Internet Audit Bureau -- The Internet Audit Bureau (IAB) is a free web service that helps you obtain web stats effortlessly. By simply filling out a web form and implementing a snippet of code into your HTML page, you are able to access and track hits to the page with a listing of hits per day, per week, and per month. The entire process of recording web stats is handled on IAB's side, which is both a positive and a negative. You won't have to worry about the installation and maintenance problems that inevitably result with a web stats program on your server, but you will often be subject to delays as a result of the amount of traffic at IAB. In addition, unlike Web-Counter's graphical counter which allows you to check stats at your site, with IAB you can only check out your web stats by accessing your individual account located at their site. While IAB does currently lack graphical representations for your web hits, there is a shareware helper application, iView, that offers detailed graphical charts for IAB accounts. IAB accounts are often not updated nearly as often as you may need (accounts are updated infrequently and unpredictably -- a week can go by without a single update). In addition, it can take nearly a week to get an account up and running with IAB. Some additional disadvantages of IAB include the inability to track individual pages together (separate accounts must be set up for each page), the inability to track overall site statistics, and customizable reports. It should be noted that IAB has recently added a section listing the average statistics per day, week, and month; a feature new and previous users alike will surely appreciate. Although The Internet Audit Bureau lacks some of the features found in Statbot and Web-Counter, overall it is one of the easiest web stat services to use and also offers enough features to keep many users happy. Combined with iView, IAB is an attractive option for many users, especially those who desire to bypass the hassles involved in setting up and maintaining a local web statistics client. For a sample IAB report, check out The CWSApps List IAB Page. Pros: Effortless web stats on command, extremely easy to install and maintain Cons: Lacks Web-Counter's graphical counter, stat updates are infrequent and unpredictable New: This is the initial review for Internet Audit Bureau Version Reviewed: N/A Date of Review: 10/22/95 Reviewer: Forrest Stroud apps conference Main Menu