Bioethics, healthcare policy, and related issues.
. . . we’ve been Feministing-dotted!
[UPDATE: And now Pandagon-dotted! Welcome, Pandas!]
[UPUPDATE: And Feministe-dotted! And Alternet-dotted! Thanks, all!]
This blog has been up for a year, and now averages about 30 hits a day. You can imagine how thrilled I am. But just now I noticed I had received close to well over 200 hits in less than 3 hours, and the rocket shows no signs of decelerating. WTF? Quick inspection (love that Sitemeter!) demonstrated that it’s all coming by way of a link from Jessica at Feministing, to my post about the dumbass who posted screens and screens of rant about a wholly fictional article on abortion from The Onion, of all places.
For this, I can only say: Thank you, Jessica! – and Feministing! – and the Feminist Blogs aggregator! (all linked to the right)
And now let me say this about that . . .
First, welcome, all Feministingers! Delighted to have you here, and very flattered to be linked by a great blog I read each and every day. [UPDATE: Special shoutout to my homies in Hayward, and Castro Valley, California! I grew up in Castro Valley, graduated from CV High, and never looked back. I was shocked to see you in the visitor stats - but welcome!] You’re exactly the audience I want to be in touch with.
And that’s what prompts these comments. Not to sound like a completely shameless blogwhore, but, now that you’re here, stick around! Read a few posts! Post a few comments (believe me, there’s room)! More than anything, tell me what you think, how this blog tickles your bioethics fancy, and what you’d like to see here.
I know this sounds pathetic, but I’ve been trying to build readership for a year, and can’t seem to find the formula. As both my regular readers know, my penchant is for longer-form essays on more theoretical issues in healthcare policy and ethics. This is not to say I don’t frequently take time out to rip some right-wing dipshit a much-deserved new one, but many of my posts are more discursive than brief commentary. And I don’t do “Friday Random Ten”. That’s just me. (See the FAQ for some light on why.) Maybe it’s not what blog-readers want. But I can’t help thinking there’s some sort of an audience for me out there. And if there is, that audience will be one with progressive values, strong feminist leanings, science-literate, with an eye for detail and a respect for argumentation. And I suspect much of that audience is already at the blogs I read and respect, such as the ones in my (very selectively chosen) blogroll. I think I’m posting things they (you) would find worthwhile, and I wish I could get the out to that wider audience.
I don’t know if I just have too low a profile, or if I’ve been tried and found wanting. But for those of you here the first time, consider coming back. Those of you who blog, please consider linking when you think there’s something here worth reading. You are the people I want to be in community with. Send me some feedback, drop me a line, let me know if what I’m offering fits a need you have.
And thanks again, for linking and for coming by. Hope to see you again.
10 Responses to “Holy Third Wave, Batman! . . .”
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July 7th, 2006 at 3:20 PM
[...] [Note to visitors from Feministing: Hello! Glad to have you here.] [...]
July 7th, 2006 at 4:37 PM
Hi there — go comment more at other people’s blogs. That helped me build readership.
The other thing is that I read you mostly in Bloglines — only clicking over if I have something to say or if I want to mention you in a post.
As I did.
More Stupids on Parade
July 7th, 2006 at 4:51 PM
Ditto to what Liz said. The moment I started commenting on other people’s blogs, my readership jumped from 15 per day to 50 and sometimes more like 70. The challenge is finding new blogs to read and comment on, while at the same time posting good material so that people keep coming back. Though, don’t post a comment like, “Come read my blog at jfjd.blogspot.com!” That can be really annoying.
July 7th, 2006 at 9:59 PM
As someone who regularly reads and enjoys this blog, I suppose all I can say is that perhaps the fact that it is focussed on what some might see as a technical area and the long essay style deter new readers. However, that is far from a criticism. It just means that it will be that much harder to build up new readers. Keep at it, and over time I’m sure your readership will improve.
July 8th, 2006 at 3:58 PM
I got here from Pandagon. Sorry I hadn’t read about you earlier.
July 8th, 2006 at 9:48 PM
I jumped on the bandwagon MONTHS ago
July 8th, 2006 at 10:58 PM
[...] [Note to visitors from Pandagon: Welcome! Glad to have you here.] [...]
July 8th, 2006 at 11:03 PM
I came over thanks to feministing, but the hunt for good blogment is an ongoing proposition. You have *a* readership (mine’s confined to friends and family right now) that will undoubtedly grow with time. Hang in there, I think you’re posting very interesting stuff and will continue to visit.
mps in CA
July 10th, 2006 at 1:53 PM
Thanks for the visits, and the advice.
You’re all right about posting more comments. I go in waves on that – sometimes making a big effort, other times less so. And I do notice that it has a noticeable effect on traffic – but usually by only about 10 hits a day or so, roughly equal to the number of comments I’m able to post in my spare time. I can’t possibly generate a large amount of traffic that way. I kept thinking there’d be an additive effect – I’d get 10 new readers, then 10 more, etc. – but what I find is that when I ease up the pressure to post comments, the readership drops off, meaning most of the new visitors are drive-bys.
I also have a habit of posting more comments – usually critical – on right-wing Web sites than on progressive ones, which is probably counterproductive. They don’t learn anything, and they don’t become readers, while I’m missing out on connecting to the progressive community. I should stop that.
But, in contrast, just getting linked by several high-volume Web sites (all on the same one or two posts) has given me over 1,500 hits in less than 4 days! – or roughly one third of the total traffic I’ve seen in the entire 5 months or so I’ve been monitoring it. It seems obvious that links, not comments, drive traffic.
So I’m torn between doing my own thing and hoping to find an audience that likes it, and consciously trying to get linked by powerbloggers. I wasn’t trying to generate traffic with the Margaret Sanger and “Onion” posts – I don’t actually think they’re my best posts. But, totally by surprise, they hit a nerve and my traffic jumpted by a factor of almost 20. So the temptation is to keep trying to poke somebody’s buttons over at Pandagon or Feministe in order to siphon off some of their readers – but that’s not respectful to them or to myself.
So this sudden upsurge is really gratifying, but I presume it’s temporary, and I don’t know what to do to generate anything like that much interest solely on my own efforts.
Let me explain, too, that my concern is not just that I want people to know me or my blog. I blog about issues I care about a lot, and am also involved in teaching and studying on a professional level. I want to participate in affecting and hopefully resolving the issue that come up here. I want an audience in order to be part of the debate that’s going on on these things. So lack of readership is not a problem of loneliness or rejection, but of practical isolation that frustrates me a great deal in regard of my professional ambitions. (My sex life – now that’s a matter of loneliness and rejection.)
Anyway, thanks again for some good advice, and your words of support. Much appreciated.
July 10th, 2006 at 3:51 PM
KTK:
We’ve had some similar frustration at Lean Left. Every now and again, when we want to drive traffic, we’ll intentionally post some flame about science fiction or comic books, totally unrelated to the stated purpose of the blog. These almost invariably draw the most comments.
Of course, there’s quantity, and there’s quality. By far my most-commmented-upon thread ever has been this one, which continues to receive comments to this day. I rater doubt the thread itself is destined for a pulitzer, never mind the comments!