Selection criteria for the Directory of being included in the list of best Indian blogs
Updated as on 14th October, 2019.
We have been compiling the Directory of Best Indian Blogs for nine years and have made a number of changes in selecting blogs for the Directory.
Starting with a complex formula that used Google PageRank, Alexa position, pageviews, etc, we changed to manual picking and have humanized our criteria progressively over the years.
We believe that blogging is both a personal and social activity, and we do not hold a case against blogs on very personal matters as long as they meet our selection criteria. So, while a spirited, well-composed and regularly updated blog on one’s kid, dog or garden may get included, an extremely dull blog with copy-pasted newspaper columns, not allowing any sharing or interaction and not caring to provide any archive would get left out even though its content prima facie might look substantive.
If we find great blogs, we’d not bind ourselves to a maximum number of blogs in the Directory. However, we intend to have a strict filtering for quality [as explained below] and end up with about 200- 250 blogs, no more.
Blogs as young as 6 months are eligible for the Directory. However if they are not regular or slip on quality, we'd remove them in the next six months.
We are unable to include more than one blog from a blogger.
We’d include blogs that are suggested to us and those explored by us only till April 30. We normally bring out the Directory on May 30/ June 1. We have delivered on all our promises so far, and would strive to meet the deadline this time too.
Now the selection criteria.
Non-English blogs are not included. Bilingual blogs are OK if the other language is used unobtrusively and English is the main language.
We consider the following content as inappropriate and reject blogs with such content: unacceptable levels of nudity and violence; vulgarity; pornography; abuse; racial, casteist or communal denigration or hatred; rumor-mongering; slander; criminality; and other content not considered acceptable in responsible writing and visual/ audio/ audio-visual presentations.
Propaganda is not welcome; promotion of universally accepted social and moral values or a just cause with wide appeal is.
If the blog or its content is found indulging in plagiarism or copyright infringement, it is blacked out.
Commercial blogs and blogs of corporate bodies are not included.
Blogs with advertisements making more than a third of their homepage content are also filtered out.
If more than a quarter of content in the blog is automatically generated, the blog is not taken in. [Content in widgets such as recent comments, archives, followers and advertisements is not counted towards this.]
Blogs that have not been updated [by way of new posts] at least once in 9 out of the preceding 12 months are not included.
Blogs that pass through the above filters are checked for a number of qualitative attributes. We place high value on content, followed by regularity. Design is no longer a deciding criterion but serious design issues could take the blog out.
Effort made in blogging, as evident from big and small steps taken to improve the quality of presentation, proof-reading of text, use of widgets, etc. find special favor with us. Value addition [e.g. background information and external links] relating to the subject matter are considered additives to the resource base.
Qualities relating to the niche of the blog [e.g. selection of subject and depth of analysis in case of current affairs, clear depiction of recipe and display of cooked food in case of cookery blogs, mastery over subject in technical subjects, and unbiased advice in case of blogs on share-markets and review blogs] are considered.
Grammatical correctness of text content is expected but is ignored if it is minor and the content quality compensates for it.
Various aspects of visual appeal [e.g. whether the blog is clean or cluttered, how well is the opening screen composed, elements introduced to break monotony and make the content interesting, use of widgets, appropriateness of colors and titling, etc suited for the category of blog] are a plus point.
Quality and size of visuals, their appropriateness, attribution in case of content drawn from others are considered a positive.
Ease of navigation and interaction, and engagement with visitors, especially in the case of personal blogs are rewarded.
That's it. See you in the Directory on June 1. Happy blogging!
If you are looking for criteria for inclusion in the Hindi directory, please look at this old but relevant post: What is there in Hindi Directory?
We have been compiling the Directory of Best Indian Blogs for nine years and have made a number of changes in selecting blogs for the Directory.
Starting with a complex formula that used Google PageRank, Alexa position, pageviews, etc, we changed to manual picking and have humanized our criteria progressively over the years.
We believe that blogging is both a personal and social activity, and we do not hold a case against blogs on very personal matters as long as they meet our selection criteria. So, while a spirited, well-composed and regularly updated blog on one’s kid, dog or garden may get included, an extremely dull blog with copy-pasted newspaper columns, not allowing any sharing or interaction and not caring to provide any archive would get left out even though its content prima facie might look substantive.
If we find great blogs, we’d not bind ourselves to a maximum number of blogs in the Directory. However, we intend to have a strict filtering for quality [as explained below] and end up with about 200- 250 blogs, no more.
Blogs as young as 6 months are eligible for the Directory. However if they are not regular or slip on quality, we'd remove them in the next six months.
We are unable to include more than one blog from a blogger.
We’d include blogs that are suggested to us and those explored by us only till April 30. We normally bring out the Directory on May 30/ June 1. We have delivered on all our promises so far, and would strive to meet the deadline this time too.
Now the selection criteria.
Non-English blogs are not included. Bilingual blogs are OK if the other language is used unobtrusively and English is the main language.
We consider the following content as inappropriate and reject blogs with such content: unacceptable levels of nudity and violence; vulgarity; pornography; abuse; racial, casteist or communal denigration or hatred; rumor-mongering; slander; criminality; and other content not considered acceptable in responsible writing and visual/ audio/ audio-visual presentations.
Propaganda is not welcome; promotion of universally accepted social and moral values or a just cause with wide appeal is.
If the blog or its content is found indulging in plagiarism or copyright infringement, it is blacked out.
Commercial blogs and blogs of corporate bodies are not included.
Blogs with advertisements making more than a third of their homepage content are also filtered out.
If more than a quarter of content in the blog is automatically generated, the blog is not taken in. [Content in widgets such as recent comments, archives, followers and advertisements is not counted towards this.]
Blogs that have not been updated [by way of new posts] at least once in 9 out of the preceding 12 months are not included.
Blogs that pass through the above filters are checked for a number of qualitative attributes. We place high value on content, followed by regularity. Design is no longer a deciding criterion but serious design issues could take the blog out.
Effort made in blogging, as evident from big and small steps taken to improve the quality of presentation, proof-reading of text, use of widgets, etc. find special favor with us. Value addition [e.g. background information and external links] relating to the subject matter are considered additives to the resource base.
Qualities relating to the niche of the blog [e.g. selection of subject and depth of analysis in case of current affairs, clear depiction of recipe and display of cooked food in case of cookery blogs, mastery over subject in technical subjects, and unbiased advice in case of blogs on share-markets and review blogs] are considered.
Grammatical correctness of text content is expected but is ignored if it is minor and the content quality compensates for it.
Various aspects of visual appeal [e.g. whether the blog is clean or cluttered, how well is the opening screen composed, elements introduced to break monotony and make the content interesting, use of widgets, appropriateness of colors and titling, etc suited for the category of blog] are a plus point.
Quality and size of visuals, their appropriateness, attribution in case of content drawn from others are considered a positive.
Ease of navigation and interaction, and engagement with visitors, especially in the case of personal blogs are rewarded.
That's it. See you in the Directory on June 1. Happy blogging!
If you are looking for criteria for inclusion in the Hindi directory, please look at this old but relevant post: What is there in Hindi Directory?
