Three years of blogging

Today is the third anniversary of the creation of this blog. It's been a great experience in more ways than I would have predicted. Over the course of those years I have posted 933 times, on just about any topic so long as it had a connection to El Salvador. So in the past couple of days I have been looking back at what the visitor logs show about what has interested people and brought them to the blog.

Some statistics:
  • Total number of visitors in 3 years: approximately 325,000
  • Number of subscribers to the e-mail updates: 204
  • Average number of visitors per day in last month: 324
So on an average day now, there are about 500 people reading the blog not counting people reading RSS feeds in a newsreader. Here is a graph showing the monthly growth of readers from December 2004 through October 2007:
Most read posts:
  1. Top 10 Romero Quotes
  2. El Salvador's pain -- murder rate highest in Latin America
  3. Photos of the Salvadoran Civil War
  4. Long life in El Salvador
  5. El Salvador del Mundo -- La Bajada
  6. Maybe not so old
  7. The case of Brother Toby
  8. Celebration of the pupusa
  9. Pirated DVDs disappear from streets of San Salvador
  10. VirtualTourist site on El Salvador

Most commented on post: the case of Brother Toby. His supporters are passionate and so are his detractors. Brother Toby is a prominent Salvadoran evangelical minister arrested in the US for lying to immigration authorities.

Next most commented: the July 6, 2006 bloody disturbances and shooting outside of the University of El Salvador which left two policemen dead from gunshots.

Most common search terms producing visitors (excluding variations of the name of this blog):
  1. Oscar Romero quotes
  2. 18 With a Bullet
  3. El Salvador del Mundo
  4. Jon Sobrino
  5. Mauricio Funes
  6. Cruz Hernandez
Links on other blogs which produced the most visitors:
  1. El Visitador
  2. Global Voices Online
  3. Hunnapuh
Where visitors are located:
  • US -- 68%
  • El Salvador -- 10%
  • Canada -- 8%
  • Rest of world -- 14%
Thanks to all of you who read the blog. Thanks to everyone who comments and critiques and participates in the discussion. Thanks to everyone who cares about El Salvador and its people.

I'm looking forward to the next three years.

Comments

Tom said…
Tim, Congratulations and thank you! I have been reading your posts for almost the entire time. It is my daily dose of the people and issues of the place I love. Keep up the great work. Tomas
7:22 AM
Hodad said…
thanks so much for your blog,I have really enjoyed this for many years

and of course I have links to you on my various web sites
www.senorpescado.com, and www.tropicooltours.com,

love it, keep it up

Viva El Frente/Verde
9:22 AM
David said…
Congratulations Tim, your blog was one of the firts I've read, and I still reading ;)

Thanks to be somebody to talk about our little country, El Salvador!!!

Bye and keep on blogging!!!
10:56 AM
Anonymous said…
ha ha ha, right on the money tim.
it's very good for the country of el salvador and its people to have this blog in cyber space. it is such a great tool for the freedom of speech el salvador needs so bad.
12:42 PM
Anonymous said…
Tim,

I only recently found this blog through Google Alerts and I read it every time there is an update. This is by far the best forum to express my opinions and have a healthy debate with my fellow expats in English.

My best regards to you and your readers.

The Fish guy.
3:53 PM
Caminante said…
Felicitaciones y saludes. Siguemos adelante. I check in daily. It's a good way to stay connected with El Salvador. Thanks so much for your work.
9:58 PM
MWN said…
Tim, I'm a huge fan of your blog! Thanks so much for your excellent work. I lived in El Salvador in 2005 and feel passionately about the place.

MWN
3:29 AM
Anonymous said…
Congrats, Tim. Here's to the next three years...
9:03 AM
Anonymous said…
Happy B-Day to your blog, Tim! Congratulations and thank you for providing a forum for the voice of the voiceless to share their opinion, and that serves as a window for english speaking individuals world-wide to gather and take a sober look at what is going on in El Salvador... 100% times better than all the national media combined (well, maybe with the exception of Diario Colatino ;) ).

Cheers to you, Tim. May you keep on rolling....
1:48 PM
Chris said…
Thanks for your diligence and passion for Walking with El Salvador. Your steady walk has enabled me to advocate for the folks in El Salvador many times because I know the issues and the way those issues affect the daily lives of folks. Paz, Chrissy
1:52 PM
Anonymous said…
Tim,

Thank you for all of the hard work that it must take to maintain this blog. My only other sources for Salvadoran news are LPG, EDH, and Google news. As many people that turn to your blog know, these are not enough in quality, quantity, and range. I'm always very appreciative of a news story that I read on your blog that I know I would not have come across on my own. Three years, increased visits, and more unique visitors are a testament to your good work.
4:59 PM
Carlos X. said…
You know I'm given to exaggeration ("the most important story") but I think you will indulge me this one: that your blog has opened for American netizens a window into El Salvador without a par. I'm just amazed that it's only been three years, and you've become such a staple that not only we your readers take you for granted, but you are listed in travel magazines right next to Lake Ilopango, which has been there a little longer than three years. Well done! And it couldn't be happening to a nicer guy. (Don't believe the reader above me -- Co Latino's gotten nuthin' on ya!).
6:15 PM
Anonymous said…
hey there Tim

I've been reading your blog for over two years now...

Congratulations on your anniversary

Regards,

R.
http://amigosguanacos.blogspot.com/2007/11/blogueando-60.html
see your link here
12:45 PM
Anonymous said…
Congratulations!

You have a real passion by the truth!

Thanks for three years of excelent articles!

In name of H.I.P.T. Happy Birtday for your blog.
3:44 PM
Anonymous said…
As an American who lived for most of the 1980's in El Salvador, and who now lives in exile in the United States I was thrilled to find your blogspot. It is a great thing that people can get information on the Internet about what is going on.

Thank you with all my heart, and keep up the good work
11:07 AM
Post a Comment