This post is a list about lists. Nope, I don’t suffer from crazy bouts of “˜list-o-mania’. But a huge part of the blogosphere does. We see lists everywhere”¦usually with a streamer that shouts “˜Top 10′. Why are Top Ten lists so popular? Is it because the title somehow hints that this is the best there are or is there something in the nature of list itself? Perhaps, a bit of both.

Lists are, by definition, an ordered arrangement of items. There is symmetry in lists which lets us make sense of the chaos of information around us. That’s why it gets championed for everything from personal productivity to web optimization.

But let’s ignore the whole psycho babble and dwell on that fact that nothing grabs eyeballs the way an authoritative list does. A “˜Top Ten list may not be the definitive article but it is always worth a read. Blogs and websites have a lot of them in their list of popular posts. But there are a lot of websites out there whose only job is to collect, store and display a variety of lists for the public. Let’s take a look at some of them.

1. The Top Tens

This site is a collection of visitor-created Top Ten lists which are arranged in categories. Readers can also edit the lists by adding to them. Individual items can also be voted up or down and the voting pattern determines what goes up or down in the lists. Readers create their Top 10 lists by entering the items in text boxes. Optional descriptions and URLs can be added which give further information to readers. Also, Lists in progress can be made and submitted. These are working lists which need a few more suggested entries to reach the figure of ten. Some lists can of course, have more than ten items in them.

I just read – Worst Things About The Top Tens.

2. List of Bests

List of Bests is about lineups of products, places, goals and people along with personal lists of all types. The site also has Definitive Lists (which are facts) and Award Lists (from reputed sources). Each list is linked to further information and it may take you a while before you can finish a list. The site makes it easy to track your progress and you can compare that with other users.

I just read – BBC’s “The Big Read – Books 1-100″.

3. Listropolis

A site that aggregates lists from around the web. The site is well laid out around a lot of categories. Life Hacks finds a place here with another category called Everything Else. And I found a few references to our very own MakeUseOf.com.

I just read – 11 Ways to Calm Down an Angry Woman.

4. OMG Lists

One look at the lists they have and you will see that it’s a fresh take on a lot of things. Call it a site of irreverence or well-spun humor. This site is worth a bookmark if you like to lighten up.

I just read – Nine Cartoons with Seriously Sad Deaths.

5. Top Tenz

A whole lot of quality Top Ten lists get very neatly categorized and displayed in this site. You can browse for a specific list or click for a random list. The Quizzes page is also worth a look see.

I just read -  Top 10 Best Ghost Photographs.

6. ListVerse

This site is a bit oddball because it lists posts which cover things that are oddball. It also seems to be a popular place for list hunters if you count the claims of 1.5 million readers. According to the nature of the lists, the focus is on content that’s a bit way out. If you like things like that then you have 22 categories to choose from.

I just read – Top 10 Mysteries of Outer Space.

7. TopTenTopTen

This site is about Top 10 lists and again about the top rankers among them. Every list gets a ranking of its own and that’s how a Top 10 list can come in the Top ten of the site. The lists get rankings based on views, votes and comments. Contributors can create lists and invite others to add, delete or move the listings. Thus, these lists take a community approach to list making. The lists are more or less plain vanilla lists with not too much of detail.

I just read – Top 10 Strategy games of all time.

8. iTop3

This site leaves the Top 10 listings to the crowd. For every category, a user can give three choices and the reason for those choices. The choices add up with every user contributing three each and then depending on the votes for each choice, a clear Top 10 popular list emerges. Think of this as a democracy of lists. The top 3 categories according to the site are Music, Websites and Television. The collection is not huge and in the end the lists are a collected Top 10 grouping of links but the concept of crowd sourcing the links makes it interesting.

I just read – Top 10 Movie Festivals.

9. Digalist

Read it as “Dig a List”. This website is only about personal lists. So if you have any sort of list lying around, put it up on Digalist. Though make sure that it’s worth a read. Content rich lists with pictures may be one way. Similar lists can be put into topics, lists can be co-built with other contributors and all lists can be voted up or down. This site is not restricted to Top 10 types of lists but all sorts of tips and suggestions listed in list form.

I just read - The Most Amazing Light Graffiti Artists and Photographers.

10. Weblist

This site is a new one going by its alpha tag. Using this site you can create a collection of URLs on a specific topic and the site threads everything under one common URL. So, in the end you have user generated content in the form of lists. These can be shared or set as a customizable homepage. The list items are arranged in thumbnail previews. The site is new so it may not be populated with a whole lot of lists in all categories just yet.

I just read – 5 All Time Best Pranks.

We don’t need to see these websites to see the popularity of lists. Take a look at any blog’s most popular posts and you will find at least half of them of the list variety. Look at Digg”¦it’s a massive list after all. What about our own MakeUseOf.com? You bet we have a lists page and its here – MakeUseOf Lists: The only “˜Web Tools’ Bookmark You’ll Ever Need.

Do you enjoy lists?

Image credit: sam_churchill / CC BY 2.0

Tagged: fun • geeky fun • Interesting