The Before They Became Commercial Studio Demos Album
I haven't read much about statistics, but I know the adage 'you can prove anything with statistics' and I know that you only need to ask a handful to get a consensus.
On Twitter I read everything from everyone I follow, including their blog posts, I know I'm in a minority. When someone tweets a pic via TwitPic (or similar) it shows how many views this receives. On average my pics receive 10% of my follower count. I've noted the same goes for others, including the likes of Stephen Fry.
In the first few months of using Twitter I had just one follower, a friend who went to work for Twitter in 2007, I wouldn't write specifically for him or even assume he would read it. So why do I now assume with 300 followers that more than 10% are reading? I do fear that since noticing there is a way of counting beans I've inadvertently become a bean counter. Like the king in his counting house, whilst he's counting it, he's not earning it. So whilst I'm figuring out which blog stat counter is the most effective I'm not doing anything constructive. Counting the beans does not increase the stats it only lets me know a number.
My early experience of Twitter was straight-forward, and distractions like these now detract from it. More importantly I don't know if the early church kept a record of 'converts' but I know we do now.
May 25th, 2010 - 14:02
“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” (Acts 2:41).
This is why I removed all counters/Feedjits etc from my blog (and then killed that blog). You become obsessed if you have a certain nerdy brain like mine.
I keep Google Analytics, because that’s my job anyway. And it’s so sad trying to track today’s hits on GA that you don’t bother.
May 25th, 2010 - 14:19
Gary is right with the verse from Acts, but I’m not sure that you can extrapolate any general trend from one data point.
I work really hard not to try and keep track of blog hits and such because it breeds all kinds of insecurities and obsessions in my I-want-everyone-to-love-me personality.
May 25th, 2010 - 14:30
It’s very poor statistics indeed to extrapolate anything from one data point. I just thought it was an amusing response.
The old saying is, if I remember it correctly, that you don’t make a pig any fatter by weighing it. On the other hand, if you don’t weigh it you won’t know if it’s on the right diet.
May 25th, 2010 - 15:11
About a week ago, I wrote on my facebook wall thingy something along the lines of, “I was thinking about joining Twitter, but decided the last thing I need right now is another way to feel ignored.”
I took it down about ten minutes after thinking it was rather negative and rubbishly insucure…
Odd thing is, in the time between it being posted and being removed it managed to pick up a ‘Like’. I can’t possibly tell who else read it in that time and if it made them feel different about what they felt, but it was an interesting indicator of what we are doing all the time. I thought the comment had gone unnoticed, much as my everyday actions but it made me aware I’m always affecting someone and someone is affecting me. Its not very normal for someone to shout, “Well done!” or “Well said!” at me across a street but in online forums I feel left out if I don’t get that red flag with at least a ’1′ in it…
May 25th, 2010 - 15:18
(not that you get a red flag with a zero…)
May 26th, 2010 - 04:20
Depends on why you blog / tweet. If its something for you as a means of self expression, then I’d recommend ignoring all stats. If you’re trying to get a message across / campaign etc., then numbers matter.
May 26th, 2010 - 05:46
I knew you were leaving a funny comment, Gary. I tried (and failed) to reply in kind!
June 2nd, 2010 - 07:41
I liked/read/clicked/watched/followed this
June 27th, 2010 - 00:53
I passed this way as well!
I moved from WordPress to Blogger because I didn’t want to keep track of numbers, was becoming too obsessive!