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 😉
Thanks for fighting the blight on the Internet. No wonder there are scientists who insist that it can’t be fixed and they are ready to reinvent a new safe functional Internet.
We provide free movies online. We let people watch movies online for free and thanks for your free service.
thank you for saynig no! I was quiet shocked! It means that may companies may have accepted instead… horrible! I hope they will go bankrupt 😛 and that you can go on with your service without any problem. I’ll continue to use your service… thank you 🙂
WOW! Again and again http://www.StatCounter.com continues to surprise me with the products, services and CARE for your clients/customers.
Thanks for saying NO!!
Like the others posted here, I also recommend your product to anyone and everyone. Thanks again!!
Thank you for saying no, This is the kind of service that any company should invest in. As well it should set the example for other services…
This service I always recommend to all my customers for tracking their website activities…I am glad I can count on this type of service.
Thank you for saying NO to these spying cookies…
Thank! for saying ‘NO’
Excellent service, I like Statcounter
Thank! for saying ‘NO’
Excellent service, I like your Statcounter
Thank you! Your service is wonderful.
I spy on my neighbor all the time, I don’t see any harm with that… so what’s so bad about nosey advertisers wanting spy bots loaded on websites. It’s all-good… HA HA HA! Who am I kidding! Great job on turning them down… Too bad there isn’t a law against it.
… And no I don’t spy on my neighbor, got enough trouble keeping track of my own life, never mind the neighbors.
Way to go on your part, and thanks for your great service.
Thanks for saying “no!” We definitely do not need another way for spyware to get to us. Keep it up!
You guys rock – thanks for saying ‘no’ and for continuing to provide such a great service.
Congratulations !
Keep it that way !
We used to install great (free) counters from nedstat.com, until they sold the free version to a third party.
Suddenly, our whole system started to send up ads for other sites. They were triggered by the counters. Crazy, but true !
It took weeks to change all our counters to a different source.
The last we heard, the perpetrators had to suspend the whole operation, because the counter users were departing in droves.
We voted so to say with our feet and the crooks lost out in every way.
.
Your stance is admirable, more so when one considers the impressive array of statistics that you are able to amass.
Thankyou for not selling out.
this is what we call business ethic ! 🙂
I noticed that a few guys complained that the names of the involved parts have not been disclosed, thus arguing that the stscounter claim was a fake, sort of something done to attract attention.
However it should be rather obvious to all, clearly ti is not. So i’d like to stress that in these cases names must never be disclosed for a very simple reason: as long as no part can be identified (parts who would bear legal responsibility), there is no chance to be sued.
So it is just obvious that names were not stated.
On the other hand I exclude it can be a fake to attract attention or so – if it were a fake, it would import legal responsibility. I exclude one would ever fabricate such a thing if, having been in business for years as statcounter did, is aware of the legal implications.
Names can NOT be disclosed in public, simply – if a judge invetigates, the names can be said to the judge only.
At the same time, yes, statcounter wanted to make known its standard of conduct. Could statcounter have avoided this? Sure. At the same time, by disclosing the issue but not the names, it did nothing wrong. It’s just a way to say: we don’t do these things.
As said, it’s the secrecy what cannot be understood. If one wants to track users, state to subscribers that they can be tracked by subscribing. If the accept, their business.
There is noting illegitimate in tracking a commercial behaviour. Many sites do that, BUT OPENLY stating it. And give the option to opt in and out.
The first reason I would have disregraded this offer is exactly that I would never accept myself a deal with guys that ask for secrecy where no secrecy is needed.
The development of free-based system is a great platform for web developers like us and continunous support on you. We appreciate your decision of saying NO of infringing other people’s privacy.
Thank you so much!
Arr me be speakin prate! Whats this about ye “Cookies”? The dark side has cookies. Arr those swabs. I prefer some ye sweet cakes.
^_^” ..
Oops, I meant StatCounter. See http://sterlingstudiosinc.com/WebDesign.html for sites that I have designed and/or webmaster.
I install statcounter for almost every site that I webmaster and I am very pleased to see that you are continuing to provide one of the best, if not THE BEST, stat-tracking service, without violating the trust I have placed in you, both for my site and for the sites I webmaster.
I appreciate your service and especially appreciate decisions like this one.
Thanks You,
Jim V.