Cliché, Alexa in China, in the end what is the thing?

The recent Alexa to domestic site punishment farce has always been a lonely people out of the commotion, most people are saying or vague that the domestic such as cool news, post easy, popcorn and the like "because many Chinese Internet practitioners blindly pursue the short title, resulting in its website rankings in the Alexa abnormal changes" " The pursuit of short-term reputation of cheating directly led to the Chinese Internet impetuous atmosphere. (The above comes from the first financial journal of August 27, 2007).

In TW's forum, see an anonymous netizen sent message: A bunch of SB, need the wind, while advocating their Alexa rankings, and so out of the problem, and said Alexa is not what. That's the way it is. But in turn, why do we need VCs when our vast Internet practitioners need to preach their Alexa rankings? China without networking "impetuous atmosphere" directly from the pursuit of Alexa ranking practitioners?

First, let's look at what Alexa is, a subsidiary of the Amazon company, founded in 1996. is a branch of the Internet Archive. Alexa through the Alexa toolbar, to collect user information in order to statistics site traffic and rankings. The following is a description from the wiki: Alexa site ranking is based on the average number of daily use of the site, per capita access page (in proportion to the number of people and the product of per capita pages), based on the two geometric averages to rank. The official ranking is based on the average of the data within the last three months. In addition to ranking the world's Web sites, Alexa site also provides a variety of languages, regions, topics of classification rankings. The ranking preset is based on Alexatoolbar that can only be used for InternetExplorer, not all users use it, so the number of people using it can be controversial on behalf of the average network user.

Said very clearly, Alexa is through Toobar to collect relevant information, and then ranking, whenever the user with the Alexa toolbar in IE browser to open a new page, Alexa Server (data.alexa.com) will receive encrypted packets, the core information in this packet is more than 10 parameters, including the current page address, page open time, client display resolution, Alexa Toolbar version number, the user is "Amazon" of users, and so on. The Alexa server does the work every day to receive data packets from the global "Install" toolbar users. In short, this is just a sample survey of the Web name.

I'm sure we all know the three specifications that affect the effectiveness of the sampling survey, one is the representativeness of sample extraction, the other is the operability of sample extraction, and the quantity of sample extraction.

The representative of sample extraction. The principle is that the sample needs to be extracted immediately, it can avoid the human error in the sampling process and ensure the representative of the sample. We look at the Alexa sample representative, Alexa is to be through this kind of site to our ranking, that is, all the Chinese network name is that it needs the overall sample, and from this 130 million of the user is then extracted. Was it random? What kind of user installs the Alexa tool bar in China? Focus on the rankings, Internet practitioners! Who can tell me your old man, the child's computer installed the Alexa tool bar? This article clearly does not conform to the representativeness of sample sampling.

Second, the operability of sample extraction. This principle is to ensure that the investigation work smoothly, Alexa needs to pay attention to the ranking of Chinese websites, then it needs many users to visit the relevant information of the site, such as the current Web site, page open time and so on. This article, through technical means, as long as the Alexa toolbar, it is needless to worry.

Third, the quantity of sample extraction. The principle is that the larger the overall scale, the larger the number of samples required, so as to ensure a certain degree of accuracy. How many netizens are there in China? 130 million. How many netizens have the Alexa toolbar installed in China? There seems to be no accurate data, Alexa has not announced. Can only say that I see all the ordinary netizens, no one is Alexa toolbar users.

The 3 rules of sampling survey, the effect of the 3 rule, Alexa only wishful thinking through technical means to carry out the relevant data collection. The first representative principle, Alexa do not know whether to consider it? As China's Internet practitioners, whether we have a good look at its rankings, is it really effective?

I have always stressed that "China", because many Chinese internet entrepreneurs to find VC talk about financing, VC often ask is: how much do you rank now? No doubt, the question is Alexa rankings. Can not say VC is the big head, did not consider the effectiveness of ranking, the only reason is that VC most of the international background, Alexa do a good job abroad, Word-of-mouth is also good, so VC take this standard China to measure the value of the Chinese site. I do not know whether the foreign Alexa has word-of-mouth, whether it can solve the problem of effectiveness. But since VC believe, I think there are Alexa's extraordinary place.

Alexa rankings can cheat? Yes! I sure can! I know a lot of people who can do the rankings. Why do you want to rank? VC Recognition! Remember to see in an entrepreneur blog, once looking for VC talk about financing, people asked rankings, the current 200,000. VC immediately stop talking, not to mention the relevant ideas, models and so on and so on exchanges. Some people say, now the financing environment is good, VC is no longer simply look at the rankings, but also to see the team, but also to understand the future of this model. What are the first terms? You have to do the ranking first, let's talk about the next step! Ok! Suppose the environment is really good, get the money, you just start ranking is not in the VC to consider the scope, think your project prospects are good, your personal charisma, your team strong, so VC give you money. Well, that's a good thing! What's next? You're going to start doing something. Do what? Nonsense, make money ah! If you don't make money, a fool will give you money. But can you make money at first? Internet, who can tell me that investment can make money immediately? And a lot of it? As an entrepreneur, I clearly know that this is normal, but how can I explain to VC? True Gold silver temporarily can't take out, face on, I must give VC see? Can not spend a person yinianbanzai money, what can not see? What you see is the expansion of the staff and the increase in spending? So, since the VC value Alexa, then I would like to, anyway, this face project costs relative to the company's operation is only a small number.

"The pursuit of short-term reputation of cheating directly led to the impetuous atmosphere of China's Internet." In fact, from the root, who caused the Chinese internet to the impetuous? The pursuit of short-term reputation, reputation is what? What is the only thing I can get by doing this? Can I change from Alexa rankings to the development of my business? Every entrepreneur knows!

Alexa in China, in the end what kind of things? In China, let QQ do it! The domestic net name almost hands a QQ, do a sample survey, the most suitable but.

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