Because I spent so much time in the fighting spyware and virus, my immediate reaction to PPP's use of Alexa was tremendously negative. And rightly so. Back in the late 80s and early 90s, Alexa promoted itself as a Internet Explorer addon in the form of a search engine toolbar. What people didn't know what that it was tracking and reporting their every movement about the Internet. Hence it earned the label "spyware". A few years ago, Alexa finally changed and openly let people know its true function, thus stepping outside the definition of spyware. Now you knowingly give up your privacy when you install Alexa onto your browser. Surprisingly many people have done so, enough that Amazon bought Alexa because of it's tracking potential. Imagine having a store in the mall and being able to track every visitor's stop and purchase in that mall - which store, what item, how much.
So then, the rating score simply relates to how many browsers have visited a given site with the Alexa toolbar installed. Nothing to do with representing all the Internet traffic. Fair enough. The Alexa website even carries the disclaim that they are NOT an accurate representation of Internet traffic. Good. With that understand, I can now accept that there is nothing fraudulent about Alexa itself. But what about it usage?
Since I've installed it in my browser, my score has improved (to 806,667 as of today). My surfing habits have NOT changed except to include visits to sites of several new friends. In fact, several of us have 'gone to the dark side' and added Alexa to our browsers. Because of this, there are now posts on PPP forums and blogs accusing us of fraudulent activity - by 'gaming' of the system. Yet, all we have done is make sure Alexa counts our sites now. The first time I pass through the Alexa turnstile for day, I get one count. No matter, how many times I return, it's remains one count. So I can't force the number higher by myself. Nothing fraudulent here.
The ball falls on PayPerPost then. Are they assuming that their advertisers fully understand the nature of Alexa score? Are they simply toting the fact that an advertiser has 'choices' in the way a salesman would go on about features he doesn't understand or want to explain? Or has PPP put an explanation to go with Alexa and other options available to advertisers? How can any advertiser fully utilize PayPerPost if they don't have a complete understand of what PPP offers? Time will tell, I guess.
3 comments:
Ron - I think you need to add 10 years to the "late 80's early 90's" -- the first browser didn't show up until the early 90's.
Good point! As I was writing this post, I was thinking about the spyware and virus that I fought starting in the late 80s. By the early 90s, I waged the battle on two fronts: browsers and comm programs. Alexa started its incursions in the mid 90s. Sorry about the confusion.
- Ron
Luke----I mean Jim---I am your Father!! Well, Mother I guess--I know I wasn't the first to have a "project" but I'm still very happy to be considered an "evil influence"!! I've lived a life of purity and am pretty naive--but to find I've corrupted so many---It's AWESOME!!!
Great Post!!
Robyn
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