I think this is a reasonably erudite, somewhat informative, occasionally amusing blog.
So too, do about seven other people.
Why only seven? And, after nearly four years, why does “Ron Howard’s Brother” still seem to be the main attraction? (That, and the photo of the original Apprentice female cast in lingerie.)
I can’t seem to quit, so it frustrates me that there aren’t more day-to-day readers. (I do still get several hundred visits a day to myriad older items.)
Any ideas?
Change the title, so people realize it’s not just about New Mexico? (It is, after all, rarely about New Mexico.)
More entries? Fewer entries? More topics? Fewer topics? More photos of The Sweeties? No photos of The Sweeties?
Sorry to be annoying, but as you longtime readers know, I need some encouragement from time-to-time. It’s all I ask (well, that and an occasional click on an ad that interests you).
I first came to your site because I was looking around for wordpress examples because I was implementing one myself. I also found you because I just recently retired and moved back to my home – New Mexico.
My impression was, and is, that your blog is very personal and shows you as a shut-in who surfs the web all day. Also as NOT a New Mexican. Just a guy who lives here.
What do you want it to be? All the business principles for starting a new business apply to a web site. What is your mission? Who is your audience? What do you want a visit to your site to stimulate in your audience?
I like your site! But I don’t believe that it’s going to attract many more people than your family. My site is the same way.
FWIW My site’s most popular section is my family genealogy. It’s visited ten times as much as any other section.
Not much help, I know. But what the hell. You asked.
I check in every day – at least once. Depending on how busy I am at work – maybe more often. I LOVE your blog – in fact, I share it often with people at work and they enjoy it alsobut unfortunately they read with me instead of logging on themselves. That would add about 8 more to your numbers. I don’t want you to change anything.
Love you.
Your post today reminds me of the big reason I feel that I could not do a blog. What if nobody reads it? I am so afraid of being a loser, its easier to not say anything than risk rejection. I am a relatively new blurker, I don’t usually comment. Just because you don’t get feedback doesn’t mean you aren’t being seen. I understand the need for validation, but if you enjoy what you are doing, who cares how many people read it? Most of the people in the world cannot or do not read and write. Those who can just want to get the others like themselves to read their blogs so they can feel good about themselves. Don’t let unpopularity stop you from doing this seemingly trivial thing called literate communication. It’s unpopular because most people, sadly, can’t do it. Don’t stop doing what you do. I live in Burque, and I love your blog. I am actually jealous of you and your 7 (now 8) measly readers, cause thats 8 more than I got.
this is a puzzlement, and yours is not the first excellent blog to fly beneath radar.
early in my career as a librarian there were agencies called clipping services (you may have encountered them in your work as an archivist) which nowadays are more eclectically/electronically refered to as ‘media monitoring services’. this is how your site seems to work, more than a blog in the usual sense. you gather interesting links from a truly broad array of sources, and pass them, with excerpts, along to your audience, whoever that may be at any given time. you rarely have a murderous axe to grind, rarely embark on a protracted rant. feelings are seldom hurt, blood is never drawn. you have a low percentage of trolls and cranks. there is an soothing eveness at @ newmexiken, and one comes here expecting to find infotainment (accent on information) which has been pre-sifted thru your wry and far-ranging eye.
i know this doesn’t make sense, but i think few people get you for the same reason so few people understand the thrill of getting a *bingo* during a scrabble tournament. your approach is ‘right-brained’ in a largely left-brained world.
anyway, i wouldn’t worry much about it. casa newmexiken is –at least for the time being– one of those treasures overlooked by those who haven’t made it their business to pay attention or who haven’t had the good fortune to discover you by accident. i got here by pursuing the answer to a reference question, and hung around to see what might appear next.
mighty glad i did.
Yours is one of my top ten feeds, with the others being ones like dangerousmeta (Garrett in Santa Fe), FarrFeed (John Farr in Taos), adventure journalist (Tonya Poole in the SLV), and Stuck on the Palmetto (Alex and Rick in Miami, came across them via Tonya).
I even read Bohnsack’s blog: despite loathing his politics, I do admire his technical skills.
But I digress…
Ephraim does have a bit of a point, but I read your blog more for your catholic (small c, free from provincial prejudices or attachments) interests than just for your New Mexican perspective.
Are you tracking whos reading your feeds? If not try feedburner.
I’ll bet you have more regular readers than you suspect. Many like me read on an RSS reader and probably don’t show on your stats.
I happen to like your blog but I will say that your style is not one that elicits a lot of comments. If a post inspires me to do anything it is usually to click on one of your links. And that is what I come here for.
If you want more comments from regular readers I think you should get more “personal,” tell stories about yourself or others. Or show pictures. Readers like pictures.
But don’t give up the stuff you are already doing because there are a bunch of us who appreciate it.
Hey, I must be one of the seven! You know how I feel about this so I won’t go into anything. I DO like it when you warn us when you’re not going to post for awhile, though. You had me concerned a while back.
Some people blog just to write. Probably don’t give a lick if anyone reads it or not. Maybe a way to vent? But NewMexiKen is always so informative and interesting. I feel I’m being educated at times.
It’s hard for me to imagine anyone who is a more faithful visitor to NewMexiKen than me. If I’m not mistaken I am still the most prolific commenter between my two aliases.
I rarely miss a day. Usually I pay several visits. It’s always thought-provoking, if not always in a way that provokes commentary. I find so many gee-whiz stories I would not have come across otherwise.
It’s safe to say that what you are doing here is a public service for many people. I like reading the funnies in the paper every day too, but I’ve never written a letter to a cartoonist to tell them what I think of their strip.
Ultimately, as has already been stated in this thread, it is up to you to decide what exactly your purpose is for doing this blog.
If feedback is your main motivation then controversy is your ticket. As Squiggy said on The Simpsons, “Conflict is the essence of drama.”
But be careful what you wish for. You might just get it.
The only thing I would change is the amount of the blog that is your own writing. I’d love to read much more of it.
Otherwise, job well done. Very well done.
I, too, make visiting with you a daily “must” – as you say, the blog’s erudite, informative, and I find you’re concerned about the same things as I am myself. Your common sense approach is a breath of fresh air, which may be why you started doing this, in the first place.
And pictures of sweeties MUST be included. Don’t have any myself yet (despite not-so-subtle hints to the children ) but one lives in hope.
Take care of yourself.
I discovered your blog several years ago while searching for something about gardening. What that was I don’t remember, but I had never heard of blogs. I learned of the blog world through your links, but yours is still my favorite and my first stop every morning. I, too, become concerned when you are gone for a while.
If you like working on your blog that should be enough motivation to continue it.
Do you really need “approval” from others?
Ken,
Love the photos and stories about the sweeties. Best line of the day. Stories about being in the trenches in government. Travel. Photos. Artists and writers you point to. Lists, like the top 100 western books.
Keep up the good work. I read your feed every day – except when you sensibly take some time off.
John Orr
Second on looking at stats via RSS. I rarely actually visit this site unless I want to comment.
FYI, there is a WordPress plug-in that directs all RSS traffic through Feedburner so you can look at the stats there. I will trying it out on my own web log soon to see how it works.
I check it out at least once a day when I have internet access. I always enjoy what I find.
Keep up the good work!
Your blog is in my Must Read list in FeedDemon — link to you probably 2-3 times a week (unfortunately I am not Scoble or this post would not be necessary). Your blog is greatly appreciated!
I’m thinking.
Oh, and one other thing: My wife reads you a lot more than she reads me.
Bastard.
Kind of a ménage à blog, eh Tom?
I check in as often as possible–usually several times a day if I’m not traveling or something. In fact, yours is practically the only blog I do read. I love the wide variety of posts, the Sweeties, and your personal stories, and it looks like you have quite a few more than 7 other readers. I pass on some of the especially cool bits of info and links to friends, as well.
I LOVE your blog. I loved it before I moved to NM, and maybe even more after I moved to NM. (Tho my moving here had nothing to do with your blog. Sorry.) “NewMexiken” is a great name. Doesn’t have to have anything to do with New Mexico, tho I appreciate your occasional references to NM, photos of NM, etc. CNN may have the news, but you have the really important, meaningful stuff. Hope you will continue it exactly as is. I wouldn’t change anything. My only gripe is that you didn’t include any names of people born on January 7, which is my birthday; I think you were out of town at the time. Whoever thought you were a shut-in has not been reading your blog very often! Anyway, keep up the great work. I appreciate it.
Since I stumbled onto this site a couple of years during a random search, I’ve become almost as addicted to reading your blog as you are to writing it. If I miss a few days I go back and scan the days I missed. I have recommended your blog to a friends and pass on some of the gems you come across.
I’ve only commented once previously. But that is my comfort with the medium not you.
I like the site as is. I enjoy the wide variety I enjoy your commentary especially when I disagree with it. Your reasoning forces me to reexamine mine. I enjoy the stories of your times in the trenches.
A grandpa without sweeties- Unthinkable. Keep them as long as they will let you.
Just for the record, and these statistics include search engine bots so are somewhat inflated, NewMexiKen had 76,914 total visits in June from slightly more than 29,000 different addresses. 148,324 pages were viewed. Visitors came from 101 countries.
The most visits in one day was 4,724 on June 21.
The top search item was virgen de guadalupe (6.08%). Number two was katrina campins (of The Apprentice) (2.17%).