Blogging For Sara Lee & the FBI

Just who is reading wine blogs? Sometimes you get the impression it's other wine bloggers and members of the wine industry.

Well, I've always been fascinated by this question, and more specifically, who is reading this wine blog. The fact is, my readers are far more interesting than I am.

What's cool is that in using StatCounter to track my readership, unique visitors, page views, etc, I can also discover which Internet Service Providers are accessing FERMENTATION. Mostly it's only the name of the the common service providers such as Comcast, Sonic, Roadrunner, Cox, etc...the big boys...that show up on the list in StatCounter. But sometimes, you get the names of the businesses or institutions to which the ISP is connected. I can't see WHO is reading FERMENTATION, but I can sometimes see the organization with which they are connected.

Such as:

Boston University
Star Tribune Newspaper
U.s. Environmental Protection Agency
General Electric Company
Sara Lee
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Albert Einstein College Of Medicine
M. Shanken Communications
State Of Idaho
American Cancer Society
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Wells Fargo And Company
Cost Plus World Markets Inc
Alcohol Research Group
Mayo Foundation
News Corporation
The Providence Journal
Rangsit University
West Coast Pathology

I like to imagine an FBI agent sitting in his office wishing he had a job in the wine business and reading FERMENTATION to get a taste, rather than an FBI agent sitting in his office investigating Tom Wark.

I also get a kick out of the idea of an employee at Sara Lee Corp munching on an "Original Smooth & Creamy Cheese Cake" on their lunch break and perusing FERMENTATION.

The point, of course, is that it's not just other wine bloggers and industry types that read wine blogs. It is all sorts of folks.

Comments

[Ron]

That is pretty cool information....and deep, never thought of looking at those stats before! I need to make more time to look at these stats for our site. Another brain teaser blog...... Your blog always get one thinking!

Thanks

[Tom Wark]

Ron,

If you think this is interesting, you ought to see who is reading the Specialty Wine Retailers Blog: "Wine Without Borders"!!

tom...

[Arthur]

Tom I also have been using Statcounter and have been amazed (daily) at the countries and organizations where hits to my site originate.

But, what if that FBI agent is just ..... goofing off and not doing his work? (or do they think Hoffa is burried in a vineyard?)

Well, at least he's goofing off in a way that benefits the blog owner! :)

[Thomas Pellechia]

I wonder how many employers know what their employees are doing on the Internet during work hours ;)

As for the FBI, you do know, Tom, that alcohol is an evil liquid and so you are engaging in the potentially evil practice of talking about it. Either that, or your past ha caught up with you...

[Fredric Koeppel]

you have to wonder how many employees of how many companies in America (if not the entire world) spend huge amounts of time surfing the web and generally goofing off. Not me, of course...

[winehiker]

And I'm not goofing off at work now, either. I've just stopped here on my way check my stats!

Let's see: today my readers include those coming from Boise State U., Stanford U., Palomar Community College - and the FCC!

[Nicholas Solga]

Tom-

I too love this feature. So far, I've noticed readers in Turkey, London, the US Military, many NY financial institutions, etc...

Cheers to the internet and the work connection.

Nicholas Solga
Fermented Thoughts
www.FermentedThoughts.com

[Marco]

You'll just have to watch the stick-to-the-ceiling-bud references.

[Thomas Pellechia]

Fredric,

The reason I chose writing as a career over winemaking: I am always at my computer--goofing off.

I gave up looking at my stats after I didn't win in the blogger's competition ;)

[Steve Heimoff]

Here's a truly strange and bizarre coincidence, Tom. As I was reading this post, I was snacking on a SaraLee cheesecake, reading by the light of a bulb manufactured by G.E. and approved by the EPA, and paid for with my Wells Fargo credit card. I was drinking wine from a glass I bought at Cost Plus, and Fox News (owned by News Corp.) was on my TV. On the table was a copy of Wine Spectator, and earlier that day I had worried about my plunging Lockheed Martin stock. Talk about synchronicity! The only way this could get any scarier is if I got cancer and it was diagnosed at West Coast Pathology! No, wait, I guess it would be even worse if the F.B.I. came knocking and made me move to Providence.

[Arthur]

Steve, you watch Fox News?!!?!?!?!?

[Wine Enthusiast]

The other thing to look at on Statcounter is what people were searching for when they found your blog. Can make interesting reading.

Perhaps for another posting?

[Steve Heimoff]

Arthur, I occasionally have to click through Fox News in order to find my way up to the Comedy Channel. : >