I was asked by a friend on Saturday, with whom Jacqueline and I were discussing what meaningful work might be, just what the impact of what I do is.
I explained that I see myself as both an educator and a storyteller, helping people see what is possible in the political economy.
“But how do you measure success?” he asked, and as he works in nature conservation, he knows the challenge implicit in that question.
So, I explained the challenges of creating explanations and narratives for people with different skills, pre-existing knowledge, aptitudes, learning methods and interests. This led to a discussion on the video/blog overlap, or rather, the lack of it. But I was still challenged on impact. So I talked about data and feedback, comments, likes, and votes, and my friend agreed that these indicated impact, but what I realised is that I have rarely audited this data, and so last night I looked at the reaction to Saturday and Sunday's posts (and so reflecting about 38 hours of data at the time) and found:
- I published 7,606 words on Saturday and 6,415 on Sunday, or a total of 14,021 in all, with a little under half being video transcriptions and the rest being posts. To put that number in context, that sum, in total, is about a fifth of the number of words in many books, published in just two days.
- There were two videos and eleven posts in all.
- There were up to 19.30 last night, just over 200 comments on the blog.
- There were 644 likes on the blog, with more on Saturday's posts than Sunday's, unsurprisingly. Topical posts were most popular, and the quantum essays were the least popular. Video transcripts only get moderate likes on the blog.
- The blog had 25,176 views on Saturday and more than 31,000 by the time I reviewed matters on Sunday evening. That's a bit below average for a Saturday, but heading for well above average for a Sunday.
- Both videos had more than 16,000 views by last night.
- The YouTube channel had 40,000 views in total on Saturday and was heading for at least 50,000 on Sunday.
- There were more than 3,000 video likes of the videos on YouTube over the two days, with more than 98% being positive.
- The videos had more than 700 comments posted on them.
- Saturday's video had a poll linked to it. Just over 200 people voted on this on the blog. 4,300 had voted by last night on YouTube. The questions were the same, and the profiles of answers were very similar.
In total, therefore, there were by 19.30 last night, more than 9,200 reactions in all, the vast majority being positive.
Is that impact? You decide, but I think the response makes the effort worthwhile.
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Well, it took the Neo Liberals about 30 years to get anywhere so at least you have started with potentially more fertile soil than they had.
The difficulty of course as with so many things is ‘How do you measure….’
I have decided and what you are doing is keeping the avenues for an alternative way open. That is an impact for sure.
Yes, holding the multitude of doors open for future contingencies that could go in our favour in one way or another, in a way we least expected. Expectation theory debunked and cast in the dust bin. Text books rewritten.
Please keep the quantum essays rolling, whilst they might not be the most popular they provide much food for thought.
Thanks
There is one in draft but it’s not ready yet. The quantum biology series should start this week.
You are surely having an impact; impressive numbers aside, where else can this mix of analysis, education and inspiration be found in one place?
Would you consider putting shorter, ‘starter’ videos in one playlist for new audience and those referred by your readers, to start on? They already exist, explanations of elements of economics and MMT, what could the politics if care look like. Your output is prodigious, this would give new audience a place to start.
But how do we separate them? There are playlists already.
The playlists are great. I only noticed them recently, and I think you have to “visit the channel” to find them, but they are perfect for following themes closely, for revising difficult topics, and for finding material to view a second time.
Thanks
The idea of ‘SMART’ objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, etc) is all very well if they are… well, specific. Writing and broadcasting are rarely like that. But some clever environmentalist once pointed out that science fiction time travelers are always worrying about making some tiny alteration in the past that might entirely change subsequent history, yet we believe small actions we take now will have little effect on the future.
Educating and story-telling is so important. Clearly we have a Mythocracy not a Democracy in the UK as long as so many people fail to see that having a true democracy requires a coherent understanding of how the country’s monetary system works and how this works in relation to global trading. Till then we’ll carry on shooting ourselves in the foot by voting for Mythocrats (Mirthocrats) whether from the Left or the Right.
For me, a measure of your impact is that a motion passed unanimously at my LP branch cited you and your Taxing Wealth report. This motion came from an unexpected source and one of the younger members. I was not involved. Furthermore, an older member said that she had read your report and recommended everyone reading it.
Interestingly, the proposer had followed up on some of the btl comments under a Gary Stevenson video. I doubt if he was unique. Keep on doing what you are doing. The blog/youtube may give you some hardcore stats but they are almost certainly the tip of the ice berg.
Thank you
Since finding this web site, it has certainly made an impact on me and has helped me to see issues in a different way. This must be a counted as a positive, thanks for all you do, as I am sure we would all be poorer without Funding the Future. I believe your efforts do make a significant difference to your reading audience.
So, I guess all who respond also want to see the types of change in this country that you write about. That seems to me to be a different and larger question and is one that increasingly concerns me about the UK. As a country, it seems clear we are heading into a gloomy and dangerous place that you have written about on a number of occasions. That is a real worry.
These metrics are all directly related to your output and, while it’s great to see them going up, I would suggest looking at more tangible results.
For example, the number of countries now implementing country-by-country reporting is an obvious impact. The increased tax take in these countries due to CBC could be another. The number of citations in mainstream media would also be interesting to track, as it measures a wider impact across society, rather than a narrower slice of followers and “already converted”.
The number of your former students who are now making an impact in the sphere would be clear evidence of longer-term impact.
I will share some other data.
As a long time subscriber to this site, I feel there has been tremendous increase in momentum over the past couple of years, as you have expanded your subject matter, and means of delivery.
I almost always go to YouTube for your videos, so that the algorithm can count me, but also to check the comments. You are undoubtedly having impact there, as the comments show (and also the number of obvious trolling bots, indicating that someone, somewhere, feels threatened by what you are saying and doing.)
The quantum essays are clearly informing new insights into current economics for you and many readers. That they are a bit above my pay grade should not detract from their usefulness 🙂
Your output is remarkable, as is your energy. I am sure you are having an impact. Keep up the good work, we need you!
Thanks.
I can’t entirely explain my energy this year, although I could note reasons (but won’t) as they involved ejecting negative influences from my life.
I just hope it continues.
Is impact just numbers, or the effect it has on people?
For me, the impact has been great in the sense of learning and understanding. Yet I am just one number in the dataset.
I’ve also been able to let other people know what I’ve learned, a multiplier effect if you like.
Raw data, such as the list you’ve provided, gives an indication of impact, but I don’t think it gives a full assessment.
I can’t recall the full quote or who said it but a paraphrased version is: “It is in the small acts of kindess and the ripples they produce that we see our impact on the world.”
The full impact of your words and actions will likely never be fully known. But it will be there in the ripples that follow on from them.
Thanks
And ripples are hard to measure on things like this, bit one way ois citations and I will note them tomorrow
As long as you keep the priority right. Your work matters because it is your best interpretation of the facts. Impact comes second. Farage may have more impact, but that is because for him. impact comes first. Increasing understanding is irrelevant.
Just keep up the good work.
I am not too worried about impact. As far as I know this is the first time I have done this in enarly 20 years.
The question of impact is an important one. It’s clear that what you do does have an impact; many of us who follow you have been educated and had our understanding of macroeconomics vastly improved.
But, it feels like it’s not enough. Surely there must be a ‘next step’ to which we can take things, though I’m not sure what it might be. Somehow we must find a way to amplify our effort.
Founding a think tank, perhaps? That seems to be the only way the BBC takes anyone seriously! Creating a ‘club’ of some kind? Sponsoring an MP or two? Maybe any one of those things would be better than being stuck where we are…
We are discussing this
But as yet I am not sure where it is going
I know I really am at capacity
I appreciate there is only so much one man can do. Which is why you should only be peripherally involved, if at all, in whatever happens next. You are going to have to let your baby leave the nest, somehow, whilst retaining enough involvement to make sure things stay on track. Not easy, but there are surely enough of us regular commenters to supply the needed effort. Count me in, for a start.
But in to what?
One thing I could maybe help with would be making your Mastodon presence a more lively discussion forum. Apart from that, perhaps I could help organise a zoom call of interested parties to kick around some ideas?
Thanks.
We are giving serious discussions on such issues here. Things will develop.
Interesting question.
You could measure it quantitatively e.g. number of views, increase in number of view, number of comments, new people commenting etc.
Or perhaps qualitatively which could be the topics being raised here on the blog and on YouTube getting discussed elsewhere, e.g. other content creators, MSM, the general public, or you getting to discuss them elsewhere.
Craig
Not all impacts can be directly measured but I suggest that your explanations and proposals are rather like the waveform you described in your quantum posts.
If you put none ‘out there’ then none can coalesce into knowledge or change in the readers’/viewers’ beliefs but the ideas you put out in your waveform do coalesce for some of us (me included) and we can pass that waveform on
Without that no change happens, no ideas stick, no alternatives get discussed and neoliberalism gets entrenched
So even if you can’t measure it, you are creating intellectual waves and sowing the seeds of change and I for one hugely appreciate your efforts
Thanks
It’s a shame that Quantum Mechanics posts were poorly visited.
At a time when the human world is looking back and eating itself, we need new paradigms, new thought experiments that reframe the old school windows, so we can see the world and our future afresh
Please keep your ideas coming, including the quantum ones. I’ve only read the first few quantum essays, but I do intend to read the rest – I’ve just got to get find time when I can concentrate properly. I wonder how many others who read this blog are doing the same? Also, you are covering more issues since you retired so I need more time than formerly to read the blog fully, which is why I haven’t got round to reading about Quantum Economics. As many others have said, I find Funding the Future extremely valuable and am so grateful that you are finding the time to do it. I especially like how you pick apart some of the principles of economics and expose their strengths and weaknesses.
Thanks for your encouragement.
I remember time at university trying to argue with communists. It didn’t work. They had very well prepared arguments and could not be shifted from their arguments onto ground that I introduced.
Say someone has read one of your blogs or watched a video. They are excited by the messages you put across about X. They want to tell a friend or friends your views about X … What are you saying? And how is that trashing conventional views of X? Your blogs are quite long and detailed. Numbers of people likely need what Americans would call “take homes.” Take homes pro and take homes contra. Not communistically doctrinaire but condensed commentary that is relatively easy to pass on.
What, exactly, are you askimg for?
A TL;DR? When I tried these they did not seem popular.
Yes – something like that. Unlikely you would see impact.
I pass on things to people (your blogs, for example) though I very rarely hear back … but just occasionally I find out that that my mailing was thought to be very valuable.
Is your unquestionably helpful commentary pass on-able?
Noted
And what does the last question mean?
I have no data and nor even any anecdotal evidence, BUT! I have no doubt whatsoever that you are having an impact. The people that follow this blog are people and people talk, as do those that watch your YouTube videos. I wouldn’t have a clue as to how to measure if and how often they are shared or how many conversations they generate. What I do know is, is that the vast majority of people have had a belly full of neoliberalism and the poverty and inequality it has generated, even if they can’t articulate it. For what it’s worth – my take is that you are not wasting your time, you are most certainly having a very strong impact and that your work and your passion is already baring fruit
Whatever happens in the months ahead, you can at least rest assured that you have done your utmost to enlighten people. If changes are possible, then you’ve done more than most people to point others in the direction we need to be moving in. At the moment, we generally have poor politicians, or corrupt ones, who cannot or refuse to understand what people really need. And that last phrase ‘what people really need’ seems to me to be the essence of what you are driving at. Thls message is coming across loud and clear to most people here, but will take some time to reach the public. The Green Party, Your Party, the Libdems, SNP, and Welsh and Irish Nationalists are much more receptive to the notion of needs, as you might expect.
You recently posted a very impressive ChatGPT report on how the reach of the blog could be developed. There was a suggestion on the lines of the mainstream media being fed comments on current news topics and reports. I imagined how wonderful it would be if the BBC etc were to, instead of going to the dire IFS, or usually-orthodox Chief Economists for Xyz Inc, publish sensible rebuttals from FtF to the drivel they report on economic/business news. They would need to be trained to do this, which would need there to be someone with media/PR expertise working on it. You are already more than fully occupied, so someone would have to be brought in and remunerated.
Not sure though, I’m afraid, how this could be funded. Unless I won the euro millions, which is unlikely as I don’t buy tickets.
Noted
I do not have the funding
add to my reply …
pass on-able in conversation. They hear the basic idea and have enough to talk to others about it. Or they hear the idea and then look up the detail in the blog. Summaries, TL;DRs are easy entry points.
Noted
Will discuss