Dkos Traffic Breaking Records

Since I wrote a diary at the end of 2007 commenting on how Dkos traffic was trending down in the last 4 months of that year I figured I should write a follow up.  One of the popular theories back then was that all the candidate diaries were driving people away.  Apparently, that wasn't the problem as the atmosphere on the site was pretty chipper.  Imagine floating the idea of a "writer's strike" back then?  Crazy talk.  That was then, this now.  For the record, I was way wrong on my thoughts on where traffic was headed, but back then Hillary was also the front runner.  Numbers after the break.

In December when I wrote that diary there were 14 million visits to Dkos.   The high month for 2007 was August with 16 million visits.   So where are we now?

The short month of February 2008?   29 million visits. Which crushes the 22 million in January 2008.  

In March 2007 there were 15 million visits.   As of today, March 17th, there are already 17 million visits for the month.  Looks like another record in the making.

These are some staggering numbers.  I'd have to say Dkos is alive and well and that it would appear there is more upside to the Big Orange.

•  I blame the "strike"

  by Bill White on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 07:44:32 AM PDT

  •  no picket crossing going on here...

    speaking of which...  when did writers at Daily kos unionize in order to picket and strike in the first place?

    by jpfdeuce on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:01:09 AM PDT

    •  Better pay.

      I have not received a check from Markos in months.

      Anyone else having trouble getting paid?

      by Bob Johnson on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:14:20 AM PDT

      •  We get paid?

        Now you tell me.

        by Moody Loner on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:22:15 AM PDT

        •  I just got a raise!

          You'd better renegotiate your contract.

          by earicicle on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:27:17 AM PDT

          •  Contract?

            Now you tell me!

            Next you'll say we have some sort of collective bargaining organization that I could have joined, to negotiate for me?

            Fuck! Nobody tells me anything!

            by Moody Loner on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:30:16 AM PDT

            •  Flexible hours, unlimited access to the fridge

              & liquor cabinet. Can even bring my pets to work, and take naps when I want!

              I drive a hard bargain on my own. I don't need no stinking union to negotiate for me!

              by earicicle on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:44:24 AM PDT

          •  I got a rock.

            < /Charlie Brown >

            by sbdenmon on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:30:27 AM PDT

            •  At least you have something

              to wind your piece of string around.

              by Moody Loner on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:31:53 AM PDT

        •  It's just like...

          that other job we have. Except that this one we make 10 times what we make there.

          :-)

          by brillig on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:37:31 AM PDT

•  March is on course

  to break 30 million visits. Wow.

  Give those server hamsters a little extra kibble tonight, ct.

  by sbdenmon on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 07:47:23 AM PDT

•  Damn this strike...

  It sure is hurting participation! <snark>

  by IraqVeteran on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 07:51:55 AM PDT

•  How many people are signed up?

  by Virginian in Spain on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 07:55:23 AM PDT

  •  According to Jotter's

    diary this morning, we're at 155,931.

    The site's nearly doubled since I signed on February 24, 2006.

    I'm interested in seeing where the numbers fall come November.

    by Dreaming of Better Days on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:05:01 AM PDT

    •  Hey DoBD.

      Haven't seen you around lately.

      by TheBlaz on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:05:50 AM PDT

      •  Hi TheBlaz!

        I've been in deep lurker mode since the climate around here is mostly so cheerful, friendly, and full of goodwill.  (Snarkity, snark, snark . . .)

        Nice to see you.  :0)

        by Dreaming of Better Days on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:08:02 AM PDT

        •  I know.

          I feel the love.

          I'm busy making new friends, collecting HRs and wallowing in double standards. It's loads of fun.

          Lurking would probably be smart of me, but as you know, I'm pretty stoopid.

          by TheBlaz on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:09:45 AM PDT

          •  You're fine.

            You and I became pals back when the world was young and User Numbers were in the 70,000's.  Seems like a a lifetime ago.

            Regarding whether or not you're stoopid, I don't see it that way at all.  I think you care about this place is all.  When we care, we speak out.  Nothing wrong with that.  It's all a matter of the choice of words and the inflection in the comment.  ;0)  {{{TheBlaz}}}.

            by Dreaming of Better Days on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:15:25 AM PDT

            •  Aww.

              Hugs back.

              Yeah. I think I'm just a bitter old crank now. Before I at least pretended to be tactful.

              Eh, whatever works. I'm too set in my ways to change now. ;op

              by TheBlaz on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 09:05:21 AM PDT

    •  Yes, but...

      at least half those new accounts are sockpuppets. ;-)

      The site's nearly doubled since I signed on February 24, 2006.

      by sbdenmon on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:13:11 AM PDT

      •  That speaks volumes,

        doesn't it, sbdenmon?

        by Dreaming of Better Days on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:16:34 AM PDT

      •  Are you saying the "strikers" are crossing

        their own "picket line"? !!

        by The Dead Man on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:34:18 AM PDT

        •  No, no; wasn't insinuating that, at all.

          It's just that certain (former) Kossacks seem to have problems understanding that being banned is a permanent thing. Perhaps I should have used the term "zombies" rather than "sockpuppets."

          As for the whole "strike" thing... that was without a doubt the stupidest, most utterly tone-deaf thing I've ever read here.

          by sbdenmon on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:37:55 AM PDT

    •  wow, I joined early in january of this year and

      my user ID is 147,348. This is quite an increase for just a little over 2 months.

      by a girl in MI on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:40:11 AM PDT

•  HOW CAN THAT BE????

  THAT CANNOT BE!!!!

  EVERYONE IS LEAVING DKOS BECAUSE OF THE CONSTANT HILLARY BASHING!!!!!!

  Or something...

  by Bob Johnson on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:13:25 AM PDT

  •  Cue Bill Cosby as God: "Right." nt

    by iconoclastic cat on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:24:26 AM PDT

•  Hehehehe, all the "striking writers" have been

  replaced tenfold by now.  

  Yes, we will not miss Alegre.

  by Delaware Dem on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:14:25 AM PDT

  •  Especially during the annual MyDD - DKos

    paintball tourney.  :-D

    by Quicklund on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:32:31 AM PDT

•  Your first diary

  was based on a couple faulty premises which I know were pointed out in the comments on it.  It should not be a surprise really that traffic is up. And it will likely continue to go up for the rest of the year.

  Huge numbers of people started reading political blogs in 2004.  There's no reason that 2008 shouldn't prove to be more of the same.

  You really can't validly compare an off-election year to a presidential election year.

  by vbdietz on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:15:15 AM PDT

  •  Credit is due for coming back and admitting

    to being wrong, though.  Good on onemadson for that.

    I thought the numbers would climb as the general election got closer but, wow, those sound almost like network television numbers.  Insane.

    Weird that the rumour has been that ad revenues are down.  Wonder how that could be, if true.  Allergic to controversey or implied endorsement of candidates?  

    by martianchronic on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:32:24 AM PDT

  •  care to tell me what those false premises were?

    I pointed out that traffic was trending down for 4 straight months.  That wasn't false, just the facts.  

    Of course you can't compare off election year to presidential year.

    I find it interesting that a few weeks before the first primaries, which used to be considered the important ones that decided it all, there were half as many people reading the blog as there were in February (actually, there were half as many visits, we have no idea how many actually people are making those visits).  

    I'm not here to be right or wrong, I'm just interesting in the facts and what is happening.  I have no horse in the race.

    by onemadson on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 09:01:39 AM PDT

•  So much for that

  horseshit strike idea.

  by chicago minx on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:19:14 AM PDT

  •  Great.

    Now we're on horseshit strike as well?

    You namby-pamby latte-sipping bloggers have never dealt with real horseshit. Why, back on the ranch we'd have to get up at 5 AM to start the day mucking out stalls, up to our knees in horseshit.

    I saw real horseshit then, not this crap you're calling horseshit on dKos. Why, you can't even fertilize with that shit.

    Gotta get ready for work - jonesin' for my free lattes already.

    by Moody Loner on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:27:37 AM PDT

•  When Obama loses this site will be forgotten

  again - well not quite but many of us would return to hide and hypernate waiting for better times. I think Obama stands for many things we have been fighting for over recent years and we are nervously watching the ditry tricks played against him.

  by tari on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:24:31 AM PDT

  •  Obama loses??

    Look I understand all the hand wringing, its only natural. Here is the bright side....

    Barack Obama timed this perfectly. The Rezko thing is a done deal. The Wright controversy is actually perfect timing as well. Now he can really talk about race in America and delve deeper into his theme of unity.

    He started to do this in Indiana. He needs to make a big speech very soon though. It needs to encompass bread and butter issues in regards to the economy, a real conversation about the Iraq War and then he needs to pivot to race in America.

    His vision of unity and seeking common ground is powerful. We are so hungry in the US for this sort of vision. It is what brought me to Barack Obama in the first place. His 2004 speech brought tears to my eyes. This is, I believe, one of the main reasons for his decision to run for the WH.

    Now is the time to stand up and remind everyone that we can like someone, even love them and vehemently disagree with them. It does speak to judgement. It speaks to the judgement of someone who can listen and really hear someone else with an opposing view. Now juxtapose this with the administration we have now. I think that most would agree that listening to the other side makes for a stronger and wiser POTUS.

    by COwoman on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:48:46 AM PDT

•  Shameless Drama increases Kos' ad rates

  oh the irony!

  by The Dead Man on Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:31:32 AM PDT