posted
I've operated my website for about a year and a half now, and for most of that period I've used TheCounter.com as my hit counter.
However, I recently (re)discovered that my hosting service provides their own statistics for my site.
The problem is, when I tried to compare the two, the stats are WAY off. As in, TheCounter is apparently counting only one third of my visitors (or sometimes less).
I placed TheCounter's counter on every page of my site, so it tracks visitors for their entire visit. That's not the problem. The thing is that on a monthly basis, the host's counter has tracked ten to twenty THOUSAND more "visitors" than TheCounter's counter.
Now, I'm more inclined to believe my hosting company's stats, since they're the ones keeping track of their own servers. But could the third party counter be THAT far off?
I'm hoping some more versed in the code and operation of counters might be able to clarify the matter.
Thanks.
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
posted
I know what you mean. I have FastCounter on my index page, yesterday I had 319 hits (not impressive perhaps..) however the NedStat counter on my menu page only racked 33 hits for some reason.
-------------------- I'm slightly annoyed at Hobbes' rather rude decision to be much more attractive than me though. That's just rude. - PsyLiam, Oct 27, 2005.
Registered: May 1999
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posted
Perhaps the counters are only counting hits that stay for a certain period of time, to give you an indication of whether someone read your page. Talking through my hat could be wrong. Paul
-------------------- "and none of your usual boobery." M. Burns
Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
I don't think that's possible. There's no-way for it to know the length of time you looked at the page. You request something, yuo receive it, and that's it.
Hmm. Do both couters go up when you click "refresh"?
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
posted
There are three levels of access recorded by the server stats. The first is the number of accesses, which is simply the number of files and images downloaded. The second is the number of "visits" which is apparently supposed to represent the number of individual visits to the site. And the third tracks unique IP addresses on a per-month basis.
TheCounter also tracks "unique visits" -- that's the figure that I've been using to record the number of visitors.
I guess the question is, what is the definition of a "unique visit"?
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Charles Capps
We appreciate your concern. It is noted and stupid.
Member # 9
posted
A unique visit is a person hitting the page. A refresh or hitting the back button, etc, wouldn't count as a unique visit.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
What about the "hard-refresh" or whatever it's called, where you hold down Control when you click refresh?
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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capped
I WAS IN THE FUTURE, IT WAS TOO LATE TO RSVP
Member # 709
posted
wow, thats pretty hardcore
-------------------- "Are you worried that your thoughts are not quite.. clear?"
Registered: Sep 2001
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