Have you ever come around the corner to find people in a conversation that abruptly ends upon your arrival? You know they were talking about something, but you’re not sure what. The blogosphere can be like that too, but a new feature may help you discover what everybody’s talking about.
The blog tracking device lets users enter up to three words or phrases to check their current buzz-worthiness and compare them.
But single queries work as well. For example, if you enter “Angelina Jolie,” the graph will show the lowest mentions on 2% of all web logs in April, spiking to 6% at the end of May, most like due to her budding romance with Brad Pitt.
Brad Pitt, by the way, has the edge over George Clooney, but recently is losing to Tom Cruise in the blogosphere.
Who are the most talked about bloggers in the blogosphere? When I typed in Steve Rubel, Danny Sullivan, and John Battelle, Rubel dominated the chart, with Sullivan and Battelle in a virtual tie.
It also works for subject matter and multiple search terms. If you want to compare the Supreme Court, tax reform, and Social Security reform, it will bring which topic people are talking about most. Any point on the chart can be clicked on to find out who mentioned the topics.
I wouldn’t recommend it for vanity searching however. When I entered my own name against various terms, the ensuing pain in the ego portion of my chest was devastating. Though I ranked higher than “pile of walrus crap” and “warm pitcher of spit,” I came in at a humbling third place to “titmouse,” “oven mitt,” and to “flagellum and paramecium.”
Apparently “oven mitt” was very popular in late May. Guess I shouldn’t worry about people talking about me behind my back. Ho hum.
