Folks,
A few months back, StatCounter was approached by an advertiser, offered lots of $$$, and asked to include a spyware cookie on all of our member sites…we refused on the spot.
You install StatCounter to track visitors to your site NOT to open yourself and your visitors up to being spied upon by phantom advertising corporations.
It appears, however, that other players in the world of webstats were happy to take up this offer…
We were shocked to discover just today that another well known stats provider is allowing up to 9 cookies to be installed in the browser of every visitor that hits one of their member websites. This means that the provider is making money by transmitting data on you and your visitors to a third party advertiser. Not only that, but to add insult to injury, the cookies are causing the member websites to load very slowly too.
In light of this, StatCounter wants to assure you that we track your visitors for you, only you and not any one else.
Which provider would you prefer??
By the way, welcome to our new blog 😉
Many thanks for shunning those crazy cookie bandits.This gives me more reasons not only to stick to you, guys but also to spread the word about your good service to others.
My advice to you is that you continue to stick to your principles because these guys will approach you with more $$$$$$$$$$$ now. Do not get tempted!I pray 4 u.
Thanks a lot.
You’re a good and honest people.
thinks
Thanks for saying no. I pray that you continue to keep your word.
We count on it.
Joeyanna
“Sorry to hear that. We’re going to send you an email to discuss this further. StatCounter sometimes gets flagged INCORRECTLY as spyware. Any time this happens, it’s great to hear about it. That means we can fix it!
I just ran Spybot and didn’t get any specificclick entries, but did get 5 tracking cookies from Statcounter. I searched the registry and found 2 entries from specificclick.
I’m most confused.
StatCounter Team Response:
Hi Mal.
We don’t believe that we should abuse our member websites by sneakily using them to place OTHER people’s cookies on THEIR visitors’ browsers.
When you log onto the StatCounter website, we display ads to fund the service. This can result in cookies being created. As happens on any site. In fact, as you browse the web, you pick up lots of cookies.
Our point is, that we do not force extra cookies on the people who visit YOUR site. THAT is what is happening with another provider.
If you have StatCounter:
Clear your cookies.
Visit your OWN site.
You won’t see any cookies other than a StatCounter one – this means that we are NOT foisting nasty cookies on your visitors.
If you have “the other provider”:
Clear your cookies.
Visit YOUR site.
Gasp at the amount of cookies created – this is what all your visitors are being subjected to!
Does that make sense?
If you need any further info, just shout!
StatCounter Team
(By the way, on our upgraded accounts, you have the option to disable the ads.)
Way to go StatCounter!! Slow loading sites and spyware SUCK!
Interesting. Am I the only one who didn’t receive an email about this? I only discovered this when I opened statcounter to check the visitor count. Kudos for saying no. The Digg site indentifies the counter that’s using this, plus the cookie. I won’t name and shame myself, that’s for statcounter to do.
Well done!
Great job, Statcounter!
I’ve enjoyed your services for so long and to know that Integrity is part of your company’s character is just superb!
Keep it up.
Many months ago while using “another” stat service, the Search function results on my website would be dominated by repetitive naming of that service. Anyone else have that happen? Anyway, I deleted that service and then that problem seemed to stop. Also, a third stat service jumbled the page layout, but not StatCounter. Am now using only SC and have been pleased with excellent tracking services. Thanks.
This type of business approach (adding spyware cookies) is the battle of bucks according to the industrial revolution model: produce, produce, produce_more, more, more!
I am really on right now about the book “Cradle to Cradle,” and am inviting EVERYONE to read it as it holds not another inundation of ideas, or fashion.
It proposes a new revolution for industry that (all of us) is based on a circular economics model, not the linear exploitive economics model.
The authors are William McDonough, and Mike Braungart. Their work is also worth looking up!
In the meantime, honoring privacy is NEVER out of fashion. Thank-you StatCounter for your ethics! Add sustaining reinforcements to yourselves, and the business practices you choose to abide by_ by reading the book, “Cradle to Cradle!!”
No, I am not advertising, but it does get hard to hear a person’s enthusiasm about something relevant and important doesn’t it?
Thanks Stat Counter!!! 🙂
Great Statcounter.!!!!
Thanks a lot.
To earlier comment about proof and name of the other counter involved – it has been given by a poster above. I knew it was sitemeter but did not post it until someone else did. They are sending specificclick cookies onto websites hosting the counter. Those sites are emptying of users and people are in a panic to get the counter off their sites.