What You Were Reading in 2011

2011 was a huge year for the people of Benzinga, and we are delighted to see that you have been enjoying the words and information that we have been throwing out there. In the spirit of the holidays and the perennial media-pastime of list-creating, we have pulled together the stories that received the most hits. If you would like to be alerted to all of this information and more as it comes out in real-time, signup for a free trial of Benzinga Pro's premium news service.Back in August, we reported that the iPad 2 would be shipping within one day (typo accepted). Not only that, but that the iPad 3 may be on its way. We still do not have the iPad 3, that is expected in March/April time, but still, that small slice of news had you clicking in your droves, proving that Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) was a popular as ever, and remains so.Similarly, we put out a story in October about the reasons Apple was making us wait for the iPhone 5. Writer Louis Bedigian concluded that, “Apple might believe that it is better to risk alienating consumers with high expectations than it is to risk alienating the mainstream market, which still believes that the iPhone is the best and most groundbreaking product in its class.”Moving away from Apple, the story about Marc Faber from May, in which he spoke pessimistically (and pretty accurately) about the “destructive nature of the U.S. monetary and fiscal policy” tweaked your interest. Apparently, everyone loves a party-pooper.In May, we wrote that there were fraud rumors swirling around SINA. You guys love a scandal, even when it is unconfirmed.It does not always take a big story to get you clicking. In April, we blasted out a quick two-liner stating that Morgan Stanley believed U.S. home prices may fall 6 percent to 11 percent in 2011. That got your attention. When our writer Louis Bedigian wrote that he was leaving Windows to hook up with Mac, you all wondered why. Bedigian, for his part, has not looked back.In May, the news was saturated with stories about IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his “did he-didn't he” sexual misdeeds. When we wrote a story about DNA evidence linking Strauss-Kahn to a hotel maid, it seemed that you guys were ready to read all about it. Of course, he has subsequently been cleared and the story is all but forgotten now.More recently, a story proclaiming that a war with Iran is imminent from December had you concerned to say the least. Do not worry guys – we have been here before, haven't we?Finally, and perhaps surprisingly, a short November story about rice prices received manic traffic. Sometimes, you just cannot predict this stuff.