Comments on: The Hiltzik Commenting Problem http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/ Harangues that just make sense Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:21:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: James Chen http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36716 James Chen Thu, 20 Apr 2006 21:46:54 +0000 http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/4460/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36716 I stand corrected. He appears to be screening comments, with most (but not all) of my responses getting posted. I stand corrected. He appears to be screening comments, with most (but not all) of my responses getting posted.

]]> By: James Chen http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36556 James Chen Wed, 19 Apr 2006 20:02:12 +0000 http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/4460/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36556 After I gave him a lesson in statistics, Hiltzik has banned me from posting on his blog! After I gave him a lesson in statistics, Hiltzik has banned me from posting on his blog!

]]> By: A Senior Administration Official http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36539 A Senior Administration Official Wed, 19 Apr 2006 03:23:33 +0000 http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/4460/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36539 To Dwilkers (comment #4): They measure different things and measure them differently. They both report every time a page is loaded somewhere -- Sitemeter via code embedded in the page, Alexa via a browser plug-in -- but Sitemeter is less sophisticated. For instance, many companies and some ISPs will show up as a IP address in Sitemeter, greatly underreporting visitor counts. Alexa does not depend on the IP address of the visitor and can identify different users sharing an IP address. Sitemeter also uses the internet-standard metrics of visitors and pageviews. Alexa uses the traditional marketing concept of "reach," which is how many people out of a million visit the site per unit of time (day, week, or month). You can ballpark the relationship between them but it's not perfect. The reason I used Alexa on the Hiltzik post is that it shows day-by-day data over time, something you can't get off Sitemeter. Hope this (too long) answer helps. To Dwilkers (comment #4): They measure different things and measure them differently. They both report every time a page is loaded somewhere — Sitemeter via code embedded in the page, Alexa via a browser plug-in — but Sitemeter is less sophisticated. For instance, many companies and some ISPs will show up as a IP address in Sitemeter, greatly underreporting visitor counts. Alexa does not depend on the IP address of the visitor and can identify different users sharing an IP address.

Sitemeter also uses the internet-standard metrics of visitors and pageviews. Alexa uses the traditional marketing concept of “reach,” which is how many people out of a million visit the site per unit of time (day, week, or month). You can ballpark the relationship between them but it’s not perfect.

The reason I used Alexa on the Hiltzik post is that it shows day-by-day data over time, something you can’t get off Sitemeter.

Hope this (too long) answer helps.

]]> By: Dana http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36533 Dana Wed, 19 Apr 2006 00:27:40 +0000 http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/4460/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36533 Do the test you really need to make: try sending a comment from a neighbor's computer. I don't know how his software works, but WordPress (which both you and I use) allows you to blacklist particular IP addresses. Use someone else's computer, and you'll be able to see if you've been banned. Do the test you really need to make: try sending a comment from a neighbor’s computer.

I don’t know how his software works, but WordPress (which both you and I use) allows you to blacklist particular IP addresses. Use someone else’s computer, and you’ll be able to see if you’ve been banned.

]]> By: Patterico’s Pontifications » Is Hiltzik Censoring Critical Comments (Again)? Help Me Find Out! http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36517 Patterico’s Pontifications » Is Hiltzik Censoring Critical Comments (Again)? Help Me Find Out! Tue, 18 Apr 2006 17:24:49 +0000 http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/4460/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36517 [...] UPDATE: More on this strange business here, including the odd lack of success commenters have had in posting the Independent Sources link at Hiltzik’s site. [...] [...] UPDATE: More on this strange business here, including the odd lack of success commenters have had in posting the Independent Sources link at Hiltzik’s site. [...]

]]> By: Francis http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36512 Francis Tue, 18 Apr 2006 16:12:33 +0000 http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/4460/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36512 Tried to post the independant sources and alexa links - we'll see if they show up. [<i>They aren't there yet. How very strange this all is. His comments software seems allergic to that Independent Sources link. -- Patterico</i>] In other news I find myself almots in agreement with Hiltzik WRT the cable and phone companies. I say almost because he can't seem to avoid some sort of gratuitous swipe at evil conservatives and capitalists and because he can't seem to bring himself to accept that regulatory incompetence is standard and hence won't be fixed by adding regulators. Tried to post the independant sources and alexa links - we’ll see if they show up.

[They aren't there yet. How very strange this all is. His comments software seems allergic to that Independent Sources link. -- Patterico]

In other news I find myself almots in agreement with Hiltzik WRT the cable and phone companies. I say almost because he can’t seem to avoid some sort of gratuitous swipe at evil conservatives and capitalists and because he can’t seem to bring himself to accept that regulatory incompetence is standard and hence won’t be fixed by adding regulators.

]]> By: Dwilkers http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36508 Dwilkers Tue, 18 Apr 2006 15:09:45 +0000 http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/4460/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36508 I don't know the technical ins and outs of blog ratings. Could anyone please briefly explain why the Alexa ratings quoted by Independent Sources and those Sitemeter ratings appear to be so contradictory? I don’t know the technical ins and outs of blog ratings. Could anyone please briefly explain why the Alexa ratings quoted by Independent Sources and those Sitemeter ratings appear to be so contradictory?

]]> By: Dwilkers http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36502 Dwilkers Tue, 18 Apr 2006 11:08:18 +0000 http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/4460/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36502 If so Patterico, it isn't a blog. Allowing links back and forth is fundamental to blogging and internet interaction. To test the theory I went over there and looked through a bunch of previous threads to see if there were any links, but I didn't see any. I did notice an interesting thing though. You know his post that criticised your post on the Costa Mesa thing? There aren't any comments at all in that thread now. Weren't there comments there before? I seem to remember perusing them. [<i>No. There were comments to his earlier immigration post, including several excellent (and unanswered by Hiltzik) questions by someone calling himself "Disabuser." But the "Patterico Punts Another" post garnered no comments at all. -- P</i>] If so Patterico, it isn’t a blog. Allowing links back and forth is fundamental to blogging and internet interaction.

To test the theory I went over there and looked through a bunch of previous threads to see if there were any links, but I didn’t see any. I did notice an interesting thing though.

You know his post that criticised your post on the Costa Mesa thing? There aren’t any comments at all in that thread now. Weren’t there comments there before? I seem to remember perusing them.

[No. There were comments to his earlier immigration post, including several excellent (and unanswered by Hiltzik) questions by someone calling himself "Disabuser." But the "Patterico Punts Another" post garnered no comments at all. -- P]

]]> By: Francis http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36497 Francis Tue, 18 Apr 2006 07:23:29 +0000 http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/4460/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36497 I commented the comment below - with a link to sitemeter. We'll see if it shows up:<blockquote> You might find the sitemeter monthly graph of Hugh Hewitt's blog interesting - http://www.sitemeter.com/?a=stats&s=s18hewitt&r=36 Unfortunately it hasn't been on for long enough to do regression testing (it appears to have been switched on in july 2005) but it looks to me like it has clearly had an increase from August to September, then declines to december then an increae again back to approx September levels in January and then similar declines. If there is a periodic nature to Mr Hewitt's blog viewership then it looks like April will also show a decline and then there will be a significant increase in May that counteracts that.</blockquote> [<i>Francis: it looks like your comment took. So links are allowed. How about posting links to the Independent Sources and Armed Liberal posts? The rest of us are having trouble getting those links posted. Maybe you'll have better luck . . . -- P</i>] I commented the comment below - with a link to sitemeter. We’ll see if it shows up:
You might find the sitemeter monthly graph of Hugh Hewitt’s blog interesting - http://www.sitemeter.com/?a=stats&s=s18hewitt&r=36

Unfortunately it hasn’t been on for long enough to do regression testing (it appears to have been switched on in july 2005) but it looks to me like it has clearly had an increase from August to September, then declines to december then an increae again back to approx September levels in January and then similar declines. If there is a periodic nature to Mr Hewitt’s blog viewership then it looks like April will also show a decline and then there will be a significant increase in May that counteracts that.

[Francis: it looks like your comment took. So links are allowed. How about posting links to the Independent Sources and Armed Liberal posts? The rest of us are having trouble getting those links posted. Maybe you'll have better luck . . . -- P]

]]> By: nk http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36495 nk Tue, 18 Apr 2006 06:27:40 +0000 http://patterico.com/2006/04/17/4460/the-hiltzik-commenting-problem/#comment-36495 This was my last effort: "Independentsources.com says you are 100% wrong about Hewitt's Site Meter? In fact, the statistics they show are the opposite of what you represent." Good night. [<i>Well, no link there. That certainly will be a data point relevant to my link theory. -- P</i>] [<i>Keep in mind that *all* comments may be going into moderation, and he may be asleep or away from the computer. (These things happen!) -- P</i>] This was my last effort:

“Independentsources.com says you are 100% wrong about Hewitt’s Site Meter? In fact, the statistics they show are the opposite of what you represent.”

Good night.

[Well, no link there. That certainly will be a data point relevant to my link theory. -- P]

[Keep in mind that *all* comments may be going into moderation, and he may be asleep or away from the computer. (These things happen!) -- P]

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