Surreal web attention

For me attention on the web felt upside down when finally had web analytics. Was like wondered so much as had done some things, and would guess but finally got Google Analytics on my blogs, and was underwhelmed. Then did first yearly overview and couldn't quite process all the countries. So would often repeat, and repeat and repeat till told myself not to give country counts. And still would.

But was it real? That classic question now for me after around a decade, and answer is, yes. Real people all over the world who for me were just visible a bit by web analytics, as mostly quiet otherwise. Which didn't bother me as had spent years arguing with people about math on something called Usenet, which was old tech before the World Wide Web dominated. And actually I like to use web for everything giving modern connection reality, including Intranet and Usenet.

So yes, you all are real. Had to realize, hey am talking to my audience here with a post! Of course you know you're real, as you're reading.

And yeah, so attention was surreal. Used to use that word so much till was word of the year some year and was thinking shouldn't use so much, but is still surreal. Spend so much time just thinking, trying to figure it all out. And wondering if will go.

Have established it will not though, and web is new, with new rules.

Web attention reality is facilitated by availability of information and ease of global distribution which means that content can be endlessly found by people with an interest. And will be constantly pulling interest, with certain types of content. Things like math, software, photographs and other things that move easily and can be used or appreciated by people all over the world.

It is VERY important to me to understand the reason. Is actually comforting. It's not about me really, is about the information shared.

Which is cool. I use that word cool a lot. Turns out that cool is something that is...should I give the definition of cool. Probably not.

So yeah, rather than build up to some level of attention with lessons learned along the way, I had global in a very quiet way from the moment could even check. And was unsettled. I like that ease of using a word for years of processing something. Now am more settled with it.

Yeah, it's that simple. Right.


James Harris