14 thoughts on “Tikun Olam’s Alexa Ranking 189,000 – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. Alexa’s rankings are so off that they are considered next to useless. Look at the following chart where I compare Alexa’s ranking of the sites you listed with that of compete’s and quantcast’s ratings (a=alexa, c=compete, quantcast=q)

    Tikun Olam: 189,00 (a), 312,335 (c), 283,261 (q)
    Mondoweiss: 153,000 (a), 136,589 (c), NA (q)
    Jewschool: 449,000 (a), 398,246 (c), NA (q)
    Jewlicious: 292,000 (a), 136,070 (c), 265,449 (q)
    Israellycool: 341,000 (a), 244,576 (c), 56,059 (q)
    Forward: 101,000 (a), 36,843 (c), 11,629 (q)
    Haaretz: 5,900 (a), 7,316 (c), 3,764 (q)
    Jewish Week: 215,000 (a), 84,551 (c), 97,198 (q)
    Tikkun Mag: 733,000 (a), 306,452 (c), 247,134 (q)
    JTA: 76,000 (a), 29,085 (c), 21,238 (q)

    Thus according to Alexa, you rank higher than Jewlicious, Israellycool, Tikkun magazine and the Jewish Week and close to the Forward. However, according to both compete and quancast, Jewlicious, Israellycool and Tikkun magazine rank above you and you are not even close to The Jewish Week and Forward.

    People in the biz know better than to use Alexa rankings for anything at all. A quick google search will show you that Alexa rankings have been the subject of well founded criticism for years now – especially when it comes to niche sites.

  2. @mia: You omit two crucial & important issues. First, Compete acknowledges for almost any site ranked below 100,000 that it does not have enough data to reliably rank the site. It also says that for my site & many of the other sites I mentioned. I wonder why you omitted this important point. So let’s throw Compete’s rankings out entirely.

    Second, I know very little about Quantcast & have heard nothing good about it. Third, none of the free ranking services get very good reviews from anyone who knows anything about the subject. I said as much in my post. But my listing of rankings wasn’t meant to reflect precise data. It was meant to reflect a comparative review of rankings of the various sites. Fourth, I only threw the media sites in there as a lark. I didn’t mean to compare my own traffic or anyone else’s to theirs. The only sites that really interest me are blogs since that is what this site is.

    That Alexa doesn’t meet yr seal of approval doesn’t bother me in the least.

  3. I wasn’t trying to bother you. While Compete and Quantcast are unreliable sources of absolute traffic information, they are still considered somewhat instructive with respect to relative traffic information – ie when comparing traffic trends between similar sites. Alexa’s information however is considered by many to be next to useless. This has nothing to do with my seal of approval. I was just letting you know what the generally acknowledged standards are.

  4. @mia: It all depends who you talk to. You’re speaking as if there are generally accepted notions of which sites are most reliable & for what purpose. I’ve read up on all these ranking services on webmasterworld.com & none of them have very good reputations. And I don’t believe Compete or Quantcast are any better or worse indicators of relative traffic information than Alexa. They’re all imperfect. Nor do I believe that Alexa is “next to useless” as you claim the mysterious “many” claim. It’s all a crapshoot.

  5. Well then might I suggest cross referencing the relative rankings with Technorati rankings? If you do that, you’ll see that Compete and Quantcast’s rankings correspond to Technorati’s rankings while Alexa’s don’t. For instance, while Alexa ranks Tikun Olam above both Jewlicious and Israellycool, Technorati, like Compete and Quantcast, ranks them both above Tikun Olam.

    ie:
    Israellycool 15,738
    Jewlicious 25,500
    Tikun Olam 35,028

    Now of course Technorati’s ranking system is completely different from that used by the others. It’s not based on traffic at all but rather on links and references meant to gauge relative influence and importance, but I still find those metrics relevant as they usually translate into increased traffic.

    So yes, there is a crapshoot element involved of course. But I work as a media buyer and we try as much as possible to make enlightened decisions regarding how we spend our clients’ money. This is the process we follow – a mix of available information and common sense. If you have information that would suggest that Alexa’s rankings are more relevant than I have suggested, I’d be happy to hear it. Thanks for the opportunity to share my opinions/knowledge for whatever that’s worth!

  6. @mia:

    Technorati’s ranking system is completely different from that used by the others. It’s not based on traffic at all but rather on links and references meant to gauge relative influence and importance, but I still find those metrics relevant as they usually translate into increased traffic.

    “Usually” is the key word. I write an entirely different kind of blog than either Jewlicious or Israellycool. I have an entirely different following than they do. They belong to the rather tight knit, incestuous world of right wing Jewish blogs which provides them with lots of cross linking. Personally, I think Technorati is basically measuring their impact within that right wing world and not in the overall greater blog world. Perhaps that is what allows them to score higher than I do with Technorati. I have actually seen Israellycool’s site stats and I assure you that I have more site traffic. I haven’t seen Jewlicious’ site stats so I can’t speak to that.

    I can’t speak to why Technorati ignores site traffic. But I don’t. I think it’s important to determine one’s impact. What I really wish is that there were a way to compare Google Analytics results for diff. sites. I’d trust Google Analytics more than Alexa, Compete OR Technorati. The best I can do in that regard is use their Benchmarking feature by which I compare favorably to other sites in my cohort.

  7. Jewlicious is a right wing blog? I’ve been following them for a bit and then did some searches on their blog. Seems they support gay rights, supported the pullout from gaza, promoted Bustan – an peace/environmental group, helped redesign southjerusalem.com, raised money for the task force for human trafficking, strongly support agunah rights and leveled a blistering critique of the rabbinate, and they also argue amongst themselves a lot. They don’t seem like Israellycool, Jamell from the Muqata, Little Green Fotballs etc. at all. But I only checked for an hour. Maybe you know something I don’t?

  8. @mia: Jewlicious is many voices. But David Abitbol and many of his minion/writers are deeply right-wing regarding the Israeli-Arab conflict. I’m not saying there may not be individual writers there who have more liberal opinions or that their views on Israeli social issues or domestic policy might be more liberal. But regarding the Arabs, they are decidedly right wing though they attempt to define themselves as liberal there as well.

    Abitbol is in favor of targeted assassinations, the Separation Wall, continuing the Occupation till there is a “legitimate Palestinian partner,” etc. He mendaciously calls me anti-Israel, extreme leftist or other misleading epithets. He stole an image of my young twins & myself and posted it on his site in violation of copyright & only removed it after I filed a DMCA notice with his host. One of his authors created a quotation out of whole cloth & attributed it to me.

    You should also research the arguments he’s had with Dan Sieradski which are instructive as to Abitbol’s high-testosterone level in political debate & his general political attitudes & nastiness.

  9. I once again had to do another search and you’re talking about the guy that blogs as ck on Jewlicious, right? Are you saying that the left wing/right wing divide can be determined by defense policy, DMCA violations, mendacity and tone of argumentation? With all due respect, how does that correspond to the issues I brought up earlier? Pro gay rights, pro agunah rights, pro environment, pro disengagement, anti-human trafficking, anti-Olmert (based on his latest post), supportive of seemingly left-wing blogs and groups etc. etc. – these seem like fairly liberal, traditionally left wing issues that ck specifically has advocated for (again, based on a quick survey). As for Dan Sieradski – he’s the Orthodox Anarchist. I don’t know much about him but based on his latest post it seems Mr. Sieradski doesn’t lack for testosterone either – check out the language!

    I’m afraid we’re straying away from the topic but that is an interesting issue. How does one define left wing and right wing in an increasingly complex world? It’s not uncommon here in Israel for people to be “left wing” on social issues and “right wing” on defense issues. Those quote marks are there on purpose because I believe those labels don’t really adequately convey meaning when applied broadly.

    Feel free to tell me I’ve gone beyond the scope of this post by the way!

  10. @mia: Mia, you missed these very specific indications of Abitbol’s right-wing positions on the Israeli Arab conflict.

    Abitbol is in favor of targeted assassinations, the Separation Wall, continuing the Occupation till there is a “legitimate Palestinian partner,” etc.

    American Jews can be quite liberal on all the issues for which you praised Abitbol & have absolutely hateful attitudes toward Arabs & right wing nationalist views of the I-P conflict. This is pretty close to where Abitbol stands. I’m much less concerned about where they stand on Israeli domestic issues (though it’s a good thing that their views aren’t right wing across the board).

    To me, the true test of someone’s political values is their views on the I-P conflict. Jews (& others) have bifurcated political identities and can be liberal on most issues & yet totally contradict these values when it comes to issues that have a deep personal connection like Israel.

    If Abitbol calls me an ‘extreme leftist’ with derision I don’t see how you can praise him for being supportive of “seemingly left-wing blogs” unless yr definition of left wing & mine diverge (which is possible). And btw, the copyright violation involved an image of mine in which he superimposed the logo of one of the most anti-Muslim, right wing pro Israel sites, Little Green Footballs, praising it for attacking me. In addition, Abitbol began his campaign against me when I criticized the Jewish Israeli Blog Awards founded by Israellycool because they were deeply skewed toward right-wing Anglo-Israeli blogs & featured almost no liberal/progressive blogs. So much for Abitbol’s “progressive” values.

    Yes, Dan can be quite intemperate & has treated me quite unfairly once or twice (& admitted as much). He & I definitely have issues which we’ve discussed. But unlike Abitbol, Sieradski has a good heart & it’s in the right place most of the time.

    Abitbol on the other hand is nothing but a self-promoter with no heart, no center & very few core principles. He loves the sound of his own voice more than anything in the world.

  11. I wasn’t trying to praise anyone. I was merely trying to state facts in a determination of what constitutes political orientation. Rather than repeat the indicators you mentioned – support for targeted assassinations, support of the Separation Wall, support for the continuation of the occupation until a legitimate Palestinian partner is found, I just bunched those up as “defense” issues.

    You stated that “the true test of someone’s political values is their views on the I-P conflict.” Might I perhaps suggest an approach where you state that a person is right wing or left wing on a particular issue? My confusion arose when you described Jewlicious as a right wing blog. Your later depiction, where you stated that some of the writers are “deeply right-wing regarding the Israeli-Arab conflict…” seems fairer – at least it’s not a blanket assessment.

    I couldn’t find the image in question but the underlying post does not seem to praise Little Green Footballs for attacking you – he even called commenters on the site “clearly nuts.” But if the image included your children, I can understand why you might be very upset.

    I find personal assessments, for instance the presence or absence of a heart, to be less than instructive however. Obviously you’ve had issues with this guy, and it seems to have gotten personal – I don’t know if you’ve consequently gained deep insight into his soul as a result. But broadly speaking, I am less interested in personal issues and more interested in the determination of one’s political identity. Not all left wingers are angelic souls possessed of a sterling character and gentle dispositions and not all right wingers are cold and heartless monsters. That’s why one ought to separate the personal from the political – for instance, I don’t know any Political Scientist who would situate Mao or Stalin on the right end of the political spectrum and yet many consider them to have been cruel and heartless monsters.

    There I go straying way off topic again. Thanks for entertaining my musings.

  12. @mia:

    Might I perhaps suggest an approach where you state that a person is right wing or left wing on a particular issue? My confusion arose when you described Jewlicious as a right wing blog

    That’s a pt. well-taken. Since I’ve only interacted w. Abitbol in the context of the I-P conflict & frankly don’t care what he says on any other issue since I believe he’s so discredited himself that nothing else he says lacks any legitimacy for me—I neglect to acknowledge that his views on other issues are more moderate.

    Basically, he’s a security hawk on the I-P issue. But also a terrible bully who self-admits that his style of argument is testosterone-infused.

    Regarding the image, his host removed it as it was compelled to do via my DMCA notice. Abitbol filed a notice of his intent to appeal the decision arguing fair use but never did. He took an image of me and my young children, erased my children & substituted the LGF logo of a green football supposedly hitting me in the head. It was quite childish, but par for the course as far as Abitbol is concerned.

    I would never claim that all left-wingers are angelic souls. THere are plenty of people on the left who have as much bile as Ann Coulter & David Abitbol. And there are even bloggers & analysts on the right for whom I have respect. As long as someone attempts to be honest about the strengths & weaknesses of their political positions, I hold them in respect. It’s ideologues on both sides of the I-P conflict who claim their side is perfect & the other side demons personified to whom I object.

  13. This has been such an interesting distraction! Again, thanks for indulging me. So what did I do next instead of working? I Googled Abitbol and Testosterone and got the following quote from the Forward:

    “Abitbol, a 42-year-old Jerusalem resident, said that to adopt a code of speech for the Jewish blogosphere would tamp down the free and open debate that gives it its zest. “There’s a lot of testosterone on the Internet, a lot of swagger,” he said. What makes “the blogosphere interesting is the fact that it is dynamic and anything can happen.””

    Pardon me, but that does not actually seem to correspond to your assertion that he “self-admits that his style of argument is testosterone-infused.” It seems to me that he was merely making an observation and a fairly accurate one at that. The quote doesn’t say that he supports testosterone and swagger but rather that it exists and that he supports free speech. Hardly a remarkable stance.

    Furthermore, what relevance does that have to his politics? You say that Sieradski has been intemperate and unfair with you but that he still has his heart in the right place.

    I think we’ve progressed, separating the personal from the political, and recognizing that one can be liberal on one issue and right wing on another. How then would you now characterize Jewlicious? Calling it a right wing blog seems inaccurate. From a media buyer’s perspective (mine) these are interesting issues and the amateur political scientist in me is curious as well.

  14. @mia: What you say is true of the Forward quote & I stand corrected. But what you have to remember is the context. Dan Sieradski, who has had huge disagreements w. Abitbol characterized by tremendous rancor, proposed a Jewish code of blogging civility. Abitbol’s response was essentially to say there’s lots of testosterone on the internet & I like it that way. Yes, he didn’t say he himself admitted to being overdosed on the stuff, but if you read him and and his most outrageous characterizations of those he campaigns against, you’ll understand that his motto could easily be: “testosterone, c’est moi.”

    How would I characterize Jewlicious? As a blog that attempts to tap into the Jewish zeitgeist as supposedly hip, trendy youngish Jews would see it. It’s all over the map and doesn’t have any consistent voice that I can find (understandable considering its a multi-author blog) except that it’s always seeking to appear cool and sexy and looking for the “new, new” Jewish thing. In other words, it’s superficial, flighty and flimsy.

    If you’re asking how I’d characterize it politically, I’d say its like certain American Jews: it seeks to be liberal on issues it doesn’t perceive to be core existential Jewish issues; and conservative on issues like Israeli security and its relations with the Arabs. which it does perceive to be existential.

    To me, it’s easy to say as a Jew you value Jewish life. That seems a given. The true test for me is as a Jew or Israeli do you value non-Jewish life? Do you value Palestinian life? On this score, Abitbol fails. My Judaism doesn’t tell me Jews are superior to non-Jews. Abitbol’s does.

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