Starting up my own career. <!nsight> e-consultancy begins!

Depsite my laziness in updating blogs, especially in Web Analytics part, me and my friend has finally design to form a group, which focuses in providing free & basic advisory / consultancy on e-marketing for those who don't know much about it.

If you are interested in our work, please visit our official blog #@60;!nsight#@62;.

From now on, all the web analytics -related posts will be posted only to the official sie. And here, will soon be converting as a personal blog. Stay tune, maybe someday there will have interesting events here in this blog again. =)

Dickson W.

A Youtube for All of Us - Oh, Really?

Nay, it’s Google’s. =P

Announcement of algorithmic demotion in Youtube has caused lots of voice in the community. Well, pretty negative though.

It happened on 2nd December 2008, an entry with a header “Youtube for All of Us” was written, showing a very positive intention that Youtube really wants to keep its community clean and healthy for everyone, however, maybe, in a wrong way. As quoted in the entry, “Demotion of sexually suggestive content and profanity - Videos that are considered sexually suggestive, or that contain profanity, will be algorithmically demoted ....” What?! Algorithmically?!... It may be relatively-easier to seek for sexually suggestive post automatically (well, maybe), yet I really don’t know how such in-human method can search for clues to proof for profanity… Yeah, I did once-upon-time hate people playing around with my nickname Dickson (I do believe in you that you are a good person, aren’t you?), but I think that I might need to start worrying if I use my “censored” name as an username on Youtube, or whatever post crediting my name will simply be demoted, algorithmically, by our lovely bots on Youtube, because of having something that Youtube doesn’t what to see. If so, then it’s really not that difficult to understand why so many Youtubers have posted numerous of videos with long *beep* sound and censored words. Really, I do understand their anger.

“Oh honey, be cool, Youtube isn’t really that bad, they are for Us, aren’t they?” True, especially when the Us means only Goolge. (And that’s why they can come up with those not-so-human-friendly complex automated demoting bots to handle such dirty task.)

A Chinese quote 成事在人, means “People is a matter of Successes”, well, correct, and so does failure.

The Web 2.0 generation is a internet generation that treats people in its highest priority. (as they DO matter). Although I am interested in how the algorithmic demotion functions (and implemented), I do also want to see the Blackout event on Youtube, hosted by Youtuber, started on 19th Dec (should be lasted for a few days, correctly me if I’m wrong). Participants will not enter Youtube for days (not even browse) and thus cases a shape drop on Youtube’s traffic-metter. You know, traffics mean LOTS of money on the net. Oh, that’s REALLY hurt.


Be understanding and concerning for your visitors, you may not need to create everything that they desire, but just be respectful, and you will still survive or even earn some pocket money for being yourself and having some uniqueness.


Cheers,
Dickson



P.S. You can now easily find those angry video on Youtube, or you may go to Youtube's blog for more details of the announcement.

Google Analytics vs WebTrend - Do you really know what your boss wants?

Not the functionality, not the efficiency, not the convenience, not the cost - this entry talks only about feeling.

Humans have feeling, so does your boss (I know some of you may not think so). Do you know what he really wants? It may be difficult to convince your traditional boss to use web analytics tool (when he had none), it may be more difficult to convince him to use a tool that really fits the company.

Personally, I favor in Google Analytics. Not counting the fact that it cost nothing (not really, as it takes time to learn, right?), it has Google, a giant that dominating the 0/1 information on the Earth, as its backup (no, this' not an ad.), and surely GA has the greatest potential in utilizing all those bits in its future expansion (I really don't get paid, really.), even though it may not be too convenient for in-house enhancement, like reporting, when comparing it with WebTrend. It seems good to have GA in a long run, well, maybe just too-good. Ever think of what's your boss attitude towards GA, and WebTrend?

It may be the responsibility of the proposal (and the ones who write it) to demonstrate about the profitability that brought to the company, yet it is the responsibility of us, the Web Analysts to convince those business people to use certain tool (which fits them). In the business point of view, no one-time and annual payment is surely an advantage, yet having all the information (here we have the sites' traffics and other metrics) storing on an external domain and may be (with very high chance) shared among other entities (individuals, companies, and Google) in the world, such decision will definitely turn into the least priority.

Why? Every business has secrets, and it should have. Sharing confidential information simply implies that your competitors can easily find a way to beat you down (that's why Coca Cola has kept its formula that long... ). WebTrend does provide a very convincing approach on this matter: every client of WT has to build a server for the storage of their traffics analytics information (correct me if I am wrong, since that's what I have heard in my company, a bank that seeking for usage of web analytics tool). While GA brings the fear to the management, WT shows its concerns, caring and professions to their customers, who care any more about that 7-digits-a-year one-time payment! (and don't forget the maintenance annual fee and the consultant fee...)

Web analyst is a bridge between IT and Business. We connect the business people to the IT world, lead them to the 0/1 digital sea, and explain to them how those floating bits can assist their decision making process. Fear causes you struggle and sink; only people with braveness and courage can enjoy the happiness of swimming. Comfort them, before convince them to do anything, anything silly.



Have only join the e-banking team for a few weeks, I shall learn more about these two lovely tool on the web. And I shall share more on this blog in the future, too.


Cheers,
Dickson W.



P.S. I like GA, but I don't know whether GA or WT will fit well for any company (in my case, it's a traditional bank). Every company has its own culture and management, analyze the situation well, and you should come up with the best idea. That's what a Web Analyst need to do, right?

The Experiement in Vault - Purpose of this blog and other blogs

Have been "playing around" with Google Analytics for 2 months already.

Originally, the blog was created with certain "value", aimed to attract traffics and thus provides sufficient data for the Google Analytics fun. The Good thing is, while I was creating those "valuables", yes, that's the theme and appearance, and I do really enjoy; the bad thing is, others DON'T seem to enjoy it as much as I do. Painting non-commercial goodies for self and wait until someone love and start talking about his "art", after his death.... what a life of an artist!

And that's what really happening on most of the other blogs, too.

Creating fancy-looking blogs will rarely attract a long-term traffic, especially when visitors are getting bored with your fanciness....



The above graphs show the visitor of this blog since it's founded (you may click to enlarge). Obviously, visitors get bored.... (properly due to my laziness .......) Anyhow, that's the fact: No value, no visitors.

Regarding the "value for visitors", many bloggers have already spent bottles of ink on it, so I better not to repeat. Yet among all, most of them do mention a successful blog (a noun) should blog (and a verb) about what your visitors want. Being an artist-like creature-on-Earth, I hold a totally different point of view. Instead of serving the majority, squeezing the minority that interests in your very-narrowly-targeted market segement should also rewardable. Those who have heard of the "long-tail" will understand.


So, my blog is suffering, what should I do now?

Well, maybe just blog more then.


Yeah, just blog whatever you want to, and you will find your audience some day. (or your audience find you!)



Cheers,
Dickson




P.S. I may have a chance in using Google Analytics for working in the coming future. And I shall write more on my experiences in using such handy tool for e-commerce system. (Oh, btw, I have just found my grad. work in a bank. =) )