By Dwight Johnson, Linux
Today
Wonder what kind of people read Linux Today?
In April, Linux Today conducted a reader survey and sweepstakes
to find out, asking the following questions:
- How many times a week do you read Linux Today?
- What other Web sites do you read?
- What OSes do you use?
- What is your preferred OS?
- What kind of work do you do?
- What is your gender and age?
- How many computers do you use?
- Do you make or influence purchasing decisions in your
company? - What is your purchasing power for computer equipment?
Two thousand one hundred and forty six readers responded. Philip
Cameron of Winchester, Massachusetts won the sweepstakes and
received a shrinkwrapped First Edition of the Linux
Journal.
Today, Linux Today is releasing its Media Kit (www.linuxtoday.com/mediakit/)
for prospective advertisers which incorporates the demographic
information derived from the April survey.
Launched on September 30, 1998, Linux Today was conceived by its
founders, computer professionals Dave Whitinger, 23, and Dwight
Johnson, 56, as a community supported Web site to keep computer and
business professionals informed about the latest developments and
opinion of interest to the Linux and Free Software/Open Source
community.
Despite almost no start-up capital and no site marketing budget,
it was an immediate success, logging 80,298 unique visitors its
very first month. In June, 1999, Linux Today completed its ninth
consecutive month of double-digit growth, logging over 390,000
unique visitors and 3.6 million page views.
In the interim, Linux Today has become recognized as the number
one daily Linux news site and has launched several affiliated
services to its newswire homepage: a Features and Opinion page,
LinuxPR.com — a Linux press release wire, a job openings list and
the Voice of Linux Today (V.O.L.T.) audio broadcasting service. In
addition, Linux Today supports its readers with seven targeted
daily newsletters and has one of the most active talkback forums in
the Linux community.
Linux Today currently has readers in 152 different countries
with the majority residing in the United States.
The typical Linux Today reader is a 32 year old, employed
professional who uses and prefers Linux, accesses Linux Today from
his place of employment during business hours, has $14,280
purchasing power for computer technology in the next twelve months
and makes or influences purchasing decisions in his company. Of the
80% who work in computer-related occupations, 28% are software
developers or programmers, 16% are system administrators, 8% are
network administrators, and 5% are technical managers. The majority
of Linux Today readers visit the Linux Today Web site one to ten
times per week.
Linux Today depends heavily on volunteer writers and posters
from the community as well as on the participation of the community
for story submissions and ideas. It is supported entirely by
advertising revenues and has zero debt. See http://linuxtoday.com/sponsors/
for a complete list of current advertising sponsors.