MrExcel #1 on Top 10 List...

[schielrn]

Chip was saying his site gets something crazy, like 18,000 hits, per day. That's a ton of hits for an Excel site, no?

(I think he publishes his stats...)

Whats the stat for this site? Also maybe that is not unique hits? I would say I hit this site 30-40 different times a day at least between closing it and then going back.

 

[NateO]

I'll have to look it up - but the number will be enormous. Microsoft blogged about a certain group of forums and I know we get more hits than it does, and it's huge.

There are some stats, here:

http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/MrExcel.com

 

[zorvek]

Regarding Experts Exchange, it is important to understand that there are two very different perspectives of the site: the pay for information perspective and the expert contribution perspective. I made my first post online at Experts Exchange about five years ago and I did so with the same intentions as everyone else who posts online at any of the many forums and newsgroups: to help people and to learn from peers. The reason I posted there and not somewhere else is that Experts Exchange solutions are what almost always came up first in my Google searches, and I had previously paid for a subscription because I needed help in areas other than Excel. Since that first post I have made over 25K posts and answered about 7,500 questions, and have never strayed far from the site. During that time I have never lost sight of my original objectives. About two years ago Microsoft offered me an MVP award based solely on my work at Experts Exchange when they realized that the subscription model had nothing to do with the why and how of expert contributions. About six other Excel MVPs have been awarded in the past two years for their contributions at Experts Exchange and other sites.

From the perspective of paying for information, please understand that what you are paying for is not necessarily the information, but rather the technology that drives the site. Experts Exchange was created with a single novel idea: take the question and answer model and add a grade and points which are then used to reward experts with levels of achievement. There are two very important facts about that novel idea: it was patentable (and was patented,) and it creates a more competitive environment which promotes more responsive and better results. Because of the expert's desire to accumulate points, askers (OPs) are less likely to be abandoned even when their questions are difficult or require a little more "custom" work than most of us are willing to provide without being paid. Granted, the grade and points system has flaws: excessive competition can have an adverse effect on the quality of the interaction with the asker, and experts, considering points their payment, are occasionally disappointed with the outcome. But the overall effect of this system has benefits to paying members and, being unique and patented, is being offered for a fee by the owners of the patent and the site. With the revenues generated they are continuing to make improvements to the site that free sites are not so willing to make or are not capable of making. This further enhances the paying member's experience.

Kevin

 

[Cbrine]

Plus we get free T-Shirts

Alright, I've never actually worn any of mine, but the new ones look like they might be OK to wear in public.

 

[Greg Truby]

Shucks, if I'da knowed all ya had ta do was say EE three times fast and then mutter "Kevin" in order to get The Great Zorvek to appear, I'da done 'er two months ago after I got back from da summit. Howdy, Kevin, nice of you to leave the EE house and come visit us. (Does this mean now I hafta take Patrick up on his offer and start stopping by EE once in a while? )

 

[zorvek]

Patrick gets around a little more than I do. I'm trying to do some other sites but those points are addicting. My main secondary area is the Excel-L list. Some hard code dudes there who would never be caught dead at Experts Exchange.

To be completely upfront, I need to point out that the one post I did make here was to get under a particular OP's skin who dissed me and some others over at EE. However, it was a good post and did, in fact, answer the OP's question.

I do need to get out more. The points are cool but they tend to attract all manner of riffraff.

 

[Colin Legg]

Hi Kevin,

What is the Excel-L list?

Cheers,

 

[RoryA]

Speaking of riff-raff, who let you in? Honestly, I turn my back for one minute...

 

[zorvek]

The Excel-L list is one of many lists run by the LServe folks:

http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?A0=EXCEL-L

It's an email interface - crude but very effective. The Excel-L list is the more advanced stuff, the Excel-G list is for more general topics.

Kevin

 

[zorvek]

Speaking of riff-raff, who let you in? Honestly, I turn my back for one minute...

No one. I am everywhere. I just don't post

Why are you on your back, laughing your butt off? Too many pints? Kids...