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Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast

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Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast

#11

Post by heipei »

marvinblum wrote: post #8

I'd like to add https://pirsch.io/ as an alternative. The main differentiation from Plausible and Fathom is, that it can be used from your backend, so that adblockers can't block the script and you still get GDPR compliant statistics for your websites.

How is it GDPR compliant if you're sending the IP address of the visitor to that service? Not saying that it can't be used, and not saying that they would use / store the IP in a non-hashed way, but at the very least I will still have to disclose (and possibly opt-in approve) the use of that third-party service to my own users.

Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast

#13

Post by tristor »

After a recent story on HN about all the horrible tracking Disqus started to do after being acquired by an ad-tech company, I ditched it and Google Analytics on my semi-dormant personal website. The process of fixing it got me interested in working on my site again and I ended up upstreaming the patches into the Hugo theme I use[1], so now everyone with that theme can benefit easily. I ended up using GoatCounter[2] after examining several alternatives in the market, predominantly because it was free for personal sites, but also because it was very no-frills which is all I really needed. I also appreciated that I could control retention rate and other configuration that might affect my visitor's privacy to collect as minimal amount of information as possible.

I don't think there's anything wrong with having basic site analytics, but I appreciate that there are now alternatives to Google Analytics that don't try to do the pervasive tracking that's become commonplace online.

[1]: https://tristor.ro/blog/2021/02/05/ditching-google-analytics...

[2]: https://www.goatcounter.com/

Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast

#15

Post by nerdjon »

purpmint008 wrote: post #7

Sure. But, let's also stop feeding the Apple App Store beast. 15-30% cut for little-to-no value added. Complete monopolization. Can't side-load apps without paying an yearly-fee.

Not sure what the relevance too this article is.

There is a major difference between someone actively choosing to use an iPhone vs a web developer choosing for you to send your data too Google because they included some script.

(Also I would argue the number of security issues that there have been in apps on Android sure helps warrant that cut)

Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast

#17

Post by hobs »

heipei wrote: post #3

Here's a crazy idea: Don't use analytics at all but focus on your product. If your success relies solely on "improving conversions" by tracking your users and then changing the position and color of your "Checkout" button then maybe try setting yourself apart such that customers want to buy your product even despite an obnoxious purchasing flow. Only then start optimizing it. More serious thoughts: Google Analytics i…

And if you are not the CEO the head of product comes to the CEO and says "my team needs this" and then you ship it.

Spending political capital on something that "the entire industry uses!!" doesn't usually align with my incentives.

Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast

#18

Post by b3lvedere »

purpmint008 wrote: post #7

Sure. But, let's also stop feeding the Apple App Store beast. 15-30% cut for little-to-no value added. Complete monopolization. Can't side-load apps without paying an yearly-fee.

Is there a nice list somewhere that can tell me which beast i should or should not feed?

Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast

#19

Post by system16 »

Enginerrrd wrote: post #5
heipei wrote: post #3

Here's a crazy idea: Don't use analytics at all but focus on your product. If your success relies solely on "improving conversions" by tracking your users and then changing the position and color of your "Checkout" button then maybe try setting yourself apart such that customers want to buy your product even despite an obnoxious purchasing flow. Only then start optimizing it. More serious thoughts: Google Analytics i…

>Here's a crazy idea: Don't use analytics at all but focus on your product. If your success relies solely on "improving conversions" by tracking your users and then changing the position and color of your "Checkout" button then maybe try setting yourself apart such that customers want to buy your product even despite an obnoxious purchasing flow. Only then start optimizing it. This is part of why costco is so success…

Absolutely. Even though I find the Costco in-store experience stressful and the online experience lacklustre, I put them at the top of my list for all of my non-fashion shopping (unless I'm looking for dad clothes). I can always trust their products will be as high or better quality than anywhere else, and at the best or close to best price. And I have no worries about returns.

Compare that to Amazon, which I have zero trust in. I absolutely can't trust the reviews, and I can't trust any products are genuine (even for minor things: my last purchase several months ago were steel wool dish scrubs - name branded, but I'm certain they were fake). I also don't trust them to do anything about it, because I've reported fake reviews, and fake products several times, and all of those sellers are still selling with thousands of 5 star reviews. The only thing it has going for it is price and convenience.

Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast

#20

Post by marvinblum »

heipei wrote: post #11
marvinblum wrote: post #8

I'd like to add https://pirsch.io/ as an alternative. The main differentiation from Plausible and Fathom is, that it can be used from your backend, so that adblockers can't block the script and you still get GDPR compliant statistics for your websites.

How is it GDPR compliant if you're sending the IP address of the visitor to that service? Not saying that it can't be used, and not saying that they would use / store the IP in a non-hashed way, but at the very least I will still have to disclose (and possibly opt-in approve) the use of that third-party service to my own users.

The IP is hashed and deleted after a day: https://docs.pirsch.io/privacy/ If you embed a script into your website, the IP of your visitors will also get sent to that service.
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