I was just thinking that this would be an interesting feature to gauge the popularity of different bands. By listing page views it would be easier to track trends across different genres and see which bands have the biggest followings. In the past whenever I've tried to seek out this information I usually end up checking band Myspace pages or using Alexa. This can be unreliable though since some bands have fan pages which makes for divided page view counts.(also a problem on Facebook) Your site is the most consistent reference for metal bands in general and as such providing page view numbers would result in the most accurate representation of user interest.

Changing the site towards a more social network sort is not in the plans of the admins.

Well I'm not saying to add a "Like" button or anything, that would of course be over the top. Just a non-interactive number display. It could be like at the bottom corner of the page, hardly noticeable.

I think even that would be wrongheaded. The purpose of the site is to present information without any coloring as to the social currency it carries. The number of reviews is generally a good gauge as to how much of a splash a band has truly made.

I don't see why that should do any harm

Because the informational pages on the main site are not for social networking or marketing or anything like that. The intent is that they be encyclopedic.

John


That way it could stay as an encyclopedia and not become a social networking site.

My point was that it being there at all is wrong. I don't see how "but it's tiny!" changes that point.

Wait, so he wants a counter on every band page just because it's convenient for places like myspace band searches? Horrendous idea in the context of this site - as in incredibly pointless. Since I've found out about this site 7 years ago, I've never had such an idea cross my mind.

Fair enough

This wont happen. Logistically, it's an unnecessary addition; counters have long been phased out of websites. Philosophically, MA exists solely as a repository... the judgement of a band's worth lies with the users, not for the site to decide. Besides, if you want to determine the "popularity" of a band, there are other sites (like last.fm) that exist for that purpose.

This issue is considered closed.