Three Years We Grew in Virtual Sun and Shower

Three Years We Grew in Virtual Sun and Shower September 12, 2009

Posted by Wilhelm Arcturus in blog thing, entertainment, General.
Tags: Anniversary, Meaningless Milestones
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I hope I am not foreshadowing with that reference in the title. The number three seems to be under represented it literary titles once you begin to exclude things like “Now We Are Three.” And even Bill Wordsworth can use a link now and again.

It has been three years since I set out to start a record of my gaming hobby, both past and present. I think, for the most part, I have succeed in my modest goal. I haven’t written as much about ancient gaming as I would have liked, but I have gotten a few of the tales I planned on written. And I have kept up with the current goings on, including the occasional news item or press release to serve as a sign post on the road that is this virtual gaming journey.

And, as I did at the end of the first and second years, I will take a few minutes to see where I have ended up.

Basics Statistics

What has happened here and how has it changed from a year ago?

Page Views by Month – Growth Has Slowed

Days since launch: 1096 (+365)
Posts total: 1,257 (+360)
Average posts per day: 1.15 (-0.08)
Comments: 7,281 (+3,239)
Average comments per post: 5.8 (+1.3)
Average comments per day: 6.6 (+1.1)
Spam comments: 114,282 (+28,662)
Average spam comments per day: 104.27 (-13)
Comment signal to noise ratio: 1 to 16 (-5)

So over the last year I wrote a few less posts per day, people commented more, and spammers spammed just a bit less. All probably good things!

Incoming!

Or who sends traffic to The Ancient Gaming Noob.

All time

Over the last year

Outgoing!

And then there are the sites to which I send traffic. There is some overlap between inbound and outbound that shows that I share a readership with some of these sites.

Of course, the site I send the most traffic to is Nick Yee’s guild name generator, thanks to an accident of Google.

But that site aside, we have:

All time

Over the last year

Most Viewed Posts

The most viewed posts over the history of the blog are:

A few expected items on that list, but enough that aren’t just accidents of Google to make me happy.

Items Aged 20 Years or More

Writing about my older gaming experiences has been a challenge, mostly due to the failings of memory. Still, I can sometimes dig out enough information via various sources to put together something credible to help me recall the past. So I have a few posts in that area:

Inspirational Blogs

And then there are blogs out there that I should probably link to more often or comment on more frequently because I read them regularly.

Measuring Success

I said at the top that I think I have succeeded in my goal so far, but how does one measure success with such a nebulous goal?

I think the fact that I post regularly is such a measure.

But more than that, the fact that I like to go back and look at what I have written. If I am sitting around I will often just click the Random Post button just to see what comes up.

Or, alternatively, I will look through some of the tag listings, like those for Toril MUD or the Instance Group to see where I’ve been.

And What Now?

Well, just a big thanks for stopping by, reading my stuff and commenting on occasion.

I don’t have any plans to change what I write about or how I do it. Real life may interfere from time to time of course and once in a while I realize that I spend more time writing about games than playing them, but that to shall pass.

Comments»

1. Stabs - September 13, 2009: Congratulations, that’s quite a milestone!

It’s a super blog and you’re doing quite a service to people who enjoy reading about games with the sites you route us to.

Hope you enjoy the next three years even more.
2. KevinJC - September 13, 2009: Congrats – it’s hard to believe it’s been three years! I certainly envy your consistency. Keep up the good work and great posts.
3. Coppertopper - September 13, 2009: Grats man. It seems like not an easy thing to open yourself to the critical masses. You have a quality blog though and one I always check out.

Also – awesome title to this thread. Made me go all thoughtful just reading it.
4. Kirith Kodachi - September 13, 2009: Keep up the great work!
5. Green Armadillo - September 13, 2009: Woot, I’m number 9! ;) And grats on the milestone.
6. Rainmyst - September 13, 2009: Thank heavens. I thought this was a preface to your announcement that you were quitting the blog. There has been quite a bit of that going around lately.

Keep writing. I love reading.
7. Wilhelm2451 - September 13, 2009: Well, in virtual worlds, the penalty for death is pretty small.
8. Furrere - September 14, 2009: Thanks !
9. syncaine - September 14, 2009: Seems I don’t send you as much traffic as you send me huh? Well a few Friday blog war links will fix that right quick!

Congrats on three years, you’re on a short list of ‘everyday visits’ for me.
10. Community Service: Go help the old folks « Hardcore Casual - September 14, 2009: [...] Service: Go help the old folks In his three year review post, TAGN shows that while he sends many a carebear to this blog, my little following of basement [...]
11. Ethic - September 14, 2009: There are very few blogs I read every time I get online, just too many good ones and not enough time. Yours is one of the few I do check every time. Congrats on all the hard work and your consistent high level of interesting posts.
12. We Fly Spitfires - September 14, 2009: Grats! Love your blog and hope it keeps on going!

Just curious – how come you don’t release visitor number stats along with your graph and post/comment stats?
13. Wilhelm2451 - September 14, 2009: @WFS – Comparing blog stats is like comparing penis size. My stats will look big to some people, and then a porn-star like Tobold will come along and make us all cry.

Okay, do I get a prize or something for comparing Tobold to a porn-star? Is that a first?
14. dorgol - September 14, 2009: I guess I’m not the only one who uses Blessing of Kings as their personal blogroll… :)
15. shadowwar - September 14, 2009: Grats on three years!
16. We Fly Spitfires - September 14, 2009: LMAO, your reply cracked me up!! Brilliant! :D

I wonder if Tobold really is a porn star in RL? :)
17. Tobold - September 15, 2009: Unfortunately I only have an oversized ego, which is sufficient for a blog star, but not for a porn star.
18. Professor Beej - September 15, 2009: I’m really curious where my numbers will end up next May (1 year from the start). I’ve been doing okay, broke 10k page views in 4 months, so I’m happy about that. It’s nowhere near the “porn stars” like Tobold, but it’s okay for an upstart.

And as far as keeping up with ancient gaming, I don’t think that particularly matters. You’ve got people like us who read consistently, and as long as you’re enjoying what you’re writing, you’re headed in the right direction.

Here’s to another 3 years of growth!
19. Keen - September 16, 2009: Congrats on 3 years. I’ve always been really fascinated by your year in review posts more so than others.

Here’s to 3 more years. :)
20. Wilhelm2451 - September 16, 2009: Only 3 more years?

Last week I said to my wife, on our 10th anniversary, something like “Here’s to 10 more years!” and her response was, “What do you mean only 10?”

Learn from my errors.
21. crazykinux - September 16, 2009: Here’s to the next 3 years…. is that better? :D

Seriously though, thanks for 3 years of great blogging, guides, inputs and opinions! Looking forward to more!
22. Gravity - September 16, 2009: That name generator does create some funny stuff: “Legion of Tb Kids Alt”.
23. Robot wars - September 18, 2009: Congrats… Keep up the great work….

Love your blog and hope it keeps on going!

Thanks :)