"Brent Michel" wrote in message
news:RG8qb.11115$f7.589798@localhost...
Yes, it is available elsewhere, but without the analytical software to
examine the data, all you see are numbers.

.....Bwahaha! Sorry, but I'm quite capable of finding and analyzing
statistics for myself.

Storydata puts the data together
in an interactive graphical analysis that helps make sense of the raw
data
and allows you to compare and contrast the information... look for
trents
etc. Try it.

Not into spyware, thanks.

For those interested, here's a message that was posted to misc.consumers
last month:

From: Dean )
Subject: storydata
Newsgroups: misc.consumers )
Date: 2003-10-07 13:50:39 PST

I've been noticing quite a few posts across different newsgroups with
references to www.storydata.com. They seem pretty suspicious because:

1. they all seem like sales pitches to go to the website
2. the original poster promoting the storydata website never actually
participates in any of the discussions
3. to view any of the data, you need to install a third party plugin
4. there is no advertising on the website. No website offers useful
content
without advertising. Even MSN, who has money up the wazoo, has ads.

Take a look at all the postings with storydata:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=st...=100&scoring=d
Many other newsreaders have suspected that storydata is just a front to
get
people to install their spyware plugin. I have concluded that their
strategy
is to:

1. gather interesting data from existing sources to attract visitors
2. post interesting or controversial topics in relevant newgroups and
leave
a link to the website
3. sucker people to install their plugin, which is actually just
spyware,
and that is how they make money.

They're probably very successful since the posts are done by a human
(not
auto-generated spam) and touch on some hot topics that people want to
read
the data for. Don't fall for it. Don't install the plugin. In fact,
don't
even go to the website.