Thanks, SiteMeter

I get my stats through www.sitemeter.com. I get the basic service, which is free. The reason it is free is that it provides a good advertising platform. I don' t mind that in the least, really. As I told them yesterday, I appreciate a good ad. Good ads are educational. I have found some great products and services and companies through good ads. I have kept abreast of fads and fashions through ads. Some ads are even great entertainment. I appreciate good, free entertainment.

But there are ads and then there are ads. And recently, going to get my stats has been something of an ordeal because, uhmmm, well, one company seemed to be advertising on my stats page a lot, and not only was I not interested what they were trying to sell (which meant that they were wasting their time), but the ads were flat-out offensive (which meant that they were not only wasting my time, but in essence slapping me in the face at the same time).

Last night I got aggrieved enough to fire off a message to the webmaster.

Are you sitting down? (One generally is when one is at a computer, of course, but I'd like to make sure.) This morning I got an e-mail back from a fellow by the name of David Smith, saying the ads should be blocked now and asking me to please let him know if I was still seeing them. Mr. Smith I could almost kiss your feet. In this day and age it's hard to find an e-commerce company that responds, much less one that responds politely and promptly and personally.

Now, to be honest with you, I wasn't sure when I sent this complaint off whether the folks at SiteMeter could do anything even if they wanted to - I don't know how all this technology works. And I still don't know how the technology works, so I don't know how much extra work I caused for anybody. So, please, don't go running off and asking for special favors for no good reason, OK? I'd hate to return their consideration toward me with an avalanche of inconsiderate special requests. (Ads for pet food won't hurt you if you don't currently have a dog, for instance. Let's not get silly and demanding.) But, on the other hand, if you're like me and can't stand garbage being shoveled into your field of vision every time you turn around, I do want you to know that this particular company cares.