Growing Over 172,000

An unknown and unidentifiable Web robot – or “spider” – hit Tulsa Today January 24.  It could have been domestic or foreign government, commercial research, media, or just a new search engine prior to launch.  Regardless, that day 41,552 page views were recorded, pushing the monthly total to 172,424 page views in January, as noted by Tulsa Today’s third-party network monitoring team.

What surprised us was that there were that many pages on this site to view.

We don’t know all who read Tulsa Today – only those who correspond with our writers and editors.  This original, local news service has been producing content for public consideration since 1996, and we have never sought to capture reader e-mail or personal information.  We believe such effort is improper.  Our site is free, and we don’t allow those irritating pop-ups.

Original news from unique angles
Tulsa Today reporters are tasked to develop new, compelling, fair and balanced stories that draw diverse interest groups to become regular readers.  News editors are tasked, in addition to cleaning copy, with developing compelling features.  Editorial writers are tasked to produce stimulating editorial commentary that causes people to think in new perspectives on public issues and concerns.

Editorially, Tulsa Today is Democrat, Libertarian, and Republican – all Creative Conservatives politically.  We believe in free-market economy, limited government, individual responsibility and a strong national defense.  We oppose wealth redistribution schemes, as money is always more productive in private hands than when seized by government.  Tulsa Today will support “bricks-and-mortar” programs for public infrastructure, on occasion, depending on details.

Tulsa Today believes government should not attempt to legislate morality or faith or marriage – or restrict individuals in those individual choices.  We believe government should be out of your body, bedroom, and off private property.  In short, we would kick government to the curb in favor of individual liberty – which includes the freedom to make bad choices and reap just consequences.

Our editorial board (those that advise and counsel our editorial positions on public policy) contains members of the Evangelical Conservative (Christian) and Neoconservative (Jewish) faith, as well as agnostics.  Those different positions, in addition to others, are frequently represented in our editorial offerings.  We believe the purpose of publishing is to find the best-written, most coherent positions from diverse perspectives and publish all, so the public may pick and choose as individuals believe appropriate.  

This differs substantially from the position of Tulsa’s daily paper, as their Executive Editor Joe Worley said to this writer, “The Tulsa World’s editorial pages exist to convince the public that what we believe is right - is right.”  Tulsa Today believes they are entitled to their opinions, but we believe that position to be a disservice to the community – bad for journalism and bad for Tulsa.

Tulsa Today readers have proven to be intelligent, good-willed, active voters, and loyal people who shop with our advertisers, write our editors, and tip our reporters to the latest news throughout Oklahoma.  Local business, political, and technology leaders read Tulsa Today.  We are proud of our readers and know them for a fact to be of every race, color, and creed the world has ever known.  Our readers love this region of America, in large part because it is Conservative, and some read Tulsa Today worldwide.

Tulsa Today Owners
Tulsa Today is owned in trust by two children – ages 7 and 9, who in their wisdom allow this publisher and founder of Tulsa Today to continue to operate this news service in their behalf.  They have directed the collective effort of all staff to support the best possible future for Northeastern Oklahoma, America, and the world so they may raise children of their own one day in Tulsa, the finest city of its size in modern history.  They want to live large and have fun, and if anyone may think their publisher and grandfather will cower from any controversy or ever compromise their goals – they should think again.

Subtracting the “spider views” from the monthly total, in round numbers Tulsa Today hosted more than 130,000 page views in January – a new all-time high and a significant jump over our monthly average of 100,000 for the last eight months.  Considering our local focus, and that we don’t publish games or porno – that is significant traffic by any standard and greater than many local traditional media Web sites.  One of these days, Tulsa Today will get around to advertising this site through other media, but our traffic to date is no more than a result of individuals reading and telling friends what they find here.

Thank you, readers – your support energizes and sustains us.  You read, think, cuss, discuss, decide, act, and vote.  Together, we are building a quality community, every day, in a million different ways.


About the Author:
David Arnett, Publisher
David Arnett publishes TulsaToday.com, an independent online news service employing creative talent (gifted writers, brutal editors, snappy photographers, graphic gurus, and technical wizards) sustained by advertising and owned in trust by his grandchildren.  A former reporter for The Tulsa Tribune, he won national awards in 1987 and 1988 in print publishing as a First Amendment Advocate.  He is available as a public speaker and may be contacted for engagement by e-mail david@tulsatoday.com.
Last Updated ( Monday, 05 February 2007 )