Sunday 25 October 2009

Syllable Counting



I like to try different things. I like diversity. So I decided to give Syllable desktop a spin. Syllable being an open source operating system, that is not based on the Linux kernel. Syllable has its own WebKit based browser ABrowse.

I downloaded the 0.64 live CD from the Syllable site and was suitably impressed with its performance - it was certainly easier to use than some Linux live CDs, did not need the network setting up, and ran smoothly without constant pauses while information is gleaned from the CD (Syllable can be installed too).

So how did the counters cope with a rare OS, with its own WebKit browser? Using the Live CD I obtained the following counter results, Operating System / Browser:

ShinyStats: Unknown / Mozilla

BraveNet: Windows / Mozilla

OneStat: Mac OS / Netscape 5

SiteMetre: Mac Unknown / Netscape 5 (Abrowse 0.6 / Syllable listed in the "Whose On" section after main ID being given as Netscape 5)

GoStats: Unknown / Netscape 5

24Log: Other / Mozilla Compatable

ExtremeTracking: Other / Safari

Motigo: Unknown / Mozilla

Syllable produces a remarkable range of counter responses! Hopefully, Syllable will become more common, and will become better identified.

Sunday 18 October 2009

Is ExtremeTracking Highlighting The Internet Expoloer 6 Problem?


Is ExtremeTracking showing its support for moving the net on from Internet Exploer 6, so that the web can be developed for standard compliant browsers?

Yesterday all Internet Explorer visits, from 1 trough to 8 all had the same Icon:


Today, Internet Explorer 1 to 6 use the above Icon, but versions 7 and 8 have a new brighter, gold haloed icon:


Is there a subliminal message?

Friday 16 October 2009

Who Still Does Not Count Opera 10?

When the first Opera 10 Alpha appeared it identified itself as Opera 10. However, from the Beta trough to the current Final version, Opera set Opera 10s identity to Opera 9.8 for example:

Opera/9.80 (X11; SunOS i86pc; U; en) Presto/2.2.15 Version/10.00

Opera did this because many counters did not identify Opera with 10 as the browser ID, and so understated Opera usage (technical explanation).

Now that Opera 10 final has been out about six weeks, it still identifies as 9.8.

I decided to try a first alpha Opera 10 release on a Linux live disk (used Puppy Linux Nearly Office Pup 413).

The resulting browser IDs are:

1 Correctly identified Opera 10: BraveNet, StatCounter, GoStats, Motigo, Extreme Tracking.

2. Identified Opera (but not as version 10): ShinyStats, SiteMeter, 24Log

3 Failed to identify Opera altogether: OneStat (ID other)

I will be glad when Opera 10 is universally recognized by counters for what it is; Opera 9 was good, but its time to move on.

As a slight aside. I noted the other day a hit on an Extreme Tracking counter for Opera 9 coming from an Opera computer. I was disappointed that Opera staff have not upgraded, only to find myself to be registering as Opera 9 on Extreme Tracking, even tough I was using Opera 10. Extreme counts Opera 9.8 as 10, but, as I have now discovered, it does not recognize Opera Unite Beta because the browser ID is one digit different to Opera 10, and is therefore not registered as 10:

Opera/9.80 (X11; SunOS i86pc; U; en) Presto/2.2.15 Version/10.10

I find misidentification annoying, and look forward to when Opera is IDed correctly again.