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A loyal MR reader
Colin Frazier, a loyal MR reader, writes:
I noticed you occasionally post e-mails from loyal MR readers. That made me wonder:
- How do you know if readers are being loyal?
- What is required of me to be a loyal reader? Is it just that I frequently read the site? Must I forego reading other sites like Mankiw’s or McArdle’s blogs? Disavow other economists? (I’ve sworn off Krugman!)
- Is there an oath?
- Is there a loyalty program in which I could earn points for posts I read and redeem them for valuable economic insights?
Your devoted (and—I think—loyal) reader
Only a truly loyal MR reader would ask questions of this kind.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on March 29, 2007 at 04:07 PM in Web/Tech | Permalink
Comments
Interesting Question.
Interesting Answer.
Not sure it's about loyalty. You post to share your views and air them across whoever stumbles across them.
That's why the net is a more interesting medium than a one-way medium, such as TV
Posted by: Crushe by Ingsoc at Mar 29, 2007 4:19:19 PM
posted without the d. sorry
Posted by: Crushed by Ingsoc at Mar 29, 2007 4:20:21 PM
I will be loyal only as long as I am satisfied with the product.
Posted by: cljo at Mar 29, 2007 4:24:52 PM
I much prefer being a treacherous reader. And I prefer Alex and Tyler being treacherous bloggers.
Posted by: eddie at Mar 29, 2007 4:44:35 PM
I prefer a loyal Tyler and a treacherous Tyrone.
Posted by: DK at Mar 29, 2007 4:52:31 PM
How many loyalty program points do we have to earn to get the URL for Tyler's secret blog?
Posted by: Jacqueline at Mar 29, 2007 6:33:35 PM
I'm still a fan of Krugman and a loyal 'reader' of this site. May not always agree with everything posted but I get some neat economic insights.
Posted by: Alex Ambroz at Mar 29, 2007 6:37:38 PM
An oath? Frequent flyer miles? Humbug.
Loyal Readers skoff at the notion of simple oaths and question the loyalty of anyone who would read this blog for mere frequent flyer miles.
Simply publicly forsaking other economists is not the answer. As it would argue that this blog is a monopoly and Tyler is a Blog Baron. Upton Sinclair would be on our case before we knew it.
It is blood oath or nothing. This could be done on a visit to the pin factory. And, it could be sealed with the tried and true spitting on the palm and the invsible handshake. And, when inducted, the loyal reader must profess that this is the best mousetrap of all (but, it would not mean that we could not admire other, lesser regarded blogs).
Posted by: Allan at Mar 29, 2007 6:49:56 PM
Three words: server IP logs.
Posted by: mobile at Mar 29, 2007 6:59:17 PM
What is a loyal reader and closet libertarian to make of a federal court ordering unionized workers to work (without a contract) to protect a company in bankruptcy proceedings?
just curious.
Posted by: brianS at Mar 29, 2007 8:13:26 PM
A loyal reader would not exit immediately upon noting dissatisfaction, but would stick around long enough to try exercising the voice option.
To a point. Then it's hasta la vista, baby.
Posted by: Eric H at Mar 29, 2007 10:53:13 PM
Is it not a bit like you call up customer care to disconnect the service and rant about them and they call you a valuable customer ?
Just as calling someone a just a 'customer' and nothing else sounds rude ( arguably ), reader not preceded by some positive adjective probably does too :)
Posted by: Rao at Mar 29, 2007 10:53:52 PM
Is asking those sorts of question a necessary or sufficient condition for becoming a loyal reader?
Or can one become loyal without asking questions at all?
I must admit that part of the fun of this blog is that often questions only get half answered.
Posted by: thom at Mar 30, 2007 2:45:40 AM
Is there a market for loyalty? I would like to buy some loyalty points please... 50 should put me over the top.
Posted by: Shmuel at Mar 30, 2007 8:55:50 AM
And do not forget that not _all_ MR readers are loyal:
http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2007/03/latin_american_.html
Posted by: van at Mar 30, 2007 11:23:03 AM
BrianS - the court has not ordered unionized workers to work. They cannot, in fact, do that.
They can, however, rule that a strike action is unlawful, and thus the employee protections which are available to workers who strike legally are not available to the flight attendants. What that boils down to is saying that if the flight attendants go on strike, the airline can legally fire them for cause, and report that firing for cause to prospective employers who inquire.
Posted by: Anthony at Mar 30, 2007 4:59:34 PM
I come at it the other way around. What would be a disloyal reader? Presumeably a disloyal reader would be someone who doesn't read the blog. But then what makes them a "reader". Are we using "loyal" as a substitute for "regular"? If so, how regular? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Or is "loyal" actualy an adjective that has no real meaning at all in this context? I suspect the latter.
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