Calling All Patent Blogs

In February I tried to compile a list of the top 25 patent blogs, but the list was admittedly insufficient.  With that in mind, I am giving it another go and looking for nominations.

The original top 25 list was insufficient for several reasons.  Not only did I miss one of the top blogs — IPKat — but using Technorati proved to be more difficult to use to ascertain which blogs in are tops in a particular category.  I also was unable to figure out a satisfactory way to deal with Patent Docs, because it seems that Technorati has them indexed in multiple different places as if under slightly different URLs they are different blogs completely.  I am not sure I will be able to account for that, so if you do have your own patent blog you might want to inquire with Technorati what can be done to consolidate your rankings if you have multiple listings as if those listings are different blogs.

Additionally, Technorati exhibits some fluctuation from time to time that seems to be unexplained.  It is still an excellent way to rank blogs because it scores what other blogs are linking to a particular blog within the last 6 months, but because of the nature of linking that objective metric could be somewhat misleading and capable of being manipulated.  So I have attempted to devise a better way to rank the top 25 patent blogs, but first, I want to do whatever I can to make sure that I have a complete list of patent blogs.  So I am asking anyone and everyone to help me compile a complete list.  If you have a patent blog or know of a patent blog please comment on this post and let me know on or before Friday, May 8, 2009.

My plan is as follows:

1. Compile a list of the top patent blogs and then determine Technorati rankings for at least two different intervals in order to attempt to come out with a realistic number that is not unduly influenced by fluctuations that have been seen from time to time by myself and others.
2. Conduct Internet voting in order to provide another baseline that will be factored into the final determination of the top 25 patent blogs.  The polling will be such that 1 vote per computer can be cast.

The Internet voting will ask two questions.  First, which of the listed blogs is your favorite patent blog.  Second, which of the listed blogs do you regularly read.  Only one response will be allowed for the first question, but multiple responses will be allowed for the second question.  One point will go to any blog receiving a vote.  Presumably this should mean that the favorite blog will get 2 votes per respondent, while other blogs that are read will receive 1 vote per respondent.

The Technorati score will comprise 50% of the overall score, while the Internet voting will comprise 50% of the overall score.  The top blog will receive 50 points for the Technorati score, with the second blog receiving 48 points, third blog receiving 46 points and so on.  For the Internet voting the top blog will be determined by the blog receiving the most points.  The scoring will then proceed as with the Technorati score, with the top blog receiving 50 points for the Internet voting score, second blog receiving 48, third receiving 46 and so on.

My intention is to use the Technorati data to come up with the top 25 patent blogs in terms of Technorati score by the end of May 2009.  Voting among the top 25 patent blogs will then commence in June 2009, with the top patent blog being announced at the end of June or beginning of July 2009.

Let the nominations begin.