Web Analytics and Mozilla Websites

Ken Kovash

5 responses

A few years ago, Mozilla made a change in web analytics tools to help us better understand traffic at Mozilla’s websites and handle our volume as one of the world’s largest web properties.  At the time, Mitchell led a discussion about how we would make sure that our web analytics program is consistent with Mozilla’s deep commitment to privacy and user control.  This discussion resulted in a series of commitments.

As part of that original proposal, we note Mozilla web sites relying on our web analytics tool. And fast forwarding to present day, we’d like to be able to assist all Mozilla web sites that request analytics support with our web analytics tool; we’re also making a switch in tools to Webtrends.  Our fundamental commitments to user privacy remain unchanged:

  • Mozilla will use the web analytics data only to determine aggregate usage patterns for our website. We will not seek to determine personal information from this data.
  • Our tool provider will use the data from Mozilla websites only to provide and maintain the service for Mozilla; it will not share the information with others or use the information for other purposes.
  • Our tool provider will not correlate and report on any Customer Data with any other data collected through other products, services or web properties.
  • The domain names in Mozilla cookies will clearly identify their affiliation with Mozilla and the vendor providing the service.

These improvements have the potential for fostering a greater impact with web analytics within the community, while simultaneously maintaining our commitments to individual users. In addition, we’ll continue updating the pages related to our web analytics implementation (e.g., url list, opt-out instructions).

5 responses

  1. Ken Saunders wrote on :

    I’ve never had any concerns with Mozilla’s privacy policies and I’m actually proud to participate in data collection (up to a certain degree). When Firefox hits (and boasts) 400 million users, I know that I’ll be counted. Same for Mozilla’s sites, products, and services.

    We all love stats and they’re a good and effective marketing tool (aside from their other real and practical uses) so opting-in is supporting Mozilla.

    I do however greatly appreciate Mozilla’s openness and easy access to opt out of data collection.
    Perhaps I wouldn’t feel the same about being tracked if the above wasn’t so.

    I have a question for the metrics team. I (and many, many others) run multiple Firefox profiles, is each instance that I use counted as a user? If so, wouldn’t that artificially inflate, or, skew the stats? I’d imagine that each one is counted considering daily pings etc.

  2. Dan wrote on :

    Thanks for being so open. Any insight into the switch from Omniture to Webtrends?

  3. Robert Kaiser wrote on :

    “we’d like to be able to assist all Mozilla web sites that request analytics support”

    I think we really should talk about adding analytics to seamonkey-project.org some time, we currently have no data whatsoever on that site.

  4. deb wrote on :

    I use clicktail, it helps me know what is happening on my site and its heatmaps and videos show me i can increase my conversions

  5. Garbonzoo wrote on :

    I would recommend checking out Overstat, which shows rich graphical analytics on top of your own website. Very powerful and easy to use. (see http://www.overstat.com for info). Cheers!

    G.