My Essential 5-Star Feeds

What are your daily reads? Which feeds can you not do without?

I have just been trimming back my feed reading after realizing yet again I was just trying to consume too much. Luckily my feed reader allows me to mark each feed with a star rating, allowing me to trim from the bottom. Also I have my feeds in folders, so I was able to delete a full folder of items I never read.

Here below are my 5-star daily reads, exported, unedited, exactly as they are in my feed reader of choice, BlogBridge.

Import the OPML file here.

You will notice my own blog is included. This isn’t vanity (well, maybe a little, heh). I think everyone needs to subscribe to their own blog and check every item you post. How else would you know if something is wrong? In fact really I should subscribe in various readers, but I only really use BlogBridge.

Over to you, which blogs are on your daily reads?

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By Chris Garrett. Posted in Blogging

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19 Comments so far - add yours now

Adam Taylor

I’d add: SEOmoz / actually forget it, there are hundreds of blogs I’d add.

I get a bit overwhelmed by Techmeme, RWW and Mashable though but I still keep them in.
Chris Garrett

Export an OPML

I visit techmeme in my browser, I find that way I don’t have to read half as many feeds
pelf

I wrote an earlier comment with links to the respective blogs, but the comment was rejected because I had more than 2 links. Google any of the following if you’re interested

Apart from the blogs about blogging (e.g. ChrisG, Liz, Lorelle, Jeremy Steele, Mohsin, Steven Snell), some of my favourites are Cheesie and Brownie, Proof of Purchase, The Reasoner, Opal @ Vegan Momma, Oreo OCEO. And of course, some other Malaysian blogs
Ramkarthik

I have really cut short the number of blogs in my feed. Mostly, I go to the blog directly and read it. I rarely subscribe to any blog these days. Here are some of the blogs to which I have subscribed:
Problogger, Copyblogger, Blogging Tips, Daily Blog Tips, Chrisg, Successful Blog, Perfomancing, Skelliewag, freelanceswitch, freelancefolder, chrisblogging, and a couple more blogs.
Michael Holdcroft

To tell the truth, it’s much the same as e-mail subscriptions. I regularly unsubscribe from subscriptions where I only get the offer of the day with little or no reason to keep subscribed. They are just stealing my time.
Chris Garrett

@pelf – I am shocked how few of those I recognize!

@Ramkarthik – Some great blogs there, in particular Skelliewag, freelanceswitch, freelancefolder, I am subscribed but catch up a couple of times a week

@Michael – Yeah, there has to be a lot of value. I think people underestimate how much time commitment reading feeds and emails takes. Having said that I have helped clients produce a fair share of “offer lists” so perhaps I have contributed to the problem I like to think though my clients always provided value
Lisa

Of course I read ChrisG every day, and thanks for the always relevant and useful information. I have a Momish blog (although it is much more than just that), so I like to check out my “competition” at http://www.dooce.com and http://www.hipstermom.com, not just to see what they are doing but also to see how I can differentiate my blog. I find that a great niche for me has been providing some of the tech tips I pick up here and at problogger for the mom market. We may not be early adopters of technology, but we’re capable of learning : )

And thanks pelf for the tip about Vegan Momma!

Thanks
Lisa
Erica Ross-Krieger

One of my favorite authors, Dan Millman, is known to say “Discipline equals Freedom.” In the blog world, my discipline rule of thumb is this — I keep the subscription for one week. On Fridays I review and say, Okay, has it been worth it this week? If not, out it goes. Sounds ruthless but, hey, it’s my main asset (my precious time) I’m talking about…so if it isn’t serving me, “off with their heads” I say!

Not to worry, Chris, you make the “keep” list each and every week
fc

Am more of go to the blog reader, as it helps me catch up on the comments easily as well.

however my omea is also quite full with a lot of blogs, starting with – designers – david airey, nick’s web designer wall and psdtuts.. then comes the business bloggers – yaro’s blog, net biz blog, young go getter, blogtrepreneur, escape from cubicle nation, smart wealthy rich, buzzoodle, freelanceswitch,… then bloggers like you, problogger,copyblogger, andybeard, johntp, skellie …
I also follow a lot of domain name blogs like domain name wire (the best), dotsauce, dailydomainer …

Ah I guess its about time I went for a trim .. but they are all so good
Adam Snider

Hmm…I haven’t really thought about this in a while. I bet I’m subscribed to a few feeds that I wouldn’t miss if I cut them.

I’ll do up a list of my own, on one of my blogs, and trackback to this post later today.
Joel Falconer

Hey Chris, sorry I left you off my first similar list on BlogNewsWatch.com – I do read your stuff but it comes to me by email each day! I hope I made up with it with the subsequent article. Have an inkling I might’ve inspired this post, but it’s a fairly common idea… so perhaps not
pelf

@ChrisG: Are you referring to the “probloggers” or the “others” when you said “how few of those you recognized”?

@Lisa: No problem, I’m glad you liked Vegan Momma as much as I do
Darren Barefoot

Thanks for the linkage!
Jen / domestika

Time for some serious feed-weeding here… but darnit, Chris, you’ve just made me add two more! And one from Pelf’s list, too; and I’m rather intrigued by Lisa’s “Russian Mafia Babe” blog…
Where will the sleep-depriving RSS madness end?
Fred @ Newest on the Net

Chris,

I am disappointed that Newest on the Net is not on your list

My goal for this year is to write great content and find myself on your list next year.
Forest Parks

hey where is my feed????

Ha Ha, thanks for letting us know what makes you inspired. I’m sure I will find at least one new one from your list.
Advice Network Writing contest

All this talk about favorite blogs, I looked at my blog reader, and had a moment of sadness for Jane May Blogs. She used to be one of my favorite. She wasn’t around that long, and in a short time I flagged 11 of her posts as things I wanted to remeber and learn from.

Ok, it did not hurt that she was good looking.

Then she changed her blog name to http://www.dailywebideas.com/, and then she fell off the planet. No posts in almost 1 month. Ah well, lots of other good blogs to choose from.
Chris Garrett

@Lisa – That is a great idea, making things you learn relevant for your own audience is a very useful skill

@Erica – I have had to be very brutal with my feeds because my time is so scarce, I find though there is a lot of duplicated information so I don’t miss out on *too* much and some feeds I read once a week and get back up to speed

@fc – I like to read techmeme, digg and such in the browser, I find it is easier, still lots of feeds though

@Adam – Perhaps this is a good new years house cleaning activity

@Joel – I don’t mind how people read, as long as they do

@pelf – The “others” (makes them sound spooky doesn’t it, heh)

@Darren – Always a pleasure

@Jen – Heh, sorry!

@Fred – It might not be a daily read but I do read

@Forest – Glad you like

@Advice – It’s the nature of the thing, blogs come and go
Carl

That list is already a masterpiece collection. I would also recommend my daily reads
http://www.quickonlinetips.com
http://www.lorelle.wordpress.com
http://www.searchenginejournal.com