Well folks, Saturday March 11 marks a major milestone for Web Talk Newfoundland and Labrador. On Saturday our site, your site, will celebrate its one year anniversary. I have to say I’ve enjoyed ever minute of that time and I actually find it hard to believe it’s been a year already.
When I initially decided to start this venture my intentions were clear in my mind. At the time I simply wanted to provide public voice to my own views and those of others on topics related to the Newfoundland and Labrador experience in Canada. Today I believe we are still providing that venue and every day our readers as well as our contributors continue to increase.
I recall the first few weeks when I was quite happy to check the hit counter on the site and discover that we had receive 5 or 6 visits from inside the province. Over time as new commentaries were published and new issues were discussed the numbers continued to grow from the low twenties to the forties and then from double to triple digits each day.
Today as I look at the hit counter for this web site I can see we are receiving hundreds of visitors a day and thousands per month. Visitors are coming to us from over 15 countries around the world and from nearly every Province across Canada. Somewhere someone is listening and although our views may be controversial at time at least they are being heard.
Over the past year we have discussed a wide range of topics from the fishing industry to offshore oil revenues. From U.S. rocket boosters crashing off our shores to federal elections. From Churchill Falls power to Federal and Provincial powers. From the seal hunts and fixed links to job hunts and fixed elections. We’ve remembered our fallen soldiers and tried to forget our disgraced politicians. No topic of interest to our people has been brushed aside and no comment, on either side of an issue, that has presented comments in a clean and non-vulgar manner has been censored.
The commentaries that appeared only on this site only a short year ago now often appear in newspapers and web sites around the globe. I have seen them published in Toronto, Alberta, Florida, Australia and even Russia. Not bad progress in such a short time.
I have to admit that writing an average of 3 to 4 commentaries a week while working at my actual living (yes I do have a job folks, not everyone in our Province is unemployed, lazy or to dumb to work) has been a difficult one at times. Having said that I don’t think I’d trade the opportunity for anything.
I have met some great folks over the past year including other web site editors, bloggers and contributors to our comments section. All of them have shared in our success whether it be by publishing one of our commentaries, placing a link on their site, making a comment that exposes a new idea or challenges us to respond they have all moved us forward in some way.
I have to say I’m proud that we are still here. I’m proud that we are finding an ever growing audience and I’m doubly proud that we have remained true to the initial intent of this site.
Thank you everyone for your contributions to this site. Without those who contribute, even if it’s only in stopping by and reading an article, we would not be where we are today. I wish you all the best and I’m sure with your continued support and contributions we will keep this site going for a long time to come.
Happy Anniversary. Mine is a couple months away in August. This is a great forum for like minded individuals to converse and individuals with differing opinions to debate. Whatever your beliefs it is trully a privilage to be able to speak with freedom.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy your articles keep it going.
great to be a part of.congrats.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! But who's "we"?
ReplyDeleteSteve here,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the opportunity and availability to read and share all points of view, including my own.
For those who like to pick over the details, here's a picky request. Can you alter the comments section to include not only the time of the comment, but the date? It would allow me understand just a little better the sequencing of the comments.
But all in all, a nice place to sit and set a spell at least virtually.
Thanks for the comments folks. To anon who asked "Who's we" the answer is you and you and him and her.
ReplyDeleteBasically I am a one person operation here but I feel that those who have allowed me to publish their work, those who comment and those who make site suggestions like the one above from Crazy American are all an important part of this process and without us all it wouls cease to exist.
Bye the way CM, I will implement the requested change asap. The suggestion was a good one just like your consistenly good comments.
WJM, I hope you don't take offense to this, but I figured it would be an intersting exercise in open dialogue.
ReplyDeleteOver the past year both WJM, and I have generally been on the opposite ends of nearly every debate, or at least the nit picky parts of them. So today I'm going to try something different.
I would like to invite WJM to give us his comments on the financial announcement made by the Premier in Labrador yesterday. I would like WJM to tell us all what he thinks about the money promised for a new performance center, medical needs, highway work, etc.
I figure if I give my opinion WJM will only do everything in his capacity to tear it apart and take a completely opposite view so why not give him the chance to lead the way this time around.
I think it would make an interesting experiment if you would like to take part WJM.
Cheers,
Myles