why the stats page is useless
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Everyone is complaining about the look and feel of the stats page. However, everyone also seems to be ignoring the proverbial 800 lb gorilla in the room.
The truth is, the stats page, new or old, is so functionally limited as to be practically useless.
You cannot get IPs or identify visitors by city.
You cannot tell which pages or post a given user has visited.
You cannot tell how time they spent reading your blog before bailing out.
You cannot tell if they clicked on any of WPs commercials.
Etc…etc… etc.If WP was so interested in protecting the privacy of users (remember that you can still see the IPs on email followers), then they could generate pseudo-IP addresses, that is to say, alphanumeric identifiers that would allow a content creator to have some clue as to the above.
Yes dynamic IP addressing muddies up the waters, but there are many plug-ins that do this on the .org side. For example, this one. This is a solved problem.
However, judging by the manner in which Automattic has chosen to dumb down its already pre-dumbed down “classic” WP.com stats page, it is obvious that a strategic decision has been made: quasi free WP (.com, even with upgrades) is not meant for serious content developers.
For that, you have to go self hosted WP, or find a CMS that provides better stats, not to mention better support for HTML5 and CSS3, as well as the ability to edit / manage your subscription lists (it is after all your content).
Complaining will get you nowhere fast. The most recent round of funding has instilled a palpable sense of hubris in this company, and it has allowed Automattic to essentially ignore the core WP.com legacy user base, as this service morphs into a sort of mobile centric playground a la Instagram and Tumblr (as many others have pointed out).
WP was never designed for serious content creators interested in more finely tuned analytics than the kindergaten level experience now being provided by WP.com’s new and improved stats.
But if you don’t care to pay for bandwidth for all those giant pics you like to show the world, then this is the price you will have to pay.
So, stick around, continue to post all your stuff, and wait for the day when Automattic’s mother lode ship comes in, and the company is acquired at a billion+ dollar valuation by Yahoo or MS or one of the Big 4 internet companies, this off the content that you and others so generously provide for nothing — and you find yourself complaining to a tone deaf customer service person about how lousy you think the new stats page is.
And, for your own sake, please don’t even try to imagine how mega galactically naive we must all seem to all those vested in Automattic’s stock option plan.
Cheers!
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The main thread for such feedback is here https://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/stats-classics-how-to-set/page/2?replies=60
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