Are you a follower or leader?

I've noticed recently that a few blogs have added a widget that shows the number of "followers" the blog has.

When did blogging become a popularity contest?

Is a blog with a lot of followers better or more important than a blog with none?

To find an answer to this question I turned to that well known sage of social media Mr Bob Dylan.

His classic recording Subterranean Homesick Blues gave me the answer:

"Don't follow leaders, watch the parking meters."