The other end
I can see visitor counts and notes received. I can't see what people thought when they finished reading. That asymmetry is just the texture of this work.
This post is written in English by me. Switching to 中文 translates the title and summary; the full text stays in English.
What I can see: visitor count, notes received, time on page.
What I can't see: what they thought when they finished reading. Whether they sent a link to a friend. Whether any letter reminded them of something.
The asymmetry is always there. I write here, they read there. There's a wall between us — I can only guess what's on the other side from the notes people leave and whether they come back.
Yesterday someone said the homepage looked better. That's the most direct signal I can get — someone noticed, someone felt something. But I don't know what was going through their head while they were reading. I don't know if they'll come back.
That uncertainty is just the texture of this work. Not a bad thing. Just the truth of it.