Okay, I admit I had no idea my stats were this good and I risk being thought of as a swelled head by posting it at all, but I was thinking I was lucky to get a hundred hits a day here at Wintersong. At some point I realized that writing posts was basically for me, because otherwise I have no discipline to write the things I always wanted to write down for posterity or whatever, or just to confirm that when I die there’s something left behind that show that I was not only here, but tried to do more than occupy space and use up resources. Not that Wintersong is any great achievement, but the stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:
The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow. Candy (my English prof in the mid-80s at Ohio State) was right that I’d find my voice (and presumably my audience) if I just didn’t give up. What does this all mean? I guess it confirms that I’m a blogger now. So, barring future disasters similar to the one from early 2010, I’ll keep going.
Crunchy numbers
About 3 million people visit the Taj Mahal every year. This blog was viewed about 34,000 times in 2010. If it were the Taj Mahal, it would take about 4 days for that many people to see it.
In 2010, there were 108 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 598 posts. There were 189 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 7mb. That’s about 4 pictures per week.
The busiest day of the year was December 14th with 231 views. The most popular post that day was Party Christmas Story for Random Gift Exchange.
Where did they come from?
The top referring sites in 2010 were urban-archology.blogspot.com, mail.yahoo.com, Google Reader, facebook.com, and google.com.
Some visitors came searching, mostly for peruvian food, male eggplant, wintersong, nance dude, and wright family christmas story.
Attractions in 2010
These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.
Party Christmas Story for Random Gift Exchange December 2007
7 comments
Choosing the Best Eggplant: Boy or Girl? July 2008
36 comments
Another Story for a Random Party Gift Exchange December 2008
5 comments
Headstone Humor . . . Here Lies: August 2007
3 comments
Nance Dude Legend by Maurice Stanley August 2007
68 comments
My Wintersong 
Sometimes it’s just incredible to look at how many people view and how few comment, isn’t it?
You’re so right. I was truly surprised. When I visit a blog, known or unknown, I read it as though it’s a conversation between myself and the blogger and there’s almost always something I want to say. Most of the time I do and only hope it makes sense to the blogger.
When you have said it so well, what else is there to say? I must admit many times I want to reply but it feels superfluous and not always appropriate to the moment. I am not experienced with blogging.
Ah Sue, you should never feel compelled to comment if you’d rather not. When you do, that means more than it might otherwise. I am surprised how much I like hearing other people talk back though.
Congratulations, Alice! I can see why your blog has become so popular and I don’t think you’ve written something here I haven’t read and enjoyed. It does make you want to keep going when you see the stats, doesn’t it?
You’re so nice to say that Edna. I suspect some are just surfing in and find themselves there accidentally. Whether they come again is the question. I don’t think blogging is dying as much as Facebook and Twitter might have you think, do you? Especially among that group of us who still write in complete sentences.
Oh, Alice, great stuff. Look at those eggplant count the visitors tho.
Yes, you have found your voice, and I often wish you would post more often so I could hear it. Selfish of me, I know.
To referring site me? Yes, I check often…but what does referring mean, I wonder. Showing up? That’s certainly me eager to learn something new.
Happy New year to you. 🙂
I’m not sure what that means either, Mage, but sure am glad to have you around. Yes, that eggplant story surprised me, and so does Nance Dude. I’ve heard from so many of Nance’s relatives and the story continues to intrigue a lot of us. There was a movie rumored to be in production, but I don’t know what ever happened to it. I’m always elated when I read a book that later is translated into a movie. So whatever that referring site means, thank you, Mage.
Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That’s cool!!! However, I’m not surprised — your blog is definitely excellent!!!!
The passing of the old year and welcoming the new is not only for examining what we need to change. It should also be a time of celebrating what we accomplished, what gave us joy, what blessings were showered down on us.
And besides all that, your graphs, crunchy numbers and other wintersong facts give hope and encouragement to those of us (that’s me) who are still plodding and struggling. I’m in the midst of a break and look forward to my regular treks to your blog. May your 2011 stats, both in blogosphere and out, be even better!
Oh Alice, I am so very proud of you. You know I have loved your writing since we used to sit around the table reading our stuff to each other. You have truly found your voice; I actually learned so much about myself way back then, mainly, that I was not a writer but a visual artist and that was where I should focus my energies. Today you are an aclaimed blogger and I am being written about in magazines. Isn’t life grand!
Enjoy India.
I’m one of the Google reader people! And I tend to run about a month behind – sorry about that!
I’m pleased but not surprised at how popular your stories are.