The Official TAGN twentieth Anniversary Collector’s Version Publish!

In the present day is the day I hit the mark.

WordPress.com has confirmed.

I’ve been running a blog right here for 20 years.

The annual WP.com greeting

It’s time as soon as once more to recap.  This put up assured to comprise no less than 17.7% new content material by quantity.  Additionally, I’m avoiding AI and proving it through the use of my terrible Canva banner for this celebration.

20 Years… see what occurs once you let me use Canva?

That stated, I used to be tempted by AI as a result of I’m not positive I might out-do its capacity to churn out a extremely dangerous design.  This one, for instance, which I nearly went with.

Ultimately I made a decision to go away that by the wayside as this week is extra about phrases than pictures.

Fortuitously one downside I hardly ever have is arising quick on phrases.  Spelling them accurately or putting them in the fitting order… these issues I’ve.  However easy phrase depend, often not a difficulty.  And all of the extra so relating to anniversary posts, of which that is the twentieth, although I’ve managed to unfold this all out over three days of posts, so possibly this received’t go so long as normal… although, glancing down the web page I appear to have failed on that entrance as effectively.

If, for some purpose, you are feeling the necessity to “gather” the entire set… and I don’t even know what that will really imply on this context any greater than I do know what it implies that this can be a “collector’s version” put up… listed below are hyperlinks to previous annual ventures.

That listing of posts is sort of a microcosm of the lifetime of the weblog.  It began out hopeful and sometimes a bit “strive onerous,” often coming inside inches of greedy onto intelligent, earlier than settling right down to an everyday cadence of reporting on what I used to be enjoying, remarking on some facet of online game information, and rehashing the identical previous opinions I’ve espoused all alongside every time the second made them even tangentially related as soon as extra.

However who’s the larger idiot?  The idiot who spends 20 years writing a grousing manifesto about video video games or the idiot who really reads it?

Additionally, I’m not positive what that needed to do with something or if made any sense.  It simply sounded good after I stated it aloud in my workplace a number of instances with a dramatic intonation.  The cat checked out me humorous, however that was because of my disturbing his nap almost definitely.

The Fundamental Stats

On account of me needing to write down this prematurely, stats are lower off at September 7.  The lacking 5 days are lower than a rounding error 20 years into this.  In parenthesis are the diffs from final 12 months, or notes the place wanted.

Days since launch: 7,300 (+360, due to the early lower off)
Posts complete: 7,957 (+385)
Complete Phrases: 7,306,525 (WP.com calculation)
Common phrases per put up: (+23)
Publish Likes: 27,064 (+1,770)
Common posts per day: 1.090 (-0.01… I proceed to gradual… slowly)
Feedback: 41,268 (+1,200)
Common feedback per put up: 5.18 5.29 (-0.11)
Common feedback per day: 5.65 (-0.12)
Feedback written by me: 8,588 or 20.8%
Area utilized by pictures: 5.3 GB used, 7.7 GB (59.3%) add area remaining.
Weblog Subscribers: 3,711 (+188, largely bots)

I’ve tracked different stats through the years however… effectively, I’m not positive how a lot worth even the remaining ones have, so the variety of prime ministers Italy has had over the past 20 years appeared fairly expendable.

Knowledge Unfiltered

For individuals who wish to stare at much more numbers… effectively, that is for you!

I’ll open up with the web page view totals by month and 12 months, as offered by WordPress.com.

Yr 20 – Web page views by month

You’ll most likely have to click on on that to see the total particulars.  WP.com used to supply a greater chart, one with full numbers.  However the children there don’t like knowledge, they like issues which have colours as a result of they by no means need to take care of any knowledge I assume.  Nonetheless, you possibly can sense a sample, with a ramp up in views to a peak in 2012, then a protracted decline, with a quick current resurgence.

To higher visualize this I’ve a chart that simply exhibits the annual web page view totals.  I often put up this chart with solely full, 12 month years, which suggests 2007 to 2025 on this case.

TAGN Web page View Visitors by Full Years – 2007 by way of 2025

A few of that’s explicable in the event you simply know what was happening with the web.

Google was fairly beneficiant to small websites till they made a change in 2013.  Largely that affected site visitors from Google Picture searches, which now simply cached all of your pictures and despatched you no site visitors.  That hit right here at TAGN considerably, however over at my different weblog, which is pictures solely, site visitors fell off a cliff and has by no means recovered.

Plenty of web curiosity went to social media round then as effectively.  Sure, Fb and Twitter have been issues earlier than then, however they actually took over after 2012 or so.  In the meantime, curiosity in MMORPGs fell off.

There was a little bit of a Covid resurgence in 2020.  Blogs and MMORPGs have been briefly widespread once more.  However that fell off fairly onerous as soon as the Covid vaccine allow us to do different issues.

Then immediately, issues started to choose up once more?  Why was that?

I’ve a model of that chart the place I’ve included 2026 to this point, with greater than 1 / 4 of the 12 months to go, as a result of the pattern is rising.

TAGN Web page View Visitors by Full Years – 2007 by way of Q3 2026

The weblog is on observe to get again into 2013 period numbers, which is loopy discuss.  Few of the issues I write about are extremely popular.  EVE On-line is like loss of life for weblog views as of late.  I’ll get into what’s widespread in a later part, but when I wished extra web page views I’d solely write about Pokemon Go, Stardew Valley, and No Man’s Sky.

And sure, I’ve written some about all three of these since 2022, however one thing else has been happening.  Wanting over at Google Analytics for the weblog, listed below are the highest 20 cities which have despatched me site visitors in 2026.

1. Singapore
2. Matsumoto
3. Bortala, Mongol Autonomous Prefecture
4. Urumqi
5. Kashgar Prefecture
6. Ho Chi Minh Metropolis
7. Dhaka
8. Tashkent
9. Tome
10. Hanoi
11. Ashburn, Virginia
12. Sao Paulo
13. Tunis
14. Karachi
15. North Bergen, New Jersey
16. Lahore
17. Amman
18. Shenzhen
19. Guangzhou
20. London

What’s the sample there?  It positive isn’t “locations with English talking players.”   Sure, Singapore has a whole lot of English audio system.  And so does London, although if I broke these out by percentages you’d see a fairly large hole between fifteenth and sixteenth spots for site visitors.  So it’s unlikely to be precise individuals coming right here to learn up on Stardew Valley.

May it’s locations with AI knowledge facilities?

There’s something attention-grabbing happening with the web page view stats.  WordPress.com confirmed an enormous spike in February and appears to have noticed some type of bot pattern and filtered it out.  It appears to be like like they did one other spherical of that in late August as site visitors fell off one thing of a cliff within the final week and stays at 2022 ranges.

These ranges are almost definitely appropriate and are largely pushed by Google search outcomes, which ship me 300 to 1,200 web page views a day relying on what I write about.  Google Search Console largely agrees with these numbers.  With that pattern in thoughts, I’m on observe for possibly 450K web page views in 2026.

Google Analytics although… they haven’t accomplished any filtering and are reporting no less than double the exercise that WordPress.com is that this month, placing me on observe for 600K or extra views for 2026.

All of which is simply one other reminder that internet stats are all rubbish.  And you may’t even rely on consistency of measurement to identify developments as a result of they hold altering up the fashions.

Who Sends Visitors to TAGN?

Serps typically, and Google particularly.  WP.com has recorded 2,479,284 search engine referrals over the lifetime of the weblog and that is how they break down.

The factor is, WP.com additionally says that the weblog has had a complete of seven,413,746 web page views since its inception, whereas the search engine views are solely 2,479,284, or roughly 33% of complete web page views.

A part of that’s as a result of web page views and referrals are various things.  In the event you get a referral from Google and also you open up a dozen posts to see the feedback, that is only one referral however a dozen web page views.

And other people often do this.  I had that Canadian customer again in 2020 who confirmed up in the course of the evening and scrolled the entire weblog, logging a whole lot of web page views.  However largely individuals simply present up, have a look at one put up for lower than a minute, then transfer on.

So it FEELS like any person else should be sending me site visitors.  But it surely most likely isn’t from referrals.

Excluding serps, listed below are the highest 20 websites for referral site visitors over the lifetime of the weblog.

Websites marked with an asterisk are now not there.  Websites marked with “(i)” are nonetheless there, however inactive.  Technically Twitter remains to be there as X.com, but it surely actively suppresses hyperlinks to exterior websites now, so is successfully now not a site visitors supply, along with being useless to me.

I’m going to present Ethic the good thing about the doubt since he appears to be again for Guild Wars 3 over at Kill Ten Rats.  However there was additionally a semi-farewell put up a pair years again and a complete lot of quiet since Zubon moved on.  (Was that actually in 2019? Yikes!)

Additionally, websites at blogspot.com are annoying as a result of Google offers you the area for each nation, so I must dig out Blessing of Kings for co.uk and .au and .ca and no matter else generated site visitors, which might possible put it above Virgin Worlds, however I don’t have the vitality for the hassle.  A basic assessment signifies that you need to possibly add between 5% to twenty% to their counts, however not more than that.

The highest 20 there solely add as much as about 466K referrals, which pegs them at about 20% of search engine site visitors and possibly 6% of web page views.

Which implies some massive share of site visitors is probably going bots.  However we knew that already, didn’t we?  It’s both that or my burgeoning fan base in Bortala, Mongol Autonomous Prefecture.

One supply of site visitors that has completely not developed is the LLMs the bots are scraping websites to feed.  You’ll find a number of entries for every approach, approach, approach down the referral listing, however the subsequent one to make it to a few digits on the listing would be the first.  The one LLM ingredient that sends site visitors on any common foundation is Tipa’s Day by day Weblog Roll, and that’s managing one or two a day.  The LLM corporations don’t wish to be a part of the web, they wish to eat the web complete and promote it again to you through tokens.

What’s Widespread Right here in Any Case?

That is at all times extra attention-grabbing to me than uncooked stats, and I’ll open with the standard listing of the highest 20 hottest posts over the lifetime of the weblog, now with each the view depend and the month/12 months when every merchandise was printed.

1. Alamo teechs u 2 play DURID! – Jul 2009 – 66,698 views
2. Play On: Guild Identify Generator – Aug 2007 – 66,233 Views
3. Working Civilization II on Home windows 7 64-bit – Oct 2011- 57,213 Views
4. How To Discover An Agent in EVE On-line – Aug 2007 – 40,281 Views
5. The way to Catch Zorua and Zoroark – Mar 2011 – 36,290 Views
6. First Pokemon Black and White Obtain Occasion – Victini – Mar 2011 – 33,347 Views
7. Minecraft and the Seek for a Heat Ocean – Jul 2018 – 31,190 Views
8. From Alola Pokedex to Nationwide Pokedex in Pokemon Solar – Mar 2017 – 26,149 Views
9. April Fools at Blizzard – 2013 – Apr 2013 – 24,799 Views
10. Contemplating Star Wars Galaxies Emulation? Higher Seize a Disk! – Jul 2011 – 24,661Views
11. Getting Higher Blackrock Spire Entry – Feb 2008 – 23,892 Views
12. 20 Video games that Outlined the Apple II – Jan 2013 – 23,141 Views
13. Timing Fortunate Eggs for Friendship Milestones in Pokemon Go – Could 2023 – 23,028 Views
14. Diablo III vs. Torchlight II – A Matter of Particulars – Could 2012 -22,362 Views
15. EVE On-line – The Tutorial – Sep 2006 – 18,737 Views
16. The Mighty Insta-90 Query – Which Class to Increase? – Jan 2014 – 18,730 Views
17. The No Man’s Sky Holidays 2025 Expedition Schedule – Nov 2025 – 17,709 Views
18. Kind 59 Being Pulled from the World of Tanks Retailer – Jan 2012 – 16,023 Views
19. World of Warcraft Journal – Problem 2 – Jul 2010 – 15,990 Views
20. Stage 85 in EverQuest… Now What? – Mar 2014 – 15,953 Views

As I’ve stated prior to now, there’s a whole lot of previous stuff on that listing which were carried on by way of time.  And a great quarter of them are barely even issues I wrote.  They’re reasonably issues I copied or put up based mostly on information.

For instance, essentially the most lately posted merchandise on that listing is concerning the 2025 No Man’s Sky vacation expedition schedule.  Good to have one thing lower than a 12 months previous make the lower, however that was me summarizing a put up by Hi there Video games and including some context and hyperlinks.

Now you possibly can evaluate this with the highest 20 most seen posts over the past three years.

1. The No Man’s Sky Holidays 2025 Expedition Schedule Nov 2025 – 17,728 Views
2. No Man’s Sky – Taking part in with Pals Aug 2024 – 15,648 Views
3. Timing these Fortunate Egg Milestones in Pokemon Go Could 2023 – 14,984 Views
4. The No Man’s Sky Worlds Half II Replace Overwhelms Me Feb 2025 – 14,516 Views
5. WoW Traditional 2025 Highway Map consists of Pandaria and Vanilla Servers Nov 2024 – 10,520 Views
6. Planning my Platinum Medal Technique for Pokemon Go Stage 49 Aug 2025 – 10,140 Views
7. Cat Catching in Enshrouded – Nov 2024 – 9,675 Views
8. No Man’s Sky and Ending Up Expedition 21: Remnant and Past Feb 2026 – 8,923 Views
9. Alamo teechs u 2 play DURID! Jul 2009 – 8,839 Views
10. Caught on the Stage 47 Necessities for Pokemon Go Dec 2024 – 8,624 Views
11. Stage 45 at Final in Pokemon Go Could 2024 – 8,260 Views
12. Constructing My First Corvette in No Man’s Sky Sep 2025 – 7,874 Views
13. Answering Questions with AI – Discovering a Heat Ocean in Minecraft Apr 2023 – 7,353 Views
14. No Man’s Sky Remnant, the Furnace, and the Remaining Colossus UpgradesFeb 20266230Views
15. April Fools at Blizzard 2026 – Am I Nonetheless Doing This? Apr 2026 – 6,192 Views
16. The Altar of Zul and Jintha’alor Apr 2020 – 5,855 Views
17. This One Easy Trick will Up Your Pokemon Go Steps Dramatically! Mar 2025 – 5,702 Views
18. Threads is Useless Jan 2025 – 5,648 Views
19. Stardew Valley – The Luau, The Prepare, and the Inexperienced Rain Jun 2026 – 5,261 Views
20. WoW Midnight Editions and Pricing for Early Entry for Housing Aug 2025 – 4,825 Views

There are some overlaps.  Alamo won’t ever die.  That put up will get linked on the WoW Traditional subreddit each six months or so.  However when the load of years has been eliminated you do see some more moderen objects.  Even objects from this 12 months.

Then, if we would like a more moderen perspective, these are the highest 20 most seen posts over the previous three month.

1. Stardew Valley – The Luau, The Prepare, and the Inexperienced Rain Jun 2026 – 5,261Views
2. Stardew Valley – Stardrops because the Second Winter Approaches Aug 2026 – 4,054 Views
3. No Man’s Sky Expedition 22: Why Would I Run These Missions? Jun 2026 – 3,704 Views
4. Windrose: Welcome to the Swamp Jul 2026 – 3,147 Views
5. Planning my Platinum Medals for Pokemon Go Stage 49 Aug 2025 – 2,403 Views
6. A Temporary Survey of MMORPG Subscription Costs in 2026 Jun 2026 – 2,294 Views
7. Planning My 50 Platinum Medals for Stage 80 in Pokemon Go Jul 2026 – 2,065 Views
8. No Man’s Sky and The Swarm Expedition: Countdown to the tip of the Countermeasures Milestone Jul 2026 – 1,791 Views
9. No Man’s Sky and Getting Began with Expedition 22: The Swarm Jun 2026 – 1,753 Views
10. Stardew Valley on Our TV Jun 2026 – 1.712 Views
11. This One Easy Trick will Up Your Pokemon Go Steps Dramatically! Mar 2025 – 1,556 Views
12. Constructing My First Corvette in No Man’s Sky Sep 2025 – 1,232 Views
13. No Man’s Sky – Taking part in with Pals Aug 2024 – 1,059 Views
14. EVE On-line, Departure Planning, and the Massive Promote Off Aug 2026 – 927 Views
15. Cat Catching in Enshrouded Nov 2024 – 897 Views
16. EverQuest Legends Introduced… However What’s it Precisely? Mar 2026 – 792 Views
17. Making Stage 73 in Pokemon Go and onward to Stage 74 Jan 2026 – 748 Views
18. Stardew Valley and By way of the Winter and Into Yr Two Jul 2026 – 737 Views
19. Microsoft Embraces Layoffs and Enshittification for XBox Video games Jun 2026 – 724 Views
20. Stardew Valley and Making a New Save Jul 2026 – 710 Views

As I’ve stated elsewhere, Stardew Valley has been extra widespread than I anticipated.  Then once more, it has offered some 50 million copies, placing it in competition with Overwatch for recognition. That’s sufficient that I’m shocked Microsoft hasn’t tried to purchase it and screw it up.  I believe there could possibly be a world the place you lease a Stardew Valley server for you and your pals to play on. (There already is.  I do know that.  However there are issues.)

And all that proves is that what’s widespread modifications over time.  If this pursuits you I did a put up about the highest 5 most seen posts by 12 months again in 2020.  Although, if that pursuits you then you might be form of odd.

The Inevitable Summing Up

I wrote nearly every little thing above this part final Sunday.

One thing that most likely ought to have been a part of yesterdays put up about semi-regrets is the truth that I made a decision to launch a weblog on a day that assured it will fall on the identical week as my marriage ceremony anniversary nearly yearly.

2006 me has some issues to reply for.

As such I used to be away a lot of the week on a visit, which included going to Common Studios on the literal hottest day of the 12 months there to this point.  It was 104 levels at its peak and didn’t drop beneath 100 till we have been again on the pool on the resort, lastly dropping into the 90s round 7pm.

I’ll say this.  Folks don’t go to Common Studios in large numbers when it’s 104 levels, so we have been capable of do all of the rides we wished with none ready.  Some buddies, who’re critical amusement park individuals so could have a considerably skewed view of issues, steered we would want two days to actually expertise the place.  But when there isn’t a line for something you may get get it accomplished in 5 hours and be again on the resort for a dip within the pool.

All of which is considerably irrelevant aside from I used to be away and I didn’t take my laptop computer, so every little thing this week earlier than this put up was written prematurely.

Oh, and it was a hell of per week to be away.  Valheim left early entry, No Man’s Sky launched their huge replace ultimately, Nintendo had some large bulletins, Sony screwed up but once more, and BlizzCon is later at present.  No one goes to learn this as a result of there’s an excessive amount of else happening.

So I’m not even feeling the standard pathos that always rolls in at this level in these annual posts the place surprise aloud if I ought to take a break, not write a lot, or change up what I write about.  Usually that simply marks me as an unreliable narrator, as right here I’m inevitably again the subsequent day and posting.

However I can’t even should up any enthusiasm for that as a result of I really feel like I’m behind.  I’m comfortable little or no occurred in Fantasy Critic League this previous week as a result of I can get that put up out rapidly tomorrow after which observe up with one other one later within the day.

Then there can be a spherical up of the BlizzCon information and first appears to be like on the Cosmos enlargement in No Man’s Sky and Valheim 1.0, each of which really feel high quality to be delayed on since each have had a number of patches.  Then there’s Planet Crafter, the place Potshot and I’ve already moved on to the subsequent planet and Stardew Valley which my daughter and I performed final weekend however which I nonetheless need to meet up with.  I believe subsequent week’s plan is already booked up.

One way or the other there’s at all times one thing else to write down about.

And that doesn’t even get to 2 further Saturday collection I’ve been weighing writing.

So clearly an absence of matters isn’t going to cease me.

My purpose, which I ended up setting a 12 months or two into the lifetime of the weblog, after I determined to begin reigning within the chaos and possibly begin attempting to have one thing of a plan (bear in mind, no plan at launch!), was to have a put up on each week day, leaving apart weekends for overflow or non-gaming matters of no matter.  I’ve in some way exceeded that plan… to the purpose that I’ve posted day-after-day since March 29, 2020.

Perhaps I might hand over on that streak.  I imply, it has no which means.  It’s the final nonsense “quantity goes up” charade.  However man, when you let go the work to get again to that quantity ought to I remorse it… I won’t final that lengthy general.

Actually, although, I’m questioning how lengthy I can stick with it.  Twenty years appears to have moved proper previous me.  The following twenty, nonetheless… effectively, I might make it to thirty years I suppose, however I’ve bother seeing myself being able to a lot past that even when the will remained.

However I’ll decide to subsequent week.  There can be posts then.

Thanks for persevering with to go to right here.