Thanks Readers!

I grateful in this season of thanksgiving for our readership… surprised but very grateful.

I took a look through our server stats this morning and was surprised — and pleased — to find that regular readership has fallen off amazingly little since the referendum campaign. By my estimates we’ve only lost about 17% of “daily checkers” since our previous “normal” readership high a couple of weeks before the election. (We had a big spike around the election itself, but I don’t consider that regular readership.) Readership continues to build, albeit slowly. 220-230 different people visit each day (if you visit more than once this stat doesn’t count repeat visits in the daily count). Regular readership, counting folks who don’t visit every day but do check in regularly every few of days is probably 2 to 3 times that number.

That’s surprising since that’s a large number (IMHO) for what is pretty much a one town/one issue blog–and a pretty damn technical issue at that. I’ve always been a bit perplexed about the level of interest, gratified and thrilled, but confused. And I’d have thought that interest would have fallen off sharply after the electorials success. A sort of “OK, now that’s done” effect. I no longer post daily with any consistency and my posts are ‘too long’ both factors which usually reduce readership. So…

That readership remains strong is worth speculating about. I’ve looked over the posts and come to two conclusions: 1) People don’t think this fight is over and remain interested in the status of the ongoing fight. and 2) People are particularly interested in posts that look forward and try and figure out what possibilities the future brings.

About the first rationale, the fight not being over, the best response is probably to continue doing what we’ve been doing in the blog–fight. About the second, that folks appear to be most interested in possibilites I think we can do much more dreaming than we have. After all its worthwhile to try and understand what we would be fighting for. Look for more posts in that vein and maybe even some white-paperish things back in the long-neglected more permanent side of the blog.

Thanks, readers.

67 thoughts on “Thanks Readers!”

  1. I’m still here, though obviously I don’t post much any more. I will say that the BS belligerance should have been expected and included in the “business plan.” This is but one reason why it will prove to have been far too optimistic. I will also say that the use of the power of one branch of government is not, in and of itself, any worse than the use of the power of another branch, unless you believe that “might in numbers makes right” is morally superior “might in dollars makes right.” A pox on both your houses.

    David in Grand Coteau

    ps, y’all try to catch one or both of Terry’s upcoming country music shows at the Liberty in Eunice.

  2. Hi David,

    Glad to see you still number among the readers here even if we do continue to disagree.

    Folks did anticipate BS’ “belligerence”–it’s an extremely reliable part of their strategy and I do think folks have said so since the beginning. The question is what to do about it. In truth, not much is possible. One can only try to demonstrate that 1) it isn’t going to work to completely stop the onset of competition and 2) that there is at least some PR cost to be paid for abusing the system to delay that competition. Really, I think you’d be with me on this one.

    As to your ambiguous “powers of government” remark I’m not sure what you are alluding to. But my guess is that a proper response from me would be that yes, I do believe that local government is actually closer to the people than the feds and that the feds ought to leave us alone to go our own way. And that, ceteris paribus, the state should refrain from telling local governments how to run their business–especially at the behest of self-serving corporations. But you’ll have to be more specific about the issue if I am to flesh that position out with an actual argument. 🙂

    I didn’t know that Terry was doing a show in Eunice. Can you point me to a reference? Thanks.

  3. Sustained following of the LUS story?? You betcha. Very interested in LUS!! In 1993, I suggested a fiber run to the dead wrong building (read MCI POP) in Tennessee. B.S. Inc (Big Sam 🙂 ) dragged my company to the county executive to debate about fiber versus copper (duh!) . B.S. FUD abounded! We PULLED the FIBER!! Press on, Lafayette!

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