on Apr 18th 2008 at 6:00 am blogging,inspiration,relationships,writing

Feedburner 101

Feedburner widget displaying \Bwa-ha-ha-ha! I bet you thought this was going to be a tutorial on the basics of Feedburner, didn’t you? Well, sorry ’bout that, but I just couldn’t resist the title.

Hey, check it out! For the first time, Middle Zone Musings hit triple digits (on Wednesday, April 16, 2008) in the Feedburner gizmo thingie over there in the sidebar! (Sound of audience cheering wildly; cue the fireworks; cue the band; and hey – where’s that red carpet?)

Now, I realize this may seem small potatoes (or is that ‘pot-ah-toes’?) to many of you out there in Bloggerville. I mean, there’s still a ways to go to get close to ruling the world the numbers Darren Rowse pulls in (46,557 last time I checked). But what the hey; it’s a milestone on the way!

Gee, and it seems like only yesterday when I first installed it (showing, by the way, a grand total of 4 readers). Yep; I was just a young whipper-snapper of a blogger back then, still pretty wet behind the ears. Well, we sure have come a long way together since then, haven’t we?

Hmmm… After 22 months, that comes out to about, uh… let’s see now… multiply by 16… carry the 92… er, what’s the square root of pi again? (Hold on, y’all; I’m gonna hafta take my shoes and socks off for this one…) Wow! That’s an increase of about 2500%! (Give or take a percent or two.) Not too shabby when you look at it that way, eh?

Anyhoo, I just wanted to thank all y’all out there who made it possible. I mean, without you folks, I’d be just another lonely ol’ cowboy, woofin’ it into the breeze, if you know what I mean. So I want to say thanks for stopping by… and especially for stickin’ around!

Although there’s not enough time in the day to possibly thank everyone (much as I’d like to) who’s had a part in making the Middle Zone a great place to spend time each day, I’d still like to mention a few particularly special folks:

A Tip O\' the Hat!Thanks, y’all; you really make me feel special! And of course, no MZM “thank you” would be complete without a big ol’ tip o’ the hat to ya!

49 responses so far

49 Responses to “Feedburner 101”

  1. # Brad Shorron Apr 18th 2008 at 6:20 am

    Congratulations on the milestone! There must have been a time when Darren had 100 subscribers, so you never know. (Looks like you’ve added 3 subscribers since posting this.)

  2. # Joanna Youngon Apr 18th 2008 at 6:35 am

    Congratulations Robert!

    You know I’ve always thought there was something up with that feedburner counter of yours. (I have heard it somewhere that a wordpress glitch can under-state them) You have so many regular readers and commenters that I’m sure there are a lot lot lot more readers than your widget gives you credit for.

    I can feel them out there, can’t you?

    Joanna

  3. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 18th 2008 at 6:58 am

    @Brad – Thanks, Buddy! Yeah, everybody had to start out at the bottom, sometime. That’s the internet for you – the great leveleleler.

    Wow, you’re right about three more! Gee, if I keep going at this rate I’ll have to update my plans for world domination retirement to the south of France something. :-\

  4. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 18th 2008 at 7:00 am

    @Joanna – What?!? Feedburner not accurate?! Uh… really? Never heard that one before. But maybe you’re right. Maybe they’re really out there after all. Maybe that is that funny feeling I’ve been having lately. Or maybe it’s just gas.

  5. # Joanna Youngon Apr 18th 2008 at 8:57 am

    This is the article I was thinking of. Gobbledegook to me but might mean something to you or Tully.

    http://www.terinea.co.uk/blog/getting-the-whole-picture-wordpress-and-feedburner/

  6. # Brad Shorron Apr 18th 2008 at 10:23 am

    Bob, I’m glad to see your strikethroughs are back. Seems like for a while they disappeared.

  7. # Jackie Cameronon Apr 18th 2008 at 10:42 am

    You are a shining example to us relative novice bloggers! And I love being in other people’s lists!

    keep doing what you are doing

    Jackie

  8. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 18th 2008 at 11:08 am

    @Joanna – Thanks; I’ll check it out.

  9. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 18th 2008 at 11:10 am

    @Brad – Like everything else in life, it’s as the spirit moves these things sorta come and go in cycles, I guess. :-)

  10. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 18th 2008 at 11:12 am

    @Jackie – A “shining example”, eh? I guess all that “armor polishing” has finally paid off! Thanks for the kind words, Jackie – you’re a peach!

  11. # Samon Apr 18th 2008 at 11:21 am

    Awww, I’m touched. Thanks Bob! (Someday I’ll figure out that darn RSS thing, then I’ll actually be subscribing to your blog. ;-) )

    –Sam

    (Side note: it appears there’s an “l” or something tacked on to the end of the link for my blog, which prevents it from actually linking anywhere.)

    –International Grammar and Link Nazi

  12. # Derrick Kwaon Apr 18th 2008 at 11:24 am

    Congratulations Robert!

    You definitely deserve it. Love what you’re doing and the content you’re creating. Keep it up. =).

  13. # Matt Keeganon Apr 18th 2008 at 11:43 am

    Thank you for the Feedburner primer. I haven’t paid much attention to my subscriptions lately which could be costing me some readers. I’ll have to explore my set up and see what I can do to make my blogs RSS friendly.

  14. # Tullyon Apr 18th 2008 at 11:55 am

    BAH! Joanna has a point about the accuracy of the subscriber number.. I, um, forgot to deal with the RSS feed provided by the blog itself – meaning – if you let say Google Reader discover the feed, it pulls the default one from the blog and not the FeedBurner one specified on the sidebar (which now makes me wonder about my own blog…).

    If a visitor actually clicks the RSS button at the top, they get the FB one, if it`s auto-discovered it gets the default one.

    I`m on it Bob! (sound of Tully springing into action)

    (and many thanks Joanna!)

  15. # Tullyon Apr 18th 2008 at 11:59 am

    Fixed. ;)

  16. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 18th 2008 at 12:38 pm

    @Sam – Hey, good catch, Buddy! It’s fixed now.

    And I always knew you were a mite ‘teched’. Bwa-ha-ha-ha! Just kidding! :-D

  17. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 18th 2008 at 12:38 pm

    @Derrick – Hey, thanks for dropping by Derrick! I appreciate your kind words.

  18. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 18th 2008 at 12:40 pm

    @Matt – Gee, who knew someone could come HERE and learn something about Feedburner! And here I’m probably the least knowledgeable person on the planet about it!

    Glad to have been an instigator, at least!

    Just shows to go ya; ya never know what life’ll teach ya – or where! :-D

  19. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 18th 2008 at 12:41 pm

    @Tully – So… does that mean those OTHER 5,000 readers will “show up” now? :-D

    Thanks for springing into action, Bud! Don’t know what I’d do without ya!

  20. # Tullyon Apr 18th 2008 at 12:49 pm

    Um, no… The only way they’ll show up in your FB stats is if they unsubscribe from your WP feed, and re-subscribe to the FB one. Just know that your FB # is understated (heck I think I’m on the WP feed – so there’s one for sure!).

    (oh also, figured out what’s up with the misaligned ‘subscribe to comments’ box/text – just fixed mine so yours is next)

  21. # Joanna Youngon Apr 18th 2008 at 12:56 pm

    Wow! Look at the power of the comment box! How cool is that. I knew your numbers had to be understated… just like their owner :-)

    Now I’m off to worry about how my brain knew that post on word press and RSS stats would be useful sometime…

    Joanna

  22. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 18th 2008 at 4:51 pm

    @Joanna – Aw, gosh ‘n shucks (shuffles feet).

    Wow, who knew I’d learn so much from this post! :-)

  23. # Robynon Apr 18th 2008 at 5:06 pm

    Robert, hope I’m not too late for your party here. I want to celebrate with you, too! When you come right down to it, what’s really important is sharing fresh ideas and having a regular readership as you do. Thanks for being who you are, since I wouldn’t miss your unique middle zone musings! ;-)

  24. # gl hoffmanon Apr 18th 2008 at 9:17 pm

    Congratualations Robert…I knew it already, but You THE man.
    your friend up in scenic Minnesota,

    GL HOFFMAN

  25. # Jean Browman--Transforming Stresson Apr 19th 2008 at 1:00 am

    Congratulations!

  26. # Lillie Ammannon Apr 19th 2008 at 1:23 am

    Congratulations, Robert! Maybe you don’t have as many readers as Darren but you have about three times as many as I do … so you’re well on your way to world domination!

  27. # links for 2008-04-19 -- Chip’s Quipson Apr 19th 2008 at 3:38 am

    [...] Middle Zone Musings » Feedburner 101 Congrats on the milestone, Robert! I briefly shot up to 220 myself one day, and then lapsed back to my usual 160-190. But I deeply appreciate every one of my subscribers. Thanks, folks! (tags: blogging subscribers) [...]

  28. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 19th 2008 at 1:46 pm

    @Robyn – Yeah, unique; that’s me! When God made me, he musta looked at the angels and said, “What in tarnation…!”

    Many thanks for being such a valuable part of the community, too. And what’s more, it’s a shared community at that! Thanks for your many contributions here, Robyn. :-)

  29. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 19th 2008 at 1:48 pm

    @GL – Thanks, my friend, for your wonderful contributions here!

  30. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 19th 2008 at 1:48 pm

    @Jean – I appreciate the many lessons learned you’ve shared with us. Cheers! :-)

  31. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 19th 2008 at 1:49 pm

    @Lillie – World domination… yeah, I like the sound of that. Thanks for sharing so many stories with us, too. Your contribution has made the difference! :-)

  32. # Jeanne Dininnion Apr 19th 2008 at 5:45 pm

    How exciting, Robert! Congratulations!

    Love the title of this post! You certainly had us all fooled–but that was A-OK, because it was wonderful to hear the great news and share this milestone with you once we got here!

    May you soon top a thousand RSS readers!

    Please pass the champagne!
    Jeanne

  33. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 19th 2008 at 8:08 pm

    Thanks, Jeanne, it was a banner moment, to be sure. A thousand readers… well, that sounds doable! :-D

  34. # Ellen Weberon Apr 19th 2008 at 8:34 pm

    Hey, Bob, this site’s where we come when we need a great laugh — that kind of gathers hope, strikes new notes into wisdom’s songs, finds our good friends hangin’ out, and inspires the kind of dreams out there that are worth chasing! Thanks for mixing those up so well at Middle Zone Musing!

  35. # amypalkoon Apr 20th 2008 at 6:26 am

    That’s a great milestone to reach, Robert! Congratulations :-)
    One of the things that I so enjoy about visiting you here is that I always feel like we’re both settled in a pair of easy chairs, large mugs of hot tea in our hands, a plate of cookies on the coffee table, and I’m listening to one of your wonderful stories with rapt attention. It’s such a skill to be able to evoke that sense of a close connection over the internet, but you achieve it so effortlessly… or so it seems from the outside anyway! It’s partly why I keep coming back, and I’m pretty sure that’s why others do to!

  36. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 20th 2008 at 10:05 am

    @Ellen – I’m so glad I can provide such wonderful things to folks who drop by. Makes the whole endeavor worthwhile, for sure. Lucky for me it’s a two-way street! :-)

  37. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 20th 2008 at 10:07 am

    @Amy – Such a great image, and exactly what I’m going for: a big plate of cookies, a spot of tea, a roaring fire (without being too hot; ambiance, you know), good conversation… what more could I want except friends to share it with!

  38. # Jeanne Dininnion Apr 21st 2008 at 3:31 am

    Robert,

    Forgot to say thanks for the link. So–Thanks for the link!

    Jeanne

  39. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 21st 2008 at 5:38 am

    You’re welcome, Jeanne! Thanks for being YOU! :-)

  40. # Mikeon Apr 22nd 2008 at 10:54 am

    Hi Bob, and congratulations! I’m sure the growth of the MZM phenomenon will continue to accelerate.

    Mike

  41. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 22nd 2008 at 12:19 pm

    Thanks, Mike, it has already. Since I wrote this post, the number jumped up to 111! Guess I’d better dust off those “world domination” plans I keep in a file cabinet down in the basement… :-D

  42. # Laura Spenceron Apr 22nd 2008 at 5:36 pm

    Congrats on this achievement (and thanks for listing me even though I never have time to do a group writing project).

  43. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 23rd 2008 at 5:36 am

    No worries, Laura; what with all the interactions we’ve had, you’ve become a part of the Zone anyway. Cheers!

  44. # Robert A. Henruon Apr 25th 2008 at 9:11 am

    Hi Robert, congratz!!! This month my blog is also reaching 100 =) I don’t have opportunity to give thank you as yours! You’ve got a great blog… and really like your WILF concept, though I haven’t got time to be involved… Can I ask for extension =P, make it 2 weeks maybe =)
    And btw, soon I’m going to make a similar project, inspired by you… not sure if it’s going to be monthly… but I believe it’ll be a series of projects. I’m going to post it soon!

    Thanks for the inspiration and all the best!
    Robert

  45. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 25th 2008 at 9:58 am

    Congratulations back at ya, Robert! I’m looking forward to seeing what your projects are all about. Let me know if I can help.

    By the way, our last WILF, “Odd Jobs”, is “permanently open” for contributions, if you still want to write something for it after all.

  46. # Robert A. Henruon Apr 25th 2008 at 11:10 pm

    Hi Robert, huh?? I thought it’s opened only for 1 week? So can I still submit even after the 1 week over? I’ll try to give it a go for the next one, k!
    Here is my first group writing project, taking lots of courage =)
    Reason-4-Smile: Our friends
    I will post it through Group Writing Project as well. Appreciate for any tips to be as successful as your WILF..

    Thanks Bob (I believe the nickname for Robert in America is Bob, rite?? =D)
    Cheers,
    Robert

  47. # Robert Hruzekon Apr 26th 2008 at 2:07 pm

    Robert, I usually I keep them open for only one week. However, because of the nature of this last one, it will continue to remain open. (Read the kickoff post for details and explanation.)

    And yes, Bob is short for Robert. :-)

  48. # Pete Aldinon May 21st 2008 at 12:11 am

    Congrats! Thanks as always for the link love!

    And I must say, NICE NEW LOOK! I love what you’ve done with the place!!

    Keep up the wonderful work, Bob!

  49. # Robert Hruzekon May 21st 2008 at 6:38 am

    Pete! You’re alive! :-D

    Thanks for the thoughts, man – don’t be such a stranger!

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