I was talking with someone the other day and explaining how that I was really enjoying my blog set up, how that I felt it was the thing I should have done a long time ago, that I felt that there was lot more flexibility and options by doing it myself as to using myspace or even a regular blog space. I have complete control and can do whatever, say whatever, and even make it look however I want to. However, I was also noting that the traffic to a independent blog site was a bit harder to generate. After all, if you are on myspace, you post your blog and all your friends at the very least get the notice. So during this conversation I made the comment of something like, “After all, if the tree falls in the forest and no one was there to hear it, did it really make a sound?”
I guess I no longer have to worry about the tree falling being heard. A few nights ago, I installed a WordPress plugin that counts actual traffic hitting (and presumably reading) the blog parts of the page. Yes, I was getting stats on the website from webalyzer, but a little bit harder to figure who is doing what. Anyway – the traffic is small, but about what I expected given the massive changes I have made and the general newness to this site in the last month or so.
A few things amaze me a lot though that I thought I would share. The tool does some wonderful tracking of things and reports on them. For instance, the number of folks that are using specific search terms for things and getting to this page from information that was contained on here from at least 3 or 4 years ago, if not closer to 5 or 6 is amazing. To those folks, I am apologetic. I know you were here looking for collectibles, possibly cards or model trains, or maybe even beanie babies <GAG>. Anyway, I have not been really actively involved in that for a number of years and the page has not really indicated that for while either.
Another amazing one was the number of folks that are coming here from one of my other websites. Notably the one that comes to mind is eligius.org, which is a the site for jousting/medieval equestrian group. There are probably some links there, but I am not completely sure about that these days.
Now this next one, it really makes me feel good, but at the same time I really have to wonder who. So one of the search criteria that showed up was “Ray Cornish” Kentucky. For those that are not familiar that is a very specific search that will only find Ray and Cornish in order and should look for them in conjunction with Kentucky. It is the kind of thing that geeks often do themselves to see how well known they are on the net. Ironically, my jousting/SCA name is much more well known then me – Raynold of Wharram.
But here is the thing, I didn’t do that search to land here this past week. So, I kind of have to assume that someone is specifically looking for me. Makes me wonder, is it some long lost friend that just happened to give it a try or do I have some secret stalker? Well, whichever, next time whoever it was that did the search drop me a note and let me know who you are.
