Does this mean that finally, after fifteen years...

“Does this mean that finally, after fifteen years of mounting chaos in online metrics, a single standard will take hold? That something like the relative clarity of TV ratings will be achieved? Don’t bet on it. No trade group or task force can address the fundamental problem—if it is a problem—of counting online audiences: too much information.”

Traffic Jam : CJR

Excellent summary of how ‘effed online analytics is. It’s a parade of naked emperors riding in clown cars.

Th[e] article was adapted from “Chaos Online: How a Faulty Metrics Affect Digital Journalism,” a report written by Graves, John Kelly, and Marissa Gluck. It was commissioned by Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism and funding for the research was provided by Mary Graham, a member of the school’s Board of Visitors. The full report is available at www.journalism.columbia.edu/onlinedata.

(via 2105)

It’s funny. Working online for news websites, I just assumed that the metrics for web traffic would eventually be standardized—it would just work itself out, in true capitalist fashion. In the meantime, it’s almost encouraged that you exploit the difference in numbers, even if ultimately, the discrepancies must hurt online news sites’ relationships with advertisers. I never gave much thought that the nature of web data itself made standardization near impossible. Not only that, I didn’t give much thought to how the vagueries of web metrics were actually undermining the business of news production. In retrospect, this seems obvious. Finally, something useful has come out of a journalism school! There’s hope for us all.