lundsfryd - 3:57 pm on Dec 3, 2003 (gmt 0)

Nice post. A few comments.

> it requires ingenuity to track pictures, sound files,
> pdf files, or any other types of ownloads

Yes, however, most javascript based systems are (to a large extend) able to do this

> Java[script] tags do not record spiders, such as googlebot

This could be considered a weakness, but I personally consider it a strength. All the "noise" from robots, harvesters etc. is filtered resulting in increased accuracy.

However, this does suggest that a combination of client side and server side tracking is preferrable.

> people do not see your site using java enabled browsers...
> they will not be tracked.

Actually, even under these circumstances, the 3rd party tool would theoretically be able to track the same data as a log analyser (if implemented correctly).

> most popular may also be the least accurate

This would indicate a bad pricing policy more than anything

> that sits on your own server, thus eliminating
> any problems with third party cookies

Some 3rd party systems are able to use 1st party cookies. I think this will be more and more common among the web analytics providers.