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Note to Advertisers: Madville Times Is Your Best Investment

Let's compare web statistics for the website that claims to be South Dakota's #1 Political Web Site and the one that really is:

Data:

Comparison of web traffic for Madville Times and Dakota War College, October 2012 to mid-December 2013

Disclaimers:

  1. Pat presents data from Site Meter. I present data from Stat Counter. Your mileage may vary.
  2. My December 2013 column includes an extra day of traffic, suggesting an unfair advantage for me in that bar of perhaps 7%.

Analysis:

  1. Dakota War College hits a six-year peak in October 2013 with 61,487 visits and 135,304 views, as the Benda/GOED/EB-5 story breaks, then declines in November, as DWC doggedly ignores and poo-poos the biggest South Dakota news story of the year.
  2. Madville Times hits a six-year peak in November 2013 with 67,695 visits and 138,459 views. This peak surpasses DWC's October peak. Madville Times November coverage includes breaking the Annette Bosworth raffle scam and her paycheck woes, stories of public interest that DWC dismisses.
  3. Halfway into December, despite higher post volume on DWC (Dec. 1 to Dec. 15: 119 posts on DWC, compared to 70 on MT), Madville Times continues to draw more traffic.

Conclusion:

  1. South Dakota readers know quality when they see it. Thank you.
  2. By the numbers, South Dakota's #1 political website is the Madville Times. Thank you.
  3. Advertisers, if you're spending money on Dakota War College, you could spend the same money here and get more eyeballs. Thank you... in advance!

34 Comments

  1. Rorschach 2013.12.16

    More than half of DWC's posts are press releases. More than half of the rest is copied from somewhere else with little to no commentary. DWC has almost no original content these days. When PP troubles himself to actually write something these days, it's often contrary to or fully devoid of logic as if he's trying to emulate Fox news on behalf of the SD GOP establishment.

  2. Jana 2013.12.16

    What would be interesting is how many people go to Madville first and then click on the Dakota Ministry of Truth and vice versa.

    It would also be interesting to compare original content vs. simply posting press releases.

    Someone should also forward this on to the Washington Post and Chris Cillizza and any other site that ranks state political blogs.

    Well done Cory!

    You don't suppose Pat would post this on his site do you?

  3. Rorschach 2013.12.16

    It's really a shame how lousy DWC has become. For a long time it was the finest political blog in SD. I enjoyed reading thought provoking posts. I enjoyed commenting and debating my friend PP and other commenters - anonymously of course. But that was before PP lost interest in both debating issues and in being my friend. When PP started threatening to identify the person behind my anonymous comments, then started simply deleting them, I quit commenting. That was years ago. But more recently my spouse made an innocuous comment that was deleted apparently for no other reason than that PP tracks all IP addresses and he recognized that one. So be it.

  4. Jana 2013.12.17

    It's worse than that Rorschach. PP has become the poster child for the shallowness of the GOP.

    Think about it.

    He is nothing but a purveyor of the 'cool girl' GOP platitudes. Go outside the thinking of the 'cool girl' clique and pay the price.

    You want substance...sorry...the moose out front should have told you we were closed to anything but petty comments.

    The former War College spends more time deleting comments and re-posting press releases than adding to the discourse that a healthy political discussion deserves.

    Advertisers spend money to reach a small base as a patronage payoff for positive posts. Or put another way...a cheap shill.

    Although, I have to admit that I take guilty pleasure in watching the train wreck that is the playground fights between the 'establishment' (read political cronies) and the 'true conservatives' (read tea party.)

    Like any clique of adolescent minds, not going with what the princess says leads to an implosion of the clique.

    Thank you Pat!

    BTW...OMG...did you see what Stace was wearing today? Really...totally uncool...I heard he got it at Wal-Mart and is trying to act like it's totally American Eagle. Some people just don't belong!

  5. Jana 2013.12.17

    OK. Just read the latest at the War Toilet, and I should include leaker for an inept communications team for the Governor.

    Let's see...I can see the conversation in the Mansion.

    "Dammit Tony, the press and bloggers are turning on us for totally ignoring filling the opening Russ Olsen burdened us with. We're not really looking good on this one, especially since they point out that we haven't even tried to replace the damn Dem on the GFP in over a year!"

    "Sorry dad...by the way, thanks again for the sweet job! Look, I got this covered. We burn that damn Mercer for looking behind the curtain and just name someone at the last second and leak the name to our old buddy Pat to leak. The guy needs some cred after his being driven from the SoS in shame and the way his blog is headed, a little news leak to a real journalist like Pat will show those idiots at the papers that we don't need them. Hell, they'll just think that Pat out reported them and try to suck up harder. I got this, just like I got the whole Benda thing covered. Say hi to Mom for me will ya...and can you make sure she's ready to go with the whole Christmas at the Capital and Mansion tours thing so we can keep the news cycle going our way. Everybody loves her...oh yeah, you didn't tell her that mother-in-law joke I was telling the guys yesterday...did you?"

    "Don't worry Tony, I know you run the show, so my lips are sealed. So do you think I go with the humble servant schtick or should I show my concerned authority figure look?"

    "Don't worry dad...I got this. By the way, how did Rounds take the whole 'we had no idea about the whole Northern Beef Packers' conversation going?"

    "I'm not sure...better call Pat, we may need some cover on this one."

    "Don't worry dad...Karl Rove told us we create our own reality and that is exactly what we are doing, just ask Pat. I love that guy!"

  6. Jenny 2013.12.17

    That's funny and clever, Jana! Does anyone know why Powers was let go from working for Rounds when he was governor? Just curious.

  7. Jim 2013.12.17

    One thing that separates Madville from the once proud DWC besides the far superior writing found at madville, is the comment policy. PP's decision to censor and delete, yet still allow numerous anonymous comments has turned his comment section into a largely schizophrenic echo chamber. Some people do post with names or handles at DWC, but at Madville that is the rule rather than the exception. The result is that Madville has developed more interesting and engaging comment threads.

  8. Charlie Hoffman 2013.12.17

    You do have one big plus over PP. Here, even though I don't have a proper name I get the same name every time I read someone, and in my mind that forges a personality which can be used for a proper reply.

  9. Jenny 2013.12.17

    Sounds like Shantel Krebs will be another fool partisan like Gant. Her goal is to make every SD office republican (how stupid to even vocalize it!) No early voting on indian reservations, even though SD has 9 million in federal grants to improve citizen voting. Please, South Dakotans deserve better!

  10. BIll DIthmer 2013.12.17

    That bold Jana. I like it. The Blind man

  11. Tara Volesky 2013.12.17

    Did you earn it Cory! HELL YES! Congratulations for the best political and factual blog in SD. Now I am challenging everybody to reward Cory, because he puts in hours, and hours of research every week to keep us informed. Please throw in a few bucks in the tip jar, if it's only $5 $25, $100, what ever you can afford because he earned it. We need to keep Madville Times going. This bog is the Political conscience of SD. Thank you.......

  12. caheidelberger Post author | 2013.12.17

    Jana, I think we have a whole genre of South Dakota political theater to produce. We should bring back the Caribou Show and do a weekly "Denny and Tony Miked Up" segment.

    Jim, Charlie, you get what I'm after in the comment section. You recognize the value of a coherent conversation, and coherent conversation requires reliable, consistent names. I appreciate your including your names in the conversation.

    Thanks, Tara! Keep reading, and keep spreading the word to your friends!

  13. crossgrain 2013.12.17

    Pat and Cory should just measure each other's penis. Problem solved... until one of them buys a Corvette.

  14. Jenny 2013.12.17

    Yuck! Besides, would you really expect Pat Powers to be truthful in regards to that, crossgrain?

  15. interested party 2013.12.17

    Corvette fanatic: prepare to do battle on 100 Eyes later today.

  16. interested party 2013.12.17

    PP can't even see his peepee without a mirror.

  17. interested party 2013.12.17

    Good to see that Cory has angered someone in the NRSC to send one of their hit men to Madville.

  18. Rick 2013.12.17

    Congratulations, Cory. Hard work, persistence and integrity eventually win out.

  19. crossgrain 2013.12.17

    Jenny: Besides, would you really expect Pat Powers to be truthful in regards to that, crossgrain?

    Dunno. Never met the guy. Perhaps it would be best to convene a non-partisan committee whose charter would include rules for selecting an unbiased urologist. This committee would also select members of the press (preferably an odd number, I'm thinking no less than 7) and at least 3 notaries public to attest to the results. I have little doubt we could re-direct some state grant or another to cover our costs, we just need to find a dick-waving fan in Pierre. Shouldn't be too hard, the place is obviously crawling with them.

    interested party: Good to see that Cory has angered someone in the NRSC to send one of their hit men to Madville.

    To whom are you referring?

  20. oldguy 2013.12.17

    CAH you have done a great job in really digging for the story as well as asking questions which seem to be the right way to get to the bottom of any story. All of your question are legitmate no matter what the answer is. In addition I always enjoy a different point of view which makes me think. Republican ideas are not always right just like Democrat ideas aren't always right either. Sometimes the really good idea is a blend of both which seems like we have gotten away from. I will be ringing the tip jar and suggest others do too.

  21. interested party 2013.12.17

    cg: gfy.

  22. Jenny 2013.12.17

    Cory is a truthful journalist, and truthful journalists are not the enemy. Thanks for excellent journalism, Mr. Heidelberger, and here's to many more years! Cheers!

  23. crossgrain 2013.12.17

    interested party: cg: gfy.

    I don't get it. Speak slowly and explain to me like I'm 5.

  24. Steve Sanchez 2013.12.17

    crossgrain: my 5-year old knows how to write her name. Do you? Let's start with that.

  25. Dave Baumeister 2013.12.17

    Cory,
    As a print journalist, I have never had a huge respect for "bloggers." People with blogs can say anything they want to with little recourse (i.e, the #1 Political Website in SD). Dakota Weenie College is no more than a blog. A blog is essentially the rantings and or opinions of an individual and the associated commentaries. You have a legitimate news site. You provide your opinions, for sure, but you base everything on facts. Cory, for anyone to call what you have here a blog is a great insult. You are a thorough journalist who does his homework, and I have seen very few sites that even come close to what you do. Although he does, Powers can't legitimately say he has more than the "#1 Political BLOG in SD," but you should say you have the #1Site for Political News and Opinions in South Dakota. Also I think that if you changed the name of the page, you'd be referenced more by the news media. Reporting something as coming from the "Madville Times" doesn't instill much confidence in the source to people who aren't regular followers of the page. Even though, with the Madison reference aside, it does so fit SD politics so well!

  26. crossgrain 2013.12.17

    Steve Sanchez: crossgrain: my 5-year old knows how to write her name. Do you? Let's start with that.

    Why? My 17 year old daughter knows that the SCOTUS ruling in McIntyre vs. Ohio Elections Commission reads (in part):

    Protections for anonymous speech are vital to democratic discourse. Allowing dissenters to shield their identities frees them to express critical minority views . . . Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority. . . . It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation . . . at the hand of an intolerant society.

    I'm willing to wait a dozen years to see if your daughter doesn't agree.

  27. Steve Sanchez 2013.12.17

    crossgrain, congrats. Please ask that very smart child of yours if she would be willing to share the meaning of respecting others (unidentified others included) with you. I can assist with the abbreviations lesson when you come back all learnt up. But, if you're more inclined to wait a dozen years, that's fine. Perhaps you'll find out who you are by then.

    This forum is open to differing opinions. It always has been. Just please contribute something of value. So far, I see only your cut-and-paste above meeting that criteria.

  28. crossgrain 2013.12.17

    Steve Sanchez, "value" is in the eye of the beholder.

    While I will readily admit my comments on this article are certainly of little value beyond my own entertainment, I would argue that the article itself is of little value beyond the waggling of iGenitals - all the back-patting and self-congratulation going on in the article and comments remind me of an outhouse - a single place to put all the crap.

    I'll be sure to alert you when I post something of "value" under an article which meets the same criterion, since I'm sure you'll be spending many sleepless nights worrying about insipid little me.

  29. interested party 2013.12.17

    Mr. Sanchez: no doubt you have learned the value of not engaging the ridiculous.

  30. caheidelberger Post author | 2013.12.17

    [cross grain, check your e-mail.]

  31. caheidelberger Post author | 2013.12.17

    Dave, change the name?! After I've built the brand and bought the domain? You're busting up my whole marketing plan!

    And you know, with all this wiener talk, the bars in those charts do look rather phallic....

  32. Stan Gibilisco 2013.12.17

    Cory, I only frequent one blog. Yours is it. Sums up my opinion eh?

  33. caheidelberger Post author | 2013.12.17

    ...and your opinion means a lot to me, Stan. Thank you for your faithful readership. I will endeavor to give you more worth reading.

  34. Douglas Wiken 2013.12.18

    DB, "just a blog" is nearly meaningless because any blog can be nearly anything from trash to treasure. There is no guarantee that print journalism is anything more than celebrity promotion these days. I see nothing inherent in the idea of self-publishing with the ease of blogs as content managers. It is just another kind of ink and medium with the value determined by the writer not the medium.

Comments are closed.