We like getting traffic, and we get a lot of it. You know, the Editor & Publisher, or Neilsen net ratings, which is the one we pay most attention to, typically puts us in the top 10 among newspaper Web sites nationally. So we love it when people see our content. That’s great.

Our fundamental model is not driven by traffic. It’s trying to be as essential to the conversation of Washington insiders, people who live and breathe this, whose careers depend upon it.

That’s a rather small audience. Our core audience is kind of at the center of the circle. That’s the one we care about.

And that’s not chasing traffic. That’s not chasing a huge number. But for the readers who matter most to us, is does our content matter to them? Is it indispensable?

If we can answer that with a yes, then we’re succeeding. If not, or somebody else beats us to it, then we’re not.