crunching some numbers to find the potential subscribers (though I suspect you already know who you are)

This represents what Google Analytics calls Visitor Loyalty over the past year, between November 11, 2010, and November 11, 2011. What it means is that the site had:

• 45,007 visits that were somewhere between the 26th and 50th visit for that visitor (or, on average: somewhere between 1731 readers who stopped by here once every other week and 900 readers who stopped by here once per week)

• 48,778 visits that were somewhere between the 51st and 100th visit for that visitor (or, on average: somewhere between 956 readers who stopped by here once per week and 488 readers who stopped by here twice per week)

• 52,811 visits that were somewhere between the 101st and 200th visit for that visitor (or, on average: 522 readers who stopped by here twice per week and 264 readers who stopped by here four times per week)

• 129,220 visits that represent at least the 201st visit for that visitor (or, on average: 643 readers who stopped by here four times per week and 369 readers who stopped by here every day).

By my count, that puts the really devoted readership at somewhere between 2021 and 3852 readers over the past year.

If they would all become subscribers, I wouldn’t be in such terrible shape.

If I look at the last month -- from October 12, 2011, through November 11, 2011 -- I see this:

• 282 readers visited once per week
• 277 visted more than once per week but less than every day
• ~410 visited at least once per day
• ~440 are superfans who are coming around multiple times per day

That’s about 1409 really devoted readers over the past month.

If this is all I can reasonably count on to become subscribers, I’m screwed. (And it’s probably unreasonable to expect that they would all subscribe.)

If I look at just the past week -- from November 5, 2011, through November 11, 2011 -- I see this:

• 304 readers visited between every other day and every day
• ~206 are superfans who are coming around multiple times per day

There are several hundred people now subscribing, and I figure most of them are from this bunch.

(Someone will let me know, I’m sure, if my numbers are wrong.)

If you recognize yourself in these numbers, and you are not already subscribing, please do so now. It is a quick and painless process, and I really do need your help. One dollar per month is all I’m asking, though of course if you can subscribe at a higher level, that would be wonderful.

I’m starting to despair here. If you would kindly subscribe and show me I don’t need to despair, I’d really appreciate it.

please subscribe