As you may have noted, the rate at which I have posted new stories in the last couple of days has tapered off, and likely will remain at a lowered rate in the immediate future.
The reason is twofold:
1) Like many people in this country, I’m getting hit economically. My weather business needs my attention more than ever to keep it running and my family supported. The volume of email alone I get daily asking for advice, files, help with research etc. since starting the blog is overwhelming as it is. Often I find WUWT creeping into my business hours, and this can’t continue under the current economic situation. Thus I’m limiting my interaction to late nights and weekends.
2) I’ve realized that WUWT, while important in it’s own right, being now the number one climate related blog (in terms of traffic) on the web has also become a hungry monster for my time. So, what time I have had in the last few days has been focused on the surfacestations project. I’m making a push to get a majority of stations (my goal is at least 75%) surveyed so that a dataset with a better spatial distribution of stations exists. Right now we still have some big holes in it, particularly in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, and Mississippi.
Getting stations surveyed and this project database more complete is a much better use of my available spare time than moderating some of the daily philosophical arguments and news items of this blog. I hope my team of crack moderators will be able to fill in the gap and continue to offer postings of relevant stories while I focus on this.
John Goetz and Denise Norris have made some really valuable story contributions to this readership, as has Evan Jones. I hope they’ll be able to continue.
Some folks have commented that becuase I’ve posted my “How not to measure temperature…” series, that I’m only focused on finding the badly sited stations. While they are a dime a dozen and often visually entertaining, actually what we want to find are the BEST stations. Those are the CRN1 and 2 rated stations. Having a large and well distributed sample size of the best stations will help definitively answer the question about how much bias may exist as a result of the contribution of badly sited stations. Since the majorty of sttaions surveyed so far seem to be CRN 3,4,5 with CRN1,2 making up only 12% of the total surveyed stations thus far, it is important to increase the sample size.
So while WUWT will continue to have news and science items of interest, my focus will be getting surveys done, so we’ll see more items on the surfacestations project.
On a related note, I wish to sincerely thank all those that have generously donated to the surfacestations.org project to offset travel expenses. Thanks to that, recently I was able to complete all of the state of Nevada USHCN stations.
If you want to help, signup to help survey some stations. at www.surfacestations.org
Also look for some updated survey instructions soon. Thank you all for your help and consideration
– Anthony
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There’s a “donate” button on the page if you look around. I just tested it, it seems to work. This site and surfacestations are important assets in community participation and discussion of various scientific topics. I find a donation here to be much more rewarding overall than, say, a subscription to SciAm or other publications.
Just my $0.02
You should slap some Google adsense ads up to make some $$$. This will help you out financially. It will at least cover your hosting costs.
Thanks for the info. I hope you can keep everything going, Anthony. I frequent WUWT regularly not only to read your posts but also what all the discussants have to say. Even if you don’t add anything new for a while, I have much to read from the discussions.
WUWT is a most enriching site. You are making a huge contribution to our understanding of the climate and much more as well.
Thanks
PS I’m from Canberra Australia
Focus on what’s really important – the Surface Stations project!!
I prefer one good quality scientific report a week over 2 or 3 trivial, though fun, reports per day. Besides, I’m sure you can find some awfully competent volunteers to moderate and post items in your place. Delegate!
Concerning donations, I’m already involved enough as a taxpayer in bailing out everything else that moves.
Here’s a list of posts I would not have wasted my time on over tha last week or so.
1. Litigious Lunacy
2. UK brought to standstill as five inches of snow…
3. Weather Channel nixes “Forecast Earth”, possibly Cullen
4. Weather Channel axes staff
5. NOAA’s U.S. Winter Outlook Calls for “Variability”
6. Nevada USHCN Station Surveys are done
7. Weblog Awards
8. Another dumb climate stunt from NBC – climbing Kilimanjaro
9. Truly inconvenient truths about climate change…
And so on. Frankly I also find the “How not to measure temperature…” to be getting tiresome. It’s like watching the same TV show over and over.
And let’s not forget to mention the cow with the flaming rear-end awhile back.
AEGeneral
Right on. I couldn’t agree more!
I wonder if Pierre sees any contradiction in giving advice on how to run this site, and then saying he can’t donate?
I feel your pain! I do. But taxes are involuntary. This is voluntary, and we’re making a difference.
More and more news portals are referring to this site — to the immense consternation of those demanding that we must remain alarmed over a non-existent problem. And remember that the real purpose of the AGW scare is to jack our taxes way up. A few bucks in the kitty goes a long way in helping to change public perception.
Times are tough for most everyone these days, but donating the cost of a happy meal isn’t going to make a difference in anyone’s standard of living. Plus, it will make you feel good. Really.
As far as the articles go, these is plenty of hard science posted here. If anyone wants all heavy duty science all the time, Climate Audit might be their cuppa tea. But it can be pretty heavy slogging with the math and all.
This site fills a need; it’s entertaining, and I for one really enjoy some of the more lighthearted articles, the ones that show how really ridiculous the AGW promoters are. You can feel their intense frustration at the fact that the planet isn’t doing what they want. It’s cooling, not warming, dang it all!
Finally, looking at the number of comments on an article gives a rough idea of the article’s popularity. It shows what interests people. There aren’t many blogs, science or otherwise, that can generate 500+ comments on articles, like the one last week on GISS manipulating/massaging the raw temperature data.
No doubt James Hansen is grinding his teeth at the fact that word is getting out about his unsupportable refusal to allow the taxpaying public any access to the raw data they paid for. To me, that alone is worth sending along a few bucks.
All I need is one new story a day !!!!
You do GREAT work here !!!
Keep it up and good luck!!
Gee, thanks for the input, Mr. Pierre Buzzkill. Other than all the stuff he posts about you like this site just fine. I’m like that with ESPN. It’s a great network, except for the sports shows.
I hit the tip jar. I think you should turn off the computer and go get hammered in Vegas for a week. Or switch from inspecting weather stations to inspecting microbreweries.
And when you come back? More flaming cow-butt, please!
🙂
“Times are tough for most everyone these days, but donating the cost of a happy meal isn’t going to make a difference in anyone’s standard of living.”
Except maybe Anthony’s, if it means it makes this all a bit easier.
C’mon Pierre…$10 isn’t going to break your budget, or anyone elses.
Anthony,
I’m having the same problem with my small blog. The economy has put a huge load on my time, focusing more energy on my business.
Thanks for all the great articles.
Smokey,
I see your point.
I’ll give it some thought.
I will do all I can to help, Anthony. My wife will tell you how much this sight means to me !! The world is very heavy if you try to carry it on your own, and it is time that I helped. Unfortunately, it will be in Canadian funds, sorry about that. ;^) , every little bit helps.
Anthony,
It’s OK to stop for a breather, and family is always always first. Be missing the pith, but glad you’ll be giving us some grief!
From someone who is old enough to be a gran’pa – enjoy your kids while you can, too soon they depart childhood and have to deal with things like the AGW hoax.
Mike
Pierre, my grandmother was always reminding me of my manners. So I pass on that reminder to you. I would suggest that you read this book: How to Win Friends and Influence People. You could also ask for advice from Judith Martin, known as “Miss Manners”, on how to give advice so that it comes across as meaningful and helpful. Yes?
I agree with Smokey 100%.
Anthony, publish your bank account (all data for international transfer).
Maybe you could do the same set up as wikipedia at the moment or create a donation button.
Pierre Gosselin, Are you serious? This is a volunteer blog that was not put here to serve your needs. The list of posts you feel are trivial is condescending and obnoxious, and you top it off by saying you will not donate! You must be a real asset to the area you live in. Quick to point out flaws but unwilling to throw in a buck or lift a finger.
… then we can afford to buy more goodies from Anthony! But then Anthony will have resources to post more and the economy will slow… have to pace that negative feedback loop.
It would be OK with me to have ads under all the right-column stuff. Particularly if the ads are automagically selected based upon the content. It will be entertaining to see how often GW paranoia ads appear versus rational weather ads, as well as providing a challenge to the selection software in figuring out what ads are relevant to the content. I have bought a number of books about earth sciences in recent years, and I’m open to suggestions.
Selling books on the site would actually be a good way to increase site revenue/sustainability.
I think a lot of publishers give you a ticky for any sale originating from you, and I would gladly buy books like Crichton’s, or many other “climate” books from a site such as this, as opposed to Amazon.
Also something you could delegate, Anthony.
Hope you eat too much turkey with your family tomorrow 😉
Cheers.
Like Steve, list the Ky sites or give a link to them and I can start on them.
To add, somewhat, to those ganging up on Pierre, I think he doesn’t completely understand swhy this site is so popular. Sure, the surfacestations work is important, and Anthony should be encouraged to devote his efforts there first, if he has to make choices about how to allocate his time and effort, but the general news stories bring a lot of people here, and stimulate a lively community of interest in the ensuing discussions that take place. I, for one, hope that continues. And I’m sure that Anthony realizes that is a major reason for WUWT’s popularity. There are several other good blogs focused on substantive, but more narrowly focused, kinds of issues (think here of The Blackboard), which do not generate near the kind of broad based interest and traffic as WUWT. Do we want WUWT to become another one of those? That’s what would happen if it focused only on the surfacestations project.
Hey, Anthony, you know, I’m in Arkansas. I am just as harried for time these days as anyone, but if you want to prioritize the stations in Arkansas that need surveyed, I’ll see if I can find any time to help out.
Basil
Anthony,
I am almost done with a major project and will be free to help in Texas and other areas starting this week.
Hey, we’re building a community here!
Seriously, every one of these comment sections are informative and educational. I see the same people participating, and am getting to know many. The overall subject matter is excellent… unlike other forums I participate in, WUWT has given me some great ammunition to use while deprogramming friends and relatives. Deprogramming is an interesting word, it was used to define treatment of cult members.
Just a few years ago I too was an AGW fanatic. I couldn’t believe the stupidity of unbelievers… after all, AGW is self-evident. Right? Sure it is! Thanks to a few brave souls posting useful information on personal sites, I began to see AGW as what it is. I went through all the phases: denial. anger. bargaining. I’m already down at Acceptance, and am much happier for it.
I’d like to see a topic where we can all post our personal stories, bio, background, epiphany-moment, etc. It might be a lot more useful for the AGW-programmed visitors to see that we’re not all hummer-driving redneck Exxon employees…