I thought that I would share this with all of you.

73,

Harold

Harold Kramer, WJ1B

Chief Operating Officer

ARRL - The National Association for Amateur Radio

860 594 0220

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From: Ford, Steve, WB8IMY
Sent: Friday, May 26, 2006 1:13 PM
To: HQ Staff
Subject: Hamvention Blog Results

As some of you may have been aware, we tried a "media experiment" at this year's Dayton Hamvention by maintaining a frequently updated journal on the ARRL Web. Such journals are known as "blogs."

Hugh Brower has been keeping tabs on the response we received to the Dayton Hamvention blog. We had a sense that the response was extremely positive, but the hard numbers are astonishing.

The Hamvention blog received 14,300 page views over a five-day period. Of those views, 4119 were initiated by unique individuals. To put it another way, we had an audience of 4119 people with a substantial number of those viewing the blog more than once.

Putting this in perspective with other content in the ARRLWeb "news crawl" section, the highest number of cumulative page views for ANY item since January 1, 2006 was 6045.

As Hugh commented, "This should tell us something about the kind of content our readers prefer." I tend to agree.

While posting to the blog I also received a total of 350 private emails, either thanking the League for the blog or asking for photographs of specific items and areas.

These excerpts are typical . . .

I just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed your Dayton Weblog. As a "native" you were able to provide a lot of insight into the area and the convention. In my 50-some years of hamming I have never had the opportunity to get to Dayton - although I have long  wished to see it. You have given me some insight into what it is like. I would still like to see it for myself. Thanks for the effort.

Don - VE5DP

Thanks for doing the Weblog. Speaking as one who has never been to Dayton, I got to live a Dayton experience vicariously through the eyes and ears of Steve Ford. Next year, bring a camera, a mic, and do interviews. I for one would love to hear some of that good old "I'll give you $45!" and the response "make it $50 and we have a deal!" -N0FP

Steve - this is a big breakthrough for the League! Your efforts at keeping us up to date at Dayton were just fantastic! I checked in every couple of hours. Read every word. treasured every photo. I've wondered for several years why the League hasn't done this before. It IS 2006 after all! good going and thanks.

Jim W1PID

I'm watching your Dayton blogs this weekend. Let me know if Yaesu has any new dual-band HT's (like you'll remember...HA).  Enjoy! I'll take a loaded hot-dog and soda...can you squeeze it through the Internet to me?

Randy Wendel KMØD

Minnesota

Considering the strong positive response, we hope to do this again at some point in the near future.

--Steve