Some blogs educate, help people collaborate, spark ideas and just plain expand our thought universe. Others stir emotions and anger us or make us laugh. The editors of Computerworld got together and offered up a list of their favorite blog sites. We pared more than 50 submissions to the top 15 technology blog sites based on breadth of information, newsworthiness, design, frequency of updates and entertainment value.
Sure, the list is subjective, but we think this is one of the best catalogs of blogs that has ever been published. The entries ran the gamut, from serious technology news and reviews to commentary on games and the latest tech gadgets. We included some honorable mentions at the end because the competition was so close.
Of course, not everyone will agree with our selections. If you think a blog site that's not on our list deserved a top 15 spot, share it with us in the comments section.
1) Lifehacker
www.lifehacker.com
Lifehackers' motto says it all: "Don't live to geek, geek to live." This blog offers timesavers of just about every stripe, from Firefox shortcuts to tips from the "Getting things done" faithful.
2) IT Toolbox Blogs
http://blogs.ittoolbox.com
IT Toolbox has a number of "in the trenches" IT pros who talk about technology and management issues. There are specialist blogs dealing with security, databases and project management, among other subjects. It's a versatile site.
3) Valleywag
http://valleywag.com
Bring in the noise, bring in the snark. Valleywag is for those who believe that the tech industry lives or dies by the scuttlebutt pinging around Silicon Valley. And it's amusing for those of us who prefer that the lotus-eaters of Northern California stick with the dishing and tongue-wagging, leaving the rest of us to get the real work done.
4) Kotaku
http://kotaku.com
Kotaku is the snarky, gamer uber-blog. It has everything from reviews and gossip to cheat tips. Just about anything you'll ever need, including which game to buy and how to play it.
5) Danger Room
http://blog.wired.com/defense
Wired's military and defense blog writes about some of the coolest and scariest military technologies -- not to mention scandals, debates and other military news. Lots of video and imagery are included.
6) Gizmodo
http://gizmodo.com
Gizmodo's got the scoop on all the latest toys and cool and wacky inventions -- from high-def TVs and coffee makers to booze belts and USB drives. You've got to love a site that publishes photos of a solar-powered bathing suit. Yeah, they also blog about serious technology news too.
7) O'Reilly Radar
http://radar.oreilly.com
This is where you can read Tim O'Reilly (founder of O'Reilly Publishing) and others discuss networking, programming, open source, intellectual property, politics, Web 2.0 and emerging technology.
8) Techdirt
http://www.techdirt.com
Techdirt is a newsy, "tell it like it is" blog that frequently features debates on the hot issues in the Internet and computer fields. Scandals are a specialty. Simplicity is its hallmark.
9) Groklaw
http://www.groklaw.net
Groklaw's raison d'etre is needling SCO in its long-running legal fights against IBM and Novell, but the discussion sometimes veers toward other issues that involve technology, intellectual property, and government regulations.
10) Hack a Day
http://www.hackaday.com
Want to learn how to add USB to a cheap Linux router? Create a snake robot? How about an XBox 360 laptop? Hack a Day has these basement projects and many more. This site is for the serious techie. At the same time, it's good for a laugh or a new hobby.
11) Engadget
http://www.engadget.com
As Coke is to Pepsi, so Engadget is to Gizmodo. It's all about gear, gossip, techish issues and the occasional rant. It's got great product photos, and the editors have access to pre- and early-release gadgetry. Also, some really funny homemade junk. But we prefer Gizmodo.
12) Feedster
www.feedster.com/feedpapers/Technology
Like drinking from the hose. This Web page brings together blog sites about technology, sports, celebrity gossip, food, personal experiences -- you name it. It also offers a blog search feature that allows you to input words or phrases, and it has a very cool RSS aggregator for news feeds. It also injects some great humor into technology news. An all-around great site.
13) Forever Geek
http://forevergeek.com
Forever Geek is a great site with a myriad blogs on diverse topics, from technology and general interest news to movie and game reviews. Definitely a geek paradise. If you want to learn about the upcoming Iron Man movie or read a review of Photoshop CS3, this is the place to go.
14) Rough Type
www.roughtype.com
Nick Carr -- of "Does IT Matter?" fame -- has a sharp-minded blog that discusses all manner of issues and trends relating to technology. Always an entertaining read, Rough Type often locks horns with companies, people, technologies and policies that rub Carr the wrong way.
15) Smorgasbord
www.smorgasbord.net
Billed as a site for gadget- and game-loving geeks, this blog also serves up articles that cross over into the political and celebrity news of the day. The combination of entertainment value and tech news make Smorgasbord a top contender.
Honorable mentions:
1) The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
www.tuaw.com
TUAW offers collection of independent bloggers -- that is independent but not undecided or uninformed. It's a good source for Apple-related news. The only reason it didn't make the top 15 was its singular topic focus.
2) Elliot Back's blog
http://elliottback.com/wp
A self-professed computer scientist, Elliot posts everything from his opinions on why XML sucks, to the Titanic's passenger list and reviews of movies like 300. This site is diverse and well composed, offering great tips on topics such as increasing system performance and blocking spam.
3) Ed Foster's Gripelog
www.gripe2ed.com/scoop
There is a new crop of blogs that highlight poor customer service for consumer electronics, bad UIs and outright rip-offs, but Ed Foster has been doing it longer than anyone else. Check out these recent topics: Defective DRM, tricky warranties on plasma TVs and bad mobile phone service.
4) Gadgetell
www.gadgetell.com
This is a great site if you want to get the latest gadget and game news along with some topical opinion pieces.
5) 4sysops
http://4sysops.com
This is a very useful with well-written tips and how-to's for Windows admins.
在互联网世界当中，博客网站的种类是多种多样的。它们中的一些旨在教导、帮助人们交流协作、激发灵感，并拓展我们的思维空间。而另一些博客则侧重于激发我们的情感，让我们感到愤怒，或是让我们开怀大笑。《电脑世界（Computerworld）》网站的编辑们这些优秀博客网站搜集整理在了一起，为我们提供了一份最受他们所钟爱的博客网站的列表。最后，我们根据这些博客自身的信息广度、新闻价值、网站设计、更新频率以及娱乐价值，将这份50多位候选人的大名单做了进一步的缩减，最终得到了这份15个世界最顶级的技术类博客网站排行榜。
不错，这份排名的确包含了很大的主观成分，但是我们认为它是有史以来发表过的此类博客网站的最棒的排行榜之一。这份名单所涵盖的范围非常广泛：从严肃的技术性新闻，到对电脑游戏测评和评论，再到新潮消费者电子产品介绍。我们同时也在本份名单的最后增加了一些“荣誉提名”，因为这次排名的竞争是如此的激烈，让我们感到很难取舍。
当然了，肯定不会是每一个人都赞同我们的观点。如果你认为有某个博客网站非常的优秀，而又没有出现在我们的“前15名排行榜“中的话，请在本文后面的评论当中留言与我们分享。
1) 生活骇客（Lifehacker）
 |
生活骇客（Lifehacker）的座右铭表达了它的全部理念：“不要为技术而生活，要为生活而关注技术！”这个博客提供了有关于各方各面的“时间节省”小贴士，从Firefox网络浏览器的快捷操作，到来自“时间管理教”忠实信徒的谆谆教诲。
2) IT工具箱博客（IT Toolbox Blogs）
 |
IT工具箱博客（IT Toolbox Blogs）有着一大群“战斗在第一线”的IT专家们讨论有关于技术和IT管理的话题。它拥有一系列专业性的博客在处理跟IT安全、数据库、项目管理和其它等等相关的问题。这是一个包罗万象的网站。
3) 硅谷闲话（Valleywag）
 |
“众口铄金，积毁销骨”。硅谷闲话（Valleywag）是专门为那些相信“在技术行业中的生死在很大程度上都取决于硅谷周围所传播的闲话”的人准备的。对于那些热衷于制造、听闻和传播硅谷谣言的那些人来说，这个网站凭借着其卓越的“专业素养”而让人大为惊叹。
4) Kotaku
 |
Kotaku是电脑游戏爱好者的“加油站”。它拥有跟电脑游戏有关的一切，从对游戏的测评，到相关的讨论和扯淡，再到作弊技巧。这里有你所需要的一切，比如某款游戏到哪里去购买，以及怎样进行玩耍。
5) 威胁空间（Danger Room）
 |
《连线（Wired）》杂志所推出的军事和防卫博客网站，它向读者介绍了这个世界上最新、最酷、最令人震撼的军事技术——更不用提那些丑闻、争论和其它类型的军事新闻。网站中还提供了许多视频和图片。
6) 小发明（Gizmodo）
 |
小发明（Gizmodo）网站专门为读者挖掘全世界最新、最酷、或是最稀奇古怪的技术发明——从高清晰电视、到咖啡机、到弹力腰带，再到USB驱动器。是的，他们同样也发布那些严肃的技术性新闻。
7) O'Reilly 雷达（O'Reilly Radar）
 |
这是你能够阅读到Tim O'Reilly（著名的O'Reilly出版公司的创始人）和其它人讨论有关于网络、编程、开放源代码运动、知识产权、政策、Web 2.0和其它前沿科技的地方。
8) 技术丑闻（Techdirt）
 |
技术丑闻（Techdirt）是一个话题中心，以在当前的互联网和电脑领域的热门事件上引发激烈争论而闻名。流言蜚语是它的所爱！简洁是它的特点！
9) Groklaw
 |
Groklaw网站的原本存在目的是支持SCO公司对IBM和Novell公司所发起的漫长的专利侵权诉讼，但是不知道什么时候，这里的讨论转向了其它方面，话题包括了技术、知识产权以及政府法规。
10) 改造一整天（Hack a Day）
 |
想要学习怎样为一个廉价的Linux路由器添加一个USB设备吗？想要制作一个蛇形机器人吗？或是将自己的XBox 360游戏机改造成一台笔记本？“改造一整天（Hack a Day）”上提供了这些地下室项目，以及其它更多有趣的项目。这个网站是为那些真正有一定技术素养，喜欢自己动手改造技术产品的玩家所准备的。但与此同时，你也可以在这里发现很多乐趣，说不定还会从中开发出一项新的爱好。
11)小玩意儿（Engadget）
 |
就像可口可乐和百事可乐的关系一样，小玩意儿（Engadget）和小发明（Gizmodo）就像是一对孪生兄弟。它也是专注于技术产品相关的介绍、评论，有时候也会有充满激情的演讲和辩论。小玩意儿（Engadget）上充满了摄制精美的产品图片，而它网站的编辑们还有着广泛的内部渠道，可以在新潮的技术产品还处于先期或早期发布阶段，就可以一睹它们的芳容。同样的，小玩意儿（Engadget）上面也会刊登一些真正非常有趣的手工制作的玩意儿。但是，我们更喜欢小发明（Gizmodo）一点。
12) Feedster
 |
www.feedster.com/feedpapers/Technology
一切都是那么的水到渠成。这个网站汇集了各种各样的博客站点，包括技术类、体育类、名人八卦、美食、个人体验等等等等——只要你能想到的，它都拥有。同时，它还提高了卓越的站内搜索功能，以及一个非常酷的RSS新闻阅读软件。它在技术新闻里面加入了非常出色的幽默感。这真是一个各方面都很优秀的网站。
13) 永远的骇客（Forever Geek）
 |
永远的骇客（Forever Geek）是一个非常棒的网站，它有无数的博客文章，覆盖了多种多样的话题，从技术，到大众新闻，到好莱坞电影，再到电脑游戏测评。这绝对是一个骇客的天堂。假如你想要了解即将上映的好莱坞巨片《变形金刚》的最新消息，或是阅读一篇有关于Photoshop CS3软件的测评，这就是你应该去的地方。
14)粗鲁的文字（Rough Type）
 |
Nick Carr（笔名“Does IT Matter?”）撰写的一个思想锐利的博客，专门讨论与技术相关的各种各样的话题和趋势。他的文章文笔优美，让人阅读起来津津有味，但是同时也会常常激烈那些被批评的公司、人物、技术和政策。
15) 自助餐（Smorgasbord）
 |
作为一个为那些喜爱数码产品和电脑游戏的骇客们所专门打造的站点，这个网站同样也提供最新的有关于政治和名人的新闻。这种娱乐价值和技术新闻的战略组合，让自助餐（Smorgasbord）跻身于最优秀者的行列。
荣誉提名：
1) 苹果（Apple）非官方博客 (TUAW)
 |
TUAW集结了许多独立的博客——这些独立的博客虽然和苹果公司官方没有正式的关系，但是这并不意味着他们的信息不充分、意见没有影响力。这是一个了解苹果公司相关新闻的最好来源。它没有跻身前15名的唯一原因是它太过于专注于一个单一话题。
2) Elliot Back 的博客（Elliot Back's blog）
 |
作为自封的“计算机科学家”，Elliot对于每一件自己所关注的事情大放厥词，从为什么XML标准很糟，到泰坦尼克号的旅客名单，再到对好莱坞巨片《斯巴达300勇士》的影评。这个网站的内容多种多样，但是安排巧妙。此外，他还会提供一些非常棒的小贴士，比如如何增进系统的性能，以及屏蔽垃圾邮件。
3) Ed Foster 的牢骚录（Ed Foster's Gripelog）
时下有一类新的博客网站涌现了出来，它们专门抨击和曝光那些侵害消费者权益的公司和产品，诸如数码产品恶劣的售后服务、粗糙的产品外观或是其他诸如此类的一些问题，但是Ed Foster可谓是这一行的开山鼻祖。看看他最新所关注的一些话题：有缺陷的DRM系统、plasma品牌电视机的质保陷阱，以及糟糕的移动电话服务质量。
4) Gadgetell
 |
假如你想要了解最新的数码产品、电玩游戏新闻，以及其他相关的一些消息，这是一个很棒的网站。
5) 4sysops
它为Windows系统的管理员们提供了非常优秀的小提示和操作教程。
（原文作者：LifeHacker，文章来源：computerworld，点击查看原文）