I use site meter to find out why people end up at this blog. I am interested in the number of people who came by. After a mention by a popular blog or a big news story it is fun to watch your traffic spike. Never the less I realize my blog will never have the number of visitors that other sites have. That's o.k. since I beleive that it's not just the number of people who show up, but the quality of people who read this blog that's important. What the site meter tells that's important to me are the search words used.  Often just before important news breaks I often find people using the same search words to arrive at the site. Sometimes the word, "financial troubles"appears before or after the name of the company folks have questions about. I found out about Bordier's, El Modeno, and Hines Nursery bankruptcy from the search words used by visitors.

These days lot's of people have been prefacing their search of various large and small companies with, "financial troubles". One reason that they end up at this site is it is one of the only places that has discussed these companies before the fall. Google Hines nursery, Bordier's Nursery,  El Modeno Gardens, or Smith and Hawken, and up pops this site.

This seems the way news comes to the surface these days. Citizen journalism.  Web sites that depend on readers to bring the news to them. In the past news outlets sent reporters out to gather the news. Now everyone is a reporter, even if they don't know it. As a news gatherer I do feel a sense of responsibility not to announce what companies are showing up at this time. Big names and maybe just rumors, so it's best not to feed the rumor mill.

An additional note. For some reason I had not not  moderated comments on a number of past posts. We have been without power for the last few days because of heavy snow. If you posted a comment and it did not appear, I apologize. One comment was from Joe, who said about my post on social media, " If you really want to write a blog please use proper spelling and grammar! Here is what you wrote: Just a few years ago we we’re told that nurseries really should not worry about or bother with social media, we are now told that your a dinosaur if you don’t. This is the way it should be: Just a few years ago we were told that nurseries really should not worry about or bother with social media; we are now told that you’re a dinosaur if you don’t."

Joe is right! I disliked English in school, and as such it shows in my writing. I always thought it was more important to get the info out, and worry about spelling and grammar later. Since plenty of my visitors understand the English language better than myself, I will try and do a better job. As for Joe, proper spelling and grammar are not requirements for writing a blog. Anyone can write a blog, and I encourage you to write one concerning proper English spelling and grammar. Please continue commenting here on my use of spelling and grammar. I did try to follow the link for your name to find out who you are. Unfortunately, your name led to "server not found". Joe, if your are going to comment at a blog and leave a link for your name, be sure it leads to somewhere besides "server not found". That's the way it should be.