Over the next few weeks, you will begin to notice a change in GrabPERF. For those who visit us to examine the summary Search and News Index data, this data will continue to be openly published.

However, by the end of October 2005, all of the detail you have come to expect from GrabPERF will no longer be freely available.

Why am I doing this to a great free service? Am I just greedy?

Two years ago, I started this project as an experiment. Using my six years of Web performance experience, I started measuring sites and analyzing data that wasn’t interesting and profitable to my employer. In some short bursts over the last two years, I have sunk at least 3 months of time into developing the graphs, infrastructure, and systems that power GrabPERF

Lately, GrabPERF has attracted the attention of some folks that I truly admire and respect. Folks who value the service and have offered up great suggestions for improving the data that is collected. It is this attention that has lead me to realize that this service is worth something.

There are a number of reasons why I don’t just take off on my own.

  1. I am a “guest” of the USA
  2. I would be in conflict with my current employer
  3. Wife. Kids. Mortgage.
  4. My strengths are as an analyst, not as a developer
  5. My strengths are as an analyst, not as a entrepreneur

I am sure there are more, but that should be enough for this point in my life.

What is my goal by moving the meat of the data into a protected area?

  1. Pay to have GrabPERF hosted in a real co-location
  2. Purchase some new hardware for the GrabPERF System
  3. Defray some of the intellectual property costs associated with developing GrabPERF
  4. Defray some of the development cost of a number of very cool features that I have in mind
  5. And the one greedy thing: Daddy needs a Powerbook

As always, if you have a question or comment, drop me a note.