Although, if I keep this website going until I die, I may see 100,000 subscribers, I have no hopes for such a number. But in a few months I think we’ll hit 60,000, which will make me happy (though I’d be much happer if some subscribers gave a few pounds to Feline Friends London, a no-kill cat rescue outfit that’s the Official Website Charity™).
A few minutes ago I noticed this round number:
Although the followers are actually 59,001, including me, I don’t count. Also, it’s not a “blog”, but I can’t control how WordPress characterizes.
Anyway, thanks to the faithful readers and subscribers whose comments and suggestions for me keep this site going. I’ll be back in the saddle next Caturday.
Congratulations!
It’s my 59th birthday today. 59,000 subscribers! Coincidence? Hmmm…
Congrats! I try to tell everyone I know to subscribe. Your “blog” is a guiding light.
It would be interesting to know how many of us simply read without subscribing. I really don’t want an e-mail to tell me about a post that I’ll read anyway. I’d bet the population of readers is larger than the subscribers.
I clicked ‘subscribe’ at some point, but have never gotten an email or anything. Maybe I did it wrong?
Same here. I have no idea whether I’m actually a subscriber. I think so, but I’m not sure.
Up in the left margin area there is a space to enter you email address and a button saying “sign me up”. That should get you the emails daily.
If I can subscribe without getting emails that’s fine. I just don’t want to signup for more clutter in my inbox.
There are options for one email per topic posted to the website, or for one amalgamated post per day.
Guilty as charged, although I think I’ve remedied that. I wasn’t a subscriber because I kept having issues with wordpress not recognizing my password to my aborted bl*g attempt, and they never let you go once you’ve signed up. I’ve reset it again, in order to subscribe. We’ll see how it goes.
Congrats! Still, I wonder what they really tally as a “subscriber”. Obviously, those that receive notice of posts via email count. But I don’t receive such emails. Instead, I consume it via a feed reader (Inoreader). It has its own “subscription” concept but, AFAIK, there is nothing in the RSS/ATOM protocols that requires some sort of registration with the server. On the other hand, when I comment on a post, WordPress identifies me by my email address and, when I occasionally unsubscribe from comments on a post, it mentions it as a subscription. I suspect commenting counts as a subscription in this 59,000 tally.
So who doesn’t get counted? Perhaps those that view posts anonymously via the web or a feed reader and never comment. WordPress could count anonymous visitors into the subscriber tally but this would likely count some subscribers multiple times.
FWIW, I was just a reader (and occasional commenter) until I responded to Jerry’s blandishments and registered as a subscriber to help get the site up to 50k. I now get notifications of posts in my inbox; but I usually access the site to read them because I like to read the comments as well.
I suspect merely commenting is sufficient to be counted as a subscriber. I’m certainly hoping that I am included in the 59,000.
From what I see, the commenters are a very small fraction of the total. So subscribers must mean anyone who is “following”, whatever that means. Is there a button to let WordPress know you are interested? Also, is the count of subscribers reduced when someone no longer subscribes? Or is it like the LDS Church where you’re a member for life even if you no longer wish to be.
You make a good point. I was thinking that they are really counting email addresses associated with the blog regardless of how they are obtained. But if someone commented once 10 years ago, it doesn’t seem right to count them as a subscriber.
A quick google on this subject, along with what I know of blog technology already, tells me that the subscriber count depends a lot on what software is doing the counting. This kind of slipperiness is true of web technology as a whole. Numbers like “page views”, subscribers, visits, etc. all are somewhat fuzzy and misleading. About all we can really conclude is that higher numbers are better.
“higher numbers are better”
Except when it comes to age. Not to be ageist.
I just realized I read you regularly but never signed up. I wait to see you post updates on Twitter. I just added 1 to your count.
Lately I had noticed the number of subscribers creeping up on 60,000. I’m not surprised and think it’s wonderful that such a large group of people from all over the world with several mutual interests are able to follow this exceptional site. A million thanks to PCC for the tone and content plus the efforts in organizing and also to the various contributors and commentators.
I never miss a day. I’m here in British Columbia, Canada – and each morning Kofi my cat and I (she with her warm milk and me with a large coffee) sit at computer and see what is going on with this site.
What’s in a name? That which we call a bl*g, by any other word would smell as sweet. 🙂
Wow. Now it’s up to 59,015! Fifteen more soles have been saved in just a few hours.
Just think of all the shoes! Oh, you meant “souls”. 😉
Hey, takes a real heel to point out a mistake like that. 🙂
I prefer “heal”.
No. I meant the fish. Souls don’t exist.
Thanks for the reminder about Feline Friends. I found a card I seldom use that worked.
Congratulation on 59,000 subscribers. I subscribed during the push to reach 50,000. I immediately started receiving each post as an email. I seldom read them in my email. I generally read WEIT to relax at the end of the day. It is a way to have a high point at the end of the day.
‘59,000 other amazing people’
So, how many ordinary un-amazing plebs are there? 😉
cr
… perpetually amazed