WordPress modified their reader again. And like always, they did it without explanation. Now a little graph with numbers appears opposite the likes and comments when I browse the blogs I follow. I can’t figure out what it means. I tried to Google it. No scrap that, I tried to Bing it. I’ve stopped using Google.
Sigh, it’s a long story. A little over a year ago, Eli and I bought new laptops from HP. We both got fairly basic models. Midlevel processors, adequate RAM, nothing fancy, except Eli sprung for a touch-screen. This is the first new laptop I’ve had in years.
In 2020, awed by sticker shock, I decided to go with a refurbished model. I carefully checked all the specs, and I even sent the list to the IT guy at work. We both agreed I found a solid laptop for the money. When it arrived, I was appalled by the size of it. The beast was two inches thick. It probably weighed twelve pounds. When I hung out in coffee shops trying to look like a cool writer dude, everyone wondered why I was using a computer from the 1990s. It worked reasonably well for a while, but after a couple of years the letter “A” stopped working. I assumed buying my next laptop new would get me about four years of use.
Shortly after the laptops arrived, the trouble started. Mine made an intermittent crunching/grinding sound. It sounded like there was a little man inside my laptop chewing nails. Crunch, crunch, crunch. Eli’s video display vibrated up and down. We sent both laptops back for repairs, mine twice, and then HP lost it in their warehouse and never found it. This was just three months ago, so I have a new laptop again.
It only took a few weeks for the new one to stop working. The internet crawled. Do you remember 1996 dial-up? You clicked on a link and then waited. You clicked on it again because you weren’t sure you did it right the first time. As you prepared to click it a third time, the screen went white, and a new page began to load. This is how my brand new 2023 HP laptop performed.
I again consulted the IT guy at work. He told me to try a different browser. Microsoft Edge works perfectly. So now, for the first time in fifteen years, I’m using a different browser than Google. I asked Bing what WordPress’ new little graph in the reader means, but for all of Microsoft’s bragging about their new A.I. fueled search engine, I couldn’t get Bing to understand what I was talking about.
My first and most obvious guess is they are showing everyone in the world how many page views our posts are getting. But the numbers on my post don’t align with what my stats show. And other people’s posts, ones that I read today, and even commented on, aren’t showing the little graph at all. And if WordPress is indeed now showing the number of page views for each post, Jesus Christ, can’t I get a little privacy?
I already constantly compare myself to other’s likes and comments, beating myself up because I never think I’m performing well enough. Now I need to consider page views too? I can calculate everyone else’s ratio of views to likes—something I agitate over constantly. I see Wendy gets liked on forty percent of her views. Whoa, Tracy gets eighty percent. Wait a minute, Jane has more likes than views. How is that even possible?
When I hover over that new graph with my mouse, I get the little finger telling me it’s an active link. But then when I click on it, nothing happens. WordPress is notorious for not explaining what the data in their stats page mean. C’mon WordPress, a little help here. What’s that new graph, and how can I make it go away?
The Other Stuff 
You just put me off buying a new laptop at the end of financial year sales here. As to the stats it’s hard not to look but I wonder why we bother when they are so unreliable.
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Everyone in our family just shakes our heads at how poorly these two laptops are performing. At one point, I wanted to write a scathing review of HP much like I did about US retailer Sears in 2016. They promptly went out of business after I wrote that, I think this gets the point across, but hardly scathing.
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HP: Has left the Pavilion
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I quit using Chrome too, it is a severe memory hog. I was using Firefox until it decided (on its own I might add) to block various sites from me and not explain why. So I use Edge on my Windows machine and Safari on my Mac machines.
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My son points out that Microsoft has a vested interest in ensuring that Edge works better than all other Windows browsers, and maybe they are sabotaging Chrome. I said, “well that’s illegal” and he just shook his head with that “dad, were you born yesterday frown.”
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Oiy. Fuckin Word Press. I’m stuck with it because, well, you know. I’ve got 300 stories in there–all brief, no more than 600 words. That’s my practice. Edit. Edit. Chop. Chop. Then revise. God how I love to revise. The George Saunders model. It’s what makes writing holy. But Word Press? It is NOT meant for writers. I’ve made a pact with myself to read all your blogs, as long as Word Press will let me. You won’t know it–I won’t always comment. But I need a pal who gets pissed off at the same things.
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I’m not sure there are any other blogger platforms as active as WordPress. When I started blogging, I was on Google’s platform, and I got few views and my readership grew maddingly slowly. Can’t argue with cutting and revising. When I take the time, I’m always happy with the result. I’m following your blog too. It looks like there is some good writing there.
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I’m already scared about making a new post! As for laptops, I feel your pain. I had a Dell until roughly 2 years ago; the motherboard failed under warranty and the hard drive would have done likewise if I’d kept it long enough. I managed to get my money back after bitching and moaning, and switched to an ASUS. Funny thing, M has exactly the same Dell and no problems. I dunno…
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I honestly thinking showing the number of page views will disincentivize many bloggers. I can’t help but compare myself to Mitch Teemley or some other blogging superstar with hundreds of page views and just as many likes and think jeez, what’s the point. RE: Laptops, that both of the same model are working so poorly makes me suspicious. I am 100% done with HP. The price was great, but you get what you pay for.
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I’m trying not to worry about views and likes, but it’s difficult not to feel discouraged. I read that it takes a year to get a blog following. I’ve been at it since mid-March, so I’m just doing it without considering how many readers I have. I figure that a few years from now, when I’m ready to retire and blog more seriously, I may have some following.
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My ‘following’ grew really slowly for a few years until I was featured on a wordpress page called ‘Discover’. Then my # of followers shot up and have continued to climb since (with most of those followers appearing to be business accounts). A miniscule number of those people actually visit my blog and judging by the engagement I get, maybe 20 of those people actually read. I tell myself over and over that it shouldn’t matter, and one reader is all anyone really needs. Sometimes it sticks, sometimes it doesn’t. I’m really opposed to showing page views. There are already too many ways to measure our performance in the world. Still, I’m not even convinced those numbers represent page views. It’s all very confusing.
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I don’t see this little number when I read via the Reader… if that’s any consolation. Also, Lenovo Thinkpad. They don’t die. I use mine for everything, everyday, and it’s been about four or five years. But just watch, now that i’ve written this “out loud”. sigh.
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I don’t see it on my phone, just my PC. Yes, I think the last time I had a reliable laptop, it was a lenovo. Unfortunately, I’ll probably be buying one soon. Sophie has a macbook and loves it, but $1100? Can’t see it happening.
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Macbooks are so slick. I used to have one and loved the intuitive-nsss (is that a word?) of it, but yeah, not worth the $ for my purposes…
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Oh, what an interesting little icon. I don’t use the Reader so I haven’t seen it but your guess that it’s views is a good one. But when I’m a guest author on someone else’s blog, they hide the view numbers for posts from me so it’d be odd if they expose that to readers.
Sorry about the laptop trouble. That is seriously no fun! It’s like have a week of productivity sucked from your life. My sincerest sympathies, Jeff!
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I can’t say anything relevant about the new ‘graphic’ as I barely understand this technology, but I can tell you I snorted with laughter when I read this line:
“It sounded like there was a little man inside my laptop chewing nails. Crunch, crunch, crunch”
I’ve had computers make sounds like that, but more Whirrrrrrrr….erk…arghhhh….death. Good luck with your technology interface, just imagine how much more we’ll hate this stuff when the A.I. take over the world!
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Yes, you’re right. What will happen when the internet is embedded in our brains and the technology goes haywire. Do you see a doctor or the Geek Squad?
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