10 Days, The Stat Counter, Comments.
Posted by Josh in Randoms, Site News on July 6, 2005 | « Back to main
10 measly days. Wow!
So Lauren prepped you for a story that she wanted me to relate . . . but before I begin that I must attempt to explain Lauren’s deeper motives. Those motives: Visitors. Stats. Hits. PEOPLE. Lauren should really just come clean with you all.
Alright, so we have this little stat counter down at the bottom of The Aisle that tracks you each time as you visit. Creeped out yet? It tells us how you got here, what search terms strangers may have used to get here, where you’re from, etc. We don’t know your name or anything, but it does provide us a good way to track our regular visitors.
Lauren watches that thing like a hawk.
Just about every day, I watch her as she anxiously clicks on that graphic to see how many hits we got for the day. Her tiny head moves in closer to the monitor as the page loads. Scrolls down . . . “only 20 hits!! . . . (scrolls down more . . . .smiling to see the regulars) . . . Josh? Do you know anybody from Madagascar?”
“Nope.”
Lauren - “Oh . . . Ok.”
Then I see the all-too-familiar look on her face after such a finding such a disappointment. That face is referencing the time months ago when I placed our little blog onto a design website in order to get people’s feedback, input, etc . . . and quite honestly to get “hits” for Miss Lauren.
I just didn’t think it through . . . and little did I realize the aftershocks that would wreak havoc.
That day we got close to 300 unique visitors to TFSI. On an average day now we get around 35 or so.
I text Lauren while she’s at work: “We’re getting about 25-30 hits an hour now.” She knew what I was talking about . . .
Text reply from Lauren: “What? What is going on?”
That day at work I was fairly useless just because I was watching the stats roll their way up the charts all day. It was amusing to see where people were from and to watch our little site go internationale.
I guess I just completely forgot that the site is a personal site . . . not a portfolio site or something that you’d usually put up on that design blog where I posted.
Lauren’s great at creating suspense. She’s great at keeping me listening to her . . . she’s just a fun girl to converse with. But I’m afraid this time she could be using it for personal gain.
And don’t even get me started on the whole Comments thing. She used to kind of joke with me when I got excited at my humble little blog’s gaining of a comment or two. So so sad, I know. But she’s nuts about getting comments.
She’s really become quite the little geek with TFSI. And though I’m eating it up, I thought others should know what she’s up to behind the scenes here. Keep visiting. Keep reading (as long as we’re posting stuff).
Bring it.
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Lauren - I am sooo with you here. The other night I was walking down the street wondering why some days I get more hits than others. Is it the timing of my posts? Is it the content? Is it the day of the week? Why don’t more people leave comments? Am I boring them ALL? Then I stopped on the sidewalk as I realized that I might have some sort of problem. This was after I read about support groups formed in China for people just like us. It’s good to know I’m not alone.
July 6th, 2005
1) Tiffany, you have a blog?
2) I read through all that and still no story?!? What a ripoff! I want my hit back.
July 6th, 2005
Tiffany, thank you for the support. We should start a therapy blog! And we’ll all just leave comments for each other, all day long.
DOP, you didn’t read the story? I think it’s there. You probably need to hit the reload/refresh icon a couple of times….
July 6th, 2005
I read these accounts of hits/comments desire with an uncomfortable mixture of fond sadness and amusement.
And guilt. I feel like the junkie that lived to tell the tale but did nothing to stop the youngsters from falling into the pit. I’d hoped that you would simply be immune to the disease — too free to worry or care about the trivialities of site visitation.
You’ll forever assume that the next post is the one that will really suck ‘em in. But the next post comes and goes. And you find yourself chasing another. Unfortunately, there is no cure. You’re in this mess until you shut the whole operation down.
I’m just so sorry.
But hey, this is already shaping up to be a popular post with the commenters. Perhaps it’ll keep you going until the next one!
July 6th, 2005
Lauren, nice try.
July 6th, 2005
Over 50 hits today….highest total in over a month. And what Beau said is oh so true…I will know its a problem when I begin checking OTHER PEOPLE’S “hit’s” and getting nervous for them. I may have to take a break from your site so I can forget I know where the button is.
July 6th, 2005
Kemble, I didn’t even think to go that direction with it. You’re right: Once you start clicking and “getting nervous” (hilarious) for other people’s stats, then you’ve got some deep set, major emotional issues going on.
Just *close that browser window right up.
July 7th, 2005