Wow: sunrise, sunset and all of that sentimental crap - it really does seem like I just put up a post about our first anniversary:
- One year, 1.5 million page views, 19,838 referrers, 13,817 comments, 7162 entries, 311 blogcritics
Our second year has been a textbook case of adjusting to success; growing pains; questions about focus, priorities, scope; lubricating the inherent friction of a "big tent" organization; and carving out our own little corner of cyberspace. I know one thing: there really isn't any other site quite like Blogcritics. The advertisers don't know what the hell to make of us.
Check out the second year numbers: we did 1.5 million pageviews in the first year, we did 4 million pageviews the second year, for a total of almost 5.5 million; 19,838 sites linked to us the first year, 47,312 the second year for a total of 67,150; 13,817 comments the first year, 61,177 the second year, for a total of 74,994, astronomical growth; there were 7162 entries the first year, 10, 140 the second, for a total of 17,302; and we had 311 members after a year, we have 522 now, and we are actively looking for new members.
More great accomplishments of our second year: we now make review copies of CDs, DVDs, concert tickets, books, etc., available to our members, AND our reviews are shared with hundreds of thousands of additional readers through placement on Advance Internet websites.
Thanks to all of our writers, readers and those who help support the site via Amazon and MusicStack purchases, contributions, and Blogcritics mechandise. With costs rising, we need your help now more than ever.
We are in the middle of a major site overhaul and redesign and we would love to have your input: What do you like best about Blogcritics? What do you like least? What section do you go to first? Do you make comments? If not, why? What features would you like to see us add? Do you use our RSS feed? Do you visit our writers' sites? How would you change the navigation? Any thoughts on these questions or any other general or specific thoughts about Blogcritics would be greatly appreciated. Just leave a comment below.
Thanks again, we wouldn't be here without you.
Article comments
1 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
woohoo! Two years old, man. That right there is a cause for the old celebrating and so on.
Congrats, folks, im proud to be a part of it.
2 - Janet
1. What do you like best about Blogcritics?
I like the fact that Blog Critics is a community of like minded bloggers who enjoy writing, reading and critiquing. I am new to the game, but I've had a warm welcome so far. It's also a great way to informally network your blog and/or your writing.
What do you like least?
2. I find the Yahoo group and the posting setup a bit intimidating at times. I have read a few posts that have lead me to believe there is an underlying feel there is a "right" way to do things, which can be a bit offputting to the new kid on the block.
3. What section do you go to first?
Personally, I think all the sections have a purpose. I like the way Blog Critics was put to me, that there were next to no restrictions on what you could post. I think this is part of the site's appeal.
4. Do you make comments? If not, why?
The only posts I have commented to so far have been my own in response to other people's comments. This is mainly because I am still trying to get a feel for the site (see above) and also a bit because of not always having the time to read as many entries as I would like.
5. What features would you like to see us add?
I am by no means a programmer or designer, but perhaps the site could have a "cleaner" look making it easier to navigate. As a new user, I have a hard time deciding where to go first bc it all kind've hits you at once. I don't have any specific suggestions for how this should be achieved, I'm just giving an overall general impression.
6. Do you use our RSS feed?
Not at the moment.
7. Do you visit our writers' sites?
Yes, I do. I think that's part of what this site is all about. Reading a post gives you a glimpse into the writer's style, but usually their blog offers much more. I have found some difficulty with links being dead however, along with receiving comments to my posts. I don't know if that is an MT problem though or not.
8. How would you change the navigation?
See above.
9. Overall comments
I'm excited to have found Blog Critics and I hope to be involved for years to come.
Janet
http://planetjanet18.blogspot.com/
3 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Duke and Janet, very much appreciated
4 - Mark Saleski
geezuz! what i want to know is how the hell did two friggin years go by so fast?!
(it also seemed to go by slowly too....and this was without drugs or anything)
5 - Dawn
While it's the writers who make the site so interesting and entertaining, none of it would exist without your hardwork and dedication, Eric. Congrats!!
6 - Shark
Congratulations to Eric, Phillip, and others. (Dawn probably gets a special congrats plus a Sympathy Note for having to put up with a second 'significant other' that competes for Eric's attention...?)
My only wish item was an easy way to access a 'list' of titles (etc) of entries from the archives. I might be *stupid, but I can't figure out how to find an entry once it's left the 'front' page listing.
*ie yer average navigator?
(A "Search" usually turn up like 10 zillion applicable entries.)
Hep me, hep me!
7 - Tom Johnson
First, congrats! I'm amazed I've been a part of this for somewhere about a year and a half of it!
Second, let me second Shark's recommendation - I don't know how many times I've remembered something I wanted to re-read, but couldn't find it due to not knowing a precise term to search for it by. It would be pretty cool, too, to be able to go all the way back to day one if we so wished and see what got posted then.
8 - Eric Olsen
The search box works well, but you guys are totally right that it usually returns way more than you need and/or looking for. when I'm looking for someting, I do a keyword search, then use the Regex function, which goes through the search returns and "rejects" those that don't exactly match what you are looking for.
Phillip is working on a search by subcategory function.
thanks for all the help and the suggestions!