Clicktale – a stats counter or spyware – movies of individual browsing sessions
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Israel based ClickTale provides a new service that bridges an important gap in the land of online statistic services. The service is in private beta for now but should be releasing soon. Until then you can register for an invitation at ClickTale.com http://www.clicktale.com/
Unlike traditional web analytics that produce only pure statistics, ClickTale gives webmasters the ability to watch movies of users’ individual browsing sessions. Every mouse movement, every click and every keystroke are recorded for convenient playback. With ClickTale, webmasters can improve website usability, enhance navigation, and increase website effectiveness.
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Same thought here. I can see it being used as a method to determine how user friendly one’s site is but thoughts of “they’re watching you” comes to mind.
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What does this mean? The administrator of the computer can watch other users’ activities on that same computer? Or is this whenever we visit a site that has this enabled, then they can hack our computers by watching us when we afterwards go on completely different sites?
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“gives webmasters the ability to watch movies of users’ individual browsing sessions.”
WHY? Get a life people!
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Ah, come on, Podz. I like sitting here and watching how many times some geek in Midland, Texas reloads that picture of Kim Possible in that tight black dress I have on my site. :D
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It is an undisguised form of spyware folks. Will check the sites you visit when and for how long, and what you do on your computer. You can also give them access to your computer – without wanting to of course.
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No, I think it’s just using JavaScript to record mouse movements and keypresses and to time how long a user stays on a page. From what I’ve seen it doesn’t involve an application that needs to be downloaded and would only work on the site with the tracker, not on anything you do on your own computer.
I think there are some issues with it, but let’s not get all “Chicken Little” over it.
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I posted this and I did go to the link and check it out wrathchild. I respecfully submit that I don’t think I was over-reacting by labeling this little bit of work “spy ware”. IMO that’s exactly what it is.
You have said: “From what I’ve seen it doesn’t involve an application that needs to be downloaded and would only work on the site with the tracker, not on anything you do on your own computer.”
I respect your input so please tell me specifically what issues you find with it because I notice you have said:”I think there are some issues with it…” You see I feel very uncomfortable about visiting sites where erratic my newbie clicking is going to be used as a base of references presumtive of my preferences and presumably from a marketing perspective. Morover, I don’t see any specific requirement for labeling sites with spyware with warning banners so I know that I am being watched and have an opportunity to decline inspection.
In short IMO there is a strong element of voyeurism inherent in this type software being touted as an “advancement” that makes me feel negatively inclined towards it. However, if you can make a good case on strong grounds for me to change my mind then I’m certainly open to hearing it.
I am respectfully encouraging further dialogue with the wordpress user community, staff and admin on this new direction in “statistical tracking.”
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No, I think it’s just using JavaScript to record mouse movements and keypresses and to time how long a user stays on a page.
Um, I’d call that spyware myself. :)
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I did not suggest that it wasn’t voyeuristic, and I also think that it might not be the best idea because of the ease with which a user’s detailed activities can be captured and associated with a particular user.
What I was trying to address was some of the comments that implied that this technology was going to put a “bug” on your computer that would report back activity from all the sites you visit or all of the things on your computer. That’s simply not true. Only the activity on the site where this is installed will be captured.
So, it’s not “spyware” per se, but it certainly goes a bit over the top as far as net anonymity goes.
Certainly I’d be happy to use an Firefox extension that blocks the JavaScript this uses. I’d also tend to avoid sites that use it.
When trying to improve usability, it’s vitally important to be able to watch people actually using an application. That’s not quite so easy, and this product would allow site developers to see a very large sample of typical users actually using the application and can adjust it accordingly. That would certainly be a legitimate use.
Don’t forget, a lot of this information is already available in HTTP logs. Simple analysis tools (which have been around for years) can easily show the entire path a user takes through a site, showing each page they visited and how long they stayed there.
I don’t mind so much them knowing the coordinates of an image that I click on. I’m not so sure I’d want them recording my keypresses and seeing how poor a typist I am.
Conclusion: This product (and others like it that are surely to follow) MIGHT be recording too much information about what each user is doing on the site where it is installed. It depends greatly on the nature of the site (disney.com–who cares? virtualconfessional.com–probably a risk. A site for battered women–definitely). But a legitimate site is going to tell you what information they capture and how they protect it, just as they do now. An illegitimate site will have lots of information about you they can use for nefarious purposes, just as they do now.
But this thing is NOT going to be able to track your every activity on the web, and certainly NOT anything you do outside of your web browser.
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@ wrathchild
Please accept my thanks for the indepth explanation. Newbies like me need as much education as we can get. I also use a firefox browser and believe me when I say will be in line for an extension to block the javascript this thingee uses.Suppose I type very erratically because some of my fingers are crippled and suppose on top of that I have a neurological disorder that causes an erratic tremor. Suppose I have issues with vision as well as learning diabilities. Suppose working online creates a level playing field for me. A kind of “freedom” I do not experience in face to face interface with others. Then having my privacy invaded and being secretly spyed on (whether or not it’s just at their end)is not something I’d welcome.
You have said: When trying to improve usability, it’s vitally important to be able to watch people actually using an application. That’s not quite so easy, and this product would allow site developers to see a very large sample of typical users actually using the application and can adjust it accordingly. That would certainly be a legitimate use.
Granted and if I have above an average intelligence quotient in the “gifted” range, and lots of self confidence, and if I was asked by developers to to participate in a study I would probably say “yes”. I suppose it’s the “sneaky” aspect of this secret tracking that violates privacy without permission that makes me recoil.
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It may be vitally important to watch users (maybe), but don’t kid yourself that’s what this software is about. As TT says, you are usually asked – if the aims are legitimate then why not tell users what they are doing. I would be very concerned about any spyware and I regularly remove it from my computer by means of other software. Just prefer not to have something/one logging my keystrokes to my surfing, transactions and basically any other thing I do on the web on MY computer.
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britgirl this new innovation is not one that would be “on your computer”. In fact that is the point that wrathchild is making. It’s not on your computer it’s at the other end and therefore cannot be viewed in the traditional sense as “spy ware”. I still choose to view it as “spy ware” but I understand the distinction. So for clarity I wanted to explain this to you .. it’s not something like a cookie being placed on your computer. It’s a new voyeuristic innovation.
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TT I know it isn’t a cookie and that it isn’t on your computer.Moot pont since it’s end result is the same…if someone can track my actions without my permission (in my web browser) then in my opinion they are using a form of spyware. I can see applications for it of course. If it’s on a particular site every thing you do on that site can be recorded – unless of course you know to avoid that site. Marketers can use it to position messages and products effectively. I’m betting they are not going to inform visitors that “your actions will be monitored on this site…” If a site capture personal information they are required by law to inform the user so that the user, if they wish not to leave this information has a choice. Even Disney.
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