"Views++" when the same user views a topic.

[sfilippidis]

When the same user views the same topic, the number of views increases by one. Is this the desired functionality or a bug?

[mgran]

"Views" is equal to a page view, so it's by design.

But on the "blog":http://developer.qt.nokia.com/blog/view/wiki_changes_and_proper_previews_week_22 there is a byline like "(285 people already read this)" and that is a "bug" since it's also based on page views.

[sfilippidis]

@MariusG : You are right from a semantic point of view. However, the essence of the topic (as I had it in mind when I set it) is: what would be more valuable information?

a) number of page views, or
b) people who already read this

(as you correctly set the two "categories")?

;)

[jorj]

Hmm websites normally use unique page views... but I'm not actually sure that information is more valuable, if several people continually view the same page surely it is just as active as if many people do...

As long as the semantics are correct, I think either is fine.

[mgran]

I was just compiling some statistics for another website thinking about what metric to report on when I noticed the new posts in this thread :)

If I could have reported "X people have seen this" with certainty I would, but there are so many ways to pollute that data and bend the definitions. Page views on the other hand is a simple metric with slightly less value up front. But since it's hard to mess up (just filter out the spiders) it's also, to me at least, honest. It doesn't pretend to be more than it is.

@Stavros: My opinion is that b) gives the most value (and I'm guessing you agree) when done right, but we will get a) since it's honest and easy.

But the absolute most valuable metric is how many rating points a piece of content gets. We believe the wisdom of the crowd outshines Google Analytics any day!

[sfilippidis]

@MariusG: Indeed a very good analysis above! :)