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Why Good Data Can Be Hard to Find Online

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the still-don't-trust-alexa dept.

WSJdpatton writes to mention that Carl Bialik has an interesting look at why good data can be hard to find, much less understand, online. He cites a couple of examples, both Google's first-quarter performance numbers and Alexa's revamp of their number-tracking process. "Now Alexa is incorporating other sources of data -- though it says the prior ranking 'wasn't wrong before, but it was different.' Some sites saw big changes in their rankings following Alexa's move: The tech blog TechCrunch said it fell far from its prior position in Drudge Report territory (rarefied air in Web-traffic terms). On Friday afternoon, Drudge Report ranked 545th, compared with TechCrunch's ranking of 1,784th, according to Alexa's new math."

6 of 39 comments (clear)

  1. 70% of good data...? by JadeAuto · · Score: 5, Funny

    I read online somewhere that 70% of statistics online are made up. This article seems to prove the point. 4 out of 5 slashdotters agree! ;)

    1. Re:70% of good data...? by evanbd · · Score: 4, Funny

      Four out of Five slashdotters? You must be mad. The only things slashdotters can agree on are that they want to marry CmdrTaco and what concert to see on the honeymoon.

  2. No, really. by v(*_*)vvvv · · Score: 4, Funny

    The company tracks the Internet habits of users of its browser toolbar ... These rankings have long been criticized ... because Alexa users may not behave like the Internet as a whole. Ya, who in the world uses the Alexa toolbar!?
  3. Good Data can't be found online by (TK2)Dessimat0r · · Score: 2, Funny

    Only Bad Lore can.

  4. Slashdot is dying. by e9th · · Score: 2, Funny

    Alexa confirms it.

  5. A Good Date by GalacticLordXenu · · Score: 3, Funny

    I initially read this as being, "Why a Good Date Can be Hard to Find Online". Hell, I could have told you that! But alas...