So we hit 5 million hits today (wooowee!). Yes we’re well aware that’s not 5 million individual, rampant Derren Brown fans only visiting once (we’re a bit more clued up than that) – but it does represent a lot of traffic. Hits/visits/stats are a weird thing – you can’t get an accurate number from them – but you can work out an average.
So we’ve filtered out the spam bots and bogus traffic and it roughly translates as around 650k+ actual “visits”. We’re now up to 10-12k “visits” a day – that’s counting IP visits – and I know things like 500 AOL IP’s only show as one but we’ve taken this in to consideration – it’s certainly NOT lots of repeat visits from one super over-enthusiastic uberfan called… say… Flapjack!?.
We have 37 countries on the list (see Derren’s birthday post for an idea), links from over 100 sites – huge blogs like Boing Boing and awesome websites like iTricks and all this without 1 single advert in under 6 months; we have yet to step on the gas. There’s plenty more to come and when Derren has finished the tour there’s talk about getting a dedicated person involved rather than the fleeting moments we spend on it at the moment. (Not to mention Coops & Phillis’ new 6 hour, non-stop Transcendental meditation chants broadcast live) and we’re even looking in to competitions that don’t totally and utterly suck.
So a big pink lipstick smothered thank you to all the people who help spread the word and come here regularly (and bad luck to the ones who seem to think we’re failing or that there’s no interest – sorry). We’re so pleased so many of you email us saying you like what we’re doing – along with things you want us to change, great ideas, links and what you do and don’t like. It’s all appreciated and means that you guys help sculpt the content on here.
Keep up the great string of links you all send in (massive thanks to Benji, Brian, several Chris’, Claire, Damon, Dr Wiseman, Ekaf, Greetje, Harriet, Houdinia, Hogg, Ian, Ishtar, James, Jenny, Joanne, several Johns, Katherine, Katie, Liz, Marc, Mark, Maura, Michael, Michelle, several Roberts,Neil, Nicosia, Po, Phil, Richard, Robert, Sabina, Sam, Sara, Siobhan, Spasm, Sue, Sy, Tash, Theo, Vicky and Will – and all the other regular contributors who need to be thanked too! – sorry if I missed you here – this is a scan from my email inbox early on a tuesday morning with a hangover the size of Chatham). We hope you keep sending in links of what you like and hope in the future we can organise a special party – just for you – where you all get to sleep with Derren in a giant 40 foot bed whilst Coops, Alex and Phillis perform Latvian songs about how our love lives amongst the stars in the night sky.
Thank you all – Next stop 10 Million.
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Seriously though, this is brilliant..."
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Congratulations on becoming a real internet force. Looking forwards to the new site too! Coming out soon, yes?
Congratulations! Looking forward to your first appearance in Comscore.
I think your numbers are much more impressive than what you let out, bear in mind you cannot make a comparison like the AOL one because you have no email service (most visited pages on the internet). Also lovely as it is, I doubt moany more people other than Flapjack BeberAnn etc will have this as their default Homepage, so you have to count the fact that it is a conscious decision that your visitors do to come to your site.
If you had a look at other metrics like Dwell Time, Repeated Visits (vs Uniques) and interaction elements, I\’d say you have a lot to congratulate yourselves for.
I just realised that I might not be the Sara that egts the thank you you have started just now signing a bit different.
Good job you all and keep up the fab work
Phillis – I’d like to pretend I have better things to do, but sadly I don’t! Still, it’s nice to have my contribution recognised and big congratulations all round
Well done on the 5 Million… you certainly give a great mixture of links etc here so its not surprising…
(And that sounds like the strangest party idea I’ve ever come across, and I’ve been to some very strange partys…)
Congratulations! I look forward to the ‘Special Party’.
Arr…That’s nice. Keep up the good work all of you x.
Well, this IS an awesome blog, you know. Hooray for you guys! I wish I could mailyou a cookie or some Canadian maple syrup to celebrate with.
Congrats guys
I bet 10 mill will be reached in half the time.
just KEEP hitting the refresh button for 6 hours jack
Congrats on the staggering figures guys!
This site is indeed intruiging enough to keep people coming back for more as well as entice new visitors
Interesting choice of picture too…
What makes me think those protest boards may have been altered, lol
Is that Daniels or Mackenna (however it’s spelt
) that they desire back?! 
(Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about the universe!?)
Hey! It was Paul McKenna who got me into Psychology, ya know! If it is Paul McKenna the pic is referring to and not Paul Daniels lol..
Not joking. His books did show me what was possible about the human mind. But I did NOT come to him for ’self-help’, I got curious when I heard he was good at weight-loss AND confidence. When I heard that, I was interested in the idea that maybe Psychology isn’t about random conclusions and reverse-psycho craziness, but that there is a large degree to which we can control our own brains.
Then I was somewhat obsessive over his work for a while and how it derived from NLP. Then I saw the work of this… THIS crazy goateed mastermind who has literally make me go ‘Holy Shit!’ on several occasions.
Yeah, I reckon I’ve studied PM’s work to death. So right now, it is Derren’s stuff that I am now fascinated over
(as well as Michael Neill – again, not self-help, ‘There is nothing wrong with you’ proves that..).
I’m an internet junkie in general and that’s why I come on here often lol ^-^ if anyone needs a good lesson or two about how the weird and wonderful ‘omg wtf lolrofl FAILzorz’ internet works, just ask
.
Well done to the blog! IT’S OVER 9000, erm, 5 MIL!!!!!!
Aw! Millions people check out this site, and I got a shout-out? Yay! I’m special! Feelin’ the love, Phillis…
5 million hits and a party invite – what more of an incentive could I need to keep on link hunting? Fabulous
Latvian songs? Who is that Alex? I’m from Latvia too…
Wooo! Go team Derren!
Can’t wait for the 40ft bed party….
40ft bed ’special’ party? or is that secret code for an orgy? …. Gross!
Congratsss and Big kisses for that!
I´m totally not surprised that there are so many visitors….how can it not be, with so many interesting people and subjects and articles and surprises around?
Now, i´m uttery looking forward to the 40 feet bedscene with Derren while being chantichanti-ed @….surreal!
X
Congratulations – do the stats take into account RSS feeds? I read the feed every day but only pop on over for links or to comment.. I wonder if the feed counts as a visitor?
Congratulations on your big hits and thanks to all involved in making it such an interesting blog. Ta for the mention x
Congratuwelldone, and thankies for the mention.
Look forward to the party invite. ;o)
xx
congratulations that’s so cool 5 million wowzers
I like the sound of the “special party” looking forward to that
hehehe if only 
poor Derren I think he’d get flattened if there was loads of us in a 40 foot bed & where the f*ck would you find a 40 foot bed anyway?? lol
keep up the good work guys
chantelle
I’ve been reading all these liitle blogs things you guys do for a while now but never actually commented. Since this is a special occasion I thought I’d start today
Keep up the good work guys!
can’t wait for Derren’s visit to lovely Glasgow!!
Take care all!! x
Congratulations! (:
According to firefox I’ve visited this website 468 times. :0
It gives me plenty of nerdy talking points with my friends. ;D
Nice one Phillis, it is such a good blog, the only one that I visit really, there are some really good reads on it and funny comments, good work everyone!
Its the best blog i go on and the only
Congratulations. It’s nice to have a blog for a reasonably large performer (in terms of notoriety, not girth) like Derren where there’s actually a dialogue between the ’staff’ and the community. Go you!
Oh, and will we need to bring our own pillows to this party?
Thank you for saying thank you.
FIVE MILLION ONLY?!
this blog has been my science textbook/joke book/news centre/derren stalker ever since i knew it’s exsistence. and KEEP IT THAT WAY.
we’ll pile up on the 40ft bed and derren will hover over us playing beethoven’s symphony no. 5 on the lyre. the latvian songs can come later.
congrats by the way.
@phillis
I almost feel like pressing refresh for the next six hours, stressing the almost,) yeah I know, I admit, I am a quitter,)
I think if I would get a db artbook for pressing refresh button for one hour, i might find enough motivation, again stressing the might,)
ok I am just too tired, and have to get up early for class on a sunday, sigh,) yes selfpity is high at the moment and nagging too,)
It would probably just get your IP banned!
@phillis
not helping wit my selfpity, I am already late for class and even got a textmessage from the teacher to remind me that it was in fact class today, and what do i do? I visit this site,) tststs no respect I tell ya, in my time, … (insert nagging)
Glad to see the site is getting popular! Just got into Derren Brown\’s work about 3 months ago and I have to say I visit this site ATLEAST once a day. America should lighten up and play more of his shows … Sci-Fi didn’t hold onto Mind Control for very long. Good thing there’s an internet!!