i don't get how this works

[alissa]

so...i was checking out my stats this morning. and the weird thing is that it seems like we are getting the most referrals from bloglines and podcastdirectory. like, they totally eclipse everyone else. podcast alley doesn't even know we exist.

but what's weird is that when i go to those pages to find us, i can't. it's incomprehensible. and totally not obvious that we are in there or where.

so what i'm wondering is if i can't find us, how are all these other people?

the internet is a weird place.

[ethornber]

Bloglines is a web-based RSS aggregator that many people use as a podcatching client - it creates a link for the user to the enclosure, which is probably where you're getting the referral from.

[alissa]

so you mean, they would go to bloglines from our page initially? like a favorites kinda thing or something?

i'm not complaining about the referrals. it's just that there's not a link to them from us. and when i search their directory for us, nothing turns up.

so it seems kinda like magic.

[cc_chapman]

No, people sign up to blog lines. It's basically an online aggregator.

They can subscribe to any RSS feed (including your podcasting one) then wherever in the world they are, they can log into a web browser and catch up on things. It works very well.

[notyourusualbollocks]

Yeah I get that too. It's just the way Bloglines stores a person's favourite, the referring URL will never contain the actual ID of the person or the URL (which essentially will be your own URL anyway) for privacy reasons.

MK

[alissa]

i don't really want to know who people are on bloglines.

i'm just curious how they found out about us is all.

it's like 'i'll have what she's having'.

i just can't figure out what she had.

[cc_chapman]

You'd be amazed how people find you. I get all sorts of random people. Google picks you up. Directories such as this. Word of mouth. You just never know.

It's fun isn't it? *grin*

[alissa]

yeah, it is.

kinda bizarre really. it makes the world seem smaller.