Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

Our Recent Essays Behind the Front Page

Much Sorry with Delays
Birth, Death and All That Stuff in Between
How to Honor Labor Day, Every Day
My Yom Kippur Miracle (Repost from 2010)
Good intro to fly casting
Peach update, with pie
NYC update
Easy for you to say: To the elites on mass immigration
For NYC on 9/11, Sailors' Snug Harbor
Pickled Peaches
Water Shoes
Labor Costs in U.S.
Your "identity"
Good news about The Great Courses
Uses of Hot Pepper Jelly/Sauce, Chutneys, and Jams
A Saturday Drive to Litchfield County, CT
How to Pick a Kayak
Civilized: Fruit forks and knives
Loads of kayaking on Cape Cod
Psychology Experiments' Questionable Results

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Tuesday, January 6. 2009

The 2008 Maggie's Farm Annual Report from your Editor Bird Dog

Maggie's turns three this winter. Well, more or less three. We actually opened up shop in 2005, but it was more of a practice run for about a year without stats or any visibility. That's the way these intertube thingys go - unless you're a prominent tabloid celeb already like Theo Spark or Caroline Kennedy or Jules Crittenden or Lindsay Lohan or Neoneoneo.


Fact is, we still haven't figured out how to master this blog thing, and we are happily confused about our identity. Erik Erikson would consider us "unresolved," no doubt. Are we a diary? A Kindergarten Show-and-Tell? A Punditorium? A Link Blog?


Well, we call ourselves "eclectic" and and just leave it at that. We post whatever we feel like, and whatever we stumble upon in our lives which we think needs or deserves whatever cyberspace we can offer it. (That's an awkward sentence. We specialize in those, at times. And in incomplete sentences and also in run-on sentences. We always have to dash off to feed the chickens, plow a field, or butcher an ox.)


As we have said at least once a year, readers are our only reward. In our minds, commenters even more so, but we know most people have neither the time nor the inclination.


We seem to be almost doubling our readership each year. By our internal stats (not Sitemeter) we are running around 200,000 visits/month now. (Hits mean nothing other than intertube presence, but they're around 4.5 million per month.) Sitemeter, our Webmeister tells us, isn't very accurate but is useful as a relative measure for comparison purposes. The numbers of "unique readers" is our key metric - and our readers are indeed unique.






































  Unique visitors: 60848Number of visits: 142368Pages: 586149Hits: 2427842Bandwidth: 142.09 GB Unique visitors: 62451Number of visits: 147909Pages: 631575Hits: 2670829Bandwidth: 162.42 GB Unique visitors: 134283Number of visits: 246126Pages: 907413Hits: 3803540Bandwidth: 200.05 GB Unique visitors: 76613Number of visits: 163489Pages: 647320Hits: 3052496Bandwidth: 135.23 GB Unique visitors: 76803Number of visits: 168226Pages: 646977Hits: 3332789Bandwidth: 125.27 GB Unique visitors: 70265Number of visits: 154672Pages: 603236Hits: 2932034Bandwidth: 125.92 GB Unique visitors: 82531Number of visits: 165326Pages: 626042Hits: 3519587Bandwidth: 136.64 GB Unique visitors: 62195Number of visits: 144603Pages: 530996Hits: 3244934Bandwidth: 116.10 GB Unique visitors: 74637Number of visits: 165917Pages: 579300Hits: 3418257Bandwidth: 153.49 GB Unique visitors: 84790Number of visits: 182258Pages: 659336Hits: 3916942Bandwidth: 150.38 GB Unique visitors: 96213Number of visits: 205477Pages: 1070776Hits: 4281475Bandwidth: 149.94 GB Unique visitors: 79422Number of visits: 195826Pages: 1140073Hits: 4479493Bandwidth: 137.32 GB  
  Jan
2008		 Feb
2008		 Mar
2008		 Apr
2008		 May
2008		 Jun
2008		 Jul
2008		 Aug
2008		 Sep
2008		 Oct
2008		 Nov
2008		 Dec
2008		  





















































































































Month Unique visitors Number of visits Pages Hits Bandwidth
Jan 2008 60848 142368 586149 2427842 142.09 GB
Feb 2008 62451 147909 631575 2670829 162.42 GB
Mar 2008 134283 246126 907413 3803540 200.05 GB
Apr 2008 76613 163489 647320 3052496 135.23 GB
May 2008 76803 168226 646977 3332789 125.27 GB
Jun 2008 70265 154672 603236 2932034 125.92 GB
Jul 2008 82531 165326 626042 3519587 136.64 GB
Aug 2008 62195 144603 530996 3244934 116.10 GB
Sep 2008 74637 165917 579300 3418257 153.49 GB
Oct 2008 84790 182258 659336 3916942 150.38 GB
Nov 2008 96213 205477 1070776 4281475 149.94 GB
Dec 2008 79422 195826 1140073 4479493 137.32 GB
Total 961051 2082197 8629193 41080218 1734.84 GB


Why do readership numbers matter to us? Vanity, I guess, and simple attention-seeking. (The real secret, shameful truth is that we enjoy doing this, and that we learn from doing it.)


So that's the annual Maggie's update. If you like us, do us a favor and send us around to folks who might enjoy reading us. We aren't famous - yet.


The price is right.


And, while we're on the subject, a big thanks to Chris Southern Consulting, the Vermont born-and-bred blogmeister who makes this site possible and who solves all the glitches and problems with good cheer. If you need website work, give him a shout.

Posted by Bird Dog in Our Essays at 07:44 | Comments (19) | Trackbacks (0)

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Comments? You want comments?! I got your comment right here! Seriously, thank you for one of the greatest sites out there. I visit pretty much every day, and derive great pleasure from doing so.
#1 Big___Al on 2009-01-06 08:08 (Reply)
Congratulations! I found Maggie's Farm via Jack Risko's (Dinocrat) blogroll and it is one of my top five favorite sites.

Theo's photos make it unsafe for work, and I did have to explain to my inquiring husband that I was not surfing for girly pictures. I think that, once he read the articles, he understood.
#2 D on 2009-01-06 08:17 (Reply)
I only read Maggie's Farm for the articles.
#3 Skookumchuk on 2009-01-06 08:53 (Reply)
I stumbled across Maggie around Veteran's Day, simply by entering "Veteran's Day Prayer" on my search engine of choice. I wasn't sure at first myself just what you are (if it is possible to define that beyond the mission statement in your banner) but kept getting pulled back. I have come to expect a pundit's stew involving libertarian politics, hunting, appreciation for nature which is the only art worth viewing and just the right mix of spirituality. In short, perfect. The bonus is that I now know that not everyone in New England is a sissy liberal, and that makes me feel good, knowing that I have brothers in arms in even the bluest parts of our country.
#4 ricefarm on 2009-01-06 09:23 (Reply)
Comments on The Maggie's Farm Annual Report: First, to Skookumchuk right, that's what they used to say about Playboy, too. And to Maggie's Esteemed Editor: Congrats and thanks to BD and Maggie's for an always interesting website filled with posts about topics mundane and esoteric, and the great range of reader comments elicited therefrom. Whatever Maggie's is, it works, and has the "Nielsens" to prove it, so hopefully the editors won't tinker too much with a winner.
#5 greenmtnpunter on 2009-01-06 09:26 (Reply)
Thanks to BD and gang for an always interesting and often inspiring product. Are you havin' a good time?
#6 Seppo on 2009-01-06 10:13 (Reply)
I'd call this blog a spicy stew of meat and vegetables, with a side of sourdough bread.

I forget where I first found a link to you.

I think the pix adjoining the articles enhance my enjoyment, especially those grabbed from Theo, and Gwynnie's selections.
#7 Sam Wah on 2009-01-06 10:20 (Reply)
I don't know how I found MF. I believe it was cited by Roger Simon at one point. In any case, I have found MF to informative and fun.

When I have the time, I have had good exchanges with a number of readers. There are always insightful and informed comments, which I thoroughly enjoy.

Thanks for putting up the site. Thanks to all who read and comment.
#8 Barrett on 2009-01-06 10:44 (Reply)
I love that MF can get 38 comments on a tractor post and 2 on some political event. I think that's great - the mix that allows for super commentary on the ordinary things in life and then the extraordinary when it suits. The eclectic topics are the draw as there are plenty of political blogs and world news blogs; it's fun to lose that and jump into one of MF's typical threads that wander all over the place.

Recommendation: More contests for naming things! :}
`
#9 Meta on 2009-01-06 10:49 (Reply)
I found Maggie's Farm a few month ago and it has quickly become one of my favorite daily stops on my tour of the Internet. For the same reasons as your other commenters. Thanks and keep up the good work.
#10 Sam on 2009-01-06 12:17 (Reply)
I found you via a commenter at Tim Blair's site, so the chain is New England by Virginia by Australia by Maryland. What an interesting place the internet is.

One more link: I found Theo here. Naughty, naughty.
#11 Retread on 2009-01-06 12:44 (Reply)
Let's see hunting, farming , nature, wildlife ,history and politics all on one site. And Bob Dylan too! I love this place.
#12 linda s on 2009-01-06 13:50 (Reply)
As I've stated before, Maggie's Farm is wonderful buffet of tasty offerings to suit almost any palate...enhanced by the generous sharing of knowledge and insights from the contributors to the comment section... many thanks to both departments for keeping the bar set high.

I also appreciate the wise/sophisticated ladies that visit here for understanding about the eye candy that might be seen on the farm occasionally.
#13 ron on 2009-01-06 14:50 (Reply)
I never knew rugs were eye candy. : )
#13.1 jappy on 2009-01-06 16:48 (Reply)
BD. I'm happy for yours and all the Maggie's editors success. You've truly found and intelligently filled a most needed niche.

My only wish might be that these first time or occasional commenters show up more often.
#14 Luther McLeod on 2009-01-06 23:35 (Reply)
"I love that MF can get 38 comments on a tractor post and 2 on some political event"

…well that is a true measure of discerning readership
#15 Mr Free Market (Link) on 2009-01-07 01:38 (Reply)
"…well that is a true measure of discerning readership"

Exactly. We all visit our favorite political blogs and then come here to grouse and rouse. Wonderful.
`
#15.1 Meta on 2009-01-07 11:53 (Reply)
I stop in every day or two to catch up, because I know I'll find an interesting link to at least 3 or 4 places I wouldn't have known about, on a wide variety of subjects.

Do you guys have any idea why you had a traffic spike in March 2008? That's before I was reading you here.
#16 Texan99 on 2009-01-07 12:09 (Reply)
That was a long story...
#17 Bird Dog on 2009-01-07 13:26 (Reply)

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