Here a quick summary of the results:

Average Load Time: 10.1 seconds
Average Time to First Byte: 1.1 seconds
Average Time to Start Render: 3.8 seconds

Average Page Size: 510 KB
Average Number of Requests: 50
Average Number of Redirects: 1

Comparing that to the web performance audit of the top 100 NZ websites.

Average homepage size: 359.6K
Average download time: 3.85
Average total requests: 57.2

Looks like NZ homepages are starting to get the message.

This time around, I’ve added a couple new metrics, including website download time. I’ve used Webpagetest.org.nz to calculate download time. The webpagetest service is equivalent download speed to a fast office connection. (ie. they have 15Mb Down 1Mb Up connection !)

The bragging rights for NZ’s fastest webpage does not belong to Trade Me but to Land Transport at #1 and Canterbury University at #2. (Although Trade Me dominate the Top 10).

The key takeaway from this audit is the effect of too many page elements will kill download speed. Reducing the number of page elements will speed up the site!

Summary Findings

• The average page size of homepages was 359.6K. ( Up from 305.1K)
• Fastest sites load < 1 sec. Top site loads in 0.246 secs ! The average download time was 3.85 secs
• 33% of websites use NO WEB COMPRESSION (Down from 52% – Great improvement)
• The largest pages were over 1000K
• A lot Advertising javascript still is not being compressed
• Some sites have dozens of Javascript and CSS files, worst offender had 35 javascript files
• The fastest sites have less total requests. There seems to be a strong co-relation to lower total requests to speed.

Here are the summary results: (The raw results are found here - http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p94gU-OKvrDhp7ggKO8iiBw )

. Fastest Homepage . Site Rating Size (K) Total requests Homepage Size backend percentage Webpagetest.org.nz time first load webpagetest.org.nz Cached load . landtransport.govt.nz 73 51.7 16 12 23.21% 0.246 0.237 . canterbury.ac.nz 69 156.1 20 19 12.17% 0.563 0.508 . findsomeone.co.nz 90 95.8 13 5.9 6.16% 0.678 0.453 . oldfriends.co.nz 89 89.4 16 7.4 8.28% 0.77 0.544 . psis.co.nz 69 118.2 17 7.4 6.26% 0.795 0.574 . otago.ac.nz 79 107.2 15 6.8 6.34% 0.849 0.745 . trademe.co.nz 57 225.3 84 17.7 7.86% 1.059 0.688 . snipesoft.net.nz 78 100.3 14 2.7 2.69% 1.078 0.552 . golf.co.nz 71 196.8 24 6.6 3.35% 1.129 0.542 . massey.ac.nz 79 242.2 17 39.4 16.27% 1.193 0.867 . westpac.co.nz 70 152.3 33 23.3 15.3% 1.275 0.239 . . Slowest homepages . Site Rating Size (K) Total requests Homepage Size backend percentage Webpagetest.org.nz time first load webpagetest.org.nz Cached load . clear.net.nz 59 326.8 100 45.6 13.95% 22.35 15.179 . sjs.co.nz 60 261.2 51 18.9 7.24% 14.53 5.131 . realenz.co.nz 57 531.1 81 7.2 1.36% 10.852 5.413 . kiwibiker.co.nz 64 945.1 46 94.2 9.97% 10.792 6.904

. publicaddress.net 61 97.4 58 7.1 7.29% 9.769 7.226 . ticketek.co.nz 51 633.8 110 12.1 1.91% 9.433 5.031 . thestandard.org.nz 60 995.1 49 43.6 4.38% 8.526 3.541 . vouchermate.co.nz 50 954.7 93 66.5 6.97% 8.319 3.588 . telstraclear.co.nz 61 247.2 69 48.5 19.62% 7.776 2.006 . odt.co.nz 53 557 104 26.5 4.76% 7.297 3.293 . . . . . BEST YSLOW ranking . . Site Rating Size (K) Total requests Homepage Size backend percentage Webpagetest.org.nz time first load webpagetest.org.nz Cached load . nz.yahoo.com 94 519.5 73 24.6 4.74% 5.819 3.447 . findsomeone.co.nz 90 95.8 13 5.9 6.16% 0.678 0.453 . oldfriends.co.nz 89 89.4 16 7.4 8.28% 0.77 0.544 . zoomin.co.nz 86 291.1 84 7.9 2.71% 5.033 0.814 . nzcity.co.nz 85 71 19 18.7 26.34% 2.743 1.529 . nzdating.com 85 38.8 47 5.1 13.14% 3.804 1.977 . airnewzealand.co.nz 84 150.6 57 6.3 4.18% 1.468 0.6

. offtheback.co.nz 83 176.1 31 5.6 3.18% 2.576 0.681 . massey.ac.nz 79 242.2 17 39.4 16.27% 1.193 0.867 . gpstore.co.nz | mightyape.co.nz 79 255.7 106 12.9 5.04% 2.396 0.829 . . . WORST YSLOW ranking . Site Rating Size (K) Total requests Homepage Size backend percentage Webpagetest.org.nz time first load webpagetest.org.nz Cached load . whaleoil.co.nz 49 541.9 88 94.1 17.36% 3.562 10.669 . vouchermate.co.nz 50 954.7 93 66.5 6.97% 8.319 3.588 . ticketek.co.nz 51 633.8 110 12.1 1.91% 9.433 5.031 . asbbank.co.nz 52 548.8 108 5.8 1.06% 2.249 1.899 . maxx.co.nz 53 535 71 51.2 9.57% 4.102 3.683 . aa.co.nz 53 321.1 80 61.8 19.25% 2.695 1.593 . odt.co.nz 53 557 104 26.5 4.76% 7.297 3.293 . kiwiblog.co.nz 54 320.6 46 106.8 33.31% 7.133 3.27 . skycitycinemas.co.nz 54 1103.8 72 17.1 1.55% 5.994 5.257 . nbr.co.nz 54 491.4 66 9.6 1.95% 4.979 4.67 . houseoftravel.co.nz 55 540 97 25 4.63% 2.284 1.773 . . Largest pages (K)

. Site Rating Size (K) Total requests Homepage Size backend percentage Webpagetest.org.nz time first load webpagetest.org.nz Cached load . skycitycinemas.co.nz 54 1103.8 72 17.1 1.55% 5.994 5.257 . kiwibank.co.nz 58 1061.9 34 23.1 2.18% 1.923 1.54 . skytv.co.nz 55 1048.5 129 19.2 1.83% 4.586 2.916 . thestandard.org.nz 60 995.1 49 43.6 4.38% 8.526 3.541 . thewarehouse.co.nz 59 963.4 97 90.7 9.41% 3.849 1.397 . vouchermate.co.nz 50 954.7 93 66.5 6.97% 8.319 3.588 . kiwibiker.co.nz 64 945.1 46 94.2 9.97% 10.792 6.904 . tvnz.co.nz 59 820 148 28.1 3.43% 3.878 2.536 . orcon.net.nz 66 788.5 52 4.6 0.58% 2.697 1.41 . aatravel.co.nz 55 685.5 79 16.2 2.36% 3.469 1.909 . . Smallest pages (K) . Site Rating Size (K) Total requests Homepage Size backend percentage Webpagetest.org.nz time first load webpagetest.org.nz Cached load . nzdating.com 85 38.8 47 5.1 13.14% 3.804 1.977 . landtransport.govt.nz 73 51.7 16 12 23.21% 0.246 0.237 . nzcity.co.nz 85 71 19 18.7 26.34% 2.743 1.529 . te.co.nz 61 79 42 9.1 11.52% 2.349 2.349 . oldfriends.co.nz 89 89.4 16 7.4 8.28% 0.77 0.544 . findsomeone.co.nz 90 95.8 13 5.9 6.16% 0.678 0.453

. publicaddress.net 61 97.4 58 7.1 7.29% 9.769 7.226 . vodafone.co.nz 68 97.9 67 21.5 21.96% 2.148 1.674 . snipesoft.net.nz 78 100.3 14 2.7 2.69% 1.078 0.552 . auckland.ac.nz 67 100.7 30 6.5 6.45% 2.114 0.69 . zeald.com 73 103.1 33 5.5 5.33% 2.381 1.008 . . . . Homepage download time Frequency . <1 6 . 1 – 2 18 . 2 – 3 28 . 3 – 4 16 . 4 – 5 7 . 5 – 6 12 . 6 – 7 1 . 7 – 8 4 . 8 – 9 2 . 9 – 10 2 . 10+ 4

. . . . . . . .

Here is a graph of the distribution of homepage download time.

Lots of changes happening, new staff, new office, lots of work! We’ve been busy on productionising some code, working with Gooddata and our new project with GWRC.

More details to come…..

The recent news of the delay of Section 92A is good news. We have now removed our “dark maps” as the black out has ended. Thank you all for your comments as well as participation in the blackout.

This blackout will be in effect until February 23rd, 2009.

If you are interested in helping out and have Google maps, here’s the code we used to black out our maps:

//Assume you have a map object
//Create a BlackOutMessageControl
function BlackoutMessageControl() {}
BlackoutMessageControl.prototype = new GControl();
BlackoutMessageControl.prototype.initialize = function(map) {
var container = document.createElement("div");

var src = “http://creativefreedom.org.nz/blackout.html”

var link = document.createElement(”a”);
link.setAttribute(’href’, src);
link.setAttribute(’title’, “Internet Blackout NZ”);
link.appendChild(document.createTextNode(’Why is the map “blacked” out?’));
link.style.color = “#ffffff”;
container.appendChild(link);
this.setButtonStyle_(container);

GEvent.addDomListener(container, “click”, function() {
window.location = src;
});
GEvent.addDomListener(container, “mouseover”, function() {
link.style.textDecoration = “underline”;
});
GEvent.addDomListener(container, “mouseout”, function() {
link.style.textDecoration = “none”;
})

map.getContainer().appendChild(container);
return container;
}
BlackoutMessageControl.prototype.getDefaultPosition = function(){
return new GControlPosition(G_ANCHOR_TOP_LEFT, new GSize(75, 7));
}
// Sets the proper CSS for the given button element.
BlackoutMessageControl.prototype.setButtonStyle_ = function(button) {
button.style.textDecoration = “none”;
button.style.color = “#ffffff”;
button.style.backgroundColor = “black”;
button.style.border = “1px solid black”;
button.style.padding = “2px”;
button.style.marginBottom = “3px”;
button.style.textAlign = “center”;
button.style.width = “20em”;
button.style.cursor = “pointer”;
}

//Dark maps
var myCopyright = new GCopyrightCollection(”© “);
myCopyright.addCopyright(new GCopyright(’Demo’,
new GLatLngBounds(new GLatLng(-90,-180), new GLatLng(90,180)),
0,’©2008 ProjectX Technology’));
var tilelayer = new GTileLayer(myCopyright);
tilelayer.getTileUrl = function() { return “/images/dark_map.gif”; };  //Modify the image location to suit
tilelayer.isPng = function() { return false;};
tilelayer.getOpacity = function() { return 0.5; }
var myTileLayer = new GTileLayerOverlay(tilelayer);
map.setCenter(new GLatLng(37.4419, -122.1419), 13);
map.addOverlay(myTileLayer);
map.addControl(new BlackoutMessageControl());

You can use the image(dark_map.gif) below

Enjoy!

There are some really challenging questions in there.

Why were ETags introduced in HTTP/1.1?
What are four techniques for reducing cookie weight?
List five techniques for making selector matching faster.
Why do ETags (with the default Apache and IIS syntax) degrade performance with regard
to proxy caching?

Kudos to Steve for pushing the boundaries of our field. Its time that optimisation was baked in by default and every web developer knew the fundamentals! That starts by teaching the students of the future.

The videos are featuring:
John Clegg – Ready, Set Code
Peter Watling – Introduction to iPhone development
Douglas Talbot – Introduction to Agile Programming
Nat Torkington – Somthing I wish people had told me…

Streetview arrives in NZ
Added on 12/02/2008 at 08:04AM
How Google’s ear hears
Added on 12/01/2008 at 07:04PM
Super happy dev house is on this week
Added on 12/01/2008 at 06:54PM

Life magzine photo archive on Google
Added on 12/01/2008 at 06:47PM

A more useful 404
Added on 12/01/2008 at 06:42PM

The size of Africa
Added on 12/01/2008 at 06:42PM

The commoditisation of massive data analysis
Added on 12/01/2008 at 06:40PM

Splitting up founders pie
Added on 12/01/2008 at 06:35PM

Tech crunchs new search engine powered by Yahoo Boss
Added on 12/01/2008 at 06:32PM

Warren Buffet – 10 ways to get rich
Added on 12/01/2008 at 06:30PM

NY Times visualisation lab
Added on 12/01/2008 at 06:28PM

Mapping the worlds supercomputers
Added on 12/01/2008 at 06:25PM

Easing the path from design to development
Added on 12/01/2008 at 06:24PM

Amazon’s cloudfront – global load balancing
Added on 12/01/2008 at 06:23PM

Silicon Welly HQ
Added on 11/29/2008 at 04:12PM

Meer Meer – Cross browser testing through one browser
Added on 11/26/2008 at 08:36AM

Billionaire lessons from Malcolm Gladwell
Added on 11/20/2008 at 09:05AM

The Food Miles Mistake – Saving the planet by eating New Zealand apples
Added on 11/20/2008 at 09:00AM

Web Sequence Diagrams – basic UML: Awesome – Hat tip to David Preece
Added on 11/18/2008 at 02:52PM

WPA-TKIP broken almost
Added on 11/15/2008 at 11:39PM

iPhone top phone in US 3rd quarter 2008
Added on 11/12/2008 at 12:25AM

1. Smaps was designed to be simple and intuitive.
2. Smaps is blazzingly fast. We worked really really hard at making the predictive search fast and it paid off.
3. Smaps was built to scale. The site has been running off only a few servers and managed to handle peak traffic of over 65K users in one day. (This happened on the day Smaps was mentioned in the Trade Me newsletter.)
4. Smaps was built on an open source stack – ruby on rails, postgres, apache / lighttpd running on windows and later ubuntu.
5. Trade Me backed a small team – ProjectX and we prove together could build world class technology from Wellington.