Both Sides of the Fence

Padraig, I wrote a blog about Jennifer Love Hewitt's butt in the past and it's my all time highest pulling entry--thousands of hits. Always glad to revisit beloved places. Here's the link--the image disappeared in the blogging software changeover, I guess: http://www.wauwatosanow.com/blogs/communityblogs/43439657.html

By the way, I will admit that of the three elements to your headline it was "Jennifer Love Hewitt's butt" that intrigued me the most.

Just start out every post with . . . (take your pick) Brett Favre is a God; or Brett Favre is a selfish prima-donna. Guaranteed couple hundred hits either way.

Seriously, though. Content is far, far more important than traffic. Check out Jefferson Davis's blog in Menomonee Falls (my hometown). He's generally despised, but his 100,000-word posts usually generate 50-plus responses. Does that make his blog great? No, hardly. It's sad, vindictive vitriol.

Or check out Dave Begel's nonsense on onmilwaukee.com. He throws written grenades on purpose to generate traffic from those who dislike him (i.e., his contention that basketball isn't the most popular sport in Milwaukee because we're racists).

Same thing is true with things like Netflix. I'm a movie fanatic and have rated a couple thousand films and wrote reviews about a couple hundred. Somehow, Netflix comes up with "rankings" for members - the more people who rely on your reviews and "star" ratings for films to decide their own viewing, the higher your personal ranking. Those who care about their personal ranking NEVER write a bad review of a film because it generates "not helpful" clicks on your reviews from those who loved the film (thus lowering your personal ranking). If I don't like a film - I say so. I don't need a higher Netlix ranking.

Last comparison: would you rather be the WWE wrestling or Frontline of the web?

Christine...

I have to agree with you. I have learned that traffic is not highly correlated with effort.

'Tis better to let the spirit move you and forget the extra effort.

And if you really want to get things going you should make some trouble from-time-to time.

Christine...

I have to agree with you. I have learned that traffic is not highly correlated with effort.

'Tis better to let the spirit move you and forget the extra effort.

And if you really want to get things going you should make some trouble from-time-to time.

I'd say keep doing what you are doing. I think your blog is quite good.

Admit it: you wouldn't have read this if I'd called it "A Quaker Lady's Pome (sic) about Shoveling Snow."

I've been trying to figure out what my stats mean. There's a shocking disconnect between how much time and research goes into a piece and how many people read it.

Ruby Bridges (a couple dozen readers) loses out to Sarah Palin (hundreds and hundreds of readers) every time. And that's so sad because I want to learn from the very best things people do, not the merely attention-getting.

Since the Journal has made these blogs essentially unsearchable, it's sort of a moot point anyway. But a girl's gotta try stuff out.

What, dear readers, do you want to see here? And if we write it, will you come?

Re: Glenn Beck, Jennifer Love Hewitt's butt, and crime in Wauwatosa

I've been hood-winked by a peace-loving middle-aged Quaker?! LOL. You got me good; thought "this I gotta read" !

Wow, what's with the crickets, Christine?
Nice poem!