Monday, February 05, 2007

Ten Grand...Ain't It Grand.

Well, the unthinkable has happened. According to my little site tracker dohicky, the 10,000th visitor hit my blog at 10:55 AM today. It’s pretty neat to know that it has been seen so many times. I actually began tracking site hits a little over a month after I started blogging so unfortunately, the eight or so people who visited during that time before I started tracking aren’t counted in the total.

The technology involved with blog and website statistics is fascinating. People from countries I have never even heard of have viewed my blog. I do feel bad for some site visitors because they came from places like Google where they were clearly searching for a news item or assistance with a research topic when they stumbled across my version of the truth. Hopefully none of these people have ever quoted or cited anything I have put forward as a fact. If they did, it’s safe to say they probably have never been back to my blog.

While I am an advocate of accuracy and believe it is necessary for our news reporters and leaders, I have found time and time again that it’s just easier to make facts up when unsure about them. After all, if you make it up, can it really be inaccurate? It’s a personal policy that has worked well for me at the office and once in a while at home. Although I do have to be careful around Lucy and Ethel because I can just see them as they get older repeating to their friends what they think are the ‘facts’ I have told them. I’m sure the first person that will notice will be their teachers and then their friends’ parents. Eventually one day my phone will ring and someone will have to tell me that I should no longer tell my children things like ‘the Devil created gophers to punish people for bad things they did when they were young’ or ‘chicken nuggets come from the rare chicken nugget mines of West Virginia.’ So, to anyone who has been directed to this blog in hopes of doing research, I apologize.

I have often wondered what people from other countries think of my blog when they come across it. Have I unknowingly contributed to someone else thinking that if Americans are like me then we are nothing but a country of blithering idiots? I sure hope not, that’s the job of people like Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and perhaps many of our politicians. Have I provided someone from another country and culture a window into our daily culture with my thoughts on office cubicles, hatred for Mondays, raising twins who are far smarter already than I am or how to turn mundane work chores into fun? When you start to think about it, writing something and posting it out into the world is quite a responsibility since anyone from anywhere can view it. Does this new global responsibility include writing about the top stunts you can attempt to ensure that you or your sworn office enemy gets a visit from your HR department at work? I sure hope so!

Tracking my site visit statistics showed me one other noticeable trend. I am amazed that over 75% of the visitors to my site, no matter where they were referred from, all go to the same website after leaving my blog. That reminds me, does anyone know anything about reportreallybadblogs.com?

15 comments:

captain corky said...

Facts are over rated my friend. I prefer my own opinion to them any day of the week.

mist1 said...

Finally, success! I have been clicking on your blog for months to hit that mark. I can retire now.

Odat said...

Damn, Micheal, you've been making up facts??? and I' thought I was getting all my news from you these past months! Is that why people look at me funny when I quote from your stories????
Peace

P.S. Send me a few degrees to warm this coast up ok?

Lee said...

so where is it that 75% of the people go to after reading your blog?

Billy said...

To hell and back it we don't change our blog roll.

Billy said...

BTW, I am feeling a little left out on YOUR blog roll. (wink wink)

heartinsanfrancisco said...

I don't have advanced technology tracking those who (mostly by accident) stumble onto my blog. But I have noticed that the number of visitors on my profile screen is wayyyyy more than the number of comments I get. I console myself with stupid homiles like "quality over quantity," but still I wonder what all those people think when they drop in, read a few lines, and run, screaming, to other peoples' blogs. (You know who you are.)

Violet said...

Congratulations on your 10,000th visit. Who cares if 75 % of those visitors go on to report you to the bad-blogs police? It's when you only get 4 regular readers, and they are all people you work for, that's when you complain.

Irene said...

Woohoo!!!

Glad to know there are many others out there who have the same bad...I mean, GREAT...taste in blogs as I do! ;p

Congratulations, Michael! You know I always look forward to reading your posts. =)

Marie-Hélène Raletz said...

Congrats are in order, Michael :)
I often read without leaving comments.
I enjoy your humorous thoughts on office cubicles best :)

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

Wow, 10,000 hits. When I grow up, I wanna be like you.

Enjoy very much your prolific and high quality posts. Also your truths are more enjoyable than the real thing.

Dean aka Sgt Dub said...

Ok, Michael, we did it. You said I would get one penny for each new hit on your site, I'm suffering from carpol tunnel now in both wrists, time to pay up! Oh, and congrats on 10,000. It is much deserved, I love reading each new day.

Foofa said...

That is so many I can't even begin to fathom it. Why would people report you to really bad blogs? Don't they get it? They must be really slow people.

Jo said...

So, Michael, does Canada count as another country? My opinion (from another country) is that your blog is always fun.

Can I borrow "chicken nuggets come from the rare chicken nugget mines of West Virginia"?

Cheers,
Josie

Anonymous said...

I know this comes in rather late, but congrats on reaching the 10K mark!

I'm sure all your visitors (both old and new) appreciate your quirky sense of humor. :-D