Z-List on Squidoo: bloggers behaving badly

Seth Godin posted on the Z-List and created a lens on Squidoo where people could add more sites, in addition to voting sites up and down.  Mack Collier, the creator of the list, wrote that he isn't a fan of voting, as it's contrary to the original purpose.

It's been interesting to check on the list's movement on Squidoo.  For example, if you look at this screenshot from David Armano's blog, the ranking is quite different from today.  Also makes you wonder what "Romanian book blogs" have to do with marketing...

So what happened?  Ego and anonymity.   This is currently the hottest meme on Squidoo (i.e. #1) and bloggers have been voting up their own sites at the expense of others.  That's why you find almost no items at "0 points" while the mode (i.e. most frequent occurence) on the list is -7 or -8 points.

I wonder what the list would look like if voters were required to leave a record of their behavior - my guess is that there'd be many more sites clustered around 0.  Which leads us back to the question of purpose - what does a "high ranking" get you?  Influence or authority?  Or a few hours at the top of a Plexo list?

After reading Godin's update post, it's clear that he "gets it."  Now let's hope that a qualified moderator will step up.

Comments

[mindblob]

Hi Peter,
From my perspective no moderator could manage such a list, really. It's like trying to put a referee to control politics or elections.

[Pete]

Agreed that it would be difficult, but not impossible. One step would be to remove blogs that have no relation to marketing or advertising, which is why the meme was initially created. Not to say it can't expand - so maybe it's had its two weeks of internet fame.

[Roger von Oech]

Hi Peter,

Nice to meet you (I was led to you by the z-list: we're both on it — I'm Creative Think).

I like your take on the z-list Squidoo. I think that the spirit of the z-list is incompatible with an anonymous up/down voting plexo. I couldn't believe all the negative voting. It's completely contrary to my blogging experience. What I've tried to do in the three months I've been blogging is leave positive and/or constructive comments on other sites. And, by and large, that's what I've gotten in return. Live and learn.

Best wishes to you.

Roger von Oech

[Karin]

Hi Peter and Roger

Quote Roger "I think that the spirit of the z-list is incompatible with an anonymous up/down voting plexo"

IMHO it is completely imcompatible with Plexo regardless of the anonymous voting going on.

The Z-list enabled me (as was its intention) to find many other interesting blogs and the minute I read Seth's Plexo approach I feared the worst. And that happened.

No moderator will make the Plexo into what the Z-list really means.