I thought you might be interestd to hear how the blog is developing.
The first entry was on 30th of January. Making the blog 4 months old. During that time I have been surprised at how it has grown. Admitedly I know little about blogs and not much more about the web – so perhaps my surprise just reflectes my ignorance.
But I am surprised.
Almost everyday people log on and read from the following countries: Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, China (Hong Kong), Czech Republic, Eire, France, Germany, GB, Greece, Holland, India, New Zealand, Norway, The Philipines, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland and the USA. This is the everyday list. There is a longer list of of countries who are more sporadically heard from.
Of course I have no idea who most of you are. But I don’t need to. What matters is that already, just four months in, if you post a comment, pose a question or proffer an idea or thought on this blog, it will be read by interested people from around the globe. You could, perhaps, ask a question of someone in any of those places. They might not care to answer but then again they might.
In terms of the number of visitors and how many pages you look at, the site expanded hugely in the last month. 12900 page loads this last month alone. And the statistic that pleases me most, is that the bulk of visitors stay and read for more than half an hour and roughly a third stay an hour or more. So much for the famous shortening attention span!
This is YOU doing this. YOU making a community. YOU reading, thinking and some of you leaving comments for the rest of us to read.
I don’t konw who you are, but I would like to thank you.
So thanks!
This is excellent news Golem, but you deserve it, you are a very hard working blogger! One can only hope that the people who matter will read this – but if only they'd done what you suggested two years ago, we might not be in this mess.
c.a.macleod,
Thank you. Wouldn't it be fasinating to know what some of bankers or experts' would make of our opinions?
You never know.
In the mean time just emntion the blog to the odd person and maybe we'll continue to grow.
Thanks again.
One suggestion
It is sometimes difficult from your titles to trace back to content — and no Search function.
I was lucky to find your's on the FDIC & Regionals, Death and Disease in Bankland I think .Used here —
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/may/24/world-markets-shaky-european-debt-crisis
with publicity for this site .
Maybe you could make the titles more informative ?" FDIC and the Regionals" not sexy, but straight there .
I come here everyday , nuff said !
Dear Mr. Golem, you fully deserve the response because of your excellent writing, the command of your subject – and your versatility; your last posting a meta posting about the blog! Good thinking, always something new!
Golem
I agree with the all the comments above. It really is an excellent blog.
Have you thought of writing a book?
Ned
Golem
I've been reading your analysis since 2008, initially began to look out for your postings on the Guardian and now this blog. Your site and Max Keiser/Stacy Herbert's site are daily reads. Down here in NZ the financial and economic news is delivered like the results of sports matches (up down down up), and sports matches are analysed on national news in absurd detail. Hence profound political economic naivety, and, like in the past, if a war is coming, New Zealanders will be equipped to fight whatever enemy the financial class directs them too (being well versed in sports metaphors), but will be hopelessly ill equipped to account for the dogmatic financial insanity that has put them in the situation. Mainstream news seems so irrelevant and saccharine compared to the work you are doing.
B Burns
Barnet Burns
Very much my impression . Went to see my Ma Far North feb 2008. OTOH is there a country in the world where the level of public discourse is much higher ?
Dave
I wouldn't be without my regular helping Golem XIV. It brightens my day! Keep up the great work Mr Golem, though I expect the DIY is falling a bit behind…
DIY's a disaster mate!
Frog2 – Search function. Light bulb ON. Genius! I just never thought of it. I have no idea how to do it either. I'll see if I can find out how and do it. So if I fall silent for the next three months you'll all know why and who to blame.
As for the rest of you – THANK YOU!!
Great blog – Thanks for all the effort, keep up the good work.
Another idea – links to other blogs. Sometimes you can get linked back to, which would help to further increase readership.
I'm one of your regular visitors from France. Like others, I too, followed your postings in The Guardian's CiF section and have bookmarked a direct link to these. Your blog is even better since you have more freedom to comment on what is happening, whether or not it is considered "newsworthy" by The Guardian.
Keep writing, please – I will keep reading and spreading the word. I would love to be able to join in sometimes, but I imagine like a good many people the financial world appears too arcane to decipher. That is your forte, and I learn something every time you write – and I find myself a little more knowledgeable and better able to explain to others. Thank you.