Blog Stats: Google/Blogger meets “Measure Map”
News: Measure Map acquired by Google.
This is big, for a Wordpress-based stats system to be this important to Google, especially now that my new QueryEcho product is ready for testing.
I had planned to write up a review of MeasureMap last month, I even had some screenshots ready, but I lost interest. Why? Several reasons. First, MeasureMap is slow. The traffic charts can take minutes to render. I don’t think it’s just the fancy Flash rendering that’s slowing it down, I think that their database backend is bloated. I thought everyone knew that Web 2.0 was about building specific applications for specific problems? Admittedly, MeasureMap has little competition.
Do we need another cumbersome, bloated stats system? Maybe, because where else can you get blog-specific stats, for free? Also, why would Google improve MeasureMap for WordPress, when WordPress is competition for Blogger? WordPress seems to be allied with Yahoo at this point. Maybe Google saw a bargain and this is more of a defensive measure to protect Blogger and Google Analytics. Was WordPress/MeasureMap a threat?
Another possibility: MeasureMap will be integrated into Blogger–I could definitely see that happening. Given the level of statistical detail and the simplicity of the interface, MeasureMap feels well suited for casual blogging (ie: Blogger.com bloggers). So why did Adaptive Path seek WordPress bloggers to test MeasureMap? Where they courting Google all along, using the generous, technically minded WordPress bloggers as guinea pigs? Seems like a good idea to me anyway. WordPress bloggers are probably the most technically adept bloggers out there, and there’s a supportive community behind it. To even use MeasureMap with WordPress a blogger needs to insert tracking codes into multiple PHP files…you just can’t expect a casual blogger to grasp the third-party stats concept, not to this extent anyway. Why did I try it? I’ve coded my own stats systems, so I found the blog-specialized third-party tracking concept interesting.
Also, MeasureMap is fundamentally flawed, at least in a WordPress context. For one thing, why would I use MeasureMap when there are native stats plugins for WordPress? A stats plugin will keep my stats private and safe and I get my stats faster locally. Also with a plugin, and even with my server log-based stats, I can better trust the numbers…I know that data isn’t missing or incorrect because of a javascript issue, or because MeasureMap was running slow that day or down for maintenance. On the other hand, no WordPress plugin or log analysis package comes close to providing a comprehensive blog-specific solution (yet) and even well seasoned third-party stats systems will have some downtime, or will miss some hits. Another drawback of plugin-based stats is the additional MySQL burden.
So why are third-party stats systems popular? First of all, not everyone can afford web hosting or has access to server logs. Another reason, and a more interesting one: third-party stats systems can offer more sophisticated analysis for less money. Why? Stats portal advertising and market research. Remember Hitbox?
That’s not my complete and final response however…I have my own really cool 3rd-party blogging stats software in the works.
Here’s the full text of the email sent out by Adaptive Path:
I want to share some important news with our earliest users of
Measure Map.Since its inception, my colleagues and I have seen tremendous
potential for Measure Map to influence how people blog, and how
they understand participation on the Web. We have always
expected it to be big, and as such, our desire was to give
Measure Map its start and then send it out into the world to
grow and evolve into a strong, meaningful application.Through the dedication of a fantastic team, along with your
tremendous support in the form of feedback, feature requests,
and overwhelmingly positive comments, have built a product that
is fundamentally different from every other analytics
application available today. We’re both grateful and proud.So I said there was news, and here it is: I’m writing you to
announce that Measure Map has been acquired by Google, effective
today. For the near term, you will see no difference in its
operations. In the not so distant future, you can expect great
things from this acquisition. We couldn’t be happier to find
such an ideal home for Measure Map, and are thrilled at the
possibilities.While this is a milestone for all of us at Adaptive Path, this
sale does not affect how we operate, nor will it alter the
structure of the Adaptive Path organization. Adaptive Path is
still here, stronger than ever, and it will be for a long time
to come. Above all, we remain committed to the principle that
superior user experience inspires innovation and creates
business advantage.Thank you again for your input, your time, and your support of
Measure Map. Should you have any questions or comments about any
of this, please do not hesitate to contact me.For more information, please see our post on the Google Blog:
[http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/02/here-comes-measure-map.html]
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Veen and the Measure Map and Adaptive Path teams
