40,000 unique views in 935 days

Yesterday, Monday, April 4, 2011 the Hound went over 40,000 unique views. In keeping a log of these numbers since this blog's inception, we have seen a gathering of momentum that is gradually compounding and feeding off of itself. I was keeping track and informing the public every time we reached a 5,000 unique viewer milestone, but the pace has quickened to the point that to report on an increment that of 5,000 would be irrelevant.

As I previously reported last October, the last 5,000 (25k to 30k) unique view milestone took 82 days compared to the previous 5,000 increment (from 20k to 25k) that took 130 days. That means in total it took 212 days to go from 20,000 to 30,000 unique viewers. To reach this milestone, it only took 179 days to go from the 30,000 to 40,000 unique viewers and this includes the slowest viewership time of the year, the Holidays. It is my hope that we are getting to the point where the next milestone, 50,000 unique views, will be attainable in 5 months or less, but you never know.

We have seen steady progress in the 935 days that this blog has been in existence. I remember in the beginning we received some attention, because people couldn’t believe that we were doing what we were (and are) doing. We had quite a bit of viewership when the Wall Street Journal article came out in January 2009, but of course we had an ebb and flow to the viewership and sometimes there were days when very few, around a dozen, people checked out the blog. We haven't had any days with counts that low in a long, long time.

We are at a point now where an average 50+ viewers read the blog on a daily basis and it is not uncommon to have double that reading on certain days. The reason, I believe, is that we have built an archive of articles and information that have a lot of relevance about Hickory and the times in which we live. I follow the trends and the people that I associate with follow trends and think critically about the issues of the day and we are constantly bouncing ideas off of one another. And I appreciate input from new readers, who take us in new directions, and these people appreciate having a forum that truly listens and carries a dialogue forward in the community.

I truly appreciate those who read and participate with the input of this blog. In my opinion, you give this community hope, because you truly care and are inquisitive about what is going on in our community. It is discouraging when we see the challenges that we face as a community and the ambivalence of some of the stakeholders who just don't get it and so many people who are lost as to what to do. They seem to think we can tweak around the edges and bring back prosperity. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and that is what makes a great community; people coming together from different backgrounds and having different viewpoints, but working together with the ultimate goal being the betterment of the entire community.

Sometimes when I am speaking to groups, I feel like I am from outer space, because the people I am speaking to are on a different wavelength than myself. I speak about a subject and they don't realize that what I am saying is a reflection upon the subject until months later. Most people seem to just be trying to get through the day and worry about only what is right in front of them and obvious. When people don’t look towards the future, then they leave themselves vulnerable to what they refuse to think about and thus they aren’t prepared to take action. When one does not take trends into account, then they can never get ahead, because “Black Swan” events will eventually wipe out those day-to-day wins. By looking at weak signals, we make ourselves more flexible, nimble, and able to adapt quicker and prepare to adapt to extraordinary changes.

You should not be afraid to mention to people that you read this blog. It is not part of the system and it is not mainstream, but that is what gives it it's relevance. We are looking at issues from every angle and that is something that the mainstream media refuses to do. We are not hear to step on toes. We are here to lay out information in its rawest form and if individuals get caught doing something that isn't kosher, then whose fault is that?

Let's continue forward down this road with pride, because we are doing this together. We should hold our heads up high, because those of us who are trying to change this community know that eventually there will be a tipping point and we will be the people who turn around the economic and social plight of this community.

Peace be with You All!!!