| May 31 |
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Remote mouse viewing is nothing new. There’s plenty of software out there that allows users to transmit their mouse movements and activity to another users’ screen. In a sense it was only a matter of time before the website usability trade got a hold of this concept.
A company called Tapefailure are one of the first on the scene. Robotreplay have also recently entered a free beta testing phase. The new services allow webmasters to monitor user activity in ‘video replay mode’. Essentially this is just like looking over the persons shoulder while they surf your site. Activity is tracked from the moment you enter a site using the script until you leave it.
Where’s my right to privacy?
Well I’m sorry to say that you don’t have any. In a sense you didn’t have any before. The vast majority of computers have hidden spyware that monitor your surfing for marketing purposes. Many sites already use services like google analytics to give incredibly detailed statistics about your surfing behaviour. The only new thing about this is that it doesn’t just record your activity - it watches your every mouse movement. It adds a very personalised touch to something that was previously very generalised.
I’m sure a lot of people reading this will be feeling outraged. I think it’s a growing concern in the society that we live in that we are being increasingly surveyed.
The flip side: better usability
As with any product that has a hard sell there tends to be a big advantage to make up for it. In this case it’s usability. By watching mouse movements webmasters can optimise their websites to make them easier to use for those who visit them, and more profitable. You can watch, for instance, a user that goes to the final confirmation of payment for one of your products and then backs out. Understanding customers is big business.
In addition, there’s thousands of hours of activity being recorded. The odds are you will never have your activity watched. If you think about it, this has been the case in the telephone call center industry for a decade now. Ever heard the “your call may be recorded for training purposes” message?
Webmasters will also find the software useful to convince their managers that something needs to be done that is affecting their business. User behaviour becomes more of a fact than a science when you are watching it in real-time.
Ease of use
Services like this are very easy to use. You simply have to insert a small snippet of code into your head section and activate your account on their website. The entire process takes 5 minutes.
Can I protect my privacy online?
Yes! Most modern browsers give users the ability to disable Javascripts from running while browsing. This will prevent the required mouse surveillance scripts from being activated. Unfortunately many (poorly designed?) sites use Javascript in their core functionality. Users therefore stand to lose a great deal of quality in their surfing as a result.
In the wrong hands
I do worry about the potential uses of software like this in the wrong hands. It could potentially be included in all sorts of nefarious activity. It’s worth noting though that the software only displays your browser window (rather than your computer screen). Certainly though the creators of this service will have to be very aware of the potential negative power of this technology.
I hope that this software plays a positive role in the internet and delivers on website usability while minimising the potential negatives. Perhaps an inclusion option for website web site users, “tick this box if you do not wish to have your mouse activity surveyed”? Then again, maybe this isn’t something companies want to advertise!
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