Sex Sells

I've been doing this blog for over two years.  There are over 240 posts.  They cover a range of topics from general information to reports on Village events to lots of political/Village dynamics posts to restaurant reviews to reviews of other local interests.

Blogspot, which is a google product, allows me to track the number of views per day, for the prior day, for the past month, and for the life of the blog.  I'm not sure the reported numbers of views are strictly accurate, but they seem at least proportional.  For example, on the day I send out a notice saying there is a new post, I will get an increase in views that day.  The increase often spills into the next day, too.  If I don't send out a notice, there is a chronic low level of views: people who presumably check every day even if they have no particular reason to think there's a new post.  If I don't post and send out a notice for a few days or more, the level drops to a low count.  I cannot, by the way and FYI, identify who views the post.  Only the number of views.

I get a spike in views when I announce a new post.  But some spikes are higher than others.  The highest spike I got from the outset to a few months ago was Chuck Ross' post on annexation.  Chuck's was not the first post I didn't write, but it attracted more attention than anything I did write, and more than posts contributed to by two other authors.  The next high spike I got, which was higher than the one stimulated by Chuck's post, was the post from Lee Evett.  It happened to be about roughly the same topic.  I got another high spike after Steve Bernard advised his e-mail recipients to read the blog.  I don't know how many people he has on his list, so I don't know if the overage was about equal to his list.  There's a bit of overlap between his list and mine, so some people he informed were already familiar with the blog.  I have no idea which people are actual readers.  All I can say is that of the people I inform, almost none ever has asked me to take them off the list.  So they don't mind being informed of posts, or they might even read them with a level of interest or enthusiasm.

The highest spike the blog ever got was in response to the very recent post I said was provided by Steve Bernard.  The post was provided by Steve, though he certainly did not intend that.  I just commandeered his letter, and I posted it untouched.  And he certainly didn't want the commentary from me at the end of his letter.

So I don't know how people find out about the blog.  My circulation list of people who want to be informed of new posts, or at least don't say they mind, is about 62 people.  Regular readership (views) is considerably higher than that, and the spikes after Chuck's post, and Lee's, and Steve's were very much higher even than the usual spikes.  I have to assume that if a post resonates, then some people tell other people, but no one writes to me to ask me to put them on the list.  That's not strictly true-- it does happen rarely that someone will write to request-- but generally, there are many more views than people I inform.  I imagine some of the people who read the blog, like Steve, would not want me to know they read it.  I doubt, however, that that accounts for all the views I can't track.  The other thing, by the way, that contributes to views is people who have already seen a post but go back to look again.  So if a post is experienced as highly significant or interesting or provocative or whatever, and people go back to the blog to look again, this event will be registered as a new view.

I suppose I could be disappointed that I don't attract as much attention as some of my "guests" do, but I'm really very happy for the contributions and the variety.  This blog was only meant as a platform for mutual information and discussion, so I'm pleased with whatever is the source and stimulus of them.  The fact is, I'd love it if more of the posts were not mine, and even if most of them were not mine.  I know Steve dislikes me, but he would say he doesn't dislike you, and it would be great if he, or Bryan Cooper, or Noah Jacobs, or anyone would tell me to move over, because they want the floor.  And I would gladly give it to them.  Then, I would inform my list, they would inform theirs, and we'd have a really nice discussion going.  I won't hold my breath, though.  But I will continue to present what I think is pertinent and relevant, even if I have to snatch it from some letter that comes my way.  And I won't fool with you.  I'll give you what I have, and you do with it what you like.  If I'm ever wrong about something, which I sometimes am, I always want to know about it.  You're usually good enough to tell me.  So keep up the good work.  And differences of opinion or view are what make it all happen, so definitely keep them coming.  If you ever want your own post, just say the word.  It's all yours.