Stats...

So today is a blog anniversary. Not of the first post, or my first posting in Nunavut. One year ago I thought I'd install Stat Counter on a whim. I didn't figure that many people were reading my blog, but I was curious as to how many and where they were coming from.

And thus was a statcounter addict born. I suspect I'm not the only one. You know, people who are constantly checking their blog stats to see how many are reading your words of wisdom. And then you begin to curse because your numbers begin to drop for no reason and you wonder where all the bastards have gone....

Or maybe that's just me. Journalists generally have a healthy ego that needs to be stroked by the knowledge that people are reading your work. Since I no longer have people writing me Letters to the Editor informing me how much I rock or how much I suck (generally got more of the later than the former), Statcounter was one way I got my fix.

So what does the last year look like for me? Something like this:



(By the way, I have no idea if I'm violating some kind of blogger rules by doing this. I just find stats interesting sometimes)

So basically no one was reading last October and the only reason that many were was that John Gushue kindly did a little post announcing I was back blogging. The numbers took a bit spike around last February when I joined Newfoundland and Labrador blogrolling, dipped during the summer and then spiked again big time last month.

During that period I had about 40,200 page loads by 27,380 unique visitors. Which I'm kind of pleased about. Most visitors came from Newfoundland, but there was a healthy amount from the Ottawa area, Alberta and the North. Oh, and Qatar. Thanks for dropping by.

Oh, and a lot for St. Laurent, Quebec, which is where Transcontinental routes its internet traffic. If anyone there has an opinion on my Express post, but didn't feel like putting it on the blog, by all means drop me an e-mail. I'm curious if it's getting a reaction.

Anyway, not a bad year for a guy just starting blogging and doesn't really have the time to do something fancy with it.

So what would I like in the coming year? To double the stats of this year. To have about 80,000 page loads in the next 12 months and about 60,000 unique visitors. Dare to dream, I guess. It will mean doing a few more things with the blog that I've been lazy about - signing up for more lists, doing something with Technaroti and whatnot. But what the hell. All should enjoy my wit and wisdom.

That was sarcasm, by the way, for the estimated 40 per cent of the population who doesn't get it.