Michael K
Joined: Jun 16, 2001
# Posts: 12
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Posted: 2001-Sep-03 18:15
I'm having a dickens of a time trying to find alternatives to Webtrends for visitation tracking. We use Webtrends Pro, but find it inflexible, inconsistent, and difficult to digest.My question is two part:
1) what other software or services should I be looking at (understanding that there will be a greater cost or monthly fee)? 2) where can I get a knowledgeable evaluation or critique of these alternative solutions and services? I thanks for any direction you can give me.
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urlborg
Joined: Sep 02, 2001
# Posts: 9
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Posted: 2001-Sep-03 08:58
IMHO Weblog is as good as any of them and far less wasteful of server space. It is also free and you can easily hack/customize it to get exactly what you want. I contributed a hack to it (not sure if Daryl has added it to the release yet) that saves the visitor tracking (Access Details Report) in a separate report to reduce bandwidth and renames the last months Full Access Details Report to allow archiving.They all require maintenance. I also have a free Perl log search/reader that lets you just do a ~tail(within last x lines) on your access or error logs to pick out specific data.
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Vactoria
Joined: Jan 16, 2001
# Posts: 136
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Posted: 2001-Sep-03 12:27
I use Extreme Tracking, it's free. http://www.extreme-dm.com/tracking/?reg
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Lazerzubb
Joined: Jul 12, 2001
# Posts: 1977
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Posted: 2001-Sep-03 13:27
THIS RULES!!!
You might want to take a look at Instadia at www.instadia.net .
I have started to use it and it's great.
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Michael K
Joined: Jun 16, 2001
# Posts: 12
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Posted: 2001-Sep-03 14:16
Thanks very much for responses received -- much appreciated.A clarification: I need a professional tracking software or service, like Hitbox, or along those lines. Extreme Tracking or other free ones, which we've tried, were less than we need. This is for clients of ours, so we need something more than a personal page would require. Of course, it's possible these free services have truly evolved. But I was looking for more professional tracking services like HitBox or even Webtrends Live, and hopefully with recommendations.
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Lazerzubb
Joined: Jul 12, 2001
# Posts: 1977
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Posted: 2001-Sep-03 14:23
Could you Specify what you want.
The one i suggest is great because you have a program that will install the script in a catalog on every .asp page for example this saved me a lot of time.
And it really gives me the statistic i want.
So please enter what you are looking for.
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unreviewed
Joined: Dec 07, 2000
# Posts: 6776
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Posted: 2001-Sep-03 14:27
Lazerzubb, the one you suggested is new to me, looks interesting, will check it out. Thanks.
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Michael K
Joined: Jun 16, 2001
# Posts: 12
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Posted: 2001-Sep-03 15:15
Lazerzubb,I went to the site, but unless I'm missing something, it doesn't show the kind of reporting Instadia provides. I understand one customizes the reports, but the veru general top level language makes it difficult for me to understand what is possible. I would be curious to see at least a default set of reports. Also, I don't understand how it works. Is it reading server logs or is it sending live information to a server. I'm not trying to be dense here, but whoever wrote the copy for this site seems to revel in vagueness. Unless I'm just not bright enough to understand it, which is possible.
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Lazerzubb
Joined: Jul 12, 2001
# Posts: 1977
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Posted: 2001-Sep-03 15:21
I had troubles to understand it the first time to.
But sign up and download the program when you have loggen in and the test it with a few pages and see how it lookes.
I know it is cainda hard to understand but trust me this is the best! (FREE)
And don't hasitate to ask questions about it in hear i will try to answer them all.
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Reno
Joined: May 31, 2001
# Posts: 100
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Posted: 2001-Sep-03 16:27
We have been using Hitmatic for the last few years:
http://www.hitmatic.com They have an excellent free version, and also a more powerful professional version.
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urlborg
Joined: Sep 02, 2001
# Posts: 9
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Posted: 2001-Sep-03 17:04
While the price for Extreme and Instadia is right, they rely on easily disabled or spoofed javascript in order to collect 'data' that is fundamentally unreliable. With the widespread use of software like the Proxomitron, it's unlikely you'll get more than a vague general impression of what your (dumber) visitors are doing. Statistical analysis that relies on scripting is far more inaccurate than server log analysis. Even server logs (referers and agents) can be spoofed, even moreso now by W2KP and XP which can also spoof IP addresses.
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Michael K
Joined: Jun 16, 2001
# Posts: 12
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Posted: 2001-Sep-04 06:01
Urlborg,You're a bit over my head... When you say spoofing, do you mean to suggest intentional acts or just mis-interpreted actions? I'm unclear on this. You've introduced a topic I'm unfamiliar with. Has anyone had any familiarity with HitBox or Webtrends Live -- I believe these are both scripting solutions.
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Lazerzubb
Joined: Jul 12, 2001
# Posts: 1977
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Posted: 2001-Sep-04 06:08
i Can tell you that if you don't have Javascript supported in your browser you have noticed it before you enter any of the sites that the members of this forum own.
EVERYBODY has Javascript installed.
You cannot surf the web without it.
But this is my opinion.
But you cannot make your site so it fits for everyone perfectly.
That's the same with Cookies more people have cookies turned off than people have javascript!
So don't worry about Javascript.
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Vactoria
Joined: Jan 16, 2001
# Posts: 136
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Posted: 2001-Sep-03 19:04
Here is another one, one of my clients has it through his webhosting, I have access to it but don't use it much, Extreme works just fine for me.
http://www.urchin.com/
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Michael K
Joined: Jun 16, 2001
# Posts: 12
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Posted: 2001-Sep-03 20:19
Lazerzubb,I think Urlborg was not referring to Javascript per se, but use of Javascript-based visitation tracking schemes. Of course, I'm guessing because I am a bit unclear as to his concerns. But as you say everyone has Javascript on their browsers.
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unreviewed
Joined: Dec 07, 2000
# Posts: 6776
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Posted: 2001-Sep-04 00:51
A good stat program is important, but is there an online AA type thing for stat junkies. I know at one time I was spending so much time looking at my stats, I wasn't getting a lot of anything else done. Been easing myself off them, one day at a time.  [This message has been edited by unreviewed (edited 09-03-2001).]
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JonOSteen
Joined: Eons Ago
# Posts:
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Posted: 2001-Sep-04 02:58
I'm a little surprised nobody has mentioned LiveStats by MediaHouse. The new version (due out anytime) looks great. You can test out a live demo at their site.
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zoobie
Joined: Aug 21, 2001
# Posts: 254
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Posted: 2001-Sep-04 05:15
I heard http://ytrack.com was good...dunno
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