Commenting on comments I don't get very many comments - it's okay I do this largely as a diary for my purposes but I recently got a comment from a VIB (very important blogger) his name is Iain and he was commenting on a link to this post.
Iain told me that

As usuaal(sic.), Tim Ireland is talking bollocks in his ongoing vendetta against me, as a cursory visit to this post will show you.
http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2008/04/march-statporn.html

I'd already made a cursory visit to Iain's post, and concluded that what Tim was saying was quite right. Which is why named the post "Iain Dale has been overstating his visitor stats" and linked it to Tim's post named the same. Like I have again.

I held Iain's comment back for a couple of days, after all "talking bollocks" is akin to lieing, I would have thought. I then contacted Tim and asked him if he was talking bollocks, as was shown in the post edit. Tim responded that he was not talking bollocks in the comments and then Iain responded thus :

And you fail to understand that while Google calls them visits, Extreme Tracking calls them unique visitors. And the figures provided over a period of a year on both systems have more or less identical (by which I mean within 1500) results. You make out I have consciously tried to mislead people when I have done nothing of the sort. In future, I shall be using figures only from Google Analytics and presenting them according to their terminology. I am also looking into how to provide public access to such figures.
This is far more than you ever do, seeing as you never actually reveal your figures. (my bold)

On the first point :

a)

You make out I have consciously tried to mislead people when I have done nothing of the sort.

I assume that this is an admittance of mis-understanding? You mis-understood the language of net stats provided by the myriad of providers you used but still published them as fact?

In future, I shall be using figures only from Google Analytics and presenting them according to their terminology. I am also looking into how to provide public access to such figures.

Oh yeah you already answered that one.

b)

This is far more than you ever do, seeing as you never actually reveal your figures.

This was aimed at Tim Ireland who runs a personal website that does not sell advertising that is linked to visitor numbers, page views, unique visitors, or any other bullshit metric you choose. You do. You are using bullshit metrics. Fix it, admit you were wrong (although your comments here will do) AND BE HONEST.

Now why I started this post...

/rant mode

DG read all hereTaster :

As all internet users are aware, with opportunity comes responsibility. It is therefore essential for the wider online community to embrace the transformational potential of Lifelong Learning. Only by harnessing the strategic possibilities of collaborative digital study can we work together to realise the multi-disciplinary educational benefits of electronic partnership.

And Tom Reynolds. Taster:

Reading the comments on my last post reminded me that I haven't really commented on comments. Here is a rough FAQ.

No mention of sock puppets tho +++No Carrier+++  ¶ Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1 Comments

  The far left side
I loved Gary Larson - his humour hit home with an accuracy no other cartoon ever did. I was therefore a tad dissapointed when he finally retired and took his 'kids' with him. A little bit of the connection was made harder when I lattery discovered we where born on the same day albeit several years apart but now I have this.

Major hat tip to Raincoaster and an addition to the the blogroll once I've done the archive.  ¶ Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3 Comments

  Iain Dale has been overstating his visitor stats Ronseal

Edit: I held off publishing the comment to this post - Tim are you taking bollocks?  ¶ Thursday, April 03, 2008 4 Comments