Who art thou?

While more than 100 people a day consistently visit this site, less than a dozen leave comments regularly. A lot of the remainder seem to be people who search for something specific, either find it here or do not, and then depart. One recent query of the first sort: “how many chapters mphil thesis?” And one of the latter: “photo of two turkeys.” Discounting such visits, there still seem to be some silent readers out there.

I would be really curious to know a bit about those who read consistently. You don’t need to say who you are, but I would love to know where you are from and why you read this blog. Knowing that would give me a greater ability to write on subjects people care about (say, sandwich economics) and less on topics of lesser interest. I have never sought a mass audience, but I would like to please the audience I have.

People who have been silent thus far are especially encouraged to leave a note.

Author: Milan

In the spring of 2005, I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in International Relations and a general focus in the area of environmental politics. In the fall of 2005, I began reading for an M.Phil in IR at Wadham College, Oxford. Outside school, I am very interested in photography, writing, and the outdoors. I am writing this blog to keep in touch with friends and family around the world, provide a more personal view of graduate student life in Oxford, and pass on some lessons I've learned here.

13 thoughts on “Who art thou?”

  1. Scott Davy, you know me from UBC, facebook and my sporadic comments about military matters.
    You can never have too much description of your international law class or too many photos of the Hawksmoor Towers.
    Keep it up,

    SMD

  2. I actually found your blog last year doing a Google search related to grad schools, during the time I was applying to Oxford. It’s become some what of a fascination ever since. You write well on interesting topics that are made more interesting by the fact that I’m now a student here — that’s enough to keep me coming back.

    cheers
    Geoff.

  3. My best tip:

    Go on writing what interests you. That’s what I look for in the blogs I read.

  4. Tony,

    The issue is less what I write and more where I write it. The blog is just one of a number of places where my various ramblings and ponderings end up online, and I mean for it to be the most public and interesting. Aside from my photos, I mean for it to be the first thing that people find, when they search for me online.

  5. Lots of people reading anonymously are probably scanning for any mention of themselves.

    You mention specific people a lot less now than when you started off.

  6. I suppose it is a lazy way of keeping in touch. I think I am communicating with you by checking everything is ok in your life, but really I’m not.

  7. Anonymous the third,

    a sibiliant intake of breath is, at best, a press release version of my life, written with the understanding that total strangers, future bosses, and the intelligence services of major powers are or could be reading it.

  8. I basically agree with Tony for you to write about interests you. I especially like reading about how your life is. Oleh

  9. I am a Wadham undergraduate. I walked past you once in the street recently, but knew of your journal before I came to Wadham. It’s always struck me as being confidently written, thought-provoking, and interesting.

    I love the way in which you sometimes explore mundane, everyday ideas such as whether it is better to read books consecutively or concurrently – oddly, it reminds me a lot of me!

    I also like your photographs, but they are second to your…child-like curiosity of the world around you.

    Just…be yourself. And continue being yourself is the best advice I can proffer.

  10. Pre-clinical medicine.
    Thank you for posting such a fascinating blog for the world to see!

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