Security and Protection- invasive software.

Webpage evaluation and metrics have historically focused on page-level characteristics or on key words. We introduce an automated technique for graphically measuring specific elements on a webpage. Our technique provides a means to increase the fidelity of webpage analysis and introduces a novel metric focused on the number of pixels that certain elements occupy in a browser window. We implemented the technique as a Firefox extension and successfully tested it on Alexa’s top 25 U.S. websites. The technique is fully automatable and consistently measures a customizable set of elements as they appear to users in the Firefox web browser. Importantly, the application allows for communication with and the incorporation of other browser-based tools or extensions. We discuss design considerations and creative solutions to technical implementation challenges. The application provides for a wide range of research opportunities that may require a new level of fidelity in webpage analysis and comparison. Categories and Subject Descriptor