"Unique Device" ...

What exactly is a 'unique device'?  Is it a specific piece of hardware (i.e., my desktop PC can be recognized while it is connected to the web, regardless of the address assigned by the ISP); or is it calculated from the address that my ISP assigns to my 'device' every time it logs onto the net?

A mobile device probably has some 'unique' identification assigned to it; however is this true for the desktop PC's?  How about those PC's that are located in Internet Cafes, if multiple readers view MRH from the same PC, does it count as "one" (similar to multiple readers of a single subscription to a conventional magazine I suppose)?  On the other hand, if I read MRH from multiple PC's in an Internet Cafe, how is it counted?

I still find it 'strange' that only 25% of your viewers are subscribers, considering the cost of subscription is "free"; which makes me question the number of folks who actually read MRH.  If you include the forums, how many 'unique device' users are there?

Unique device

One IP address. Google puts a cookie on the device that's unique so that if you connect that that device more than once in a month you only get counted once no matter how many times your connect.

If you have a home computer, a tablet and a smartphone and connect to MRH on the internet with each of them, that's three devices. Each device will have its own IP address indentifying it while it's connected to the web.

"cookie" ...

...ok and if I delete cookies, does my desktop PC become another 'unique device'?  How about if I use multiple browsers ... each browser gets its own set of cookies does it not?  Thanks for the response.

Device take 2

ah ...

... got it (I think).  Thanks for the explanation.  

Question regarding Model Railroader unique subscribers

Joe,

Do your subscription numbers take into account that an MR subscriber can also buy a digital subscription for $12 more per year?  Their numbers might not be as high as advertised due to the same person also purchasing a digital subscription.  I don't subscribe anymore, but I do purchase both print and digital editions of "Trains" magazine, which is a Kalmbach product.

-bill

circulation vs. subscription

Joe,

What is the difference between total paid circulation vs. total paid subscriptio?

Does circulation include copies sent to retail outlets?

If people use public access to the web (e.g., a library) to read MRH, then the estimated readership is a bit low.

number of devices

Unless they connect through your home router, in which case they will all show MRH the same IP address.

Dynamic ISPs

As I understand our work setup (and my home lan as well) ISPs for devices are assigned at startup of each device connecting to the lan.    Of course I count double anyway, as I usually end up downloading each issue to both home and work machines.  I keep the copy on my home machine, work might get removed after I get it on my home machine.

they can be

Your IP can be assigned at startup or it could be static, it depends on how you have the device configured.  Using a dynamically assigned address is the most common, especially for home networks, as it requires less setup.  When you have multiple devices connected to a router the router assigns each of them a unique IP address.  These IPs are completely independent of the IP you are using to access the Internet.  Generally you will only have one Internet IP address provided to you by your ISP.  When your devices want to access the Internet through the router the router will translate the internal IP address into the Internet address and use that to talk to the Internet.  The Internet never sees the IP address that your router has assigned your device.

It's like if 5 people had a spokesperson to negotiate for them.  Each of them can talk to the negotiator but not the other party directly.  The other party never sees the 5 people, only the negotiator.

If you have 100 actual

If you have 100 actual viewers and 66% view on one device and 34% view on two devices that would mean that the 66 single viewers give you 66 views and the 34 multiple viewers give you 68 views for a total of 134 views. 100/134= 75%. If you assume the average multiple viewer has 2 devices, then you would have to multiply your total views by 75% to get the number of viewers. 134 views x 75% = 100 viewers.

If you have 100 actual viewers and 66% view on one device and 34% view on three devices that would mean that the 66 give you 66 views and the 34 give you 102 views for a total of 168 views. 100/168= 59%. If you assume the average multiple viewer has 3 devices, then you would have to multiply your total views by 59% to get the number of viewers. 168 views x 59% = 100 viewers.

If you are multiplying your total views by 66% to get your viewers, that means you are assuming that each multiple user uses an average of 2.5 devices. In your next survey it might be interesting to ask how many devices people use. I have a smart phone, two PC's and a laptop, so that would be 4 devices. If people have a smart phone, a iPad and a laptop or PC that's 3 devices. If people average 3 devices your audience drops to 65,555 and if they average 4 devices it drops to 54,444.

It seems to me.....

As MarcW says, MRH will see just one viewer from me regardless of the number of devices I access MRH from within my home network.  It will show the same ISP assigned IP address.  I'm not sure I understand why MRH would be interested in how many devices are in my home network.  Unless the individual is quite gifted, he/she could only be reading MRH from one device at a time.  The only time I will count as two viewers is if I access MRH from another network, like a motel room or work.  A smartphone, on the other hand, may be on its wireless provider's network, and not using the home network even if the person is at home.  If a subscriber accesses MRH from their home network and their smartphone, they could very well be counted twice.  So, MRH might be interested in the total number of networks used by subscribers in a given month.

John C

So I can count as six or more people

then you need to pump up your production to pay for your keep :> ) .......DaveB (just one not so unique old guy)

Hm, in my case

it evens out.  I download it twice (once from work, which shows up as Arkansas) and once from home which shows up as Florida.  But then, often my wife also reads the copy I download at home.

Of course, each time I have been published, I send out a notice to family, friends, and coworkers.  That spreads out to Arkansas, Colorado, and Tennessee just from work.  Add in relatives and you add in MA, NH. KS, and Florida. 

But those are probably built into the "fluctuation" Joe gets every month.

Well,

I doubt people are 'running up the numbers' by using every single device they can get their hands on to D/L MRH.  Reading MRH isn't like playing the lottery after all, lol!

Really, I see these numbers as maybe not single persons on the globe reading MRH, but rather as a use measure.  If MRH was some terrible thing or whatever, would a single person D/L it to multiple devices?  No, they (we) see it as beneficial so read it where/when they (we) can,  The download portability allows for some nice usage in the layout room, not even near a PC, probably.

Can MR say the same for their D/L's?  Does their stuff transfer to the layout as much as MRH's?  Interesting...wonder what D/L'ed type of article of MR's get's read the most as opposed to MRH's? No way to find out I'm sure.

But still I say we as MRHer's aren't running the numbers up by design, but by use.

p.s. Mycroft

...very cool your wife reads a copy too!  Wish mine did, but Alas!

very cool your wife reads a copy too!

She may not read the entire magazine, but my wife (proof) reads most of my columns.

Bruce

So we can expect a MrsDCC.com website full of contrarian positions on decoders, controllers and so on?

If you read carefully

you will see my wife DID the photos from my last article.  (Half way to her own AP cert for author).  I have her taking photos of another project I am working on and writing an article on.  Much easier to have her photograph the work while I was using the scroll saw too!

She also came with to all the train shows / get togethers and sat thru the same presentation that I gave to 3 different audiences.

Oh, and why download to work as well as home machine?  Usually it is because I can't wait to read the magazine!  The first chance I have to possible view it is from work,s o I download it.  Later in the day I can download it to my home machine as well.  Home machine is the permanent home of the magazine.

Oh, and I got her a craftsman kit for Christmas one year.  She hasn't built it yet, but I did take the time before my floquil ran out to stain it all for her.  Why that kit?  If it a perfect representation of the barn on her grandfather's farm.  She also likes to paint the cows to the right colors for the kind her family raised / raises (Guernseys).

Great assessment, Dave

Our last survey in 2013 had most of the multiple device crowd saying 2 devices with a few saying 3 devices, so we assumed 2.5 devices. But the last thing we want to do is fool ourselves or overstate our readership. For now, the 73,000 number sounds about right, but we'd like to do another survey this fall and update our numbers.

Because we have the online edition and people can download multiple copies, just counting downloads is an imperfect picture. The best picture seems to be unique devices hitting our website translated back into actual heads based on a reasonable assumption to eliminate multiple device usage by one person. With paper mags, you just count copies. Not that simple when you're all digital.

Independent verification

While it's not an independent audit, the base numbers come from Google Analytics, so it's numbers established by a respected third-party (Google). Here's a direct screen capture to show the 111,111 unique views is legit. The Dec 30-Feb 3 timeframe is the dates during which the Jan issue was the current issue - so it's how we get to a single issue's "readership".

next Joe

How about a readership graph fro the life of the magazine (number of readers per issue) < LOL> Just kidding.  But one thing you have to consider is that when a new reader "discovers" MRH, many go back and download all the issues.  I know I did, when I first discovered you.  The good news for me was I only had to download 4 or 5 issues, I think < GRIN>