The Really Unpleasant Computer Problem viewed by flood

[buster]

For some reason, the Unpleasant Computer has been getting visits at an accelerated rate. Suspect a link to a busier site. Presently 300 or more a day. The next of my stories listed will get a grand total of about 10 during  the same day.

However, if you check Forum Stats, you will see that this story has broken into the top 10 of our 1,701 topics, most of those views occurring in the last month or two. And that means it is ahead of 1,691 other topics.

So a 'story' on a tech site turns out to be one of the most heavily viewed. Never thought I'd see the day. Sort of humourous.

[buster]

Fame is fleeting. How soon they forget. The story had 400 views yesterday, and has under 10 so far today. But undaunted it struggles on. and maybe will get to position 9 on the view hit parade. Only...

News flash. The story has moved up to position 9! Still hundreds behind topic 8.

[buster]

The Really Unpleasant Computer Problem must be linked to some busy sites somewhere.

Started gathering views in February after sitting for two years as the least visited computer story. Then it started moving up until it it reached number 10 on the most viewed topics on our site of about 1,700 topics. Yesterday, I think, it reached number 9, and today it reached number 8.

Quite a mystery, but maybe readers are enjoying it. It had, by the way, some of the best and funniest comments by our club readers between the chapters.

[buster]

Why this particular story should become so popular suddenly is still somewhat of a mystery. It's the fastest climbing topic in terms of views on our site and has moved from moderate interest to over 27,000 views. I may have found the reason.

If you type 'unpleasant computer problem' into Google, you can scroll til your finger aches, but you'll find no reference to the story on our website.

If you type the same words into Bing, the story shows up after quite a short page one, at the top of page two.

Not very flattering, but maybe some of the people who click onto the story hang around to read it.

[buster]

We have never had a topic on our website reach 50,000 views. However The Really Unpleasant Computer Problem will very probably reach that milestone late this evening or overnight. The success of this repair adventure may be just a quirk of the Internet, but it may also be a result of some help I had along the way, which I have never admitted to.

I use to read each chapter as I wrote it to Oscar the Cyclops. He would flash his white eye once for a yes, and twice for a no. He was a good editor.

Bertha Bedthrasher also made suggestions, especially when it seemed I was ignoring the women readers. We so often think of computer people as male. And Bertha Softbottom provided comfort and reassurance, and that can be so important when the writing is not going well.

So in under five months this story went from getting an ordinary reception to something kind of special. At least for me.

                      ************

I wish some others would start adding computer stories. I'm done. Stories are so much more interesting than 'first I did this, and then I did this...'

And if the story is bad or poorly done, the worst that can happen is that we'll throw rocks at you.

[Jason]

But I don't want rocks thrown at me! Fruit or vegetables, fine, but rocks could jog my amnesia and I'd remember who I am. Nobody wants that, least of all, me.

[Jason]

Btw, something people forget when using search engines is that they use your search history and what you click on to alter your search results. If you're using Google, it's also informed by ads you might click on or subjects you've mentioned in your email. Logging out doesn't change things as cookies can identify you, too.

Remember the huge tsunami in Japan years ago? I saw a video that showed two Google search side by side when someone looked up "Japan". Someone with a "clean" search unsurprisingly saw information about the aftermath. Someone who liked to travel saw information about visiting Japan and the tsunami devastation wasn't in any of the search results on the first page. Someone who doesn't read any news (yes, there are such people) planning a trip will see great deals on hotels in Japan and jump at the chance. Ouch.