first post  

I have been thinking a lot lately about Web Analytics. Not only because it is my job but because it is so fascinating. The internet is exploding exponentially every day and humans are finding more and more ways to absorb information on the web. Someone is going to have to record this part of history and translate it for the masses. People who are involved with web analytics will have a front row seat to watch this story unfold. The ever changing landscape of human behavior and business needs on the web make this a challenging and rewarding task.

It used to be that you would always begin with a search engine. My favorite of long ago was AltaVista. There were many irrelevant results and a lot of noise. Later came Google with its simplicity and logic to understand complex queries as complicated as a long and punctuated question. The web was a place to hunt for information, a place to harvest. I believe that the web has now become and will continue to be exactly the opposite: a farm; a garden of information, resources and tools planted and nurtured by communities of users who not only take but give as well.

A normal 'surf session' for me begins at one of the most popular social networking sites Twitter where I can see what people who I find interesting, are doing, what they kind of information they are harvesting, or what they are thinking about. Basically, micro insights into their experiences 140 characters at a time. Then it’s off to an RSS aggregator. I use Google Reader (I just like the way Google smells). RSS feeds are a step up from the Twitter micro posts. They give you a great way to have the goods delivered to your browser where you can quickly skim the cream and dump the irrelevant or save it for later. Both of these networks are created by me and consist only of content that I have requested from the web population. I am in control of what I get and use it at my convenience. There is no way I could possibly keep tabs on 48 blogs and other feeds one at a time. Avinash Kaushik (a recently discovered mentor of mine) said: “If you don’t have a blog you are committing a crime against humanity.” Avinash is known for his candid humor but that statement keeps running across my mind. I have been given so much with my access to and knowledge of the web. I feel obligated to give back. At this point I may have nothing more to offer but regurgitation and some lessons learned. I appreciate all of those who have put your inhibitions aside and shared about your experiences and knowledge and created discussions for the rest of us.

Now I intend to do the same.