When OIB launched under the banner of the Fairfield County Weekly in 2007, who knew anyone would show? “Blogging” was the new kid in town. To make these things work you need a niche, so we focused on government and politics. In 2008 we took the site independent, away from the Tribune corporate suits in Chicago. Sadly, the Fairfield County Weekly sleeps with the fishes. Fortunately, we made the right choice to go independent. Every year the audience has grown. Gratefully, the number of pageviews in 2015 (roughly 1.8 million) nearly doubled from last year, according to site stats compiled both by WordPress and Google Analytics. So thank you to all OIB readers. If you didn’t show I’d be in deep digital dung.
Advertising, in part, is driven by site stats. What are your pageviews (total number of pages viewed)? advertisers ask. Unique visits (readers who come in for at least one session)? Geography of readers? We are a good balance between city and suburbs and decision makers from around Connecticut who want to know what’s happening in the state’s most populous city. OIB had more than 166,000 unique visits in 2015.
The on-line news industry is still trying to figure out the best way to monetize itself. There are only a few ways to do it. Some of the bigger boys with large audiences sell content subscriptions, some of the smaller sites beg for money from readers, others monetize through display advertising. It’s not perfect, but display advertising is how we do it here. Until a fairy godmother comes along and says what do you need to keep this place afloat without soliciting ads, it’s what we’ll do.
While I am the face of OIB, there’s an equally important technical side covered by my webmaster Ray Fusci, he’s sorta the guy behind the curtain who makes sure my technically challenged noggin doesn’t crash the site. He’s a Wesleyan wiz who can fix anything … even if I break it.
We cannot be all things to all people. Our goal is to inform and entertain about government and politics. Many readers specifically show up titillated by the banter of the comments section. It does not matter to me how you arrived at OIB, whatever touches your pleasure center.
So I thank you for keeping this place alive and salute you for a sweet 2016. My readers are my bosses and I never lose sight of that.
Also, a shout out to Tom Dudchik, publisher of the popular CT Capitol Report for driving thousands of views to OIB throughout the year.
For some insight about the OIB audience for 2015 click this link below:
jetpack.me/annual-report/3168252/2015/
Lennie,
Thanks for making OIB available in this form. First, I suppose, “only in Bridgeport” was a comment with a shrug, epithet of exclamation point attached as you lived and worked here? Then it was a book. And 25 years later it was that original book updated with additional essays. And currently it seems to be the source of the most comprehensive info and viewpoints on what passes for municipal governance in “the largest City in the State” with only 17 square miles of area.
At a time where most of Hollywood movies are telling genuine or adapted versions of real life mainly and where SPOTLIGHT and THE BIG SHORT show how institutions in general, but specifically Church, newspaper media, financial service firms, big banks, rating firms and government regulators have let down the average Joe and Joanne, the blog providing an “outlet” for emotions, intelligence and occasionally some common sense may help rebuild a lost sense of community. We have been underserved and let down by those who should be more caring and responsible in their work. OIB lets many of us, using our own names, become “whistle blowers” and point a direction to take. Can you see progress? I can. And if advertising helps, so be it. And if it does not, tweak it. Did you ever believe the ‘status quo’ would be awaiting us at the end of the rainbow? What’s your pot of gold? Time will tell.
Happy New Year??? Time will tell.
Readers and friends,
The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report has not reached the City Clerk’s office yet. In recent years the Finance Officer sends a letter to the Mayor around the 27th of December with a narrative to accompany the actual report of the external auditor, Blum Shapiro. In her last such letter Anne Kelly-Lenz noted: “The City’s taxable base remains steady with the October 1, 2012 with a Net Taxable Grand List at $7 billion.” That statement may have been accurate when it was reported in the 2013 CAFR, but was undoubtedly wrong and inappropriate in the 2014 CAFR. Notice of that error along with 19 others never earned a response from that “professional” throughout 2015.
Sensing how many things were left by the last administration, we may see extensions requested. Patience will be important, but so will be reading the info and comparing it to that of other recent years, something the City Council has failed to do. Council members get a special bound copy. You can access the report itself at the Finance Department site to download what you wish.
Finally, the November monthly financial report did not arrive in the City Clerk’s office by the 4th Friday of December as the Charter call for. Wonder what it will tell us about the last Finch month? How patient can you be? (Let’s see how long it takes for the CT Post to report on these items, if they do. Applause for the OIB opportunity!) Time will tell.
MORE PEOPLE ARE “PAYING ATTENTION” AND THAT’S A GOOD THING. CONGRATS LENNIE HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR. PRAYING YOUR HEALTH, WEALTH AND HAPPINESS GET BETTER DAY BY DAY!
Congratulations Lennie. Wishing you much continued success.
Outstanding, Lennie! Congratulations! Bridgeport democracy wouldn’t stand a chance without citizen access to your “brainchild.”
*** IT’S ONLY BECAUSE YOU HAVE READERS LOGGING IN ON A DAILY BASIS, TO TRY TO CATCH ONE OF “MOJO’S” BLOGS THAT ONLY APPEAR EVERY NOW AND THEN! WHY ONLY NOW AND THEN YOU MIGHT ASK? BECAUSE TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING CAN BE OVERBEARING AT TIMES, NO? ***
Long live Mojo!!!
I once tried to explain to my 90-year-old mother-in-law what a blog is. The concept of the internet is a reach for her. My suggesting a blog allows people to express their opinions and share advice was even more confusing. Explaining newspapers or even network television news was declining rapidly as sources of information was also hard for her to grasp.
Lennie has done a superb job of providing hard news stories with a political twist, then allowing us to comment in our own way. Some of us prefer to share additional facts or background while others shoot from the hip with their view, while still others offer a humorous take. Some of us speak openly and honestly while others hide behind pseudonyms.
Lennie, great job. I hope you continue to receive recognition as a dedicated journalist using this medium.
p.s. Would you have had so many hits if certain frequent commentators had not logged on to comment on everything?
Tom, long live serial posters!
“Serial posters” make Only in Bridgeport the ‘breakfast of champions?’ Cereal posters? Time will tell.
Congrats! Clicks rock!
In Bridgeport we get clucks. The good news is thanks to the chicken ordinance we can have six. 🙂
Happy New Year, OIB!
*** Thanks For The Opportunity To Be Able To Voice People’s Opinions In General On This Web Site. Its Power To Inform The Masses About All Types Of Info. And Then Allow Time And Space For A Response From The Masses Concerning That Info, Or Anything Else, Is A Blessing In Itself! *** HAPPY NEW YEAR, LENNIE ***