Hermenuetics

Comments

It's sad, and disturbing, that the article about the Afghan girls being poisoned didn't make the list.

Posted By: K. | May 5, 2010 12:01 AM

I wondered about the Afghan post not being included as well, and I've also been wondering why it has sparked many fewer comments than some other posts. One of those unpredictable things about Internet communities, I guess.

A related question to the editors: It would be interesting to know how the top posts are selected--Is it based on page views? Comments? Editorial discretion? (That's not intended to be a confrontational comment about why things I see as important weren't included...It's really just a fact-finding question!).

Posted By: Ellen | May 5, 2010 7:22 AM

Thanks for your comments, Ellen and K. Regarding our process for compiling top 10 lists, we rank posts by number of page views over the past month, trusting that page views are a fairly accurate gauge of reader interest. You've probably noticed that some posts -- like the Afghan school post from last week -- draw many impassioned comments. That tells us that we've hit a nerve with some readers.

But number of comments don't always correlate with number of page views. Conversely, some posts are highly visited but don't generate many comments. That suggests that readers don't have much to add to what's been said, or that they don't care that much by the time they reach the end of the post. So it's an imperfect gauge, but one that makes the most sense to us. I hope it does to you too and to other readers.

Thanks again!

Posted By: Katelyn Beaty | May 6, 2010 10:24 AM

I don't want to be too harsh, but I get the feeling that the readers of this blog would rather read about iPads and cosmetic surgery than the suffering of others (in this case, the Afghan girls). This doesn't speak well for the readers of this blog. All too frequently, we Christians tend to spend so much time on our personal relationships with Jesus, that we forget about others (okay, we're self-centered).

Posted By: K. | May 9, 2010 9:52 PM

In defense of this blog, I read it daily because I spend most of my life in the aid of humanity. I write grants for homeless shelters and frequently visit clients of those shelters to assess their needs. When I come home, it is nice to unwind and read blogs about marriage, community, technology and current events.

Sometimes Christian blogs become overwhelmingly dedicated to the suffering of others that they begin to ignore the issues of our own lives. Service and compassion is a necessary part of being a Christ follower, but so is managing your household, caring for your husband, and keeping a watchful eye on the current news. This blog effectively addresses those issues, which is why so many women are drawn to those specific articles.

Keep up the good work!

Posted By: Beverly | May 20, 2010 1:55 PM