Although I have been writing this blog since July 2009, I still don’t feel like an experienced blogger. As an example, Blogspot collects certain information about my blog that is available to me, but I only recently clicked on a mysterious tab labeled “Stats.” When I clicked on it I discovered that Blogspot has been collecting various statistics relating to my blog since May 2010. Now, I regard myself as a fairly humble person, and so I was greatly surprised to learn that my blog has had 5,146 page views since May. Because of the specific nature of my blog, I'm assuming that 5,146 page views represents a rather small audience in the world of blogging. Interestingly though, I may have reached more people through my blog postings than as a result of my published books and journal articles. Another surprise (to me anyway) is the geographical location of my readers. Here are the top five countries where page views have originated from since May:
Mr. Catton of
The Importance of Guerrilla Warfare, 25 March 2010
Flags of Confederate Trans-Mississippi Units, 6 March 2010
Funny you should mention the "Stats" tab. I just discovered it yesterday, and it was interesting to see these stats and compare them to my StatCounter ones.
ReplyDeleteI also noticed foreign visitors, which surprised me. I know some have come from Google Image searches for things like "Chain Bridge", which exists in Hungary and in D.C. However, I think a few others that I have might be spammers gathering info from Internet searches. Of course, I am sure there are legit foreign readers. For example, there is a sizeable reenactment community in the UK which may read about the war on-line. As you point out, it would be interesting to know about the overseas readers' thoughts on the topics we blog about.
Dear Ron,
ReplyDeleteIn my innocence I had not considered the idea that spammers might be visiting my website. That probably accounts for some of the page views from foreign readers. I've heard that a number of Germans are interested in "our" war besides the contingent that you mentioned in the UK. So far, none of my foreign readers have responded, so for now, their thoughts on my topics remains a mystery.
Hi... I'm one of the foreigners (France) and i come here (and other blog like TOCWOC, CIVIL WAR BOOKS & AUTHORS, etc.) for... the informations about the civil war, and specially for the forgotten front of the Trans-Mississippi.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to find any info about the war in french, i think only McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom has been translated, so i rely on anything i can read on book or blog on the net.
I'm also a wargamer and i want to know a max of the era that i play, and i have to admit, the civil war fascinate me since my childhood because i love a comic call "Les Tuniques Bleues/The Bluecoats" that set the action for some books during the war.
I try to buy a lot of books when i have some money (love the net for that, it's more easier now than 20 year's ago :p) and your blog (and the others) help me a lot for that. ;)
Joel
Bonjour!
ReplyDeleteI'm delighted to read a comment from a foreign reader. Your mention of a comic book reminded me of a Civil War comic book that I loved to read as a child. Unfortunately, I have no recollection of the title, and the comic book was discarded at some point. Still, it helped inspire my interest in the American Civil War. I take for granted the availability of Civil War books, and I had given little thought to Civil War buffs in other countries who are not native English speakers. You are to be admired for your persistence, and I hope that you keep reading my blog. Thank you for your comment!