That time of the month
It’s the 1st of November and we almost forgot to do a stats post. Tch, eh?
We’re calling one of those numbers another landmark.
For October our headline readership stats were only slightly up on September (if you’re keeping count we had 102,419 unique visitors, who made 356,371 visits and racked up 1,792,239 pageviews – all new records). But that’s more impressive than it looks, because September’s stats were boosted, as we noted at the time, by a big one-off spike when Frankie Boyle retweeted our foodbanks piece.
That’s now our all-time most-read article, with nearly 100,000 views, but it also added about 25,000 new unique visitors, only 5000 or so of whom have stayed around (actually an unusually high stick rate for this sort of thing). The other 20K dropped off the 30-day stats around the middle of this month, so the “underlying” October readership is actually up on September by roughly 22,000, or about 36%.
(We know because for a while the 30-day stats were registering over 120,000 uniques.)
But since the topline numbers aren’t very dramatic, we thought it might be more fun to check out 2013 to date, and were stunned to note that at some point this month we passed half a million unique readers for this year alone.
That means that almost 10% of the entire population of Scotland (including toddlers, people in jail and folk living in crofts in the Cairngorms with no electricity) has now read Wings Over Scotland at least once in the last 10 months, and that’s a pretty gobsmacking thing to take on board.
This happens not because we’re so great, but because YOU spread the word. Talking to ourselves is all very well, but these sorts of numbers go far beyond that. So keep sharing, keep tweeting, keep linking and keep talking, and this time next year, who knows where we could all be?
Great stuff Stu and all those who make this site one amazing resource.
……..and this time next year, who knows where we could be?
Independent.
Are we allowed to quote mighty oaks and little acorns or is that overlaying some Scottish couthy saying?
Well done the Rev (and us)
Braw
Well done Rev – DH will be spitting mad I see he has changed his photo on his twitter account obviously the Carmen look wasn’t dignified enough, wonder if he is positioning himself for possible selection 2015/2016.
Those figures are pretty amazing!
Magic!
Keep up the great work all you keyboard warriors, truth searchers, myth debunkers – you all know who you are.
These statistics combined with the proven efforts being made “on the ground” illustrate what an amazing team “Yes” is; unstoppable now.
Let’s consolidate these efforts over the next 11 months and get this damn thing done.
Great news!
The number of uniques for the last 10 months of 2012, incidentally, was just over 141,000.
Very well done!!
All proves ” Wings” is taking on a special roll, a great boost for your abilities Stu, and you point the way to have these stats increased. The more it is read, the more important your “service” becomes.
More will take on board your excellent breakdowns to expose untruths, the more BT will shiver, that is all good to me, and I am sure, to all who follow your reasoning. Well done to you and your assistants. Keep up the good work.
Next crowd funded poll?
O/T
Five Million Questions’ latest newsletter reports both the Wings Panelbase poll and on the debate on Wednesday. BcM reported as claiming Scotland has run a deficit in every one of the last 21 years. Anyone know where he could have plucked this one from?
http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b4489de6afe57bd1f88e96467&id=74806830eb&e=878332853c
superb…keep it up
Fan-tastic 🙂 Huge group hug to the Rev and all WoSers.
Brilliant stuff, thank you and well done to All 🙂
I feel I only comment on the stats posts. But, again, fantastic Stu.. I’ll keep annoying the bejusus out of all my Facebook friends by sharing and liking, don’t you worry…
I got a delivery of nice colorful badges (25 in a pack from YesScotland) today, am gonna keep a few in my pocket to give out to anybody who enquirers about my nice purple one 🙂
Onwards and upwards… The heights we can reach may be dizzying, but hold onto your breeks and dinnae look doon 🙂
Sorry O/T an amusing piece in the Herald by Ian Bell on Johann’s performance on FMO’s and no, I did not buy it !
http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/viewpoint/lamonts-big-six-botch-job-was-worthy-of-halloween.22579921
Congrats Rev Stu on your excellent website !
Last bastion of Free Scotland thinking debate, ideas and innovation. Great reporting of the factsthat the wider population don’t and won’t get to hear unless pointed here.
More power to ya bud and the wider WoS team, (you have some great outside contributions also and some seriously fact based info along side some very, very funny postings; a mix we dont find anywhere else regarding the referendum).
No one else really counters the Blair MacDougall bullshit machine although the GA Ponsonby paerson comes pretty close at times.
Thanks for all your hard work
@Brotyboy
Being forced to accept Westminster’s apportioned share of Westminster’s bad management (Iraq war, etc) over the last 21 years has “shewn” a deficit.
If we vote Yes, we can make our own mistakes rather than have those that made their mistakes able to ascribe the costs of them to our account. Imagine your neighbour gets ripped off by a dodgy builder on his house and then calmly turns to you and says “Sorry about that but you’ll still have to pay your share.” I’d ask for your response but the Rev doesn’t run a profanity filter!
Good to see SNP tweeting titbits from the Wings over Scotland Panelbase poll who said Wings isn’t mainstream enough.
“Sorry O/T an amusing piece in the Herald by Ian Bell on Johann’s performance on FMO’s”
By Tom Gordon, in fact.
“Five Million Questions’ latest newsletter reports both the Wings Panelbase poll”
I note they both avoid mentioning us, and link to the ONLY media report of the poll that also didn’t name us…
I love us!
Well done Rev.
I’d take my hat off to you if I had one.
Keep the good work up.
A loud clunk at my letterbox, and their on the floor lay my YES newspaper, yip I’ll say that again A YES newspaper, with the words on the front page “Historic First Edition” autumn 2013.
Its about the size of the Daily Mail without all the nonsense.
The front page headline says “Weve got what it takes says most Scots”
The back page has boxer Alex Arthur saying Im a YES man,and a four column spread from footbal fans all over Scotland who are voting YES.
WE RE FLYING WITHOOT WINGS AH HUD TAE CHINGE IT A WEE BITTY ITS COPYRITED WEIL DONE REV
Wow
er hello everybody
wee shy smiley face
‘Including toddlers, people in jail and folk living in crofts in the Cairngorms with no electricity …have now read Wings Over Scotland.‘
Reminds me of that old soup advert from the 80’s… ‘Pea and ham …from a chicken! Now, that’s what I call clever!‘
If you’ve got those 3 categories above reading Wings, Rev …then you’ve really cracked it! Bairns, Jailbirds and hermits!
Well done, Rev. Only God knows what your Stats will be like by the end of next August.
Kudos Rev, just the berries! 🙂
“Sorry O/T an amusing piece in the Herald by Ian Bell on Johann’s performance on FMO’s”
By Tom Gordon, in fact.
———————
“During the banking crisis he stood up for Fred Goodwin,” she howled at the FM.
I wish Tom Gordon had continued his piece, because even the answer that the First Minister gave on the Sir Fred outburst by Lamont was a peach! If I remember off the top of my head, it was something on the lines of ‘Aye, and it was the Labour Party who knighted Sir Fred, and it was the Labour Party who employed him as an economic advisor!’
Peach!
Tom Gordon’s piece for those interested
http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/viewpoint/lamonts-big-six-botch-job-was-worthy-of-halloween.22579921
“Tom Gordon’s piece for those interested”
Come on folks, we know how archive.is links work by now.
http://archive.is/fB3JP
Rev Stu. “and this time next year, who knows where we could all be?”
Outside the The Albanach on Edinburghs High street and the Rev.’s BUYING
That means that almost 10% of the entire population of Scotland (including toddlers, people in jail and folk living in crofts in the Cairngorms with no electricity) has now read Wings Over Scotland…
Or 8.3% if you’re Alistair Darling.
Tom Gordon, on the of chance that your having a peek in on W.O.S try & get all the PUNCH LINE IN WE here watch/look /listen 24/7 across all media an we dont get payed like you but that said your piece is welcomed I wish more Reporters would write FACT NOT FICTION
Clydebuilt says
“Outside the The Albanach on Edinburghs High street and the Rev.’s BUYING”
start a crowd source fund stu, your gonna need it 🙂
No wonder folk are turning in increasing numbers to WOS when they are treated to tripe like this from todays Daily Record editorial.
‘Because the best way to undo the damage being done by the Con-Dems is not to vote for Scottish independence, but to elect a Labour government.
The party must convince Scots that they will form the next UK government – and that they deserve to do so’.
Ok, so who’s going to remind them?
Rev – wings definitely got a name check from SNP tweet about poll.
Jim, dont buy the Daily Record nae money nae readers NAE CLOUT
Excellent stuff! 🙂
“we passed half a million unique readers for this year alone. That means that almost 10% of the entire population of Scotland (including toddlers, people in jail and folk living in crofts in the Cairngorms with no electricity) has now read Wings Over Scotland at least once in the last 10 months”
Hmm. Perhaps that should have been “That’s as if” rather than “That means”. After all, are you really, really sure that every one of those readers was in Scotland?
ronnie anderson, I agree with you, but my wife buys it as being the lesser of all the unionist evils that come in print form, yes I do read it though, mind you I used to read the Dandy, so I guess you could say that my standards have slipped, although the Record does have more laughs.
“After all, are you really, really sure that every one of those readers was in Scotland?”
No, but then “almost” is a flexible term 😉
Hate to burst your bubble,but this time next year we’ll all be living in North Korea/Bangladesh if Fat Eck gets his way.Not that that would bother the Nats,who are oblivious to the consequences of being a dirty foreigner.
Ok Jim git her telt a thing av got some auld Dandy annuals in the wardrobe I ll send them tae your wife
Mealer we dont ken a big eck We hiv a WEE ECK hiv you no heard he s on a diet gittin in shape fur INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE
Excellent work Rev Stu and all the hard working people that assist and put our nose in where they don’t want it.
Great start to the weekend – The wine will slip down that bit more smoothly this evening
SOS Mealer FM of Scotland has only grown in STATURE in the rest of the World
Sorry to feed the troll but dirty foreigners hahaha. If that’s the strength of your argument nuff said.
Trying to kill two birds with one stone here!
Sir Jeremy Greenstock, a former advisor to Tony Blair, has basically said ‘a small nation with big personalities and a resource such as oil could have “roughly the same” influence on the world stage as big countries‘
A piece surprisingly mentioned in the Scotsman just after 5pm tonight. Seems to hint that Scotland would do fine on the world stage as a small, but rich independent nation. Take that, Mr Darling!
http://archive.is/pHPLs
Some serious “spikes” on the graph, esp over the last couple of months. Presumably these relate to Panelbase, Calton Hill, Grangemouth etc..
Well done, great result all round. If you took a “best fit” line through that I wonder what it would extrapolate to next year?
Oh yummy meal er I think that’s the name, come to mummy, otherwise big boys will eat you up. Now run along and play elsewhere before you make a right idiot of yourself.
Hate to burst your bubble,but this time next year we’ll all be living in North Korea/Bangladesh if Fat Eck gets his way.Not that that would bother the Nats,who are oblivious to the consequences of being a dirty foreigner.
It is true that some of the more bat shit crazy Bitter Together types do allow such nonsense to fall from their lips like crap from an incontinent cow but that it is so obviously deranged that it provides welcome comedy relief.
JLT says:
“Sir Jeremy Greenstock”
Who’d of thought you could ever say “Good old Sir Jeremy!”
My gosh, I think he’s on to something, don’t you know.
Sorry Rev OT
The link below is to the Dundee Uni debate the other night between Blair Jenkins from Yes and Bliar McDougall from No.
http://youtu.be/DYvKoSxfzGI?t=18m34s
Is this the same female who was shouting her mouth off at the Clydebank TUC debate the other week?
Mealer speiler,
don’t you know the joker laughs at you 😉
BARONESS Kramer /Carmiechal trying to sell the HS2 to SG transport minister K Brown a would think BUFFERS START N STOP at both end of the TRACK they can even start in the Middle ( Channel Tunnel both ends meet in the middle underground ) Aye they need Scotland awrite their skint
Dont want to burst a bubble – far from it , but how many are ” unique”?
I read WOS at home, at work and on the commute. 3 Different IP addresses.
Just sayin like!!!!
O/T but I need some help, last night I got talking to a bluenose mate, I was out taking some magnetic Large YES symbols off the van as somebody else was wanting them, he mentioned that he was a definite No but also that his 16 year daughter was as well and he had not even influenced her. I said does she want to go to uni, he replied in the affirmative and I said strange how somebody would vote to be 36 thousand pounds in debt after their uni education.
He said don’t be silly we will still have devolution and have all the stuff we have now, I said that there had been statements by both Tories and Labour which put the continuance of the Barnett Consequntials in doubt and if for instance funding was cut further than already then after a no vote then it would be very difficult for the SG to continue to provide free uni education, personnel care,prescription charges, bus travel of pensioners etc. He said I had never thought of that have you any proof or is it just scaremongering!
Does anybody have any links to any Unionist’s making statements that the Barnett consequentials are under review, or worse and have the tories made public how much public spending is being reduced by in 2015?
He is the last person I would think would vote YES, his asking for proof of what I was saying suggests that he may not be after all a very firm No, If I can get him onside the floodgates will open…
just wait till folk realise there’s gonna be a referendum on independence!!
Congratulations Rev – superb stuff!
Jingly Jangly
I have seen this one in the past:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/9008823/Scrap-formula-giving-Scots-extra-cash-say-Tory-MPs.html
@Rabb
Yes I think so. I commented on this on the “No place like home rule” thread
31 October, 2013 at 6:37 pm
@Ally
True, but this will be more than counterbalanced by the fact that each individual in a household will have the same IP by virtue of using the same router.
Paula Rose
Oh yummy meal er I think that’s the name, come to mummy, otherwise big boys will eat you up. Now run along and play elsewhere before you make a right idiot of yourself
Very good, made me laugh.
@JJ
http://wingsoverscotland.com/margaret-curran-is-a-liar/
rabb says
Almost positive thats her voice again (same rubbish anyway)
Jingly YES SCotland site Colin McCrae jist post your request plenty to choose from thats if you dont get it on here
Jingly git them tae sign up on W>O>S YES SCOT ha ha
@ mealer
Less of the ‘Fat Eck’ shit fur brains – whether you like it of not he’s the FM
Name like ‘mealer’ suggests yer on the chubby side yersel
A character assassination of Johann Lamont in Newsnet today:
http://www.newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-opinion/8271-the-biggest-threat-to-scotland-regardless-of-yes-or-no
Impressive numbers, Rev Stu.
What these numbers tell us is that Scots are clamouring, starving for information, information the UK or Scottish MSM will not give them.
I first came to WoS through a link to the dictator bingo. A great laugh, but also making a more important point.
http://wingsoverscotland.com/alex-salmond-dictator-comparison-bingo/
I was commenting on Blether with Brian until the BBC shut it down. We moved to NewsnetScotland. I discovered many other sites… NNS got a bit snitty about comments and I thought I wouldn’t even try to comply with their new rules, I’d rather take my ramblings to a site that doesn’t limit lenghth or time between comments.
WoS has a very relaxed moderation policy. The very few obvious trolls are only blasted away after three warnings from Rev Stu. Mostly WoS is basically self-moderated, the “cybernat mob” at WoS is courteus, good-natured, informative, fun. Some jokes about the inept/lying/dismal anti-indy politicians, some gentle name-calling. Nothing vicious. I’m amazed how civilized it all is, knowing how most online thingies decend into bile and name-calling etc.
I’ve been told by the MSM that “cybernats” are evil. Bad. Totally despicaple in their depravity. Too bad that my own experience is that the Britnats are more bileful, bitter, lying, swivel-eyed, frothing at the mouth, totally distached from the real world. But they’re of course not pulled up by the MSM because they’re British.
Scots will get their independence because they’re reasonable, democratic, pratical people. They’re not interested in the British establishment and forelock tugging and the English class society. They’ve got their own class society! 😀
slightly o/t but i heard shrek was out trick or treating the other night wearing a johann lamont mask.
A large poster on display in Old Parliament House in Canberra reads “We can change the world – Every single revolution on earth was started by small groups of people” Richard Bell 2010
Scotlnd included.
Some O/T good news for the political anoraks – SSP have confirmed they’ll be contesting the Shettleston council by-election on Dec 5th. Seems a dozen or so candidates are up for it, but don’t know who the others are, apart from the usual party reps.
Our man’s called Tommy Ball, which should get some attention in itself.
(Anyone know if LFI are putting someone up?)
If anyone’s ready to get active and fancies helping us out, drop me a note in Quarantine or message ian@stevenston4.fsnet.co.uk and I’ll make sure you’re kept up to date with details – I don’t have any meself yet, but it’s a cert we’ll be the most active party, as usual. It’s a good chance to get involved with the grass roots stuff, attend the count, see the nuts and bolts of it all. Good practise for next year!
Not a lot to say Stu, except congratulations and heartfelt thanks for all you are doing for our country.
Brilliant Rev, you’re doing a mighty job for the country. Tonight I took in the Better Together Dundee launch – there’s an hour I’ll never get back. Revisionism of our history by Chris Whatley of Dundee Uni saying Scotland had been striving for union since 1500, the rest of the panel Alex Johnston, Jenny Marra and oor Wullie Rennie. Jenny Marra was very disappointing, I’d heard she was bright but Rennie had to take on the harder questions. Aye… A full house though, 120 in the hall and no dissent, a very depressing bunch.
Rev –
Dont know if you’ve seen this site – give it a look over
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Current+Affairs/Scotland/Scottish+Independence
Surely if you had some sort of basic ad revenue on the site you wouldn’t need to crowd source, in fact you would be able to donate money to various yes campaigns.
Just goes to show that people prefer proper, investigative journalism
rather than a journalist’s opinion or a press release disguised as news…
Benarmine
You were not alone. I know a few other Yes’s who went along to hear what they were saying.
@Ian Brotherhood
Good Luck in Shettleston Ian. LFI won’t be fielding anyone, not a political party but a campaigning group, mores the pity.
“Surely if you had some sort of basic ad revenue on the site you wouldn’t need to crowd source, in fact you would be able to donate money to various yes campaigns.”
I have no idea how to pursue ad revenue, and neither the time nor the strong inclination to find out. If someone comes to me with a ready-made proposal I’ll listen, but it’s way out of my field of expertise.
Marcia
Yup, I noticed quite a few not fully engaging. And no wonder.
@Rev. Stuart Campbell
Just don’t take any of ATOS money like some we know of. :o)
RevStu, I am not a regular contributor, too many contributors are more intelligent and knowledgable than me. I am a daily reader and financial supporter.
Thank you for creating an oasis of Normality, that we can only dream the msm journalists would like to visit.
ps I will be at the Edinburgh Albanach when WOS celebrates Independence.
Stuart,
I can make some enquiries for you if that’s okay ? I have some contacts in that area.
yours aye
Ken
Now that I have a job again I can contribute a small amount to the wonderful wings – wouldn’t advertising mean a load of wasted screen space? It’s bad enough seeing Amazon.
Paula,
I am amazed how the Rev can run a website more or less 24/7/365 with a budget of 30 grand which includes travel and accomodation to Scotland, website hosting, general office costs and the occasional splurge on promo material. This is obviously not a commercial venture; however this website is an invaluable bridge and sound board to like minded individuals and with the high quality standard of articles we, as fellow wingslanders should feel motivated to support Stu financially in whatever amount is deemed appropriate by the reader. There is no obligation whatsoever, but we as readers have done the right thing when asked.
I agree with you regarding the advertising aspect, however needs must. Let’s check it out ? If additional funding can help continue to secure Stuarts focus on this venture then I am happy to be a wee bit of wind beneath his wings. ( That sounds bad, but I know what I mean 🙂
@Thepnr-
Cheers mister. I wasn’t aware that LFI was just a ‘group’ – wouldn’t Alan Grogan have a much higher profile than a lot of the wee-er players? Just saying…
I hope LFI does become a ‘party’ – it’d be as good a prototype as many ‘real’ Labour people could wish for right now, and would certainly garner much support.
Anyway, what am I blethering about?! He’d be taking votes away from SSP!
Wonderful work, Rev Stu. The numbers speak very loudly indeed. I hardly post here but I’m in the invisible background all the time, reading what everyone has to say. I greet the names of certain regular commenters as though they were the names of old friends. Though I’ve never met any of these people, I feel like I know them.
I was at the Better Together East Ayrshire launch tonight and got a chance to directly question the former Chancellor about the $1trillion US bailout of the UK banks, and the related fact that an independent Scotland would not have been liable for banking transactions that occurred in the City of London, irrespective of where the banks involved were headquartered. As well as flatly denying that this was in any way the case, he also denied that the US bailed out ANY British banks. What they did do, apparently, was pour in liquidity while buying up all their toxic assets – and they got their money back. So not a bailout then. And, anyway, it’s different over there, not like here.
Asking a question at such an event in no way resembles a conversation or a fair-minded debate; the speakers on the stage are in a commanding position to respond in whatever way they like and there is little opportunity to properly challenge their answers without seeming like a heckler. I did try. 🙁
While many aspects of the event would have been deeply irritating to anyone in possession of better quality information, there were a couple of aspects that were genuinely infuriating. Some agents for YES, with their Wings-badges concealed, have taken copious notes on the entire event so I will leave the real thunder to them. There were a few other pro-independence people there so the panel did not get a particularly easy ride but it seemed a pretty closed-minded affair compared to the wide-open-and-brimming-with-potential feeling you get at a YES event.
As I drove home, I got angrier and angrier about the way Alistair Darling had spun my question into a condescending dismissal of me and my line of inquiry. (I guess I asked for it when I began by saying that, after taking responsibility for informing myself and looking into the arguments for independence, I had found them to be unassailable!). By the time I made it through my front door, I was raging over and over at him in my mind, almost ill with the intensity of it, berating myself for not having asked him what the difference was between pouring liquidity into a bank and bailing it out. And just as I thought I might burst, there on the mat, like a sign from above, was my freshly delivered YES paper.
“I can make some enquiries for you if that’s okay ? I have some contacts in that area.”
Go for it.
Roger that !
Good post Aidan, you’ve got balls.
@ Ian Brotherhood
I hope LFI does become a ‘party’ – it’d be as good a prototype as many ‘real’ Labour people could wish for right now,
Thats the plan! Though just speaking for myself :o)
@Steven Duncan (10.24)-
‘…too many contributors are more intelligent and knowledgable than me. I am a daily reader and financial supporter.’
Oh, man, you’re doing yourself down. Why?
This place isn’t a smart-arse competition. We’re all in the same boat. Some express themselves better than others – some choose to do it quietly, by donating, or just reading, reading, reading, learning, perhaps just for self-education, perhaps taking it in for future use.
Make no mistake about it man – for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction: look again at the sheer numbers involved in this one blog, as outlined at top. It’s staggering. The amount of effort, cumulatively, that’s gone into these discussions, the rallies, marches, events, debates, art-work, music, you-name-it? It’s not a knitting-bee. We’re not just having a laugh.
Anyone looking at this from the outside can see that a real Independence ‘movement’ is ongoing, and getting stronger. The opposition to it is institutionalised, and pathetic by comparison – it creates nothing, merely subsists on the generation of baseless fears and perpetuation of state-supported ignorance.
You’re on the right side man – maybe you don’t feel up to contributing much by way of commentary because we’re all so blisteringly witty and well-informed? Well, sorry to break it to you man, but tapping sequences of words into a wee box does not an ‘intellectual’ or decent human-being make.
What’s that old chestnut about actions and words? The ‘words’, in this case, are just the visible tip of a paradigm-shifting iceberg whose real power lies in the people who are prepared to transform mere squiggles-on-a-page into actions – the marking of crosses on the ballot-papers next September is just one (relatively small action) in a process. Voting ‘Yes’ is just the start – it’s afterwards that we find out how ‘intelligent’ we really are.
We’re up to our necks in this now – no amount of witty banter or exhaustive dissection of this or that ‘issue’ via WoS, NNS, BBC, or anywhere else, is going to alter the fact that normal people everywhere, anywhere, want to be ‘free’: when they realise it and act upon it, nothing – no thing – can stop them.
You’re part of this mister, so please, please don’t put yourself down – what we’re doing here is ‘right’, and we all know it is. More power to ye Mr Duncan – please comment again, and often.
Cheers!
I suspect that if LFI stood against a Labour candidate they would have to forfeit their Labour membership which would rather defeat the purpose……
“That means that almost 10% of the entire population of Scotland (including toddlers, people in jail and folk living in crofts in the Cairngorms with no electricity) has now read Wings Over Scotland at least once in the last 10 months, and that’s a pretty gobsmacking thing to take on board.”
Tremendous stats for WOS. One of the few sites that addresses the total imbalance in teh media for the Independence debate.
Small point – people in jail for the wrong reasons do not have access to t’internet. Obviously Prison Officers are avid readers, where they have the ability to read, since their trade union just recently voted to support Independence.
Keep up the good work
Ian that was impressive. We (I) demand an article on why the SSP support Independence.
@Dave McEwan Hill
Correct Dave, LFI is for all Labour supporters that seek a return to the traditional values of the founding Labour party. Not the new fangled one we now have. I would hope that in an Indie Scotland the likes of LFI will then field candidates against those currently holding the seats. Change is the way forward, no doubt about that.
It might be better for those that are currently Labour and want to hold on to their seats to jump ship now and join LFI.
Stephen Duncan I would like to add my voice to that of Ian Brother hood as a Yes campainer I am a member of a Airdrie group but as we have disabled people myself included we play to our stengths we all have a contibution to make & support each other in doing that a common cause throws up many peoples many ways of approach different skill sets (JCh ma brains in gear at this post ) traveling the same road so you get stuck rite in there theres nae wallflowers here & no many BT ERS there short shifters on here a most hearty Welcome tae you Sir
Cant remember when or how I found you Rev but this page has given me plenty of facts to questions of the doubters and dont knows that I have met
@ Ian Brotherhood
Good post Ian, and @ Steven Duncan.
I, too, read and read some more and with each reading almost helplessly became involved and my confidence grew until I made my first post. Like every one else here never a day goes by without considering what I can do to make Independence happen.
There is not a lot of other things in my life that I can say I have ever been so committed to; and I am on the cemetery side of fifty so that’s a fair few eventful years. It’s like I was destined to play a part. I want an independent Scotland for me, make no mistake but I relish the prospect of what Scotland will achieve and how genuinely proud its people will be when we can take advantage of the opportunities denied to us for so long. Every opinion, every thought in this struggle is a necessary and valuable contribution on the road ahead as we form ourselves into the best wee country in the world.
To all those just reading here post once and then post often.
Your voices are our strength.
Jim watson I beg to differ prisoners dont have hinternet smart phones fur smart arses mind it needs tae be slim wan
@ianbrotherhood and @dave mcewan hill
RE LFI and candidates, I contacted them through farcebook after the Govan cooncil election and let them know that I would of given them support of third choice despite never being likely to be a Labour voter just to send a message.
I got a quick nice reply from celia, seems they are stuck between a rock and a hard place, hope she wont mind me posting her response as follows:
“Hi Big Al, I understand what you are saying but we are part of the Labour party, not a breakaway party so cannot field candidates. Even if someone stood as an independent calling themselves, say, Independent Labour, New Labour would find a way of preventing them from standing. We’ll see how things develop. Who knows? Things are changing so fast.”
(my apologies rev if this causes formatting hell)
Part 2: How about crowd funded monster billboards with the website address? Could it boost readership? I had thought a plain white background with Jola pulling one of her sour faces with the text “naw, dinnae visit wingsoverscotland.com”
come to think about it what about Magrit with a sour face – “Scotland gets free internet but don’t visit wingsoverscotland”
or what about Anas with his mouth wide open “I’m just going to shout over wingsoverscotland.com so you can’t look them up” in capital letters of course.
Ian Brotherhood
Brilliant post very encouraging stuff and straight from the heart!
As Darth Vader would say “Most impressive”
@Ronnie Anderson-
Ronnie, this is a personal question, so, no sweat if you don’t want to respond, but were you in the ‘Men with Pens’ writing group?
I forget the name of the place – it was an old school, the community centre, top of a hill in Airdrie…arrghhh? the memory’s going…
BIG AL the REV canny day that billoards with Lamentable / the weeGrape / Anus S that would be a infringement design EVERY CLOWNS FACE HAS A COPYRITE so no go lol
Ian Brotherhood its Chapelside school ma auld primary school no s the answer but have meet some o the Men wi Pens I was asked years ago to sit in wi them gd guys I must hiv made a impression if you think I was one of the Dana loch on Yes Scot thinks im a unedumacated moron ( its jist ma brain dizna work sometimes hence the spellin mistooks y noo your ether takin the pith or you ve made ma night Ah wuld blaw ye kisses but it wuldna be seamly ( thats because ah dont hiv they smilys ) so dont get worried cheers
@Angus,
Quote: “Hmm. Perhaps that should have been “That’s as if” rather than “That means”. After all, are you really, really sure that every one of those readers was in Scotland”
I’m not in Scotland Angus so you are correct on one level, but the impact Wings has on my enthusiasm and belief in the referendum outcome is significantly more than any other media outlet.
The way Wings is, as well as the way the Rev allows such an open comments section, has meant that I feel ‘part’ of Wings and ‘part’ of the Wings community.
So much so, that as someone who enjoys life in Thailand at the moment, I am seriously looking at ways to move back to Scotland, so that I can get involved with the final push, to independence. (the last six months)
So don’t worry my friend, Wings is having even more impact than some people think, and the encouragement we give to those who are disheartened can be best summed up by other posters by this question to the Wings community:
How many times have you been feeling demoralised and wondering if the ‘No’ campaign might just be right that Scotland rejects Independence, only to come on wings and read an article or two and be completely re-energised and left wondering why you could have been so stupid to have believed the latest scare stories or dodgy polling result?
Ian , She wandered lonely thou the crowd, the silence was deefening no who am I reffering tae ?
Its a sign fae the heavens YES are playing of BBC 4 the noo lol
One of the things that really, really attracts me to Wings is the lack of adverts. I’ll happily shell out for as many crowdfundings as need be to keep it that way.
If there’s no other way to acquire essential cash then needs must I suppose, but I’d be desperately sorry to see it happen.
Morag An if SLAB wanted tae advertize fur their new laeder wid you make a exception
Morag,
NNS has adverts, and to be perfectly honest, it has neither detracted me from reading nor posting. I feel disengaged and distant from NNS because of their cold dictatorial attitude.
You would not be compelled to click on adverts, however if the hardship of doing so contributes revenue to the site I’m certain you won’t be unduly scarred by it ! 🙂
Yours aye
Ken
Then rise and rise of Wings. Well done Stu, it’s the quality of writing and analysis that brings people back for more and they are met with some top notch commenting as well.
Now about this YES newspaper i keep hearing about, is there a PDF version kicking around so I can see it too?
@Ronnie-
I did a couple of ‘creative writing’ sessions with the guys there. You’ll know them.
I can’t remember the surnames – Tam, and Jim (was the secretary for the group). Great guys. (Kenny was in a chair, really struggled – he showed me an extract of a novel he’d been working on. It was as good, IMO, as anything Kelman or Torrington have ever done. I don’t know if he’s still alive, but I fear not. He was very poorly.)
One of the sessions we did, I asked them to imagine what would be going through their heads if they were in the waiting-room for a vasectomy – I’ve still got some of the stuff they wrote. Utterly brilliant, and largely unprintable.
If you do know any of those guys, please convey my very bestest to them.
Prose is my thing, but I wrote a poem a few months after those sessions:
‘Men Wi’ Pens’
Wid memory be lost?
Nae History kent?
Wur lifes a huff an’ puff ay effort spent?
Nae trace remainin’ fur the bairns tae scan
When comes their time tae tak or be a man?
Aye, mibbe. But for men wi’ pens.
The Landed, Tyrants, Monied,
Aye hoarded monks an’ scribes,
Them wi’ the gift ae makin’ sense
Ae aw thae wee squiggles.
Cried them shamen, blessed majik-makers.
But they wir jist some men wi’ pens.
An’ whit a pow’r in thae words, for sure,
Tae bind a man? Tae work, or wife, for life?
Tae make him laugh, or dream anither’s view?
Tae conjure hell or heaven at a stroke?
Sic power had thae men wi pens.
Noo?
That secrit, sacrit art has spread aw ower,
An they wee squiggles maun gie up their pow’r,
Tae faithers, uncles, papas, brithers,
Sisters, Aunties, Mithers, aw the ithers?
Noo, we’re aw the ‘men wi pens’,
An whit a pow’r we hae,
Tae tell wir tales ay dreams –
Fullfilt ir dasht –
Ay strangeness, kinship, aw the things we see,
The folk we wur,
The folk we tried tae be.
Mere memory aye melts –
Breathe-in, breathe-out,
Forever lost and gone, aye.
But thae wee squiggles outlast us,
On paper, or in stone, so –
Bide lang. Bide Lang,
Wur scratches ona the walls ay Time,
These marks we made,
Us,
‘Men wi’ pens’.
The adverts are one of the things I don’t like about NNS. I still read some of the articles, but having side-bars trying to sell me another bottle of the shampoo I bought just last week, or a pension portfolio (if I have recently run a search on pensions), or the perennial adverts for veterinary medicines (I often have to google these for work-related reasons) is screamingly annoying. Once I did a search on front-fastening bras for my elderly mother, and for months afterwards every time I opened a page in NNS I was assaulted by side-bar adverts trying to sell me front-fastening bras.
The ads make the pages run slow, they clutter up the site and distract the eye (Wings is beautifully designed, don’t you think?), and they remind me every minute of every day that Big Brother is keeping tabs on everything I do online in the hope of selling me something. I hate them.
If Stu really needs the money and we can’t get it by crowdsourcing then I suppose it’s just too bad, but I’d be really really sorry to see it happen.
@Ronnie-
‘She wandered lonely thou the crowd, the silence was deefening no who am I reffering tae ?’
I’ve a feeling you want me to know the answer to that, but I don’t.
A wild stab – Lamont?
Morag,
From discussions with the Rev Stu,he has made it perfectly clear that money generation has neither been his primary motivation nor focus. To be absolutely clear I don’t profess to speak on his behalf, however let’s be realistic about this,many, many friends of the site have limited funds with higher demanding spending priorities and therefore any pragmatic minimal intrusive adverts that can help keep the site afloat is worthy of consideration…no ?
Great stuff Rev. Advertising could be a huge distraction and time-consuming too, but hey, whatever it takes. I get the feeling you’re in this 24 * 7, from the time you wake up in the morning to late at night, so don’t burn out! Next 11 months could be hectic, and I reckon that a doubling of readership is not out of the question. Onwards and upwards.
Also thanks to Ian Brotherhood for some heartfelt posts above.
@ Morag – Ad Block or a similar extension saves you from all these adverts popping up.
Just for the avoidance of any doubt, the Rev hasn’t initiated a commercialisation revue of the site.. he has only answered posters questions on allowing them checking out potential advertising revenue streams.
@ kendomacaroonbar,
Just for the avoidance of any doubt, the Rev hasn’t initiated a commercialisation revue of the site.. he has only answered posters questions on allowing them checking out potential advertising revenue streams.
Correct and I have only outlined a simple way of not getting adds clutter up your browser pages online.
Thank you Adrian.
If people in work are talking about something to do with the economy or politics, I always send a wee linky to an article on wings. Good work all. 😉
I try to slip into conversation things I’ve read on wings and give the site a namedrop. Seems to be working because one of my colleagues informed he was now voting yes after reading up on a few things. Result 🙂
Since it was me that mentioned advertising I should probably add (ho ho) a little more info than I did in my first post.
Firstly it wouldn’t have to be ghastly pop ups or anything that intrusive. You could have some simple, small and dare I say it “tasteful” ads in the right hand columns of the page. Underneath the wings logo on the bottom of the first right column or the recent posts gadget in the second right column. This is currently dead space and whilst I wouldn’t advocate filling space up for the sake of it the fact that this site attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each month gives an opportunity for fund raising.
On my very, very small (in comparison with Wings) blog I have a few on the right hand side that you’d never even notice if you didn’t scroll to the bottom and one at the bottom of each of the first two posts on the main page. On mobile view these are even less intrusive.
Wings has hundreds of times more visitors so the theory is that it could earn hundreds of times more by only utilising the already dead space. If mine pays for the dot com at the end of the year I’m happy but Wings could easily earn between £1000-£2000 a month that could be used for leaflets, posters, investing in merch for a yes shop or whatever.
Or you could even ask business owners in Scotland who support a yes vote to rent a space on the right of the page (in the dead space) for a monthly fee. That way you can set it up immediately, have the money immediately and the readers know each business is a yes supporter.
Or have a page dedicated to sponsors/visitors in a silmilar way to the million dollar website. In that sponsors paid $1 for every pixel they wanted their advert to occupy. Again, only have yes supporters so it doesn’t look cheap and tacky.
@Jingly Jangly – sorry for late reply but there was also the newsnight debate about education with Mike Russell and Kezia Dugdale – you can find it on BBCi player and Kezia was definately on the case about free higher education, saying that money should be diverted from unis to colleges.
She also said she was heading up a group to look into just that.
There was also a conservative lady there who was saying it wasn’t fair that English students had to pay fees and if it changed in Scotland it would make it a level playing field.
You might think the views of a con are not important but there is a good possibility that they will ge tin again at Westminster
Welsh bach,
Thank you for this. Do you use googlewise ads ?
let’s be realistic about this,many, many friends of the site have limited funds with higher demanding spending priorities and therefore any pragmatic minimal intrusive adverts that can help keep the site afloat is worthy of consideration…no ?
I’m only giving my personal feeling that I’m strongly against it. I recognise that other people’s mileage may vary, but I’m still allowed to voice my opinion, surely?
Many people on the site have limited funds, but many others are relatively well off and have shown a willingness to contribute. I agree that if this source of funds is insufficient then I can see that ads would have to be considered. I’m not clear that’s the case, though. Wings doesn’t seem to be having any trouble “keeping afloat” that I can see.
If the site needs more funding, and ads were being considered, there’s a good way to gauge public opinion. Open a fundraiser for people to contribute who would prefer to pay up rather than see ads on the site. I’d cough up, for one. I’d hope Stu would at least try that before committing to the ads. If insufficient money was raised, then the issue would of course be settled.
“I’m only giving my personal feeling that I’m strongly against it. I recognise that other people’s mileage may vary, but I’m still allowed to voice my opinion, surely?”
Of course. And for what it’s worth, it’s an opinion I basically share. I live inexpensively (as much as it’s possible to do so in Bath at any rate), and the February fundraiser provided more than enough money to get me to next February and still be able to comfortably afford stuff like the trip home (and promotional materials) for the rally.
I haven’t pursued ads thus far because I don’t like them and I don’t really see the need to, but never say never – if someone was to make an offer I couldn’t refuse, and the ads were unobjectionable and unintrusive, I’d certainly give them a hearing.
I’ve got some big plans for next year, and will probably look for a slightly bigger fundraiser to enable them to happen (we do, after all, now have more than triple the readership we had last Feb), but right now there’s no pressing need for cash. No harm in keeping options open, though. If we had the chance to secure good revenue from elsewhere, that’d be more money folk could give to other worthy indy causes, like getting Jack Foster’s movie made.
The BritNats (and especially bettertogther) must hate you – well done.
We must all generate multiple “unique views” though? I view the site on both my desktops in the house (same internet connection though) but also from work, and my smartphone on mobile internet. Right now I’m on my girlfriends laptop on her wifi. So that’s 4 unique views I’ve generated this month. Just saying!
@ Morag and others adverse to adverts.
I have two words (well, three) for you: AdBlockPlus and AdBlock.
AdBlockPlus is the Firefox plug-in but it works over other browsers, including Chrome. AdBlock is the Chrome equivalent and it also works across most known browsers. So unless you’re using a really, really obscure browser, there’s no need to see any ads. I haven’t, for years.
I’m flabbergasted that most people don’t use AdBlockPlus/AdBlock. They’re free and make surfing the web much faster and pleasanter.
As to Wings getting ads. Go for it! There’s the readership which must make it attractive to advertisers. Just as long as you don’t permit ads from the likes of Atos or G4S.
I’ll never see the ads anyway. 🙂
The BritNats (and especially bettertogther) must hate you – well done.
The BritNats think he’s the Antichrist, so he’s obviously doing something right.
I do get a bit fed up of the way a BT advert appears on Scot Goes Pop just about every time I go there.
Great work Rev – and the others who contribute to the site. It is heartening to see such gains and progress. The other side doesn’t seem to see anything like it. I will admit I am still very anxious about the future result though. One side a dream come true, the other a nightmare. Very high stakes.
Thanks @lumilumi. Have now added AdBlockPlus, the people that read this site are so knowledgable!