I'm giving up comparing websites using Alexa.com's data. Checking the accuracy of Alexa data using ABCe numbers led me to believe they were good enough to rely on. But the Times reckons the Alexa numbers in my latest post relating to referrals from the BBC were rubbish - and the Guardian agrees.

Instead of lambasting the BBC for the "chilling" effect of its online activities, and blaming the problems of online news sites on the BBC "dumping free, state-sponsored news on the market", News Corp chief James Murdoch should thank the BBC for all the traffic it sends his way.

The BBC is responsible for about 870,000 visitors a month to Times Online and 1.1 million to thesun.co.uk (see methodology, below).

By making use of ABCe data, we can check what Alexa says with the official audited data for UK newspapers. As the table shows, it's OK but not brilliant.