Trust, but Verify (from Wikipedia) was a signature phrase of Ronald Reagan. He used it in public, although he was not the first person known to use it. When Reagan used this phrase, he was usually discussing relations with the Soviet Union and he almost always presented it as a translation of the Russian proverb “doveriai, no proveriai” (Russian: Ãâ€Ã¾Ã²ÃµÑ€ÑÂù, ýþ ÿрþòõрÑÂù). At the signing of the INF Treaty he used it again and his counterpart Mikhail Gorbachev responded: “You repeat this phrase every time we meet.”
Over the weekend, I issued a challenge to Matt Cunningham of Red County/OCBlog among other bloggers Show Me The Numbers!, to verifiably report their traffic numbers so that we could all see how we all were doing. In addition to stating that the numbers were their (Red County’s) business he said in response; “if you think I’m lying about our traffic, why don’t you just say so?”
Matt Cunningham has claimed in at least two of his posts that the Orange County Human Relations Commission Executive Direcctor earns a salary of $131,000 a year. Well, knowing a little about the salary scales in the County of Orange I thought the figure was a bit high. In a conversation with Rusty Kennedy the other day he mentioned that he did not make that kind of money. So I asked a simple question, what is your County Job Classification? It turns out his classification is Administrative Manager II. The maximum salary level for this classification HERE is just under $111,000. Like most County managers, Kennedy does not earn a salary near the top of the scale. So while I trust that Matt Cunningham would get his information straight, I verified and found out that he got it wrong.
But back to the issue of posting web stats on your blog when you claim to have 15,000 plus visitors every week. Matt, I have no reason to not believe you but, based upon past experience, I will borrow from the “Gipper” and say…
Matt, I trust that you have good numbers but it would help if they could be verified.
Help who? Why do you care? And what business is it of yours?
Matt Cunningham has claimed in at least two of his posts that the Orange County Human Relations Commission Executive Direcctor earns a salary of $131,000 a year.
As you know, but fail to mention, I got that figure from the County CEO’s office.
You asked Rusty, I asked the CEO.
Matt,
I have said in a previous post that you say you got your numbers from the CEO. That’s what you say, but the “liberally biased” facts say something different.
You say that your traffic numbers are one thing, since you are resistant to public disclosure of verifyable numbers, why shoud anyone believe you.
As Ronald Reagan said: Trust, but verify.
I have said in a previous post that you say you got your numbers from the CEO.
Thanks, but people reading this post are reading this post — not the other one.
That’s what you say, but the “liberally biased†facts say something different.
What does that even mean?
You say that your traffic numbers are one thing, since you are resistant to public disclosure of verifiable numbers, why should anyone believe you.
I don’t care if you believe me. It’s called “none of your business.” Why are you so obsessed with Red County/OC Blog’s traffic, anyway?
Matt,
I am well aware that you don’t care if I believe your traffic numbers. And I am not obsessed with our blog.s traffic. I just don’t understand why you have a problem publicly disclosing your traffic in a way that can be independently verified. Your resistance to disclosue, seems to indicate that there may be something t hide.
It’s kind of like Janet Nguyen not disclosing her mystery donors to her legal defense fund. If she had nothing to hide why did it take so long to disclose.
Matt you have claimed an impressive amount of traffic for a blog only a few years old. If LiberalOC were to claim numbers half of yours, I would expect that you or other conservative bloggers would challenge those numbers. We however, along with Orange Juice disclose our numbers and will continue to do so. It is a matter of credibility.
Matt for a week and a half you proudly displayed and promoted your number 1 standing in the BlogNetNews rankings. When you got bumped out of the number 1 slot, you claim that their rankings are not credible.
Well Matt, at this point your traffic claims are not credible. As far as I know, your numbers are less than LiberalOC.
I hope you’re not that way with potential advertisers.
Chris, Matt is part of the executive branch and legislative branch which excludes him from revealing anything to anyone….
😉
No, we are not that way with advertisers. They’re customers, not look-i-loos.
Most credible publications provide independent audits of their circulation and readership to advertisers. Does your policy on the Red County blog also apply to the Magazine?
I beg you all to quit the sand box “my blog will kick you blogs ass”….
Who gives a crap how many people look at whomever’s site. This whole blog ranking from the BNN has brought out the worst in you all. You know which sites you look at, why does it matter how many others look? If some blogs choose to advertize their numbers and some don’t – it is their choice.