Everybody and their mom has a Gundam blog these days and that's cool. The more there are of us the better as far as I'm concerned. Strength in numbers and all that. I could talk at length about the subject but I'm only going to touch on a couple of things in this post.
This post will serve a two fold purpose. 1) To talk about Gundam blogging in general and 2) To thank all of my readers as I've reached a personal milestone concerning this blog, that being getting 30 subscribers.
First I've seen a couple of blogs mention about post numbers, hits, page views etc. so here are mine:
Latest full numbers are for the month of August 2009.
5652 hits / 11731 page views.
Compared from my first full month of blogging in February 2008
828/1619 respectively.
The growth percentage formula I'm using is # of increase, / by starting number, *100. Round off to the nearest whole number
That's an increase of 583% for hits and 625% for page views in about a year and a half of blogging. I will accept that. In fact I'll go so far as to say that I'm pleased (^_^)v. It's always good to know that people are looking at the stuff you're posting.
The next thing is something that really shocked me when I first saw it.
178% growth in a day?! Totally random. Never seen it before or since. I still wonder wtf that was all about. I don't think I did anything special that day. Blah. Who knows.
As I mentioned before Gundam blogs are numerous but we are not all cut from the same cloth, so to speak. Z's blog concentrates largely on reviews and even though he started after me his blog gets considerably more traffic than my own. What I get in month he can get on a good day. Which is natural, he has a more resource oriented blog, not to mention a lot of ****ing Gundams and quality reviews/pics. I can clearly see why his blog is so popular.
Blogs like Ngee Khiong concentrate almost solely on the newest Gunpla/toy news. And then there are my favourites, traditional Gunpla blogs like Lupes and Gaijin Gunpla which concentrate largely on the craft of Gunpura itself. Not to mention all the other blogs in between like Gundam Guy's blog who does a bit of both. We all hit something a bit different. And there are a lot of aspects to this little hobby of ours.
My blog has become something I never really intended it to be. It's a mix of everything. I talk about the models I'm building, physical paradoxes in the theoretical technologies (yeah. sorry about that.), art, mecha, asian women (huh?) That reminds me. I think it's time for a break.
Yeah...
>_>
<_<
What was I talking about again? Oh right. I'll talk about almost anything related. And let's not forget philosophical rants and ramblings. Hell there are even a couple resource sections here.
Initially I created this blog in order to chronicle my experiences as I was just starting to engage in Gundam models a bit more seriously. I made this blog just after I panel lined a model for the first time.
I've come a long way since then and I have a lot of you to thank for that. This community has taught me so much and I'm grateful. Grateful for your support and encouragement. Grateful to all of you for continuing your own blogs and providing insight for the rest of us on how others do it and how we, ourselves, can do it better.
I know... where is this all coming from? Why now? It's not really a special time at all really but it is something that's been turning around in my mind for a bit, especially after I recently got to the 30 subscriber mark for this blog. That to me means more than any number of hits I get. I'm happy to have readers and I want to thank all 30 of you for subscribing.
So, "Thank you!"
Here is some candy:
I won't compare this blog to any others. I believe it's become a unique entity unto itself, different in it's own right. We are a dime a dozen but no two of us are exactly the same. We're all different and we all have different approaches. We all have a different take on what we want our blogs to be. I like the diversity. I want to encourage all of you bloggers, forum operators, webmasters, modelers and most importantly the readers and lurkers to continue what you're doing. Our community is stronger because of your efforts.
Here's something for all of you. Thanks again!
Well, to each their own right? Definitely though my favs run up with yours, Lupes, GaiGuns, simply because we are of like mind and interests. There's something about being able to chat, about all those things that you can't do with those around you. Gundam Guy and Ngee is where I get my news as well, so constantly checking their sites or reading through my RSS reader.
ReplyDeleteAs for my blog, my focus has for the most part been a mix of my life in Japan as the "American Salaryman" with heavy focus on the gundam stuff. I'm happy that someone even reads it, and is interested, despite my somewhat wierd pace of posting.
I think though once we build up a backlog of stuff to post (I could spend days at Z's just because of all the reviews and stuff he has) we'll see hits rise. In the end though, it's not about hits, but sharing your interests with like minds, at least that's how I feel.
yeah dude im with you. i totally agree.
ReplyDeletenever posted a comment here (i think), but i feel the same as you.
ReplyDeletemost of my friends laugh about my hobby : gupla :P but thats where internet comes in and let you share your thoughts with as many people as you want. im glad that i have the chance to talk about my intrests with others, because if i could not i probably would even do this hobby.
and for the blogging itself.
i think i follow the same blogs as you do and some others and i really enjoy checking the new updates. i even have a conter on my blog wich counts the every new view for the last 6 days.
about 5 to 15 views per day not bad in my opninion.
well keep up the good work and ill keep up mine :P
Good post BB!
ReplyDeleteThe thing I love most about your blog is that you always surprise me (and your readers) with what you would post next. From Origami boxes --> hot girls pics --> technical theory of Gundam --> most importantly gunplas. I enjoy a lot about that, and also reader all the responses too. But of course your main draw is your gunpla posts, our first love.
I also enjoy reading GunGai's blog, because he certainly is just like me... both learning to hone in more & more gunpla techniques, and sharing idea on how to tackle certain gunpla techniques is just simply FUN.
ASM's blog is probably most famous for his State of the Gunpla Union (which is usually a good read), but just always wished he would post more frequently =). And of course his service in selling/shipping gunpla items is exceptional.
Let's not forget Tonzo's The EvilCow Forum: Gundam Astralia (I think is his), although I haven't been posting there much, but certainly there is a wealth of good info & chats there. Thats probably the most informative place I've found for gunpla stuff.
I never knew about Z's blog, and I shall start checking that one out. And there are definitely lots of quality gundam blogs out there to list, but the above are the ones I always keep my eyes on.
As for my blog, it was started after I'd read this blog (Plamo Addiction). And seeing the communities that he was able to network, I just want to be a part of it. I think both our roots began from facebook (well at least mine was), posting gunpla images & comments (those were the good old days), and I am probably one of the few that knows what BB looks like. Ha!
Well, BB.. keep up the good work as usual.
-sniff- I love you, man.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously.. all your page hits are on account of me because it has been really slow here at work the lately ;)
I agree with what you have expressed here. While we all share the same topic, for the most part, how we approach it and relate it to others of like mind is very diverse and always interesting. I should really update my blog soon....
i can fully understand why you guys have such a passion for this. My passion for gundam has always been here, but I have yet to put as much into it as you guys do, but after reading this post, I may just change that for the better. Awesome post here, cheers!
ReplyDeleteWell I can't say a damn thing that none of you guys have said better above. I echo each and every one of your sentiments from Busterbeam's Dime a Dozen to zrogunota's Cheers!
ReplyDeleteThank you all for providing an entertaining read week after week for me for 2008-2009.
Buster - I like your grammar, this you know, but there is something that is just plain engaging about the way you write, structure, and use your words.
Gundam Guy - Thanks for the shout out! Look out for the Gundam Australia website launching in the coming months ^^ I enjoy your blog for the in depth writing on gundam related things such as products, games, and news as much as I do reading your work logs. I actually find myself coming to you for news more often than NK these days as I don't have to filter through all the Kamen Rider and other non gunpla stuff.
Gaijin Gunpla - I like your straightforward approach and your absolute technicality. I think I find common ground with you because we both have a daughter the same age maybe? Your writing strikes a chord with me, and I can particularly relate to your approach with gunpla with regard to details.
ASM I have to say that I find your blog very refreshing. I really enjoy the life in Japan stuff that you do and your Gundam stuff as well. I think between all of you guys you give me what I craved at other sites - Japan, Family, Travel, Pretty girls, and a whole lotta gunpla without having to sift through figure and echhi and not so cutesie child like speak. SOGU is always an entertaining and worthwhile read.
Lupes - I find your approach to be light hearted and fun to read. I haven't been reading It's a Gundaaaam for long but I will continue to read as long as you post 'em.
It's been mentioned before I think by more than one of us that we are mostly in the same age bracket and share similar tastes, which I think goes a long way towards enjoying each other's musings. I'm pretty much an observer that interjects occasionally though ;)
Buster I would bet a hundred against a tenner that your spike was right around the time you posted the Nu Gundam technicalities and the discussion that generated. You probably got indexed high in google for the day, or someone put a link up in a high traffic location. If that's not it and I just lost a hundred bucks, then my next guess would be your mojo was just really poppin that day. xD
I've had you guys all in my RSS feeds in outlook since late last year until I switched jobs, and I've recently added the feeds at home so I'm a bit more current than I have been for some weeks. This new job is taking a lot of energy. I apologize for being a bit slack on the comments of late.
Thanks for a great post Busterbeam, and thank you all for the amassing, possibly immeasurable hours of entertaining reading, links, great pics, laughs, shared learning, and sense of community.
Thank you also for contributing to the Gundam Australia Forum. You are all valued members.
(^v^)
Oh and congrats on the 30 member mark Bb!
ReplyDelete*Appendix: Gundam Australia (for those that have read this far)
Evil Cow and Gundam Australia
For those of you who don't know I operate the Gundam Australia Forum, which is currently hosted on a forum belonging to a freind - the Evil Cow. I am known as Sonar, and as Tonzo on the blogs because I didn't want sonar showing up in google indexes for my blog comments for work reasons.
The GAF is something I started on a whim a few years back because I couldn't find anywhere online where Australians were congregating to talk about Gunpla. My vision was and still is to provide a community for local and international fans to congregate, share, learn, impart, and hopefully raise awareness and interest in the hobby in the most relaxed possible environment. Welcoming snappers and pros, pre teens and middle aged, and everyone in between to share the hobby.
Evilcow.net belongs to a friend who let me have a sub forum within his own to see if I could generate some interest and find out who was out there, and if it got serious I would bugger off and get my own site.
Well, this year it has gotten serious. We have a roster of regular posting members including some of the more renowned international gunpla bloggers :wink: and at least one who I would consider to be a Pro :wink again:
We generate over 30,000 hits per month from 12,000 unique users - peanuts really, but I expect that to grow a bit when I launch the website.
You guys will all be getting links on the site, and I am more than happy to accept any other contributions you wish to offer.
So the forum will in the coming months be moving to it's home at gundamaustralia.com and I will be extending my vision for the forum into the website - a resource for gunpla fans to find and share information and a starting point for those new to the hobby.
I look forward to having you all along for the ride.
Thank you for reading.
congratz, BB ^^
ReplyDeleteI won't compare this blog to any others. I believe it's become a unique entity unto itself, different in it's own right. We are a dime a dozen but no two of us are exactly the same. We're all different and we all have different approaches. We all have a different take on what we want our blogs to be. I like the diversity.
well said =D
Congrats BB! Your blogs a real pleasure to read and an inspiration to us small timers :)
ReplyDeleteI've learned lots of techniques from reading your blog and others which I try and replicate with limited success. I post reviews on my blog for the kits I make, mainly because I enjoy it but hope the 4 people who looked this month have found it useful :)
I never get to update as often as I'd like due to work commitments and a complete lack of money so its nice to see other peoples projects, keep up the good work!
Congratulations on your own milestone, BB :D
ReplyDeleteSeems like everyone already said everything I wanted to say after reading this post ^^;. Ah...hell with it. It's worth repeating again xD. Yes, we might be a dime a dozen but each and everyone of us are unique... and so the more the better. So in a sense, there is never too many Gunpla blogs as all of us eventually dive into different things (be it projects, style, news, etc). The more the merrier! Also the more ideas that can be chipped in and the more we can learn from each other (I don't become a better modeler just from my backlog alone)
As for your blog, BB.. it's a great place to come and chill out ^^. I come here to read the random stuff you sometimes pull out like the ramblings... most are pretty hilarious xD...and most of all, to forever be amazed by your meticulousness. Love the laid-back tone you use too.
Thanks for the shout-out as well ^^
Just keep it up man! DON'T STOP CARRY ON!
marc - thanks for your comment! good luck with your RVF-25. not many people choose that one but i like it too. well not the colour so much as the concept with the ghost fighters.
ReplyDeleteg.g. - yeah i remember the facebook days well. ive moved on from that (i guess we both have) because blogging really is a better platform. we could only do so much there. yeah i think you and J1AS are the only guys that post here that have seen my face! haha i always felt that your page would have been more suited for a blogging platform. i remember being really surprised and pleased that you made your own. keep up the good work!
gai gun - aw thanks man! *wipes away a single tear* haha
tonzo - appreciate your comments about my writing style. you were one of the first people to mention it. you wrote some very kind things about me in one of your forum topics and i'll always appreciate that. i feel just how you do that blogs of the other guys.
and sorry tonzo you just lost a hundred bucks. that spike in hits was in july i think! haha but maybe there was something going on with my mojo that day! haha looking forward to checking out the new website once its up and running!
james - thanks for you comment. i like your blog! its got a good balance of things and i havent seen so many 'gunpura' representatives from the UK actually haha
z - thanks for that. guess my personality just came through with this thing!