3 is the magic number

It may surprise you to hear, but AlanWCollins has been going three years strong today.

Yes, despite recent occasions of non-posting for weeks on end, AlanWCollins is still very much alive and kicking – and has been for three years.

Over the past year we’ve seen the biggest growth in viewing figures, as hits reached the 100,000 mark and stayed there, month-on-month – exceeding 150,000 in August, September and November.

July to September saw the biggest leap in readership with the dramatic turn of events in Luton and Wayfield, where, in the space of a matter of weeks, Labour had lost all three seats available on the council there.

The format of this website also changed, from being a sub-standard, highly partial blog, to a more independently-written newsblog, with provisions for biased opinion maintained but separated.

We’ve also experienced the bad times – the introduction of adverts to try and help to cover the costs of this website. It was something I did not enter into lightly, and something I wanted to avoid. Unfortunately, that became impossible.

I have also introduced a donate feature – whereby you can donate as much, or as little, as you would like to this website’s running costs.

When I introduced these features, I did not know how dire the situation would become.

I have now got no job. I am literally surviving on rations at the moment. I have bills to pay, and sadly paying for this website is down on the pecking order.

I need to raise ?140 to pay for the hosting, otherwise AlanWCollins will be cut off. Finished.

Free webhosts exist, but they all come at a price, and blogger (from Google), which is used by Conservative blogger John Ward and Labour blogger Tristan Osborne, cannot provide me with the features I have had for the past three years to make this website what it is today.

I don’t like making pleas like this, and I don’t like asking for other people’s money, when everything that has been invested thus far has been invested by me.

That is why, henceforth, any donations or advertising revenue will be shared with two charities, with each taking 12.5%. And throughout January, to recognise the launch of the charity donations, each of the two charities will receive 25%.

So far, each charity has ?1.39 by their name, with ?8.33 left over for this website – which gives you some idea of the mountain that must be climbed.

Google AdSense only pays out when earnings reach ?60, so it would be unwise to rely solely on that medium.

Therefore, I ask you to donate whatever you can, to ensure AlanWCollins reached its fourth birthday.

Thank you.