Google Launches Web Traffic Analysis Service 247
segphault writes to pass along that Ars Technica has an interesting article about the recently released Google Analytics. Analytics is Google's new traffic analysis service that helps you to know everything from "how your visitors found you [to] how they interact with your site." Analytics is also built to integrate with AdWords if you are already utilizing that service.
Big Brother-esque (again) (Score:5, Interesting)
I know google has always been concerned about "legitimate" use of their data, but this is somehow frightening...
Oddest Terms of Service (Score:5, Interesting)
From the Terms of Service: The Google Services are made available for your personal, non-commercial use only.. Doesn't this reduce slightly the usefulness, or at least the potential audience, of the service?
I am sure that's a mistake, but that prevents me from using the service for anything useful right now. Or even from testing it.
c'mon (Score:3, Interesting)
Use this to improve search (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:warning to Slashdot (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Big Brother-esque (again) (Score:5, Interesting)
Executing someone else's JavaScript on your website means begging for trouble. JavaScript can install handlers to watch everything the visitor is doing, can read, create and modify cookies, can nose through that window's or tab's visited page history. Let's not talk about truly evil stuff such as inspecting content on the pages, overlaying links and buttons or injecting content.
I'm sorry, no matter how much of a white in shining armor Google is, not sane webmaster should willfully inject foreign JavaScript on his website.
PS: and before anybody replies that you can download the urchin script and see what it does, let me ask if you're willing to monitor it constantly.
Schnikeys we slashdotted google (Score:2, Interesting)
Currently Undergoing Maintenance
Google Analytics reporting is currently undergoing maintenance and will be available shortly. Your site traffic is being logged and you will be able to see the data after system maintenance has concluded.
Re:Site down already? (Score:1, Interesting)
Guess I missed the email...
Re:Schnikeys we slashdotted google (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Big Brother-esque (again) (Score:5, Interesting)
Big brother and all, this is still the best way for a lot of people to manage their web traffic logging. Before selecting a company to work with, read their privacy policy.
Re:Big Brother-esque (again) (Score:1, Interesting)
You sure about that? I thought that javascript from another host isn't trusted and because of such won't be able to modify objects on the including page. Things like cookie modification is only allowed within the domain so unless google can spoof domains they'll only modify google.com cookies.
Your concerns are valid but it's not possible to do something truly malicious.
Re:Death knell for Web Side Story (Score:4, Interesting)
ostiguy
Re:Big Brother-esque (again) (Score:5, Interesting)
But believe you me, I'm going to sign up the MOMENT the site isn't slashdotted.
No access to base domain (Score:3, Interesting)
Huh... and I'm mildly curious as to whether anyone else can register the URL of users.adelphia.net.
Re:Have anyone read EULA for this tool? (Score:3, Interesting)
The second string (q,p,q,query), is probably the variable in the referrer url that contains the search string that was used to send users to this page.
Nothing evil, just some javascript magic so you can figure out how users are finding your webpage, which I imagine is quite useful information to a webmaster.
Re:for the slashdotted crew (Score:2, Interesting)
Another Language Mandatory Nowadays? (Score:2, Interesting)