For those of you who use Blogger, have you noticed that there is a new tab on the Blogger Dashboard? It's the Stats tab. I am not a fan. A few times I have thought about using some sort of stats tracker on my blog, but I have ALWAYS stopped myself.
The main reason, I don't want to become obsessed with numbers. I tend to do that, you know. When I was on facebook, I loved adding friends so that I could have more friends than ... {insert name of someone I know}. Then I would get frustrated because I really didn't know some of my 'friends'. Technically I knew everyone I was friends with; however, knowing is kind of a loose term, maybe I was friends with their sister, had been to their house once and saw their picture on the mantle. You know things like that. It was about the quantity not the quality.
I think I was trying to prove my "coolness" with the number of friends I had. I have never thought of myself as being very cool, and I thought that this would work. It didn't work, and eventually for many other reasons, I took myself off facebook and concentrated on the blog. I don't know how many people read this little spot on the Internet. The only way I know someone is reading is when someone tells me they read it, or they leave a comment. I am quite content in my ignorance.
The problem is now that tab is there, calling to me,
"Find out how many people read your blog. You have to find out; you need to look the Stats button".
As wonderful as it has been living in ignorance, a part of me wants to know. In all honesty, it shouldn't matter. I love blogging, and I absolutely adore the people I have met, and absolutely love those I have been able to keep in touch with. I don't need to know how many people read my blog.
{Perhaps this little dilemma is a little pointless, as is this blog post. However, that's why I have a blog -to be able to write what is on my mind. Nice, right? The inner workings of my mind, aren't we all lucky?}
Just like on Facebook, it isn't quantity, it is definitely is about quality, and I know that I have that.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for not judging. Thank you for being my friends.
{Even the ones I know read this blog, but don't leave comments. In fact, they are some of my favorites. Most of them share a last name, have shared a last name, or at some point someone in our families shared a last name. Love you, mean it.}
I don't want to look, but I probably will.
14 comments:
I can understand your point of view. Just Fyi, I don't think the stats are accurate, at least not on my blog. It will tell me only 10 people looked at a page when I have 15 comments. Um, how does that work? I figure I'm just an idiot but I'm pretty sure they are off.
I had resisted looking until you wrote this, but then I had to. I suspect Bridget is right and that they're not entirely accurate, but it's still interesting.
Stats are always fun...that's why I have the map on my blog. I'm totally interested in how many countries I can get a dot on. I'm a dork!!
Met your husband yesterday, so nice!! Maybe one day we'll all be at a post together?!
All that matters is I am a secret stalker of your blog :)
I love to checj your blog every friday night... its nice to know what is going on in your life...
Just keep going girl!!!
Stats are all over the place, depending upon whose you're using. That said, I love to look at them just to see how people are finding me and where they're coming from.
I hadn't noticed that button until you pointed it out. I don't think that the statistics factor in views from cell phones. We use Feedjit because I would rather know that people are reading and where they are than be surprised when someone tells me in person. That always catches me off guard. But I'd noticed that views via cell phones are never included in those statistics. So really, you can never know just who all is really reading about your life. But I bet it's more than you've ever considered, because you're blog is awesome.
Now you have peaked my curiosity. I am going to have to go look at my stats! I wonder what draws us to stats in the first place? Is it the need to be accepted or loved? Hmmm. Food for thought!
I just have to say that I love reading about your adventures. Although, I'm a silent reader and don't comment but I subscribe through Google Reader and read every post you put out there for us to read. The food looks so good! Keep it up! Your family is beautiful. Tell Ben hello from me!
I never even noticed that button - good thing you pointed it out! It's probably some kind of sign that I should stop stalking ex-boyfriends and people I hated in high school because now they'll know about it ;)
Ugh thanks a lot. I never saw that until you brought it up and I don't dare click it. I'm pretty sure your the only one who reads mine. Which is fine, You always leave great comments, but 1 is a lonely number to see so I'm not going to click it! ( or maybe I will...shoot)
I didn't know about this! Now I'm gonna go look!
I hadn't noticed that option yet either and I can tell you now that I will avoid it as well. There are times when we think alike.
Holy crap, who ARE these people and how did they find me with such odd misspellings of my name?! Seriously, I hadn't noticed that button till now - thanks! The page views should always be low, because I don't think it counts when people read your posts through an RSS feed. (I <3 Google Reader, because it tells me lots of other stats about blogs though!)
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