Milestone Time

We haven't mentioned it so far, because the counter went up six weeks after Also Also did, making the real count a forever mystery. But we do note with pride that the 20,000th page was viewed during last week's Google BRAC assault, as well as the 10,000th unique visitor. Considering that both were achieved in about 3 months, we consider that a success. We're no Daily Kos, but then again we only pay $5 a month in hosting fees, so we couldn't handle the traffic anyway. 

Thanks for coming to Also Also. If you got here as the result of a search, please have a look around and comment if you're so inclined. We're small enough still that we almost always respond. If you're a regular-ish reader of A2, thanks for sticking with us and we hope you'll keep coming back.

On to 50,000!

Comments

[mcbokonon]

Congrats and good luck. I check here at least every other day, but it's usually just to see what you guys are saying about things I've generally come across anyway. I think you have a good thing going. I hope it gets to a point where you can focus more time on it because I think, if you have the freedom to do so, you could pull off some Kos-like blog frenzies. I admire Zap's willingness to drill deep into an issue and, to a lesser extent, torrid's ability to defend his already-decided position to the death.

Take care.

[Torrid]

thanks--I think. :)

[Zap]

Well, subtracting one unique and 60 or so hits still keeps us above 20k. I just can't accept hits from McB as relevent to the cause. ;)

In reflection, it's interesting how wanting to write a blog and actually doing it changed my thinking. At work, I'm known as a "market maker." I teach others how to develop their own market, and I did want to work Also Also the same way. Promote it. Build it. Become popular. Have something meaningful to add. All that attention whoring business.

Underlying (overriding actually) all that was an honest desire to become a better writer. If I'm to believe others, I have a gift for words-- a succinct and convincing way of explaining my position. But that's verbal and when I'm "comfortable with my brief." So, I've had people telling me I should be a writer since high school 25 years ago. I even wrote a bad novel once, but it was better than McB's. Speaking and writing are two different things and improvement comes slowly.

Somewhere in the middle of this 4 month exercise, I lost interest in the hit count. During the Schiavo ordeal I didn't check traffic for some three weeks. I was ahead of the news cycle on BRAC, and then the media gave the story one whole day of attention, so the traffic generated was kind of satisfying. Torrid experienced the same with the WA Gov business.

So, McB, I know some think this blog is pure attention whoring, but it isn't. I'm barely curious about hit counts and disinterested in Kos-like swarms. What it is is a place for me to try to improve my writing, get things off my chest, and try to focus on important topics that: a] interest me, b] I think should have more traction, or c] I have a sort of unique opinion.

Those three concerns have made this blog a necessity for me whether anyone comes by and reads or not. I also wish I had more time. In the last two days, I've saved links for and outlined six different posts that I probably will never complete. I'll get to a couple of them, but not all six.

The best news is that I am cured of arguing on "forearms" with... jerks and fools. On that note, I know Torrid is familiar with your independent political opinions, and if you ever have the need to vent, and want to throw it up here... feel free to submit something as a guest writer. My brother will be submitting a post here and there this summer, maybe.

Thanks for checking us out regularly, and sorry I never got around to that Buchanan piece on the evils of democracy. :)

[mcbokonon]

I know you're not worried about hit counts, but hoping for a lot of them isn't a bad thing.

As far as arguing on "forearms" with jerks and fools, I've been less inclined to do so, as well. Every now and then I'll slip up and try to present an actual argument, but mostly I just kill time at work by making silly remarks to the trolls.

Thanks for the invite to submit something here. I'll certainly consider it. And as far as not reading that Buchanan piece, you missed out on some of the most rational writing by a self-absorbed maniac to date! :)

Also....also! My novel could beat up your novel.

[Ronald Rutherford]

I too hope that this blog becomes a little more robust and dynamic. Of course I do not want you to become Kos.
When a stupid picture of the president in front of a rear blade of a helicopter gets over 137 comments within a few hours. Who wants to wade through that much garbage? It was taken with a telephoto lense bringing him and the blade closer than it actually is and the blade was stopped.
As far as linking you also seem to link to both sides of the debate which is helpful in finding the truth. Where as :"THE DAILY KOS LINK POLICY
Link policy. As you can no doubt tell, I am extremely stingy on links."
My advice is to also link to points of view similar and opposite of yourself and not use links only to Also Also as progressnow does.
Again I wish for you to blog-on.

[Torrid]

Thank you Ronald. You're welcome any time, and I appreciate your ability to respond levelheadedly.

As for pictures see the one we posted with Byrd and Warner. That's our kind of picture.

[Kevin]

Congrats, guys! You certainly exploded on the blogosphere scene with a bang. I think the trifecta of A2, PK and HorsesAss covering the Washington Gubernatorial situation really benefitted all three blogs. The impact on A2 was probably more pronounced in part because you were so new.

As of about one minute ago PK is 2 unique visits shy of 50K. But, we've been around for almost exactly one year too. I remember well the days when getting more than 50 visits per day seemed like real progress. Then it was 80... then 100 and so on. Now if we get less than 200 in a day it's a slow day. LOL

It's all about growing pains. You guys have a great format and are each articulate. That bodes well for your future success.