Re: UKNM: standard ad industry measures / dp for kids

[Robb Masters]

On Thursday, September 7, 2000, Duncan Clubb <

duncan [dot] clubboffworld [dot] net

>

wrote:


>The problem with using IP addresses is that some providers (e.g Freeserve)

>force

>all their users through proxies, which magically change the IP address they

>present to the web server mid-session if you suddenly switch to secure

>transport

>(e.g. at the 'checkout') - can work both ways, I suppose: either you get

>twice

>the number of users reported, or your session/basket mechanism

>breaks down


And even those that don't do this will generally allocate you an IP address

for the duration of your dial-up session only. So while ten IP addresses

from one ISP in your log could be ten users, it could also be one user in

ten different dial-up sessions. And while ten occurrences of the same IP

address in your log could be one user, it could also be ten different users

dialling up at different times and therefore able to all be allocated the

same IP address. It could also be an ISP's cache that hundreds of users have

accessed the site through, but the cache has only asked for occasional

updates from the web server itself.


All in all the number of IP addresses measures the number of IP addresses.

Nothing more, nothing less. That doesn't mean it's not a useful metric, but

only if you take it for what it is.


>> Besides which, you'd be better off using cookies, as this is also

accepted

>> by ABC as a measure for UUs and make your adsales dept. happier.

>>

>> But that's not real data either.

>>

>

>Don't quite get this comment - session-tracking cookies are god's gift to

>techies who need to retain state


But again they don't equate to users - only user sessions. If I leave the

site and come back another day, my cookie may have expired (ever if you told

it not to) so I'll need a new one and you'll think I'm a new user. Plus

cookies are not always supported - legacy systems, niche browsers,

overzealous IT departments...


Regards,


Robb (

robb_mastersgyro [dot] co [dot] uk

)

==

Robb Masters, Head of New Media.

Gyro New Media, 1/9 Harbour Yard, Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 0XD.

T: +44 (0)20 7349 4541.  F: +44 (0)20 7351 3318.  M: +44 (0)7880 788 833.


All contracts are subject to GYRO's standard terms of business, which are

available on request.



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