Statbot

Statbot -- With the alpha release of version 4.1.0, Statbot has once again redefined statistical nirvana for webmasters and is by far the best value for your money today. Statbot offers the most features of the web statistic services available and is also the most customizable. A tradeoff for these two benefits is that it can also be one of the more difficult services to get up and running. While Internet Audit Bureau and Web-Counter can be initialized merely by filling out a web form, Statbot requires you to run a separate program on your web site's machine. Although this is a slightly more detailed process than that of other services, for most users this will not be a serious problem and will even be a benefit in the long run. By running Statbot at your own site, you bypass the typical delays experienced with either of the above two services. In addition, Statbot offers a collection of features currently missing in the competition, including a database of records, individual user reports, resettable stats, multiple page counts, and powerful new graphical charts (soon to be offered in 3D) for getting the most out of your web stats. The impressive graphics library currently consists of eight different graphs illustrating different web statistic trends and patterns of usage for your website. Next to the graphical charts, two of Statbot's best features are that you can easily track any number of pages at your site and that you can get comprehensive statistics for the entire site as well as for each individual page. Statbot gives you a configurable list of options for customizing your stat reports and can also be configured to run automatically on UNIX machines at any interval of time -- by the minute, hour, day, week, or similar. Statbot currently offers versions for a wide range of platforms, including Sun/Solaris, SUN OS, DOS, IRIX, HP/UX, Linux, FreeBSD, BSDI, DEC Alpha/OSF, DEC Ultrix, and more. In order to use Statbot, you'll need access to your server's access logs and access to the cron command for UNIX platforms (for running Statbot automatically). If you can meet the requirements (persuade, bribe, or beg your system administrator into helping you if necessary), by all means do so. And if you still have trouble setting Statbot up, give David Tubbs (the author) a note or let me know, and we'll make sure that you get up and running with Statbot. This is one web stats program that you won't want to be without. For a sample Statbot report, check out The Statbot Sample Stats Page. Pros: Excellent stats program, graphical charts, individual user reports, internal database, more Cons: Can be slightly difficult to set up, monitoring multiple sites could be more efficient New: Graphical Charts, unique visitors tracked, breakdown by domain, total output reports Version Reviewed: Alpha 4.1.0 Date of Review: 4/4/96 Reviewer: Forrest Stroud