Konqueror 4 Identification.

I was surfing when I noticed that ExtremeTracking miss identified Konqueror 4, and surprisingly badly - I was using Konqueror 4.2 on FreeBSD and ExtreameTracking reported this as Other/Unknown on Linux! This seemed unuseual because ExtremeTracking are normally one of the most up to date counters, and it correctly records Konqueror 2 and 3. After checking several sites which use Extreme it would appear that Extreme does not reqister Konqueror 4 at all.

I tried other counters and found reasonably good results:

Konqueror 4.2/FreeBSD ~ StatCounter, Sitemeter, GoStats.

Konqueror/FreeBSD ~ ShinyStats, 24Log, Motigo.

Mozilla/FreeBSD ~ Bravenet

Netscape/FreeBSD ~ OneStat

How to add Exalead (or any other search) to Opera.

It sometimes bothers me that Google has too big a share of the search market, but I would not suggest the use of Bing as an alternative. Perhapse there is a better alternative, I mainly use Yahoo, Exalead, or Clusty. I have noted from search keywords that some who come to this site would like to know how to add alternative search engines to their Opera default searches.

To add say Exalead:

1. Open the Exalead search page.

2. Right click within the Exalead search box.

3. Select "Create Search" from the menu.

4. Add a key word in the Keyword box.

Clicking OK will then add Exalead to the drop down Toolbar box.

To change the Default or Speed Dail search engine:

1 Press Ctrl + F12.

2. Select "Search"

3. Select which search engine you want to make Default or SpeedDail search.

4. Click "Edit".

5 Click "Details"

6 Click the appropriate box.

7 Click OK.

Who Is Counting Windows 7?

I find it annoying that counters are still having problems recognising Opera 10. However, something as common as Windows 7, which has got a 7.83% market share in Slovinia, is still not being recognised correctly.

Since the official release a couple of weeks ago, I have been waiting for someone to view this blog with Windows 7 so that I could see how this was reported:

Identified as Windows Vista: BraveNet, OneStat.

Identified as Windows NT: SiteMeter, 24Log, GoStats.

Correctly Identified as Windows 7: ShinyStats, StatCounter, Motigo, ExtremeTracking.

Suppliers of counters need to be more attentive to changes in web technology to remain relevant and accurate.

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.

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?

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.

Android

I recently tried an Android based G1 phone.

I have noticed that many hits occur on stat counters showing a Linux OS with a Safari browser. This does not make sense because there is no Linux version of Safari. Thus , I have suspected these to be Android. Giving me the opportunity to visit this blog confirmed my suspicions.

Counters That Suggested Linux / Safari:

ShinyStat
GoStats
SiteMetre
BraveNet
Motigo

Counters That Suggested Mac OS / Netscape 5:

OneStat

Counters That Suggested Linux / Mozilla Compatible:

24Log

Finally, the TWO Counters That Got It Right Android / Android:

StatCounter
ExtremeTracking