This is a facetious way of letting you all know that, as of about 5 minutes ago, there are now 1,000 users (plus yours truly) subcribed to this blog.
The average daily unique readership count is currently 5,500, which I believe implies roughly 3–5 times that many readers on a monthly basis.
I also know from feedback from journalists and other correspondents that the comments made here are read and appreciated by a very wide audience. My posts might be the fulcrum, but the contributions from you all keep the wheels well and truly spinning. I’ve also learnt a lot from what has been posted here.
Charles Mackay’s observation that people go mad in crowds, and return to their sanity one by one, surely applies in this bubble. It’s very good to know that the crowd of those who have regained their senses–or never lost them in the first place–numbers at least a thousand.
Finally, thank you one and all for the tone that has been maintained in the discussions here. Most of us know how disagreements can get out of hand on the Internet, without the benefit of body language to take the edge of words that are sometimes said in jest but interpreted as in anger. It’s been remarkable that with a total now of 4,736 comments over one and a half years, that this blog has been an exemplar of civilised debate.
All the best, Steve
