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Dozens of you asked what happened to my stats when I was Freshly Pressed.
Well, maybe a handful of readers asked.
Er, make that a few people.
Ok, ok, ok, I confess . . . one person inquired. It was the elderly lady in front of me in the grocery store checkout line who feigned interest when I rambled on about being Freshly Pressed. She said, “Yes, dear. I believe the Freshly Pressed dryer sheets are on Aisle 9.”
I feel rather uncomfortable bragging talking about my stats. I wouldn’t want you to think I am the bragadocious sort. So, what I will talk about is the overall experience.
On Monday, November 26th, I did a post titled, “Is Cursive Handwriting Dead?” A newspaper article about the elimination of cursive handwriting from many school’s curriculum inspired me to write the post. The issue struck a nerve with my regular buddies and we had a lively conversation.
On Thursday of the same week, I received an email from WordPress saying I was to be “Pressed” in a day or two. Whaaaaaaaaaa? Me? No way, Jose.
I refused to look at my email for the rest of the day for fear there would be another one from WordPress saying:
Dear Ms. Coyle:
We made a terrible mistake. We meant to send that email to Ms. Doyle. There will be no Freshly Pressed for you!
Love,
Your Friends at WordPress
On Friday of that week, my husband and I went to San Francisco for the weekend. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. Until . . . 1:00 pm when blog comments started flooding in. I though, “Oh look! Everyone is so engaged in blogging today.” Then I looked at my stats. Yowza.
My phone vibrated so often with comment alerts that I suspect our hotel-room-neighbors suspected we were up to something else.
As we watched the view number rise and comments roll in, my husband said, “Do you think you will reach 500 views today?” “Nah . . . That is not going to happen!”
We were in San Francisco for fun, and my husband’s idea of a good time isn’t watching me answer comments. He is funny that way. So, I figured I would attend to the comments after our weekend get-away.
At the end of Day One of being Freshly Pressed I had 1,204 views.
The next morning, figuring the Freshly Pressed moment was over, I looked at my stats with mild interest. I had several hundred views before I had a chance to brush my teeth. I thought, “Surely this will slow down now. Who wants to read a post about handwriting?”
Day Two: 1,537 views
Day Three: 1,043 views
Day Four: 685 views
From then on, it has been a slow decline in viewership, but it is still a far cry from what it was pre-Freshly-Pressed-ness.
I gained 192 new followers thanks to being Freshly Pressed. A handful of those folks continue to come around for a cup of coffee and comment. I guess I bored the rest of them.
My post had 464 people “like” it but there are only 100 or so of those Gravatar-thingys. Anyone know why?
I lost track of how many times the post was re-blogged and pingbacked. Let’s just say dozens.
Let’s also talk about the comments. I couldn’t keep up. Like I said, we were in San Francisco when I was Freshly Pressed. I left for Portland the next day to move my mom into an Alzheimer’s home. I thought, “No problem. I’ll answer comments in the evenings while recovering from the trauma of facing Mom’s illness head on.”
Like that was going to happen.
My evenings were spent swilling valium-laced cocktails. Moving Mom was harder than I thought it would be. I answered many comments, but many more were left hanging in the lurch. What is a lurch, anyway?
So, the post received 490 comments (some of them mine). If I had time to answer all the comments and engage more with the folks who stopped by, I wonder if more of the new followers would have stuck around for more than a quickie.
Maybe in the Freshly Pressed Hall of Fame my stats are pathetic and WordPress is thinking about revoking my status. Maybe these numbers don’t impress the likes of you who get 1,500+ views on a slow day, but I have to say, it was a big dealio for me.
The Freshly Pressed experience was humbling, exhilarating, and overwhelming. It was like competing in a lumberjack logrolling contest wearing flip-flops . . . hard to keep up.
Would I like to have the experience again? You betcha!
Little “ol me!
Related articles
- Is Cursive Handwriting Dead? (robincoyle.wordpress.com)
- The Debate Over Cursive Handwriting (robincoyle.wordpress.com)
Robin, Can I ask what time of day you published the post that was Freshly Pressed? I am doing some unscientific research…
Oh gosh. I’m not sure exactly. If I had to guess, it was midday.
As always, thank you Robin!
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It was me!… who was so interested in the aftermath of Freshly Pressed-ness. I’m impressed. I hope the interest and followers continue… well worth their while
I am still seeing new faces around here but for the most part, the blush is off the rose.
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Robin, that is great! Congrats! You should be proud of your stats. I am happy when I reach 30 a day. That is very, very, very …. (continue) very low, but I am happy with blogging. I enjoy your posts and I know you feel proud of your post!
So glad you enjoy this humble blog. I’m proud of the post that was Freshly Pressed, but I think I was “Pressed” out of dumb luck.
Robin, You have such a great sense of humor, I’m surprised that every post isn’t FP! I can’t imagine having so many hits and comments all at once. I can barely keep up with what I have, just visiting a few blogs each day, trying to visit my regulars, thank each new person, and checking out several in a more in-depth way. Now, I’m going to go see what’s up with cursive writing.
LOL 
Marsha Lee 
As far as my sense of humor? I crack myself up. As far as every post being Freshly Pressed? Like THAT is going to happen, but thanks for the little ego boost.
Writing blogs, reading blogs, commenting on blogs could be a full time job! It is a time vacuum, isn’t it? Just when I catch up, I fall behind again. There are soooooo many good blogs out there and life is too short. The flood of visits from the FP’d post was overwhelming in a good way.
I would enjoy being “Freshly-Pressed”, but, I must admit, that I don’t know much of what to do for it to happen. The first person I followed and commented on was Rian and Truth and Cake. I still follow and comment. She is great. I know the post must be contemporary, well-written, and somewhat flashy. I know they want all photos correctly attributed. I do that, anyway (it’s embedded in the photo).
So, if you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.
Congrats,
Scott
I am afraid I don’t have any suggestions on how to be Freshly Pressed. In my case, I think it was dumb luck.
Wow, they are some impressive numbers, thanks for sharing. It has provided some interesting insights into what being freshly pressed is all about. And your post was read by a lot of people so it must feel good.
The experience was fun! A little crazy, but fun!
Wow, congratulations Robin
I’m a little bit scared of the though myself. I’m really struggling to keep up now, let alone if I was getting hundreds of comments every day lol
Well done!
Xx
Thanks, Vikki. Things have quieted down with a bit of an increased in daily visits, but nothing like it was, thank goodness.
Go Robin! It was fun (and maybe voyeurish) reading about the experience!
Congratulations!!!
Before being Freshly Pressed happened to me, I wondered what is was like. Now I know . . . a zoo! Fun tho.
Well I’m impressed that you could put a red lasso around that and type in coolio on a picture and post it on your blog. I barely get regular photos on there without messing something up! Great post. So glad you got freshly pressed.
I was proud of myself for adding the graphics, as lame as they were. It was pretty easy. Go to Tools, and then Annotate. Voila!
Ah, now you should have said, “I sweated, and researched and it was so, so complex, but in the end I mastered it!”
Ha! Why didn’t I think of that? It would have added to my mystique.
I am proud to say that I add to your blog stats every time you post!!
I am amazed at bloggers like the Bloggess who averages 1 to 2 million hits a month. WTH? At the end of the day, I have to stop obsessing about my stats and learn to write for me.
It’s a process. My numbers do not define me, my numbers do not define me…
Meh..whatever:)
Jess
And I’m delighted you come by to add to my stats and bolster my fragile blogging ego.
I am awestruck by your blogging prowess, Robin…
Don’t be. It is more like blogging stern-ness. I’m at the back of the boat.
You are a blogging God…dess. We are truly humbled in your presence.
Seriously, my jealousy is only eclipsed by my admiration of your accomplishment.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say Goddess. Let’s leave it at Superstar.
I don’t think I accomplished anything. I think it was dumb luck that I was Freshly Pressed, but I’ll take it!
Okay, I’m good with Superstar. Bottom line…it was a great post!
Thanks, Dennis!
I love your sense of humour. How is your Ma now?
She continues to have good moments/days and bad moments/days, but the bad moments are outweighing the good of late. How’s Ants?
Thanks for sharing the info, Robin, always good to see a few stats, and I’d often wondered what impact being FPd would have ‘after the event’ as it were.
Interestingly, there is a poem on FP right now
I’ll be sure to tell Audra, our poet friend at Unfettered BS, a poem was Freshly Pressed.
The surge of views, likes, and comments was fun, but I’m glad things calmed down pretty quickly. Too crazy and the timing was bad.
good for you and I’m with Jim regarding the new format, not as user friendly as the old
I wonder why they changed it.
Congratulations once again. It was a really interesting post and an issue worthy of FP status. I find it funny that there’s been no anti-handwriting campaign that signalled the end, it just sort of faded away, and most people only use handwriting to sign their names. I’m glad you highlighted the topic and that it drew some attention to your insightful blog, Bieber/OneDirection-ness notwithstanding.
Until I saw the article in the newspaper, I assumed handwriting was still being taught. Why wouldn’t it be?
Poor Justin has to drive his Ferrari around with no rabid tweenage girls following him now. Yesterday’s news.
Well, my FPed friend, and worthy opponent, ~I know, I know, it’s my turn and I’m long overdue~ Your stats were much better than mine. My post hit the FP page in the middle of the night, so my phone was vibrating all night long and I woke up to 500 hits. I had around 1100 on that first day, but since I removed the post about midway through the second day, naturally it fell off pretty quickly. I was averaging about 20 to 40 hits per day before the FP and although it was great while it lasted, I’ve found that doing the daily prompt is what has really built my traffic. It’s such an odd mix of prompts, and I try to do as many as I can. They fall into so many different categories, so people get to see stuff I wouldn’t write otherwise. Today’s and yesterday’s are perfect examples. Yesterday was about my fear of dying alone and hated, and today’s was about adding the word chocolate to your book title. So I guess that to me is a better experience overall than being Freshly Pressed, because now people know that with me, they will get a consistent dose of totally unrelated off the wall stuff, and it’s usually crap.
Your posts ARE a consistent dose of totally unrelated off the wall stuff, but are NEVER crap. Geez. You always make me laugh.
I’m still mad that your family’s unreasonable outrage over your FP’d post made you feel compelled to take it down. Hey, what happened to your other super-secret blog? Are you still writing on it and I don’t get the notices?
No, I’m not. I’ve been so busy with work and life in general, that I’m having a hard time keeping up with my regular blog, and I’m not currently filled with insane rage, so I haven’t posted anything there for quite a while. If I do put something there by the way, you’ll be among the first to know. By the way, it seems that one of my brothers has forgiven me. Bless his heart. He’s “over what you put on Youtube or whatever”- he keeps leaving me voice messages to call him back. Yeah right. I’m not over the bullying. Not gonna happen. Call it a grudge if you will, but life’s too short to have people in it who want to intimidate you and make you feel bad. I don’t need that. He can just keep waiting. Not a word from the other brother however. I don’t really give a rat’s ass. I’m better off without them.
He thinks blogging in YouTube? What planet does he live on? Glad to hear you aren’t filled with rage. I bet it has something to do with letting go of them from your life. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
I’ll say this regarding that day’s Freshly Pressed – glad to have found a gem of a blog to read/follow. Thank you Robin!
I’m still in awe that I’ve been blogging for two years as of today (where did that time go?).
I was just over at your place and love your poetry and photos. Hello, new friend!
I’m coming up on one year of blogging and it boggles my mind. 200+ posts of rambling and a lot of new friends! What a year.
I think I’m doing well if I get 30 views! Great stats!
The experience blew me away. I’ll hazard you get waaaaaaaay more than 30 hits a day.
Your post was definitely worth the Pressing. It sounds like someone had a case of sour grapes. But I think you’re lucky you got it when you did. Because if WP keeps the current new format, I’m less likely to check it out. It takes too much time to scroll through it.
I’m sure they changed it to be “easier” to read on mobile platforms, but it just becomes more cumbersome. I think it’s time they develop a completely separate mobile application. Set the laptop/PC/Mac format back to the old, easily viewed pages and save the “streamlining” for the mobile aps.
You’re welcome, WP, for another free idea!
Yeah, I don’t like the new format. I’m not against change . . . but the new one isn’t as sleek as the old format.
It was all I could do to not make a snarky comment back to the person who wanted to rain on my Freshly Pressed parade. I didn’t want to engage.
Keep feeding those ideas to WordPress, JM.
You’re stats are really impressive, Robin! Mine didn’t reach as high as yours when I was FP’d but I know I was getting about 100 hits an hour for a while. Loads of people commented and some haven’t been back- oh well, thems the breaks!
Let’s hope WP recognizes your awesomeness and FP’s you again!
I’m off to look for your Freshly Pressed post. I don’t think I saw it. Did it?
The folks that have come back to visit and comment are awesome. I think the rest were just “fishing” for followers. Call me cynical, but that is what I think.
I got some great new follower’s Robin – I’m so glad they came and I was able to follow them as well
My FP post was – http://diannegray.wordpress.com/2012/10/18/colourful-language/
Thanks for giving me the link. I left you a comment. Ha! Before I fixed my typo, I said, “I left you a vomit.”
LOL! Well said!
I’ve always wondered how WordPress picks the Freshly Pressed posts. Have you seen some of them? It’s really all over the place. But I’m glad they picked yours because that was an interesting topic and definitely open for discussion.
One of my comments was (something to the effect of) “Cursive writing is Freshly Pressed worthy? I don’t get it.” His/her blog name is “Freshly Pressed Is Biased” and it was a rant against the WordPress picks, including mine. I didn’t respond to him.
I’ll admit I don’t keep an eye on who WP picks. I have too many blogs I already love and follow!
I don’t keep an eye on them either (I very rarely look at that page). I just wonder why some bloggers have never been picked and I find their blog very worthwhile (funny, interesting, you name it). I sometimes think WP pulls names out of a hat because there’s no way they can manually read that many posts a day. Who knows, right?
By the way, I figured out how to get your post updates by email. I had signed out to follow you but weren’t getting anything. I went into my list of blogs I follow and your updates were as “never”. What the heck? Is Never the standard choice when you click to follow a blog?
Remember I told you about my blog friend with breast cancer and I was suddenly unfollowing her? Your comment here reminded my that I’m still not getting her posts. I looked at my “Blogs I Follow” and it was the same deal. It was set to receive posts “NEVER.” Geez. Some sort of programming hitch, I guess.
I wonder who would decide “never” should be the standard setting for following a blog… I’ll email WordPress to let them know when I have a minute. This ain’t right!
Let me know if you hear from them . . .
I guess you have to ask through the community forums now. You can’t directly contact WP (huh?). I have a question out. Let’s see what people answer.
I enjoyed reading about your experience as a Fresh Press celebrity. It sounds weird & wonderful. I’m not sure that I’d enjoy all that attention all at once. But I suppose, like you mention above, not all of it is sincere, so eventually things even out again.
Things calmed down pretty quickly and I made some great new friends. Only a handful of the 200-ish new followers, but the ones that stuck around are great. It was weird and wonderful.
they don’t FP meager poets, the bottom of the food chain at WP. So I live vicariously through your witty words and wowszer numbers. You deserve it Robin. You rock it baby.(smile)
They don’t Freshly Press poets? That is shocking. I thought they celebrate all sorts of writing and creativity. Let’s start a petition to get them to showcase poetry. You in?
ahh there were a bunch that tried recently. I would be in if I could exclude myself
The petition didn’t go anywhere, I take it.
nope
Polly told me a poem is on the Freshly Pressed page right now. It is about insomniac writers.
well then I stand corrected… my apologies
I wonder if the change in WP’s Freshly Pressed page will make a difference as to how many views bloggers get. I didn’t even know they changed the look until I read blog posts about it. Is definitely not as visually appealing.
Yes, the numbers rise and then fall, but if lucky, not to the previous lows.
I didn’t know the Freshly Pressed page changed until you made this comment. I agree. Not as slick.
Hahaha I love it! I would love to be Freshly Pressed but hey ho. I’m not (yet) so I just keep along with my ecclectic little blog, fumbling my way through WordPress and enjoying all the other interesting blogs that I find.
‘m always looking at my stats so I can imagine being FP would be similar to selling a coveted item on eBay and watching the price skyrocket beyond one’s wildest imagination. And congrats on being Freshly Pressed, too, by the way. 
Being Freshly Pressed was a wild experience. Fun, exciting, and as I said, a tad overwhelming. The timing of it happening wasn’t great as I was embroiled in family matters and distracted. I hope it happens for you!
Life is always a balancing act, isn’t it. If I didn’t have my writing I swear I would have gone crazy with my dad & Alzheimer’s, moving my mother into another assisted living spot because the first kept giving her the wrong medications, and then the death of both parents – and a developmentally-disabled sister in law who had to have three spine surgeries, a husband who had to have two spine surgeries. All in the last seven years. And when others notice what you’re writing – that’s the balance, the breath of Fresh-Pressed Air. Congratulations. You absolutely deserved that boost!
Wow! What a harrowing seven years you’ve been through. I trust things have calmed down for you? I hope so. I’m still dealing with my folks situation and have a feeling things won’t be “normal” for me for some time yet.
The Freshly Pressed recognition came at a great time, yet at the same time, not so great. I didn’t really have a chance to revel in the fame and fortune. Wait. What’s that you say? Fame and fortune doesn’t come with being Pressed? Rats.
Good luck to you with your writing and family.
Thanks, Robin, the same for you. I promise that things will settle down, but they will never be the same. Remember – all fine wine is aged, not fresh pressed.
Hi,
I didn’t know that you had been Freshly Pressed, well done and congrats. What a wonderful experience for you, and I hope you have the experience again, you just never know.
You were probably dealing with your own family matters at the time. Your mom, right?
I hope to be Pressed again. The next time, I hope it is when I can revel in the experience without the distraction of family health issues.
Yes it most likely happened when I was away, it was Dad that had to have the op.
It would be good if it happened to you again when you had plenty of free time to enjoy the experience more.
So sorry, yes of course, your Dad. We were both dealing with “Dad” issues at the same time. How is he doing?
Hi is doing really well, he was given the OK to drive again the other day, and I’m sue if he could of done cartwheels when he came out of the doctors office he would of.
The doctor might have frowned on cartwheels. You know how they are!
I have stopped wishing and hoping and I never prayed to be FPd–but I am happy for you–love your humility in the face of such favour–no wonder you danced all night on New Year’s Eve–do you still have my lampshade–I seem to be missing one
Your time will come, my friend. Heck, since it happened to me, it will surely happen to you!
I think Vanessa has your lampshade. She took it because it matched her pink outfit.
ah, I will have to ask her
Awesome, Miss Doyle … ahem, I mean, Coyle. Thanks for sharing this info. I’ve always wondered what it takes to be freshly pressed. A girl can dream. BTW, I thought of your hand writing article yesterday when I was at the doctor and they had me print my name and then sign. The latter being code for “cursive,” as we who were taught it knows. How will someone “sign” without learning it? I mean, what about when we use our credit cards? Don’t we have to “sign” when purchasing something in person (as opposed to online or by phone). Hmm. Now I see why your article was freshly pressed.
Well, Miss LuNardo . . . ahem, I mean Miss DiNardi, I think that post being Freshly Pressed wasn’t because of the stellar writing. It was because it was a topic that riled people up . . . on both sides of the issue.
Have you had to “sign” for your credit card charge on a screen with a stylus? Looks NOTHING like my name! While convenient for the store, another chink in the foundation of knowing how to write in cursive.
Robin, That sounds very exciting! And a good topic to have everyone jump on board about.
I have never been Freshly Pressed… I think the WordPress people have forgotten about me. ; ) But I appreciate you stopping by.
BTW, What’s up with our WWF game and neither of us being able to make a move? Does that mean that we’re really awesome or really horrible players? ; )
I think the topic was good and the timing of the post being Freshly Pressed was good. People were back to reading blogs after Thanksgiving, it was a Friday which allowed bloggers to gaze upon my words of wisdom all weekend long. Ha!
Your Freshly Pressed time will come. I am sure of it!
I believe you are the awesome WWF player. I just stink. In my defense, I’ve had horrible letters . . . all vowels, all one-pointers, Q’s with no U’s, etc. Then, we tiled ourselves into a corner! That was an odd game. I think it is your move, toots.
And here I missed it! Congrats!
Thanks Fancy-pants Nancy!
That sounds incredible! Feeling jealous. Ahaha I wish I can get that opportunity once. I’d like people to read my stories and connect to them if possible. I just feel that being read is the biggest and dearest experience I writer can have.
It was fun to have people read my words and be moved to respond. Most were in favor of keeping cursive but many said it should go. As you said, the experience of being read by many was rewarding.
Thanks for sharing Ms Doyle uh I mean Ms Coyle! Be proud! That’s how I found you, not that it means much that I follow but….this post was very well written. I loved the humor mixed into your explanation of your new found fame. Till you are freshly pressed again, Good Day. I would have written this in script had I known how.
That is so cool! Did you comment on the post? Did you find me from the Freshly Pressed page? Have you read my posts since being Freshly Pressed? Inquiring minds (me) want to know!
Come on over and I’ll give you a lesson in cursive writing.
I didn’t comment but I do have a fourth grader and I was horrified they weren’t teaching cursive at his school. I did indeed find you through the Freshly Pressed page and yes I have read them since.
I am delighted to hear that. Not the part about your 4th grader not learning cursive. I mean the “yes I have read them since” part.
Does your 4th grader want to learn cursive? I remember dying to write like a grown-up when I was in elementary school.
From what I’ve read of others experiences of being freshly pressed, yours sounds quite typical, a big rush of people which gradually tails off. It’s like your a celeb for a while and they’re all rushing to get your autograph and to see what it is you have that they might be able to emulate. I’m sure it’s nothing you did “wrong” which made them decide to not continue commenting regularly! It’s the same with general followers though isn’t it, for every so many new followers, on a few will comment and engage with the site regularly, but many will not.
*only a few, not on a few!
I visit you all the time Vanessa-Jane and Robin too — you are two of my best blog buds
Same to you LouAnn!
Being Freshly Pressed is like being Justin Bieber one day only to be upstaged by One Direction the next. Fame is fleeting.
We’ve talked about this before. When I was a new blogger, I followed everyone who followed me. Now, I’ve learned to see if the new follower comes around a few times and proves they are truly interested in me and not “fishing” for followers. Sounds callous, but I’ve been burned! Know what I mean?
I don’t think I have wised up yet–good thinking–
Aw, c’mon Robin! If you showed that screen grab a little bit later in the day, my Freshly Pressed post woulda been up there, too!
I don’t know if your stats are better than average or not, but they were a lot better than mine. (And they should’ve been, by the way. Well done!)
You must have been Pressed right after I did that screenshot. Darn! I’m sorry. Did you capture a shot of your name in bright lights? I will always think of you as my Freshly Pressed buddy!
BFPBF! (Best Freshly Pressed Buddy Forever!)
Yes! We are BFPBFs! I’ll get us matching necklaces.
Aww!