Is setting up and running a policy-oriented blog worth the effort? AIDS Matters was launched three months ago. Here are current statistics:

• Monthly unique users: ~800
• Countries: ~40
• Other web sites citing AIDS Matters: 16
• Effort: ~2-3 hours per week

While traffic and activity is still limited, it is more than I'd expect at this stage. Running a weblog has also provided two other benefits. First, I pay more attention to noting and recording key ideas that otherwise would escape. Secondly, I find I reference postings frequently in personal correspondence.