When I started The Truth About Guns (TTAG) in mid-February 2010, I pledged no punches pulled and set a goal: 100 thousand unique visitors per month by the January 2011 SHOT show. It was a pretty ambitious target for a site that didn’t exist. But eight years spent building The Truth About Cars (TTAC) into a million man monthly march taught me the secret of successful blogging: content. If you blog it, they will come. And so we have; this is post number 3136. And so you have; TTAG has just passed one million total page views since launch. According to Google Analytics, we’re averaging well over 5000 unique visitors per day. A few thank you’s are in order . . .
Thank you for reading. We do it for you and couldn’t do it without you. Well, we could but what would be the point of that then?
Props to our commentators, for calling it like they see it without calling each other assholes, as some are wont to do on other firearms-oriented websites.
My biggest high five for the freelancers who’ve helped TTAG jump to its feet, entertaining themselves and our readers with their wit, wisdom and generous spirit.
[If you’d like to write for TTAG, email [email protected]. All you need are the three characteristics described above.]
In Phase II, I will seek and deploy a single sponsor and one official ammunition supplier. All of the money raised (and most of the bullets) will be channeled back to TTAG’s writers. In year three, I’ll begin taking money out of the business for me and mine.
It’s not a particularly profitable plan, but it’s my plan. It’s the only one I have for the site. So far. But don’t worry: even if TTAG’s business model heads in an unexpected direction we will never, ever bar a hold.
No holds barred. Tell the truth. The truth about guns. It’s who we are and what we do. If the free market rewards us, way-hey! If not, no regrets. We roll how we roll or we don’t roll at all. And that’s the truth.
Mozeltov!
I love this site keep up the good work.
Congrats. Onward and…well, upward. Or something.
Congratulations Robert. I love this site, you’ve done a phenomenal job.
I said it before but it bears repeating: Don’t leave us this time.
Thanks. You have my word.
The kid is doing a nice job, but it’s just not the same.
Congratulations! This has quickly become one of my favorite sites on the entire interwebs!
Congrats. What attracted me to reading the site daily has been the mature, reasonable, and frequently witty discourse without all the name-calling. It is possible to disagree without being disagreable (as politicos are fond of saying) and I appreciate the respectful tone the authors have and how the arguments are about facts and do not degenerate into childish name-calling. Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing.
Amazingly enough, I’ve not had to ban a single commentator, and only deleted a handful of flaming posts. Three of the authors re-wrote their remarks at my request and made excellent points. I always had faith that there’s a market for rational oft-times lighthearted discourse on firearms. It’s nice to have that suspicion confirmed. (Check out JadeGold’s recent remarks!) Anyway, thank you for reading, making this whole project possible.
Congratulations Robert. There is always enjoyable content on the site. Would have loved to see at least one of your old TTAC writers post content here as well but at least I understand why that does not happen.
Thanks for the kind words. William C. Montgomery and Brett Solomon are from TTAC. Jack Baruth wrote one post for TTAG (a review of the Desert Eagle drawn from memory). Unfortunately, as a convicted felon, he can’t test guns for us. I like our new crop of writers here just as much as Ye Olde TTACers. No regrets.
You could have JB do breathlessly positive ‘outdoorsy’ truck reviews, like American Rifleman.
Brad Kozak, too!
Justin Berkowitz (now at Car & Driver online) is a gun guy. I’ve asked him to write for us. So far, no joy.
Congratulations on the Million Man Blog! But please let’s don’t start reviewing trucks and quads…those reviews are the most useless parts of the American Rifleman and other buff books.
Yippee-ki-yay, etc.
Congrats! Very much enjoy perusing TTAG from time to time…ok, almost every day. And posting from time to time. Only suggestion…like to see more frequent gun and related equipment reviews, and gun comparisons. Otherwise, keep up the great work!
Best of luck with this great site. I’m glad I met you at AFS and thanks for showing my 500 here. I’ll let you try my other two 500’s when we meet again at AFS. (hopefully sometime real soon.)
Love this site and get a lot out of it. Look forward to reading it daily. Thank you!