Data Collection
From an article I wrote for MediaPost a few weeks ago:
AVG has released an updated version that corrects the LinkScanner bot issue (build 138, July 4), which we’ve all noticed slamming our servers and analytics data over the last several weeks:
AVG has obfuscated their user agent. One of the current agents for customers of their free and paid tool now cloaks itself as IE6:
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1)
In addition to the easily detectable user agents:
Here’s the deal. AVG LinkScanner doesn’t execute javascript nor take cookies. I had that confirmed by the Chief Research Officer at AVG, Roger Thompson.
So why is the AVG user agent showing up in that data collected from certain page tag configurations? The AVG LinkScanner currently requests gifs in noscript tags!
A best practice in web analytic’s page tag configuration is to use the noscript tag to serve the gif to non-javascript executing browsers. Here’s some commonly seen (obscured) code for doing that:
Mobile analytics for Internet-enabled wireless devices is a fairly hot topic for companies seeking to acquire customers, extend their brand, or expose content in “innovative” ways. Obviously, the iPhone and Blackberry are pushing development in this area forward, but there really aren’t a lot of players in this space.
A question any practitioner of Internet-based analytics will be asked by many different stakeholders is “why don’t the numbers match?” Counts of the identically named metrics from ad servers don’t match the web analytics tool, which don’t match the for-pay third party audience measurement tools, which don’t match the free audience measurement tools, which never match any of the homegrown internal measurement tools. And none of them ever match each other.
One of the many things on my mind in the online world these days is “deep packet inspection.”
First, let me digress, packet sniffing isn’t new to web analytics. From Accrue to Omniture (Visual Discover Sensor?) to AuriQ to Metronome Labs. Packet sniffers are used to “do web analytics.” It’s an uncommon method when compared to javascript page tags.
Hello good readers! Every month I write a column for MediaPost’s Metrics Insider. Here’s my most recent one:
The infoglut in web analytics is enormous. So much data. Companies report that 69% of all people who consume the data don’t understand it. How does a business go about making sense of it all? Formulating a comprehensive KPI (Key Performance Indicator) strategy is a big part of differentiating signal from noise and directing appropriate tool usage. We’ve all heard about KPI’s before. They are ratios or derivatives of metrics that pinpoint critical, business relevant web performance. My good friend, Eric, even wrote a book (
At some point in the career of a web analyst, you will be asked to investigate, assess, and possibly judge the current state of how a company “does” web analytics. What are some of the areas you should ask about? Here are some thoughts and a few questions to ask to help inform your analysis (and grease your mental gears):
Here is an interesting example of celebrating African art and
ingenuity which coincidentally happened in Amsterdam only a week ago.
Africa, Surprising Africa
Cross media storytelling, vibrant, social and creative development
from cities across Africa
http://www.picnicnetwork.org/page/22316/en
Unique strength of Africa and its people.
In most cases Africa may lack the physical resources to meet various needs in the society but definitely not the brain power on how to go about solving the problems. So the aid that is often offered to African or developing countries will be far more beneficial if the recipients are part of the decision making process, not only that, but actually driving the projects themselves because they understand the context better.
As today is Gandhi’s birthday, I thought I would share this quote, which I think applies to the discussion.
“I am wedded to India because I owe my all to her. I believe absolutely that she has a mission for the world. She is not to copy Europe blindly.” - Gandhi
I think a similar thing could be said of each part of Africa, etc… - there is a mission to fulfill for the world.
A very powerful contribution Ueli! This is indeed the attitude we should take, honest, frank, open to criticism, and use it in own circles to lobby for a change in attitude among those that have a bit more (money or political or otherwise) power!?