Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: admin on November 30, 2009, 10:11:15 AM

Title: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: admin on November 30, 2009, 10:11:15 AM
I was checking  web  traffic rankings for  various sites and I see the SRGC site  is well up there  as the  567,905th   the most popular website in the world.

That is truly remarkable, it  really is, especially considering alpine gardening  is not exactly a mainstream pursuit.

30th November 2009

www.srgc.org.uk:  567,905
www.alpinegardensociety.net: 1,871,376
www.nargs.org: 3,974,841

We  have Maggi and Ian to thank for this. Maggi  driving  the forum in her own unique way and Ian’s massive effort producing the bulb log each week are the two things  that really make the difference and attract visitors.

Well done to them.
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: David Shaw on November 30, 2009, 10:26:37 AM
We  have Maggi and Ian to thank for this. Maggi  driving  the forum in her own unique way and Ian’s massive effort producing the bulb log each week are the two things  that really make the difference and attract visitors.

Well done to them.
Agreed wholeheartedly, Fred. :D
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: mark smyth on November 30, 2009, 10:50:24 AM
well done to all involved!
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Paddy Tobin on November 30, 2009, 02:25:24 PM
So, what's new? We knew it was fantastic already.

Hard to beat the team behind this site.

Paddy
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Luc Gilgemyn on November 30, 2009, 02:29:24 PM
Well done everyone !
Truly amazing result ... only 567.904 to go to nr 1  ;D :o ;)
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Ulla Hansson on November 30, 2009, 02:42:08 PM
For me, this forum is number one. Thanks to everyone involved, special thanks to Maggi and Ian.
Ulla
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: ichristie on November 30, 2009, 04:06:05 PM
I agree with Ulla the SRGC forum is number one, well done THE WEB TEAM a fantastic effort, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: David Nicholson on November 30, 2009, 04:30:35 PM
Well done Ian, Maggi and Fred.
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Anthony Darby on November 30, 2009, 06:54:43 PM
Well done. :) :) :) I suspect when you remove all the mind numbingly inane web sites that the youth of today are hooked on we would be number 1! 8)
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Lesley Cox on November 30, 2009, 07:12:52 PM
Very well done indeed, to Maggi, Ian and Fred and to all of us too who visit every day or most anyway.
You're right Anthony, all those others that I see kids using are totally mind-numbing. This one can be bum-numbing if one sits here too long. ;D But someone did once call me a "dead end kid."
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Maggi Young on November 30, 2009, 07:16:57 PM
If I might be permitted to lower the tone for a moment  :-..... in contemplation of our Club Site's lofty position..... we must remember, too, all the shopping and unsavoury "adult"  sites  and indeed those fitting both those descriptions, that must surely rank very high in the reckoning.....makes our achievement all the more remarkable!  :o 8) ;D 8)
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: cohan on November 30, 2009, 07:20:02 PM
good show!
congrats to those who set such a great tone on a daily (hourly!) basis, but also to those who set up a very user friendly and functional format!
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: admin on November 30, 2009, 07:49:21 PM
These numbers really don’t mean much unless you can put them into some kind of context. The only way  you can do that is by comparisons with other sites, some  that are mainstream and most obviously popular and others of a similar ilk.


www.google.com: 1
www.facebook.com: 2
www.yahoo.com: 3
www.youtube.com: 4
.
.
www.ebay.com: 25
.
.
www.bbc.co.uk: 46
.
.
.www.rhs.org.uk: 70,287
.
www.srgc.org.uk:  567,905
.
www.thegardeningwebsite.co.uk: 845,236
.
.
www.alpinegardensociety.net: 1,871,376
www.nargs.org: 3,974,841
.
.
www.agc-bc.ca: 19,403,003


We cannot hope to ever play in the same league as google, the BBC or even the RHS, but for a specialist horticultural society  based in the cold, wet and windy northwest corner of Europe  we are doing rather  well I think!

Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Maggi Young on November 30, 2009, 07:54:43 PM
Thanks, Fred, that does show a perspective of the situation. 8)

It really is marvelous.... I can't believe it....this is exciting vindication of all we do.... and of course, we have more planned...... Fred and the BD are scheming even now to make improvements! ;) :)
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Lesley Cox on November 30, 2009, 08:03:39 PM
It has only just occurred to me but one of the really great attractions of this site is the lack (apart from that little spot in the top right hand corner), of any advertising. Whether on websites, in magazines and papers or on TV, advertising is the absolute bane of those who want information or entertainment. Here we don't have to navigate through it or otherwise try to avoid it and for me at least, that's JUST WONDERFUL and a great bonus. So while I'll look forward to Fred's and Ian's improvements, I'll hope there are no moves to add advertising any more than we have at present. :D
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: David Shaw on November 30, 2009, 08:22:09 PM
Thanks, Fred, I was just about to ask who was #1.
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: mark smyth on November 30, 2009, 08:35:46 PM
I'm stoopid! For some reason when I read the ranking I thought SRGC was lower than AGS ::)

www.srgc.org.uk:  567,905
www.alpinegardensociety.net: 1,871,376
www.nargs.org: 3,974,841
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: mark smyth on November 30, 2009, 09:51:54 PM
www.srgc.org.uk:  567,905
www.alpinegardensociety.net: 1,871,376
www.nargs.org: 3,974,841

NARGC better watch out because I'm nipping at their heels.  ;D
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: angie on November 30, 2009, 10:03:44 PM
Congratulations you three, Thanks for all your effort and hard work it really helps pass these long cold nights.
Maggi you are my No 1,  Who needs smiles when we have you.
Angie :)
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: mark smyth on November 30, 2009, 10:13:37 PM
If all the lurkers join and the sleeping members get active this web site should rise up the charts
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Maggi Young on November 30, 2009, 10:24:49 PM
It's the traffic and pages downloaded that count towards the rankings, I think, Mark, not the actual activity on the Forum ..... but more contributors can only be a good thing!!  8)
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: arillady on December 01, 2009, 07:52:38 AM
I can well understand the SRGC numbers - Have just come back from two weeks away - 2 days in Sydney and 11 days in NZ - and I thought I would do a quick look - 11 pages!!!!! :o ??? that I need to go through on top of all the other bits and pieces that need catching up on!!!
Is there a way to keep the list of unread posts as when I go away from the computer they disappear and it shows I have seen them.
Probably a setting somewhere!
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Darren on December 01, 2009, 08:03:39 AM
Well done from me too.

I'm actually not that surprised though. I've noticed that if I google even the most obscure plant name there will usually be a hit on this site somewhere!  The quality and breadth of information on here is astonishing.

Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Maggi Young on December 01, 2009, 01:10:01 PM
I can well understand the SRGC numbers - Have just come back from two weeks away - 2 days in Sydney and 11 days in NZ - and I thought I would do a quick look - 11 pages!!!!! :o ??? that I need to go through on top of all the other bits and pieces that need catching up on!!!
Is there a way to keep the list of unread posts as when I go away from the computer they disappear and it shows I have seen them.
Probably a setting somewhere!

 Bless you, Pat..... that's 11 pages for your notified subjects of interest.... two weeks worth of the whole forum is many more pages.  As I discover on the rare occasions I am away for a couple of days,when I am stunned by the amount of reading to be done;  I wouldn't care to have to try a two week catchup.... I don'tthink there are hours enough in the day!

Pat, your unread posts should stay listed as such until you have actually clicked on the pages and marked them read : as you say there are settinmgs and info on such in the official  Forum help section, button second left, top of page.

Quote
Darren:    I'm actually not that surprised though. I've noticed that if I google even the most obscure plant name there will usually be a hit on this site somewhere!  The quality and breadth of information on here is astonishing.

Darren,
Yes, it is gratifying how high SRGC rates in Google searches, but with the number and calibre of contributors here, it is a fair reflection of things in our area of plant interests, I reckon!!  This place is not short on helpful members, that's for sure... and it is they who make the difference.
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Lesley Cox on December 01, 2009, 07:50:55 PM
If, as Fishing Fred says, there are around 180 million websites and SRGC is just outside the top half million, that is brilliant, no doubt about it. In fact I'm surprised there are not many, many more sites than 180,000,000 as so many individuals all over the world have their own sites. Just look at all our Forumists who have a site of their own, let alone all the businesses, clubs, organizations of every kind and of course the nasty ones. Just about every man and his dog has a website. The dog probably has his own personal (or doggeral) site as well. So we could be the half millionth of maybe billions!
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Lesley Cox on December 01, 2009, 08:25:05 PM

www.nargs.org: 3,974,841

NARGC better watch out because I'm nipping at their heels.  ;D

Do you mean Mark, that your own websites are close behind NARGS in ranking? If so, very well done. ::)
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: admin on December 01, 2009, 08:40:01 PM
If, as Fishing Fred says,

Fishless Fred I'm afraid...... bleedin' season's closed.  :-[

Mind you a circuit of Otago / Southland / West Coast  in February has a 'certain appeal'  ………………… ;)
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: David Nicholson on December 01, 2009, 08:42:06 PM

www.nargs.org: 3,974,841

NARGC better watch out because I'm nipping at their heels.  ;D

.......Marrk, ........

You having trouble with your rrs Lesley? ::) :P
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Lesley Cox on December 01, 2009, 09:39:40 PM
Fred, Maggi mentioned that you were planning a trip this way. Maybe we could share a dram somewhere?

David I frequently have trouble with my Rs.  :o Perhaps I should rephrase that. ???
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: admin on December 01, 2009, 10:10:11 PM
Fred, Maggi mentioned that you were planning a trip this way. Maybe we could share a dram somewhere?

Not sure about the itinerary yet Lesley it’s not only my decision. We were thinking about Christchurch  > Mackenzie Basin to fish the Tekapo river again  >  Ranfurly (upper Taieri river) > Balfour / Lumsden (stacks of world  class trout waters around there)  > then back up the west coast to  Hari Hari  >  Greymouth  >  Reefton then back to Christchurch and home...........  :'(

That’ll take about 3 ½  weeks..... 8)
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: mark smyth on December 01, 2009, 10:15:44 PM
Admin, do you have Sky TV? I watched a programme tonight based in Mongolia where the presenter was catching 7 foot trout!
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Maggi Young on December 01, 2009, 10:22:27 PM
Dear Gawd! Don't tell him that.... he'll be off to Mongolia next and then how will I cope with the tricky, techy stuff? :o

 Fred.... don't listen to him... they were plastic 7ft  trout... it was a joke, not real at all.... virtual rivers..... 'orrible!!!  :P :P
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Lesley Cox on December 02, 2009, 03:41:08 AM
Fred, if you find yourself (and friends?) with an evening to spare, I could easily find myself in Lumsden, Ranfurly or Tekapo. Anywhere except perhaps the West Coast. :D
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: admin on December 11, 2009, 03:41:40 PM
We have moved even further up the rankings

Now at 493,272............ 8)
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Joakim B on December 11, 2009, 05:53:59 PM
Is the direct traffic to the forum counted or only if we go first to the main site?
Good work
Joakim
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Maggi Young on December 11, 2009, 06:19:21 PM
Joakim, I believe it is all traffic to the site, whichever part.
Our traffic is up 220% in the last week, it seems! Amazing!!
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: cohan on December 11, 2009, 06:47:40 PM
Joakim, I believe it is all traffic to the site, whichever part.
Our traffic is up 220% in the last week, it seems! Amazing!!

probably the weather in canada keeping everyone indoors ;)
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Maggi Young on December 11, 2009, 07:00:48 PM
Joakim, I believe it is all traffic to the site, whichever part.
Our traffic is up 220% in the last week, it seems! Amazing!!

probably the weather in canada keeping everyone indoors ;)

That's okay.... so long as their electricity and internet connections are working!! ;D
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Lori S. on December 11, 2009, 07:07:07 PM
Our traffic is up 220% in the last week, it seems! Amazing!!

I think it's just because I've been home all week.   ;)
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: maggiepie on December 11, 2009, 07:12:09 PM
Our traffic is up 220% in the last week, it seems! Amazing!!

I think it's just because I've been home all week.   ;)

Phew, I thought it was me!! :o
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: mark smyth on December 11, 2009, 07:25:29 PM
very exciting.
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Lesley Cox on December 12, 2009, 08:33:38 PM
This is amazing. Soon we'll be in the top dozen. Then move over Google. ;D
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Eric Locke on December 12, 2009, 10:10:09 PM

Keep the postings coming. :) :) :)

Eric
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: mark smyth on January 03, 2010, 03:44:01 PM
There was a programme on TV during the week where the programme makers visit the place that the internet was born. They said there are 230 million web sites it the world. This makes the ranking even better
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Maggi Young on January 03, 2010, 05:54:49 PM
There was a programme on TV during the week where the programme makers visit the place that the internet was born. They said there are 230 million web sites it the world. This makes the ranking even better
CRIKEY!!  :o    :)
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: TheOnionMan on January 03, 2010, 06:15:40 PM
Is there any demographic information regarding SRGC Forum membership.  I could be wrong, or perhaps it's just my initial impression after being introduced to the forum only recently, is that there are not as many Americans on board as they probably could be/should be.  I think the SRGC site is awesome, one of the better "blog" / "social networking" / "special interest" sites I've ever come across... thanks to all who make this happen.
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Maggi Young on January 03, 2010, 06:38:36 PM
Not too many registered USA Members, but those there are are largely silent, but there are lot of American lurkers!
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: admin on January 03, 2010, 07:08:52 PM
currently 23.9% of SRGC site visitors are from the United States
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Maggi Young on January 03, 2010, 07:09:37 PM
currently 23.9% of SRGC site visitors are from the United States


 He knows, y'know!  8)
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Paddy Tobin on January 03, 2010, 08:00:42 PM
currently 23.9% of SRGC site visitors are from the United States


Well, if only those visitors from the United States realised how welcome their contributions would be they might join in. It is the diversity of reports on this site that makes it so very interesting. We have almost a worldwide coverage from people interested in plants.

Come on , sign up and get posting.

Paddy
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Lesley Cox on January 03, 2010, 09:37:19 PM
Those Americans whom I know in person, i.e. those living here, are not known  for their silence on any topic at all, so it surprises me that so few Americans take part in this Forum. It would be great to have people such as Jane McGary and so many others sharing their knowledge and experience.
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Paul Cumbleton on January 27, 2010, 12:04:34 PM
I must add my congratulations to all the others who have said what a great achievement this is.


Paul
Title: Re: SRGC – the world's most popular rock garden society web site?
Post by: Maggi Young on July 08, 2010, 05:48:52 PM
Web ranking now for the SRGC site is 415,223  ...... well done Folks!  
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