Well, to answer your question about the counter, yes. I could add one the next time I create an archive. I've refrained from doing this however because I don't feel it's necessary to "prove" anything.

I mean, I know from experience and the hit reports I get that people are reading this board. I get email from many of the lurkers, too.

Also, I've been actively promoting it through the Witch World WorldFAQ, by posting announcements on Usenet, and by scooping up addresses of Andre Norton fans from Dejanews and sending them email. And then I have submitted the message board to almost 300 search engines. Alta Vista has actually indexed all the messages (or nearly all of them), so now searching on "Andre Norton" almost invariably brings up a slew of message board entries.

Richard Frahm has suggested I should also take out an inexpensive ad in LOCUS, and I keep meaning to do this, but have managed to find excuses (mostly travel and illness) to not do it. :)

I promise, I'll send the ad in tomorrow or Thursday.

Anyway, I know the message board is also mentioned in one or two SF resource FAQs. And a couple of people have referred others to it on Usenet.

There REALLY ARE people reading what we write. Most people just like to lurk. Even if only half of the people whom I've ever email have ever visited this board, that must still be in excess of fifty Norton fans. I have no idea of how many others find the board through Usenet or links from your sites.

But I can set up a counter in a couple of weeks to report number of hits. I'm not sure how useful it will be, as it may record a hit every time you post a message (in addition to your just browsing the board).

We'll see.

Michael
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