Google Analytics : AJAX Torture? Or Usability Joke?

Google Analytics was previously semi-useful as a web site traffic analysis tool. The previous incarnation was often confusing and had many non-intuitive mystery features coupled with terrible organization and absurdly missing features (delete an “account”? how?).

From a user standpoint it’s just gotten worse with the added AJAX. More pretty line graphs and distracting tool-tip style mouseOver events, less explanation of what the hell I’m seeing! To make matters worse, the stuff has been re-organized, or I should say, further disorganized in a truly Microsoft manner.

I guess Google really is actually in competition with Microsoft. Google makes a great search engine, but they make lousy interfaces. They made themselves famous with the orginal Google search engine page’s simplicity. But everything else they produce just seems to out-do Yahoo! and go head-to-head with Microsoft for making hard to use web sites. Only Adobe makes more difficult to use web sites, but they make them very pretty.

Apple. Oh, Apple… where for art thou?

When will AJAX just die? Only a few years ago JavaScript had gone away quietly to the graveyard of annoying technologies. Flash is/was on its way there. Now there is a renewed irrational exuberrance for all things overly animated.

Oh, and Google, my dear, the Beta forever thing is getting old. Keep it up and desperate SONY might sue for trademark infringement just to make some cash.