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The Revolution is Four Years Old!
Marginal Revolution is four years old today (at 3:07 pm EST precisely)! It all began with The Lunar Men and since then we posted something new every day for four years. In total we have had over 6000 posts, about 4.4 posts on average per day and we are closing in on 10 million visits. If you were to print all of MR for the last four years it would take well over thirty two thousand pages. I'd like to tell you how many pages exactly but Word can't count beyond 32,768.
You, our readers, have made Marginal Revolution one of the most widely read blogs in the world. Thanks! We would like to know you better. So in the comments please feel free to say happy birthday especially if you are a long time reader who has never commented before. How long have you been reading MR? What's your favorite post? Do you live in some exotic locale? Viva la revolution!
Posted by Alex Tabarrok on August 21, 2007 at 07:21 AM in Current Affairs, Economics, Food and Drink, Web/Tech | Permalink
Comments
Happy birthday! I've been reading y'all since Virginia Postrel recommended your site. Slim and I had our first Tyler-Cowen-in-a-restaurant sighting this Sunday, and I haven't had solid food since.
Posted by: Ted at Aug 21, 2007 7:54:29 AM
Happy 4th.
I've been reading MR for 3 and a half years and enjoyed every one of the thousands upon thousands of posts. I'm an Estonian living in Tallinn and got interested in economics to a large extent thanks to MR.
Posted by: JS at Aug 21, 2007 7:57:11 AM
Happy birthday! I found this blog via a book review by Tyler on Slate a couple of years ago.
My knowledge of economics is not terribly sophisticated, but I've really
learned a lot here, postings are consistently entertaining and
thought-provoking. Keep up the great work!
Posted by: Linda at Aug 21, 2007 7:59:32 AM
Congratulations on your success; you've earned it.
Posted by: sammler at Aug 21, 2007 7:59:34 AM
Happy Birthday...long time reader, first time commenter. It really is difficult to say what my favorite posts are. I really enjoy "My Favorite things..." and "Markets in everything...". The site really challenges my world view, and it is one of my favorite sites to visit. My "Economic literacy..." for lack of a better term is at a significantly higher level, and I believe both Alex and Tyler deserve credit for writing engaging articles which make me excited every time I refresh my browser...
Posted by: Casey at Aug 21, 2007 8:14:13 AM
Happy Birthday to MR! I found this blog in late 2004 or early 2005, though I'm not sure how. I was working at that time for an economist, Mark McClellan, so I wanted to get more knowledge and MR has been a great way for me to learn more. I'm still lost about a quarter of the time, but I don't consider that an unacceptable failure rate.
Posted by: Gary Karr at Aug 21, 2007 8:18:33 AM
For purely selfish reasons, I should add that my favorite post is this one: http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2005/11/demand_curves_s.html
Posted by: Gary Karr at Aug 21, 2007 8:20:33 AM
Happy Birthday to this insightful blog. I stumbled upon it (actually, not using that program :P) by chance in late 2005, but have grown to like it. I can't follow all of Tyler's ideas, and I disagree with more, but they are at least interesting. However, I more than often agree with Alex, perhaps it is because he tries more answers than questions ;)
It's not exotic, but I am from Karlsruhe, Germany and that in itself is interesting, due to the (sadly) he mistrust and often disgust in economics.
Posted by: Max Schwing at Aug 21, 2007 8:36:16 AM
Happy birthday, I've been reading the blog since probably early 2005. As I recall I followed a link from either a Thomas Sowell or Walter Williams op-ed. From your site I've caught on to Kling & Caplan as well as McArdle thank you very much. Exotic locale? Does Houston count? Favorite post is impossible, it's the consistent high quality that keeps me coming back.
Posted by: Trevor H. at Aug 21, 2007 8:36:44 AM
Happy Birthday.
I started reading this blog about 6-8 months ago and have ordered Tyler's new book, and I am looking forward to reading it.
Posted by: michael webster at Aug 21, 2007 8:49:22 AM
I've been reading daily for a couple of years & always find something interesting to agree/disagree with, or something new to learn/consider. Many happy marginal returns!
From vanilla London currently working in exotic Bangalore
Posted by: nick at Aug 21, 2007 8:52:47 AM
Happy birthday! MR is facinating reading, and has led to many more happy readings at the library. Thanks to Cowen for being such a prolific reader/blogger.
Posted by: Brian at Aug 21, 2007 8:53:19 AM
Congrats! I am from the Czech Republic and got adddicted to this blog 3 years ago; that's when I bought my first notebook and ceased depend on the computer lab at my college where I would always skim my e-mails and print some stuff but not much more. I was a student of economics then, so I presume I found a link in some econ article but I don't remember any details. I read MR every day. In fact, it is one of the first pages I open. You are also in my RSS feed that is displayed on my homepage. What I like most? Hm, hard to tell. I really appreciate the variety; you draw my attention to many things that I instinctively want to know but that I wouldn't have encountered without you (or with some time-consuming research). At gunpoint: I adore Markets in everything. Keep up the good work!
Posted by: Lucie at Aug 21, 2007 8:55:17 AM
Congrats, keep up the good work. I started reading about 2 years ago, been hooked every since! Favorite post... well, I have high hopes for the Farewell to Alms book forum later today. I think this could be the best yet.
Posted by: Shaun M at Aug 21, 2007 9:12:24 AM
wow, happy birthday to the best blog in the world. I've been reading for about three years and this is the reason I started reading blogs altogether. Thanks for maximizing my utility.
Posted by: mike at Aug 21, 2007 9:13:57 AM
Happy Birthday! I think I found you via kottke sometime this spring. You've helped encourage me to take a second serious run at my economics master's degree. (Forecasting class starts tonight!)
I've even tried a restaurant based on your recommend - but I think it proved that I don't have nearly as adventurous taste buds.
Posted by: A.M. at Aug 21, 2007 9:36:58 AM
Happy Birthday! I am from Brazil, living in our capital Brasilia, and I've been a loyal reader for the past two and a half years. Your work is terrific and yours is the first website I read in the morning.
Favorite post? Maybe the one on how to read Thomas Pynchon, but who knows? There were so many superb posts all these years.
Congratulations
Posted by: Diogo at Aug 21, 2007 9:38:53 AM
Happy Days! We have been following your blog for some time and will even link to it from time to time from our own blog. We appreciate your thoughtful approach and insightful commentary. When it comes to economics, we think you are rock stars! Thanks for keeping economics and world politics interesting and thought provoking! (Thanks also to Tyler for appearing on our radio show, The Investing Revolution, great interview!) May the Revolution march on! Best of luck for many years to come.
Posted by: The Investing Revolution at Aug 21, 2007 9:44:45 AM
Yay! Happy birthday!
My Marginal Revolution claim to fame is starting the Wikipedia page for it, over two years ago.
My favorite post is Tabarrok's where he says a massage therapist told him he was a "giving person" and, when he tells her he's an economist, she changes her mind!
Posted by: Macneil at Aug 21, 2007 9:45:41 AM
I discovered MR about a year ago via Mankiw's blog. Through MR, I've come to know and enjoy other blogs such as Cafe Hayek, EconLog, EconTalk, Overcoming Bias, and Book Forum.
Beyond exposing me to vast amounts of knowledge and ways of thinking that I might not have otherwise obtained, one of the more sublime effects of reading MR and several of the blogs above is the feeling that I have something of a personal relationship with a cadre of smart and well-known economists. Many times as I bound from blog to blog, I feel as though I'm sitting at a table at some university eatery, having a cup of coffee and relishing the chance to listen in as a group of professors carry on a colorful debate at the table next to me.
I must admit that I feel a much closer tie to the economics dept. at George Mason than at the university I just graduated from!
Posted by: Jeff H. at Aug 21, 2007 9:50:47 AM
Happy Birthday! This is the one blog I have been reading consistently for nearly 2 years now.
Posted by: Venu at Aug 21, 2007 9:53:12 AM
recent reader from the hills of montana. captivating reading that keep the brain cells fresh, i hope, during my declining years. thanks
Posted by: fred at Aug 21, 2007 9:57:36 AM
Desde México, ¡muchas felicidades! ... Loyal reader for the past 8 or 9 months
Posted by: Jose at Aug 21, 2007 10:04:38 AM
Happy Birthday, MR! I discovered your blog over three years ago, and I have been hooked ever since!
Needless to say, I look forward to many more years of the Revolution ...
Posted by: Abi at Aug 21, 2007 10:10:21 AM
I've been reading for a couple of years. I think I found you from a link at The Volokh Conspiracy. My favorite posts are the ones about dating and marriage. Tyler should write a book about this topic. He provides a unique perspective on the subject. Some of the commenters to these threads show great insight as well.
Posted by: Larry at Aug 21, 2007 10:20:28 AM
