Hi everyone,
I’ve been thinking about my attachment to getting comments on my blog.
The main reason I’ve been craving your comments is that it’s been the only means by which I know that people are reading my posts. But I definitely don’t want anyone to feel pressured to comment. We all have enough struggles in the world without taking on more. I want my blog to be a place in which people can come to get information, to feel reassured, and to ease the isolation that can result from living with autism. While I welcome your comments, I don’t want anyone to feel obligated to leave them.
So, last night, I officially entered the 21st century and figured out a way to see how much traffic my blog generates. I’ve installed Google Analytics, which lets me know how many folks read my blog from day to day. As long as I know that people are finding my blog and reading even one article, I’m very happy. So please, feel free to read anything you like here while maintaining your anonymity and conserving your energy. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
© 2009 by Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg
Just had to comment. Just because!
Thanks for your e-mail. Will answer soon!
Not that this still won’t pick up people who are using an RSS reader, so you should assume that more people read your posts than show up in google analytics.
Good to know, NiroZ. Thank you!
This is just to wild. I was listening to Julie and Julia today on the way to work and Julie had just started her blog and was talking about checking her hits ….and I was wondering if you had this ability to see how many are reading. Huh some kind of hundreth monkey thing going on. I never feel obligated to write
usually it’s the opposite really want to but can’t slow down enough to make it happen. I do visit here pretty consistently though. Your insights hit home often for other reasons for me and because I work with some very young children that seem to be on the spectrum. It helps me to be reminded of what they are dealing with in their very young world.
You’re in for a shock when you see what your analytics results are. I don’t watch mine anymore since I no longer have any worries about whether or not I’m reaching people. You’ll be the same.
You might want to submit your blog to a few other places too, like DIGG. I usually categorise under Health. If you put links under your posts (a small template change), people will be able to easily submit the links.
My instructions for this are probably a little old now but they still work and will contain a lot more functionality now.
See: http://dominogavin.blogspot.com/2007/12/how-to-add-button-bar-of-links-to.html
Gavin, you’re right. I can’t believe how many people are reading, from all over the world!
I know that on WordPress it was quite easy to access blog stats. It HAS to have been easy if I could do it! That was when I started blogging, then I kind of gave up. May or may not resume. Nothing to do with AS there, I’m not ready to go public with that. There were other blogs I was interested in, but when I decided to join the fray, my favourite bloggers all disappeared. Musta been some kind of unseen aspie anti-midas touch or something!
But may I say once again THANK YOU to you, Rachel, and everyone else who is sharing their stories. It is very, very helpful to me here under my rock!
Hi Rachel,
I am a new reader from California. I have two sons on the autism spectrum and I like to read your perspectives. Just wanted to comment to say hello.
Hi Victoria, and welcome!
I think it’s a human need to want feedback on your words. I know I do, and I don’t say that much =)
I have a confession to make: All those times you think I’ve been going to New York to visit my dad, I’ve actually been jet-setting around the world just for the thrill of checking out your blog from such exotic places as Abu Dabai (they have GREAT hummus) and East Brisbane (a kangaroo pie worth killing for). I guess the truth will out once the next credit card bill appears…