Re: open source Web log tool

From: Jim Sterne <jsterne_at_targeting.com>
Date: Mon 03 Dec 2001 11:30:43 -0500

At 07:59 AM 12/3/01, Kevin Frazier wrote:
>If you could have a report
>generated from your logs, what would you want? What
>data is key to your marketing efforts? I have heard
>Jim Sterne speak about e-metrics that centers around
>this subject, and NetGenesis (www.netgen.com) has a
>great white paper detailing their findings.

Thanks for the plug, Kevin. I am in the process of
expanding that white paper into a book on the subject
so I'm *very* interested in the responses to your
question.

>I hope
>participants in this list will also share some
>perspective and insight. I'm looking to compile a
>Top 10/20 list of features for an open source site
>analysis tool. If we all participate, we will all
>benefit, as I am going to forward the suggestions on
>this list to the programmer who is working on an open
>source website/log analysis program. He is going to
>post his finished product as a free download. Sure
>beats the current choices.

You'll find three or four open source tools already
available at:
http://dmoz.org/Computers/Software/Internet/Site_Management/Log_Analysis/

I think it's a great idea, but I must offer a word
of caution. This sort of project will only be useful
to the stratum of those who a) run their own servers,
and b) have simple sites.

Most of us on the small end have our sites hosted by
services that give us whatever bread crumbs of log
analysis fall from the table. We don't have the ability
to run code on their systems, so we're out of the picture.

Simple sites can benefit from tools that read server logs.
But sites that serve dynamic content, sites that have
interactive configurators, or even sites with shopping carts
are processing data beyond the scope of the log file.

Larger companies turn to heavy-duty Web analytics firms
more for their skills in data integration than their
whiz-bang tools. The tools are important, to be sure, but
knowing what data to bring together and how to meaningfully
deliver understandable and actionable results is the tough
part.

</soapbox>

---------------------------------------------------------
Jim Sterne Target Marketing of Santa Barbara
jsterne@targeting.com http://www.targeting.com
Author, Speaker, Consultant +1 805-965-3184
Web Marketing, Customer Service & E-Metrics Consulting
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From: "Ajay Segal" <ajaysegal_at_avantmarketer.net>
To: <cliff_at_tenagra.com>
Subject: Re: Topic for the Week: IM Advertising
Date: Tue 04 Dec 2001 08:14:44 -0500

In connection with your post ("Topic for the Week:
IM Advertising"), I thought I would point you to
an exclusive interview that we did this past week
with Steve Klein, COO of the Instant Message-based
Advertising firm, ActiveBuddy. You might find this
detailed interview a useful way to get some insight
into how IM will come to be used for Advertising
purposes over the coming months. The Steve Klein
interview may be accessed by going to:
http://www.avantmarketer.com/steveklein.htm.
 
Please feel free to contact me with any questions on
the subject of IM Advertising you might have, as two
of us here have done an extensive amount of research
on this subject over the past few weeks as background
for the above, and for other purposes.
 
Best Wishes,
Ajay Segal
(Editor, avant|marketer)
 



Received on Mon Dec 03 2001 - 10:30:43 CST