Breaking the Addiction

The first step to breaking an addiction is recognizing it exists.


The Problem

I am an information addict. There, I said it. When I say addict I mean ADDICT. I keep a minimum of 5 windows open and minimized on my screen at all times.

1. I have my Sitemeter detail page that gets refreshed at least 3 – 4 times per hour.

2. There’s my StatCounter home page. I refresh this one less frequently. I just like the look of the bar graph. (It really bothers me that StatCounter consistently shows more hits than SiteMeter.) (It bothers me a lot.) (No, Really, A Lot!)

3. I have my email page open so I know when someone leaves a comment or joins my Blog Catalog community.

4. I have my My Blog Log home page open so I can see who clicked on my avatar somewhere.

5. I have my My Blog Log community page open so I can see who actually came to the blog.

Of course, these are only the ones that are always there. They don’t include the 2 or 3 windows I use for surfing.

I hardly even use Google Analytics anymore, it just confuses things. I already know my traffic patterns and referral URLs.

In the early days this wasn’t a problem. I could check stats 4 or 5 times a day and stay on top of things but now it’s becoming a full time job. I find myself with less time to accomplish the things that are necessary to provide you with a reasonably decent reading experience. (Or try to.)

I know I can’t continue like this. This is simply consuming all of my available time, not to mention the inverse issue of the stress I feel when traffic falls off for a few hours. (I think I hit refresh more franticly then.)


The Solution


My initial thought was, “OK, no stats for 1 week.” Then reason took hold and reminded me that the entire premise of this blog revolves around its stats. Doh! So, I decided I should go 1 entire week only checking stats every morning.

I honestly don’t know if I will be able to give up the intimate, small picture, knowledge of the statistics I now experience. I do, however, realize that as traffic grows I simply won’t be able to keep up the way I have. It’s probably best to prepare myself for this transition now but, I’m really going to miss it.

I know I’m not the only one with this problem. You know who you are. It’s OK. No one is going to laugh at you. You’re in a safe place here. Join with me this week and together we’ll break this addiction.

Break free from the destructive hold of SiteMeter and StatCounter. For the next week just blog for the fun of it and let the stats fall where they may.

It isn’t necessary for participation but, if you leave a comment here letting the world know that you are trying, you will be more inclined to succeed. If you feel yourself getting weak, come back here and we’ll support one another.

I’m closing my statistics windows right now, you can too. Have a great Friday evening and we’ll talk again tomorrow.

Be Strong!