I noticed last month that my blog stats were a little light on the views. And by a little light, I mean it was the second-worst January I’ve had in ten years of Just Jot it January. 2024 was tied with 2015.
And only just now, I realized why.
(I’m so behind the times, but that’s what you get when you pretty much drop off the face of the blog-earth for three years.)
What darkness came to light?
It’s because of the whole subscription thing. The fact that we don’t follow blogs anymore, we have to subscribe to them.
When I look at my email opens, I find they sometimes weigh heavier than my views on my blog.
Friends don’t need to visit anymore. They can just read in their emails.
Which is great! Don’t get me wrong. WordPress is still as clunky and unreasonable as ever, maybe more so.
(Definitely more so when you have to sign in fifteen times a day because you made the mistake of trying to comment on a blog you’ve never visited before. Grrr.)
I’m just glad to have figured out why my stats were so dismal, despite following the prompts every day. 🙂
2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/
This enlightened (and bonus-point-ful) post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! It’s fun!
lindaghill.com 
February 10, 2024 at 11:04 pm
I read in the emails, but I always try to make sure I send in a like if I don’t have something of value to comment!
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February 13, 2024 at 10:16 am
I do that sometimes too. 😀
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Pingback: Stream of Consciousness Saturday 2/10/2024 Light and Dark #socs – Kaye Spencer
February 10, 2024 at 3:14 pm
Come back the simple days when we didn’t need to be techies….. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh! 💜😌😄
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February 13, 2024 at 10:14 am
The only saving grace to it all is that we all met and became like family. 🙂 ❤
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February 13, 2024 at 10:19 am
Yes indeed those are my feelings too, and you all saved my sanity 💜💜
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February 10, 2024 at 2:44 pm
I saw the new subscribe feature! Again, WP is changing things, without notice! It is so annoying!
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February 13, 2024 at 10:13 am
It really is!
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February 10, 2024 at 1:24 pm
My list of posts never shows ‘likes’ but my reader/notifications side bar does or front facing posts – maybe because of my trying, then saying ‘no time to mess with that jazz’ on updating my theme – For me? My stats are not really anything I ever look at, or care about, although I find it hilarious how many folks still visit a long ago ‘review’ of a tool – and how many download a pdf of Super Blue moon info that is outdated and won’t ever happen, just as it did, then, during they or their children’s children’s lifetimes – or more –
In fact, for myself, pretty much, the only time I get any kind of engagement from newer followers is on their own blog/comments section but likes on my blog? I assume they read – if they liked (unless that intalike notice appears before my screen even tells me my draft is now ‘published’ – LOL.
Pretty much – Unless me or others engage/have a convo in the comments section at their blog or mine?
Stats are useless, to me, for purposes of why I’m here – and don’t shut down my wordpress.com blog – and port my writing elsewhere – LOL
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February 13, 2024 at 10:12 am
I don’t spend nearly as much time looking at my stats on WP as I used to. Things change, interests change. But I’m still glad you’re here. 🙂
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February 14, 2024 at 8:38 pm
I often go MIA – I no longer announce it, I figure, those in my sphere here who’ve taken the time to interact with me on any front, other than likes, know that by now – but ya know…I do have my long time faves/bloggy pals, and well – I may go, not keep up on reading every blog post for all you go getters that post multiple times a day/week – but in my heart? I figure, over and over – you forgive me for trying to catch up when I can – until you don’t! LOL. hugs and loves, Linda – from afar – in virtual land –
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February 10, 2024 at 1:14 pm
I use Inoreader, which gets the RSS feeds from the blogs I follow and presents them all to me. It’s what the WordPress reader does, but I like it better. (When you follow a blog in WordPress, WP tells its reader to check that blog’s RSS feed.)
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February 13, 2024 at 10:10 am
I’ll have to look that up. Thanks, John!
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February 10, 2024 at 11:41 am
Just another day on WP jumping through hoops trying to make it through. Every move I make it seems it logs me out of my own blog, so I have to sign in many times a day. Ugh 🙂
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February 10, 2024 at 12:05 pm
Try using the browser instead. The WP interface keeps developing new bugs all the time.
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February 10, 2024 at 12:12 pm
Thanks for the tip, Lou! 🙂
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February 10, 2024 at 12:13 pm
I used the wrong word – I meant the Reader.
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February 10, 2024 at 12:15 pm
Oh, now I understand. When I do use the reader it doesn’t sign me out. 🙂
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February 13, 2024 at 10:08 am
Right? It’s so frustrating! I’ve had more text messages from WordPress in the last month than I have from everyone else in my life combined.
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February 10, 2024 at 11:17 am
I’ve had my WP site for 13 years, but I didn’t do anything “much” with it until 2-ish years ago. I had no idea about what you explained. I now understand all this subscribing and following a little bit better. (Thank you). I still haven’t changed from the classic editor to the block editor, and I realize that shows on my posts when others read them.
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February 13, 2024 at 10:07 am
I almost always use the classic editor … I had no idea it shows somehow! I use it because the preview no longer works and I know that it, at least, comes out looking somewhat decent on my laptop.
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February 13, 2024 at 11:15 am
I am such a dork. ha I was clear in my head but I wasn’t clear in my comment. What I should have explained better when I said I use classic editor and ‘it shows’, is with classic editor I have huge blank spaces (gaps) after images and sometimes between paragraphs after I hit Publish. I meant ‘is shows’ in that classic editor makes my posts look wonky. That’s weird that your preview doesn’t work, but what doesn’t work consistently for me is the Schedule feature. It fails more often than it works. Someday I’ll switch to the block whatever it’s called, but that day is not today. 😉
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February 13, 2024 at 1:30 pm
The scheduler doesn’t work for you? That would be a disaster for me! *shivers* I’m so sorry you have trouble with it sometimes.
Really, it just goes to show you that with WP, it’s always something. Hopefully one day they’ll get their act together.
Thanks for the explanation, Kaye. 🙂
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February 15, 2024 at 11:58 am
Upon further investigation on the matter of my scheduling posts problems, I found this information: “WordPress’s scheduler relies on the site having visitors. No visitors means that WordPress doesn’t run, and therefore can’t hand over to the scheduled task.” I’m a little cross-eyed perturbed about that. haha So, evidently, my scheduler works just fine even though it doesn’t work just fine. pffst
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February 16, 2024 at 7:58 pm
Well that doesn’t seem fair. 😦
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February 10, 2024 at 10:51 am
I’ve stopped reading the emails, and just note that there is something to read on WP. I want my colleagues to get credit for their hard work. So after noting the emails I go to the WP site later to read, when my work schedule allows.
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February 10, 2024 at 10:59 am
So many steps, though. It’s frustrating. I appreciate the effort, Lou! 🙂
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February 10, 2024 at 10:47 am
Lol! Too many changes have confused us all.
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February 10, 2024 at 10:58 am
Why couldn’t they have just left well enough alone? I tell ya. *rolls eyes* Haha!
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February 10, 2024 at 11:17 am
My feelings, exactly
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