web metrics illusion?

According to Tim Ambler, “Marketing metrics create the illusion of certainty and control. Cannabis has much the same effect. ”

I’m afraid web metrics too create the illusion of certainty and control. As web analyst, we are obsessed by all kinds of metrics and dashboards. But to some extends, we have to admit even we could have all possible data under heaven, there are still things that we can’t figure it out. And 90% of time we think we are right, we are actually wrong. The reason is we are dealing with people, not data. Let’s keep the people element in our mind when creating metrics and dashboards.

P.S. note on Tim Ambler. Never heard of him before, but he is the professor in London Business School and according to this page, he is an expert in the following area:

If you’re not blogging, you’re an idiot…

When Tom Peters speaks, people listens. And here is what he has to say on the topic of blogging.

“If you’re not blogging, you’re an idiot… No single thing in the last 15 years has been more important to me professionally than blogging… It’s changed my thinking, it’s changed my outlook… it’s the best damn marketing tool and it’s free.” – Management uber-guru Tom Peters speaking to attendees at the 27th annual Inc. 5000 conference.

Web analyst as a group enjoy blogging more than any other analytics groups I have seen. Does this mean we are smarter than other type of analyst? At least we are not a bunch of idiots?

And here is his blog: www.tompeters.com/blogs/main/blogging/ Enjoy reading! and blogging!