An Observation

This is a short report. I just want to tell you an observation I have made.

The reports that aren’t match reports are the ones which get the most comments or over 10.

When I’m writing this, the most comments on the front page is Matty Q’s footy round up.

11 comments, it’s not a match report.

That’s just an observation.

 

By Aidan Hammond Aged 11.

About . .

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Comments

  1. Thanks for that Aidan. Click baiters and those seeking gratification take note:

  2. Peter_B says

    Aidan – a correct observation. But why? What does it tell us? Why do people write? What makes some articles more interesting to readers than others?
    There are a lot of things going on beneath your observation – partly its marketing – some writers use social media to publicise their articles to friends and acquaintances. Great.
    Some develop a ‘following’ by their previous articles and comments – say interesting things about other people’s articles and they are more likely to read your articles. Its about community building.
    But above all I think articles and writers only thrive on this site – and I suspect its the raison detre’ (underlying role and purpose I guess) of the Footy Almanac.
    Say something different and personal about footy – and the social/economic/cultural network that hangs off it. If its funny, warm and insightful all the better.
    But if it is just a reframing of what is in the newspapers or on the radio or on AFL 360/Talking Footy etc etc etc – there is no readership or interest in the articles or in the site more broadly.
    As an “old geezer” brought up on Red Smith and Jack Fingleton (and Frank Hardy and George Orwell and Evelyn Waugh – not Steve or Mark) I reckon that only good readers (with broad interests beyond sport) can ever become good writers who attract a wide readership.
    The Web is a thousand miles wide and a quarter inch deep when it comes to finding things worth reading. The challenge for all of us Almanackers is to find and aspire to become good and interesting writers.
    At 11 years of age you are asking all the right questions and starting on the journey.
    When the student is ready (and you are) the teachers will appear.

  3. John Butler says

    G’day Aidan.

    I can’t really improve on PB’s observations. Just keep asking those questions.

    Keep up the good work.

  4. Howdy Aidan.

    The best reports are those through which I not only learn about the game in question, but also the writer. I might discover the type of music they like or what they do when they’re not watching footy or where they’ve recently been on holiday. As PB says the pure footy reports can be found elsewhere. I reckon it’s people and their stories that make this site work.

    Go the Crows!

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