Funniest comparison to web analytics I've read recently
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Originally written by Eric Peterson on August 4, 2006
I’m not sure why it took so long to show up in my Google News RSS feed but I just read Dmitry Buterin’s post “Web analytics are worthless – for many organizations” in which he jokes that “the web analytics industry is very much like the mob – always talking about traffic, users and hits.”
I’m still laughing.
This reminded me of the Sterne-ism about how “hits” is an acronym for “How Idiots Track Success” which is strangely enough in a Web 2.0 world becoming less true every day.
Either way, the comparison of web data analysts to shadowy underworld figures with nefarious goals is strangely appropriate. I can hear the conversation: “You need some help changing your pages? I got some data that just fell off a truck that does not refute your hypothesis …”
Eric T. Peterson is author of Web Analytics Demystified, Web Site Measurement Hacks and The Big Book of Key Performance Indicators and a long-time member of the web analytics community. He frequently presents on web analytics and is often cited in articles about digital measurement. In the past Mr. Peterson has worked with well-known brands like Microsoft, HP, Cisco, Best Buy, Disney, LEGO, CBS and CBS News, and ESPN. More recently, Mr. Peterson has founded The Analysis Exchange, a completely new way to gain experience with digital measurement.
As an employee of Analytics Demystified Eric is a member of the Digital Analytics Association (DAA), an Adobe Business Partner, and a Google Analytics Certified Partner.
