Comments on: Are “RSS Subscribers” Equal to “Hits”? http://www.centernetworks.com/are-rss-subscribers-equal-to-hits Web 2 and Social Media News and Reviews Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:50:56 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Live TV http://www.centernetworks.com/are-rss-subscribers-equal-to-hits/comment-page-#comment-13488 Live TV Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-13488 It depends on whether you offer full-text or just a snippet. If you offer full-text then I'd say yes it does count, but if it's just a snippet then no-because with full-text its as if they're reading your site, but with a snippet they're just previewing it. It's like window shopping with a snippet, they're only checking out the product and it's not considered a purchase. It depends on whether you offer full-text or just a snippet. If you offer full-text then I’d say yes it does count, but if it’s just a snippet then no-because with full-text its as if they’re reading your site, but with a snippet they’re just previewing it. It’s like window shopping with a snippet, they’re only checking out the product and it’s not considered a purchase.

]]> By: 21st-century-citizen.com http://www.centernetworks.com/are-rss-subscribers-equal-to-hits/comment-page-#comment-14143 21st-century-citizen.com Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-14143 I use RSS feed numbers as a gauge to measure the growth in my readership at a high level. I don't compare it to other blogs -- at least not too much. I think that as a basic trend for watching readership of a blog RSS Subscribers is as good a metric as any. Manipulating the numbers to make them look bigger would be stupid for me -- I want to use them to get a feel for growth, not inflate them to show off. Kevin http://www.21st-century-citizen.com I use RSS feed numbers as a gauge to measure the growth in my readership at a high level. I don’t compare it to other blogs — at least not too much.

I think that as a basic trend for watching readership of a blog RSS Subscribers is as good a metric as any.

Manipulating the numbers to make them look bigger would be stupid for me — I want to use them to get a feel for growth, not inflate them to show off.

Kevin
http://www.21st-century-citizen.com

]]> By: Richard MacManus http://www.centernetworks.com/are-rss-subscribers-equal-to-hits/comment-page-#comment-14165 Richard MacManus Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-14165 Allen, this has been a bone of contention for me for ages. RSS subscriber numbers are a sham and at least one tech blog I know of has very cynically manipulated his number. I reported on this earlier this year - at the time said blog was around 27k subscribers, but within a matter of weeks it had suddenly acquired about 100k more subscribers? Where did they come from? I suspect a mixture of some bots and being a default feed in one of the start pages. Also other top blogs are known to be default feeds in RSS Readers, which can garner them tens of thousands of subscribers almost overnight. I'll say it againn: those RSS subscribers are an absolute sham. I'd remove my chicklet, except that it does actually encourage people to subscribe if they see thousands of others have. That is just human nature. But I agree with you, in reality it's a joke. Allen, this has been a bone of contention for me for ages. RSS subscriber numbers are a sham and at least one tech blog I know of has very cynically manipulated his number. I reported on this earlier this year – at the time said blog was around 27k subscribers, but within a matter of weeks it had suddenly acquired about 100k more subscribers? Where did they come from? I suspect a mixture of some bots and being a default feed in one of the start pages. Also other top blogs are known to be default feeds in RSS Readers, which can garner them tens of thousands of subscribers almost overnight.

I’ll say it againn: those RSS subscribers are an absolute sham. I’d remove my chicklet, except that it does actually encourage people to subscribe if they see thousands of others have. That is just human nature. But I agree with you, in reality it’s a joke.

]]> By: Josiah http://www.centernetworks.com/are-rss-subscribers-equal-to-hits/comment-page-#comment-14595 Josiah Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-14595 Advanced break down of Agent Type or "Subscriber Agent" is what is needed here. RSS can be used so many ways from feeds to a Firefox toolbar to personal embedded feeds on your blog to aggregators to RSS readers. Once we can track agent types we can eliminate the small players and webmasters can display maybe he top 5 RSS Agent Types ... RSS Subscribers: 25 Google Reader 12 NetVibes 8 Firefox Advanced break down of Agent Type or “Subscriber Agent” is what is needed here. RSS can be used so many ways from feeds to a Firefox toolbar to personal embedded feeds on your blog to aggregators to RSS readers.

Once we can track agent types we can eliminate the small players and webmasters can display maybe he top 5 RSS Agent Types …

RSS Subscribers:

25 Google Reader
12 NetVibes
8 Firefox

]]> By: David Mackey http://www.centernetworks.com/are-rss-subscribers-equal-to-hits/comment-page-#comment-14764 David Mackey Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-14764 Interesting analysis. I use RSS subscribers as a benchmark - maybe I shouldn't. Interesting analysis. I use RSS subscribers as a benchmark – maybe I shouldn’t.

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