers
26
The Grand Tapestry - 120 followers
27
The Tao of D&D - 120 followers
28
Old Guard Gaming Accoutrements - 117 followers
29
Tankards & Broadswords - 117 followers
30
Akratic Wizardry - 115 followers
31
The RPG Corner - 115 followers
32
How to Start a Revolution in 21 Days or Less - 113 followers
33
TEMPLE OF DEMOGORGON - 111 followers
34
OEF - 107 followers
35
The Keep on the Gaming Lands - 106 followers
36
Daddy Grognard - 101 followers
37
Sham's Grog 'n Blog - 101 followers 
38
Telecanter's Receding Rules - 99 followers
39
Back in '81 - 97 followers
40
Joethelawyer's Wondrous Imaginings - 95 followers
41
PLANET ALGOL - 94 followers
42
Destination Unknown - 92 followers
43
The Savage AfterWorld - 92 followers
44
Gothridge Manor - 91 followers
45
The Warlock's Home Brew - 88 followers
46
The Other Side blog - 86 followers
47
From the Sorcerer's Skull - 85 followers
48
Havards Blackmoor Blog - 82 followers
49
Green Skeleton Gaming Guild - 81 followers
50
HUGE RUINED PILE - 81 followers
51
Delta's D&D Hotspot - 78 followers
52
Dungeonmum - 77 followers
53
I Waste The Buddha With My Crossbow - 77 followers
54
"It's okay; Gary sent us." - 76 followers
55
THE LAND OF NOD - 76 followers
56
Uhluht'c Awakens - 76 followers
57
A Hamsterish Hoard of Dungeons and Dragons - 71 followers
58
Save Vs. Poison - 71 followers
59
Troll and Flame - 70 followers
60
Axe & Hammer - 69 followers
61
Sickly Purple Death Ray - 67 followers
62
SANDBOX EMPIRE - 66 followers
63
Dungeonskull Mountain - 65 followers
64
The Nine and Thirty Kingdoms - 65 followers
65
Aeons & Augauries - 63 followers
66
Vaults of Nagoh - 63 followers
67
Grimmhaus - 62 followers
68
Warning - Mutagenic Substance - 61 followers
69
Risus Monkey - 60 followers
70
The Wasted Lands - 60 followers
71
Discourse and Dragons - 59 followers
72
Tenkar's Tavern - 59 followers
73
Dungeon Mistress - 58 followers
74
What a horrible night to have a curse... - 58 followers
75
Weird Worlds of Geoffrey McKinney - 57 followers
76
Back to the Dungeon! - 55 followers
77
Bite The Bulette - 51 followers
78
Carjacked Seraphim - 51 followers
79
EXONAUTS! - 51 followers
80
aldeboran - 50 followers
81
American Barbarica - 50 followers
82
elves ate my homework - 49 followers
83
Fabled Lands - 49 followers
84
Rule of the Dice - 49 followers
85
Terminal Space - 49 followers
86
Tower of the Archmage - 49 followers
87
Mandragora: The Mandrake March - 47 followers
88
The Metal Earth - 47 followers
89
Superhero Necromancer - 46 followers
90
The Frothy Friar - 46 followers
91
The Blog That Time Forgot - 45 followers
92
Castle Dragonscar - 43 followers
93
Sword and Board - 43 followers
94
Drawings & Dragons - 42 followers
95
Maximum Rock & Role Playing - 41 followers
96
Old School Heretic - 41 followers
97
Roles, Rules, and Rolls - 41 followers
98
The Delve - 41 followers
99
The Omnipotent Eye - 41 followers
100
In Like Flynn - 40 followers
101
The Library: Retro and Classic Fantasy Games. - 40 followers
102
Swashbuckler's Hideout - 39 followers
103
There's a Bugbear in my Kitchen! - 39 followers
104
Reviews from R'lyeh - 38 followers
105
The Lands of Ara - 37 followers
106
THE WHEEL OF SAMSARA - 37 followers
107
Like Being Read To From Dictionaries - 36 followers
108
Asshat Paladins - 35 followers
109
malevolent & benign - 35 followers
110
Semper Initiativus Unum - 35 followers
111
Tales from the Flaming Faggot - 35 followers
112
Valley of Blue Snails - 35 followers
113
Blood of Prokopius - 34 followers
114
Rustfoot - 34 followers
115
Shouting Into The Void - 34 followers
116
Carto Cacography - 33 followers
117
chirine's workbench - 33 followers
118
Coffee swillin' analog gamer - 33 followers
119
Spell Card! - 33 followers
120
Places to Go, People to Be - 32 followers
121
Sorcery & Super Science! - 32 followers
122
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition - 31 followers (Italian)
123
Threads of Adventure! - 31 followers
124
Hill Cantons - 30 followers
125
Swords of Minaria - 30 followers
126
FightingFantasist - 29 followers
127
SWORD & SHIELD - 29 followers
128
The Moldy Vale - 29 followers
129
Archive of the Rotted Moon - 28 followers
130
Lawful Indifferent - 28 followers
131
Saturday Night Sandbox - 28 followers
132
Swords of Abandon - 28 followers
133
For A Fistful Of Coppers - 27 followers
134
Forgotten Runes - 27 followers
135
Jasoomian Dreams - 26 followers
136
Oubliette Magazine - 26 followers
137
The Contemptible Cube of Quazar - 26 followers
138
Prime Requisite Games™ - 25 followers
139
The Vorpal Spork - 24 followers
140
Age of Ravens - 23 followers
141
Middenmurk - 23 followers
142
5 Stone Games - 22 followers
143
THE DOOMED WASTELAND - 22 followers
144
The Polyhedral Dicebag - 22 followers
145
The Weirdlands of Xhuul - 22 followers
146
A Wizard in a bottle - 21 followers
147
Kingdoms in Trevail - 21 followers
148
Mike's Amazing RPG Fun Pad - 21 followers
149
Polar Bear Dreams and Stranger Things - 20 followers
150
SAVE OR DIE! - 20 followers 
151
ENCOUNTER - 19 followers
152
Trollish Delver - 19 followers
153
Beyond the Wall - 18 followers
154
Wilderlands of Runequest - 18 followers
155
DUNGEON ADVENTURES - 17 followers
156
gnotions - 17 followers
157
Stocking The Dungeon - 17 followers
158
World of Wonder - 17 followers
159
Cimmerian Chronicles - 16 followers
160
Crawdads and Dragons - 16 followers
161
Fame & Fortune - 16 followers
162
Iron Rationales - 16 followers
163
KOK'ed Dice - 16 followers
164
Tombs of Horrors - 16 followers
165
Redbeard's Ravings - 15 followers
166
The Badger King's Den - 15 followers
167
The Hydra's Grotto - 15 followers
168
Bloody 20s - 14 followers
169
Let's Make Believe - 14 followers
170
My RPG characters - 14 followers
171
Some King's Kent - 14 followers
172
Unfrozen caveman dice-chucker - 14 followers
173
Where'd my Vorpal Sword Go? - 14 followers
174
In Places Deep - 12 followers
175
Ramblings of a Gentleman Gamer - 12 followers
176
Rocket-Propelled Game - 12 followers
177
No School Like The Old School - 11 followers
178
No Signal! - 11 followers
179
Romance Monsoon - 11 followers
180
The Grumpy Old Troll - 11 followers
181
Attack Plan R - 10 followers
182
Creative Mountain Games - 10 followers
183
MF WARS - 10 followers
184
Errant - 9 followers
185
The 25 Mile Hex - 9 followers
186
Tower of Zenopus - 9 followers
187
BigDungeon - 8 followers
188
Bugbears for Breakfast - 8 followers
189
Embrace the Dungeon! - 8 followers
190
Gaming All Over The Place - 8 followers
191
Teleleli - 8 followers
192
Tremulous Antennae - 8 followers
193
AD&D Grognard - 7 followers
194
GAME SNOB - 7 followers (Italian)
195
O RPG da Vida Real - 7 followers (Italian)
196
The Incredible Fétide Grigou Rôliste Show - 7 followers (French)
197
The Paradigm Traveler - 7 followers
198
The Realm of Zhu - 7 followers
199
Visions of Paradise - 7 followers
200
Beacon - 6 followers
201
New Fish In An Old School - 6 followers
202
Quickly, Quietly, Carefully - 6 followers
203
Apprentice Of Old School - 5 followers (German)
204
The Devil's Janitor - 5 followers
205
Musings from Myern - 4 followers
206
Tempora Mutantur - 4 followers
207
The Burning Wastes - 4 followers
208
The City of Iron - 3 followers
209
Henchman Abuse - 2 follower
210
In a Dark Cell - 2 followers
211
Penguin Overlord - 2 follower
212
Rather Gamey - 2 followers
213
The Dragon's Eye - 2 followers
214
The Purple Wurm - 2 followers
215
Countdown to Game Time - 1 follower
216
DungeonCurmudgeon - 1 follower
217
Knightvision Games - Two Knights, One Vision - 1 follower
218
of Pedantry - 1 follower
219
sword +1 - 1 follower (Inactive)
220
The Grumpy Celt - 1 follower
221
The Zonked World of Holmold - 1 follower
222
Welcome To Dungeon! - 1 follower


NO RANKING DATA:

223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240