Comments on: Why We Should Boycott ComScore (and perhaps why traders should short their stock)

By: Andrew Harding » SPIKE.com’s Latest ComScore: 5.7

Andrew Harding » SPIKE.com’s Latest ComScore: 5.7 — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:54:39 +0000

[...] our cumulative ComScore is just barely under 10. Sure, there’s debate over the validity of ComScore’s reporting, but advertisers pay close attention to this number. That puts us in the lead in the men’s [...]

By: Innovation Law Blog » Blog Archive » Jason Calacanis: most popular online metrics company runs a ‘protection racket’

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:34:55 +0000

[...] angel investor, recently wrote a post alleging that the most popular online metrics company is extorting money from advertising-dependent businesses. Comscore provides ratings for websites based on a [...]

By: anonymous founder and ceo

anonymous founder and ceo — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:14:40 +0000

The fact that I have to publish this comment as ‘anonymous’ is the ultimate indicator of why this extortionist company needs to be stopped now. Their measurement tools are antiquated
and their fees outlandish. I can’t respond under my true identity as my sales team is running scared of Comscome: I’m tired of the ‘agencies won’t buy us unless we have Comscore’. It’s madness and it has to stop.

PS. I’m sending this to my VP of Sales so he sees there are others that feel as strongly as I do.

By: Ground Truth debuts highly accurate way to measure traffic on mobile sites « Internet Marketing Tools

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:27:16 +0000

[...] As a result, Ground Truth data will likely show a more realistic picture of the mobile web than the survey methods of its competitors, who include ComScore and Nielsen. Ground Truth’s launch may also be very good timing, given that ComScore has recently drawn some ire for under-counting traffic numbers and then offering more accurate counts for a steep fee, a move entrepreneur/blogger Jason Calacanis called “extortion. [...]

By: John

John — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:15:31 +0000

Jason,

I just read your post. I have lived in Chicago on and off for the last 25 years. I have first hand experience with Comcast’s management going back to IRI. They guys are incredible in their ability to extort money for nothing. Their panel measurements in the off line world are crap and they are worse on-line. I am very happy to finally see someone call them out publicly. Comscore is a racket. Nothing more than a scam.

By: Jason Calacanis Takes the Blowtorch to ComScore

Jason Calacanis Takes the Blowtorch to ComScore — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:27:44 +0000

[...] Jason’s gripe? It’s long. It’s detailed. And it’s humorous. Read the rant here. I especially liked this [...]

By: brad

brad — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:59:55 +0000

Agree with this 100%. The biggest key to destroying Comscore is getting media agencies to stop using Comscore. I have seen and heard first hand of agencies that won’t even send RFP’s to sites that don’t hit a certain threshhold in Comscore, thus making it almost impossible for smaller, misrepresented sites to make larger ad buys. If they start using Quantcast or Compete, (even Alexa is more accurate) Comscore will become irrelevant.

I’m not a lawyer, but I always wondered if we could launch a class action lawsuit against Comscore. As a GM of a once smaller/under reported site, I can make a direct correlation for damages that they cost our business because our numbers were so misrepresented. Their stats literally caused us to not make ad buys.

Matt makes a good comment about the traffic assignments. Site stats can be completely manipulated by simply getting traffic assigned to you from another site that you don’t own or control. All you need to do is pay Comscore, pay off the sites for their traffic and you all of a sudden have the illusion of this large audience that you didn’t have to build. How can a system like that have credibility?

Regarding methodology, niche sites that cater to a very specific demo will always be screwed under panel based methodology. Panels are randomly selected so as to mirror the cross section of the US. Thus sites that cater to a small but passionate sliver of people that would never let a third party monitor their web surfing habits (such as gaming, comics) will get shafted.

I wish you luck in your endeavor, I hope they go out of business.

By: Top Posts — WordPress.com

Top Posts — WordPress.com — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:05:15 +0000

[...] Why We Should Boycott ComScore (and *perhaps* why traders should short their stock) From my email newsletter today…. if you want these first, sign up for it! ———- Forwarded [...] [...]

By: Marah Marie

Marah Marie — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:46:37 +0000

Jason,

Glad to see you can still rant with the best of them.
Very good post, BTW, totally agree. Since I feel slightly
guilty, as a blogger, I must confess: I have mentioned
ComScore’s stats for AOL on my blog, but always with the
warning that most people in the know believe they’re
inaccurate because the methodology has always been, um…
questionable.

The fact that ComScore just use samples,
a la Nielsen-tracking, just sorta proves everyone’s point
in that regard.

I agree no one should be extorted to get the same stats they
can get for free with Quantcast and others…and like you, I
am also a big Quantcast fan, since Quantcast has run estimates
on my blog for years with no involvement from me that are
close-to-accurate (they under-count somewhat,
but they’re not server-side, so I would expect that).

Good on you, Jason.

By: Jason Calacanis’s latest revolution: Down with ComScore

Jason Calacanis’s latest revolution: Down with ComScore — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:04:47 +0000

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Comments on: Why We Should Boycott ComScore (and *perhaps* why traders should short their stock)