Ranking Every Apps Journey to 100 Million Users In first place, Threads has a significant lead over the rest of the pack with its five day achievement, and may have built a significant moat in holding on to this record. Firstly, its launch coincided with Twitter’s viewing limit decision, and rode the wave of dissatisfaction aimed at Twitter’s current owner, Elon Musk. Secondly, new users on Threads need an Instagram account to register, thus eliminating sign-up barriers and leveraging Instagram’s 1.2 billion-strong user base. Ranked second, Open AI’s ChatGPT launched in November 2022 and hit 100 million users by the start of the new year. ChatGPT introduced the incredible capabilities of large language models to the masses, prompting a rush of sign-ups, and reviving old conversations around the potential consequences of AI. Coming in at third place, ByteDance’s TikTok took just 9 months to reach 100 million users after its launch in 2017. Like Threads, TikTok benefited from another app, accessing popular lip syncing app Musical.ly’s existing user base after it was acquired and folded into TikTok. WeChat and Instagram round out the top-five, also with interesting advantages. WeChat, an instant messaging platform similar to WhatsApp, benefited from its unique access to China’s notoriously closed internet market of 500 million users in 2012. Meanwhile, Meta acquired Instagram when the photo-sharing platform had 30 million users, and more than tripled that number past 100 million in just one year. And while Facebook ranks solidly middle-of-the-pack for fastest to 100 million users, it remains the platform with the most monthly active accounts, at nearly 3 billion. In fact, Meta’s lessons learned from Facebook have been well-leveraged, and the company owns 4 of the fastest apps to register 100 million users.

I have just asked ChatGPT “What’s the difference between the data gathered by AWstats and Google Analytics? AWStats and Google Analytics are both tools used for tracking website statistics, but they have some key differences: 1. Data Source: - AWStats: AWStats analyzes server log files generated by the web server. It processes data from server access logs, which record every request made to the web server. - Google Analytics: Google Analytics uses JavaScript code embedded in web pages to collect data directly from visitors' browsers. It relies on client-side tracking, which means it collects data as users interact with the website. 2. Real-time vs. Post-Processing: - AWStats: It processes log data after the fact, which means it provides historical data about website traffic. It's not real-time and typically updates periodically (e.g., daily). - Google Analytics: It provides real-time data, allowing you to see website activity as it happens, including current visitors, their location, and more. 3. Depth of Analysis: - AWStats: Provides detailed server-side statistics, including information on server response codes, bandwidth usage, and the types of files accessed. - Google Analytics: Offers in-depth insights into user behavior, such as pageviews, session duration, bounce rates, conversion tracking, and user demographics. 4. User-Friendly Interface: - AWStats: Typically offers a more technical interface and is often used by server administrators. - Google Analytics: Offers a user-friendly and visually appealing interface accessible to a wider range of users, including marketers and website owners. 5. Integration and Customization: - AWStats: Generally requires less configuration and can be set up directly within the hosting environment. - Google Analytics: Offers extensive customization options and can be integrated with various marketing and advertising platforms. In summary, AWStats is server-centric and provides technical server log analysis, while Google Analytics is user-centric and offers a broader range of insights about user behavior. The choice between the two depends on your specific needs, technical expertise, and whether you want real-time data or historical analysis. Many websites use both tools for a comprehensive view of their web traffic.

This is awesome! View quoted note →

I have no interest in doing anything illegal on the internet. But this talk by a darknet vendor on DEF CON is just fascinating! I highly recommend it to anyone interested in OpSec, hacking or cybersecurity in general.