Some time in the next 3.93 days, given current rates, these our humble digs will receive their one millionth visit, having crossed over two pernt summat million page views a few days past.
I’d find a way to be happier about that, but Buckethead John passed the three million mark last month, and by now you know all about that whole Army/Navy rivalry thing. Harumph-harumph.
Still, it’s been fun. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
No sir, THANK YOU!
Thanks for keeping it interesting!
I am always checking over here for new posts. Really enjoy it! Thanks!
You keep writing, we’ll keep reading.
And as for the cannon cocker competition, just means you’re close in the long run…keep the power on and you’ll pass ‘em up. And its one team one fight in the end anyway.
I used to check in lots of times during the day, but then I got Google Reader so now I only pop in when there’s something new to see.
Sorry–I may have reduced your daily count considerably. Thanks for your continuing efforts!
Shame on you Mr. Manly, you might miss some new comments that way. Keep on writing Lex, you’ll be at 3 mil in no time flat!
Thanks for having us…
If we paid a dollar for each time… Yikes!
Congrats! The attention is well-deserved, and the effort is much-appreciated.
What be the prize, Captain?
Lex, We’re all assuming you will continue to write after the USN.Give us an idea what your vision of live is when you write CAPT Lex, USN Ret.
Peek again. One more visit closer to one million.
Lex my friend … I HOPE that’s not an “ave atque vale” I hear in your voice/words. Your loyal readers are addicted to their daily Lex fix. I know I am. Pleez don’t go on furlough again so soon!
Marianne
We love John, but you still have bragging rights.
You can always remind him he is running a platoon to outmatch ya, while this is a one man show.
More interesting, your Admiral of the Navy blogs, where John is but a Major among the Grunts.
Congrats Lex, the pleasure continues to be ours.
Congrats…and thanks for the hits you’ve spread to others (including me!) as you moved up in the world.
It certainly has been my pleasure to read what you write.
I am really enjoying reading about your Saturday sojourns.
I’m with xformed…what does the 1,000,000th visitor have to look forward to (besides the obvious pleasures to be found here…)?
It has been an honor Lex. Thanks for your service to our country, and thanks for your blog. Most enjoyable and educational.
Hey, what about the lucky person to be 1,000,000 being given a most personal ride in your new endeavor!
I had the same thought FbL. I’d be broke for certain – and a great way to lose money it is.
Thank you Lex for always giving us something to want to come back for. I don’t know how you do it – heavy work responsibilities, family, weekend flying, editorials for that other military site and this place. It’s a great community thanks to you.
I too am curious about a prize for the one who puts you over ONE MILLION HITS. (puts pinkey to corner of mouth). According to the banner ads I’ve seen, I’ve been the 999,999th visitor to about a hundred other sites.
As a daily visitor that rarely comments (because of my lack of military experience my comments would provide little insight) I say keep up the good work and please don’t stop once the “Ret.” appears after your name.
Congrats Lex. I will suggest that we all send you a buck for every time we check in for the month of March. Then you can get that T-28C you had drooled over. Don’t tell the Hobbit though.
Hey Paddy, Don’t be a stranger…the lack of military experience ect… hasn’t stopped the Lex Babes ( they know who they are) from chiming in at the slightest provocation. Best
PS, Lex, Congradulations on the upcomming milestone…you certainly earned it.
Snake
Now whos having a kumbaya moment? Hmmmm?
RS
OAM
Snake h0ney – there isn’t much that will stop a Lex Babe – full stop.
Manly Dad – you don’t need to feel guilty, unless you can come in from more than one computer, or you come in multiple times from dial-up. Sitemeter only counts you once a day per IP. Lex has had far more *visits* that the meter shows.
And Lex is probably well over a million, anyway. Once you get to having a significant traffic, Sitemeter starts missing visits because of the way it works.
I just went over 3 million, but on my actual *server* logs, I’m over 5 million uniques.
What’s yer server say, Lex?
As for platoon, versus the Superman? I concede. I couldn’t keep up and keep a job. I don’t work for the government anymore.
And, let’s face facts – Lex spins a yarn better than I do. A lot better.
the lack of military experience ect… hasn’t stopped the Lex Babes ( they know who they are) from chiming in at the slightest provocation.
Oh, I have military experience. It’s just on the flip side that I have it. ;~)
Snake h0ney – there isn’t much that will stop a Lex Babe – full stop.
hee hee AMEN!
Good question John, and I’m not sure I’m reading it right, but since 2006 I’m showing 432K unique visitors, nearly 1.4 million visits, 4.5 million pages viewed (minus spiders), and 19.7 million hits (again minus spiders).
What’s the difference between a “hit” and a “visit” though?
Maybe the “1 Millionth” can get a Guiness poured their way?
A visit is someone coming in as you’d expect. A “hit” is a server request. Because I have all that stuff in my sidebars (newer, cleaner, faster loading less-busy Castle is under construction) I get something like 18 hits or so everytime someone visits the site, because the server loads up all that stuff.
It’s uniques you are interested in, and less the spiders and bots (like the googlebot, etc).
Page views mean when people go into stuff in the extended entry or click into other parts of the site, vice just the page that brought them there.
Your visits vice uniques means your “average visitor” is visiting 3 times or so a day. Not exactly true, but a 3 to 1 ratio is about average for the milblogs I’m thinking.
There are lots of things that skew those numbers, but since they’re skewed for everybody, they’re still a reasonable basis of comparison.
Does your Sitemeter number include data from your previous URL? If it does, that would explain the difference in your server stats vice sitemeter.
With other blogs I breeze thru skimming but here I read the whole thing which is why I save it for last because I know I’ll be here while.
Lex, you have the one blog that I look forward to from the time I turn on my computer at 0900 ’til I shut her down at 0400.
Thanks for giving me the ride.
As an aside I thought I would share with you and your readers something I saw this past Saturday at the local rodeo.
It’s called the Ring of Fire. Each contestant has a 10 foot hoop they have to stay inside of in the arena. Last one in wins. The challenge? Avoid the bull they let loose. It must be rather exhilirating to dive under a charging bull, and have it jump over you.
You might be wondering what on earth does this have to do with this blog.
All 8 of the contestants were active duty Marines.
What’s a bull after Fallujah?
Congrats man!
Congrats! One megaHit (megaVisit?) is more than 99% of all bloggers will ever see in their entire blogging careers. I’ve enjoyed being along for the ride.
Like SoCal Pir8, I always save ya for last, Lex. That means I’m often late to the party, but that’s par for the course…any course.
Hey guys, I think we’re looking at this the wrong way. The 1,000,000th visitor shouldn’t be looking for a prize … they should have to buy Lex a Guinness! Or maybe … what would it be, a pitcher, maybe, or a barrel of the stuff?
In return for which, to thank them like, Lex takes them up for a free dogfight flight.
Michelle, if you’re going to go there, then we’d have to talk about buying Lex the whole darn brewery…
Congrats. Now once you hit the million will you remember us little peeps who have less than 150K? ROFL.
Lex ~ when you hit your 1,000,000th, I will most definitely buy you a beer. Everything I’ve gained by reading this blog is worth so much more than that. (p.s. in looking at my own sitemeter – which I rarely do – I feel so insignificant!)
Michelle ~ you are so very right.