Hello

"Boo" to that reader inSsussex (Brighton) who has been peering at this poor offering for over 14 minutes.

Lies, Statistics and Vital Statistics

Lies, Damned Lies and Vital Statistics ....
I've not had chance to do much blogging lately. I have been busy. Some busy in a good [enjoyable constructive way] way and some not so good [which I wont go into here].

But the one thing I've not been able to avoid is the statistic report sent in by email from SiteMeter each week. I'm surprised how many people still call in. If you are one of my regular visitors then thank you for not giving up on me. I appreciate it.

I'm amused that I pick up a great many first time visitors from search engines. A few of them pause long enough to read something. Some are out of here in a nano second. It amuses me even more when people fall in here via a spelling error or homophone. I'm beginning to think I should use a great deal more homophones in post titles.

Tags and Meme

Way back when - so long ago now I expect she has forgotten all about it - teeni - tagged me to share 7 random or weird bits of information about myself with my readers/blurkers or virtual friends. Finally I have managed to put my mind to this engrossing task. Here are my confessional 7:

1. I have no ankles. By that I mean although I have shapely [according to my husband] legs my ankles are pudgy and weak. I wish I had boney ankles with a taut visible Achilles tendons. I have to wear sensible shoes when all I crave are high heel scrappy strappy expensive things.
2. My legs - shapely or not - take up more than half my height. I have a small squat body. I can't wear a dress I look far too funny with the waist up under my boobs - so tight around my ribs I can't breathe. I should have made my own dresses so that I could place the waist where it is rather than where dressmakers think it should be.
3. I am by nature an optimist and look at the world through rose tinted specs; believing the best of everyone I meet. However, having a met a lot of people, I do keep a healthy scepticism.
4. I will help anyone but will not allow anyone to 'take advantage'. I believe that God helps those who help themselves. I always try to see the best in people and make allowances for the fact that we all have our own selfish need to get through life the best way we can.
5. I am an imaginative dreamer. I could lose hours in my own thoughts and day dreams - given the chance.
6. I wish I had been a teacher. If we have a second life I will train to be a teacher - juniors 7 - 11 year olds - when they are full of curiosity and imagination.
7. I am opinionated and could run the world far better than any politician - other than the lovely amusing , Boris Johnson that is.

Now for the meme, here are the rules:

Link to the person who tagged you. Post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog. Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.

Unfortunately as I am still suffering from/ recovering from this flu type bug along with nursing my husband through it too (He claims he feels far worse than I did/do!) I do not have time to tag 7 people. If you would like to pick up the challenge and do this meme then please pick up the flame and carry it forth proudly. But do let me know via a comment so that I can come over to your place to blurk a look.

BAFTA Award Ceremony

Gosh what a week. First the BAFTA's on TV then I acquire an award of Excellence and I've now been sent another award from retiredandcrazy .

As is customary at all Award ceremonies I would like to start with a small unprepared, impromptu, ' off the cuff', extemporaneous speech. [wipes tear from eye]

I have to thank Retired and Crazy for her nomination. [hugs award closer to bosom]

I would also like to this opportunity to thank my Mother in the the Production Dept: my Father as Co-producer, Director and Finance Director. My sister in her role of best supporting sibling. My husband and lifelong partner, from the day we first met. I want to thank him for providing everything I need - well nearly all I need ... but not everything I want

and last but not least the thousands of blog lurkers from India, Canada, U.S.A, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Bischofswerda Sachsen, and last but not least Milton Keynes.

Thank you all from the bottom of my huge heart.

The History of the Guest Blog Spot

Teeni recently asked me about the origins of my 'Guest Blog Spot'. Well, it started with a wish to celebrate on reaching my 2000 visitor. Now I know from looking at the stats and the referrals that some of this blog's visitors are transitory fleeting migrants landing briefly after a Google search. They don't even stop long enough for the site to register any amount of time. All that is left on sitemeter is a nano of a second footprint. On the other side of the coin there are visitors who stop and read for 2 to 30+ minutes. Many of them do not leave a comment. They just quietly leave. A few make return visits - silent visits.

I came up with the idea I'd offer a prize of a 'Guest Blog Spot' for the first NEW commenter on the site meter hitting the 2000 visitor. Once I realised some people leave comments as a means of self promotion I then assumed that every reader would be a blogger and would have a site to 'promote'. I've since found there are what is known as 'blurkers' - they only read blogs. Now I only started to read blogs after I'd started one. In fact originally, I'm rather embarrassed to say, that I didn't even know how to leave a comment. I assumed the purpose of comments was to let the blogger know their entry had been read. I admit I would only choose to leave a comment if I found the blog of interest. If it didn't attract me in any way then I would leave silently. I would not return.

My first virginal comment was actually emailed to the blogger. I thought I'd made a mistake by clicking on the little white envelope and not on the comments link. But now looking back at my archived emails I think I may actually have sent her a 'link' to her post. (Blush) Everything was by trial and error. I slowly realised that when leaving a comment the blogger often visited my blog and finally someone left me a comment. An exciting moment. Until that point I had made one or two comments anonymously on my own blog. And persuaded a close friend to visit and leave a short sharp remark. I wanted it to look as if I had readers. I can't quite remember when I found sitemeter and installed it.

I've mostly found out how to blog by the sink or swim method. I've enjoyed jumping into the deep end and finding my way around the system. I sometimes sneak off to use a friends PC or one at the library so that I can check how my blog looks on other page set ups. I've recently read this book which has introduced to me some other ideas on blogging and some blog slang terms such as blurker. There's much to improve on in the future.

Now to return to the initial point I had a great deal of fun choosing the Guest Blogger. I was reluctant to close the slot at the end of the month. I also liked the idea of promoting blogs that I might not have found very easily by just surfing the blogosphere. It also encouraged bloggers who may have been shy of leaving a remark previously. I'm aware of a couple of regular readers who did eventually rise to the bait and leave a comment. I don't want to promote every guest to my blogroll as it would just grow and grow. But if I become a regular reader they do attain that sort sought after position. Lucky people.

The guest bloggers will always be there in the archives. Anyone who is interested in finding out previous guests will only have to click on the tag 'GUEST slot' to see all the previous posts. I hope to figure out if it will be possible to eventually link the tag to the monthly slot in the sidebar. But that will be for the quieter days of the New Year.

Finally, on writing this I have had confirmation of what I long suspected. Regular readers who read an entry via a feed RSS or Atom may not appear in the stats. So to all of my fellow bloggers who allow site feed - you may have more readers than your stat counter shows.