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SCL Blogs
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Google Analytics IQ Pass
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- Published on Monday, 15 November 2010 10:25
- Written by Jamie Lockhart
In the on-going quest for company GA certification I have passed the Google Analytics IQ exam. It's pretty straightforward of you already know something about web analytics and Google provide good docs for review.
Web Analytics Attribution - a WAW London followup
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- Published on Thursday, 04 November 2010 17:28
- Written by Bob Mitchell
This is a belated follow-up post from the WAW last week. I’d promised a bunch of people that I’d put something in place and have only just found the opportunity to do so.
Read more: Web Analytics Attribution - a WAW London followup
Registered Trademark
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- Published on Thursday, 04 November 2010 12:11
- Written by Alan Hall
For the last couple of months I have been taking our shiny new logo through the trademark application process. I have to admit approaching the whole exercise with a feeling of fear and trepidation. Having just received the certificate I can testify to the fact that the whole process was really painless. Staff at the Intellectual Property Office should take a bow, they were very helpful and offered valuable advice throughout. So there you are - the SCL logo is a registered trademark!
A very short introduction to OpenScript
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- Published on Thursday, 04 November 2010 11:59
- Written by Wayne Byrne
OpenScript is a new scripting platform for creating automated test scripts to be used with the Oracle Application Test Suite (OATS). These test scripts are constructed using the Java language, and are extendible, and can make use of any Java API. OpenScript provides an Eclipse-based environment for both developers and non-developers, and provides many facilities to ease the development of automated test scripts.
Figure 1. The OpenScript Interface (showing the tester’s perspective : tree view, results report and results summary)
Manual validation with test automation using OpenScript
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- Published on Wednesday, 03 November 2010 17:04
- Written by Jamie Lockhart
I thought I would illustrate how to perform a manual check during the execution of an automated test. This is could be of interest to QA teams testing applications that integrate with third party (not easily accessible) systems, business processes that produce an external result, e.g. a hard copy print, or kick off some kind of batch process in a back-end system. Indeed, this article was sparked by a discussion with a QA team that needed to test a web-based application that integrates with external metering units. In these and other situations, it could be that the only option is for the tester to ‘eyeball’ the other system and to record the result. Ideally, the result of the manual validation would be recorded in the results report of the automated test for reference purposes and central storage.
Read more: Manual validation with test automation using OpenScript
WAW - October 2010 - a subject
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- Published on Friday, 22 October 2010 19:56
- Written by Bob Mitchell
There have been a number of suggestions for presentations at the next WAW, but I felt that we’d done enough pure presentations for a while – so something more interactive was called-for.
I don’t really like doing panels – I am really unsure about how to stop them being dominated by personality, and I really don’t fancy moderating (or sitting on) one.
Instead we will do this…
I’ve been thinking about attribution (or allocation) of efforts (campaign/marketing) in web analytics and campaign optimisation for some time. I even have some ideas about it, but what I don’t have is a recognised standard approach to the problem.
Firstly I’d like some data – I’d like to understand who is thinking about attribution, who is doing it and what they’re doing. I’d like to understand the options available in tools for doing attribution and I’d like to hear from learn’d people about the right way of doing it. To this end I’ll guide some questions to the whole audience and gather some data (that I’ll publish for us all to read and think about)
Based on the responses to those questions, and if it’s the right thing to do, I think I’d like to take a new stab at it.
So at our next WAW (Oct 27th 2010), keep your brain sharp and have a little think about this in advance – I’ll be asking questions later.
WAA - UK Country Manager
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- Published on Friday, 22 October 2010 19:28
- Written by Bob Mitchell
Over the past few years the Web Analytics Association (WAA) has successfully created a number of region-specific groups. There has been a UK country manager for ages, but the impact of the WAA in the UK has been barely perceptible. (my perception, obviously)
SCL has been a WAA member for a little while and I have found it difficult to quantify the benefit that membership holds to our organization. I suspect that the only way to create more value is to add value for everyone.
Unfortunately our current UK country manager (Matt Bragg) has found it impossible to continue in the role and had to resign his post - which is a great shame, for I believe that he would have been most suited to the role.
Anyway, this is a round-about way of saying that I've volunteered for the position. I'll stay in the position until I get kicked-out, find someone more suitable for the role (which shouldn't be hard), or find myself eleceted away from the role by a quorum of members.
Google Search Advertising pass
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- Published on Wednesday, 13 October 2010 12:07
- Written by Bob Mitchell
While on a mission of passing Google exams (it's a really dull way to pass the time) I've taken the 'Google Advertising Fundamentals Exam' and 'Search Advertising Advanced Exam' and, thankfully, passed them both. With 120 questions on each it's a bit long-winded, but not too much hassle.
There were a couple of problems - questions relating to adwords reporting are all out of date, and it's impossible (AFAIK) to see how they used to behave - these questions really do need updating.
My final gripe is that it takes days (literally) for the results to filter-through from starttest.com (that run the exams) back to the Google Certification Program.
Anyway, I'm now a Google AdWords qualified. Which is nice?
Google Analytics IQ pass
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- Published on Tuesday, 05 October 2010 20:03
- Written by Bob Mitchell
Up until now I'd never bothered completing any Google Analytics certification, so I thought that it was about time that I had a go. After a quick review of the training material (leaning a couple of new/interesting things - which is nice) I had a go. Thankfully the pass mark is only 80% (from 70 questions), which meant that it wasn't too much of a problem.
I think that it would be quite passable without looking at the material, but some questions were worded poorly, leaving the answer quite ambigious - so expect some answers to come down to luck and allow for getting some wrong.
For better or worse I'm now 'Google Analytics Qualified' and have a certificate to prove it.
WAW - October 2010 - preparation
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- Published on Monday, 04 October 2010 19:26
- Written by Bob Mitchell
I'm in the process of organizing the next London WAW - due to be on the 27th of October 2010. We let it have a little rest over the summer - I'm sure that people have had better things to do - but it's now back.
We're using the usual venue - we could probably do with a change, but that'll happen eventually anyway (the last place rather forced that on us by closing down)
In the interest of improvement, I'm interested in what people would like to see by way of presentations - or even if you have an idea of one that you'd like to do yourself, or any suggestions for changes that you'd like us to make.
