Confessions of a Stat Addict
Listen, we need to talk: I feel it’s time for me to come clean. We’ve known each other for a while now, and I can’t keep this a secret any longer. I’ve been… watching you. I’ve been observing where you came from, where you’ve been going. It’s… it’s a compulsion, and I just don’t think I can stop. I hope this doesn’t creep you out, because it’s making our relationship stronger. It helps me understand what interests you, and what I can do to keep our time together more rewarding. Fortunately, I’m talking about blog statistics tracking software, not creepy internet voyeurism.
Crashpod is currently employing 2 separate tracking packages: the $30 server-side tracker Mint, by Shaun Inman, and the free remote reporting tool Performancing Metrics, from Performancing.com.
Mint is an amazing little tool, from its small price tag, to its extensibility through the cleverly named “Pepper” plugins, Mint offers an impressive array of features that are aggregated in a local database, which helps users get the most out of their websites. Pros: polished code and feel, extendable feature set, bragging rights for using software developed by one of web 2.0’s rockstar programmers. Cons: stats are all simple numerical values, graph plugins require an SVG compatible browser.
Performancing Metrics on the other hand, is a completely free solution that stores its results in a remote database out of the control of individual users. Though the user’s data isn’t contained within the same database as their blog, this software offers its results in the form of easy to understand bar and line graphs. Pros: free as the wind, easily accessible graphic results. Cons: remote data storage, clunky interface.
If you have a blog or any type of website, it’s worthwhile to implement either of these solutions: start peeping through the windows of your userbase today!
For those intersted in application and interface design, I happened upon a fascinating article that details 
We all love finding bizarre and hilarious videos on the web, but it’s also great that every once in a while a video comes around that’s not only curious, but also tremendously brilliant. Enter “While My Ukulele Gently Weeps”. It’s simply a dude playing George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” on his diminutive instrument. Give the video a chance to play out though: once he gets going it’ll blow your mind.
