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Tech-savvy audiences block Google Analytics

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Re: Tech-savvy audiences block Google Analytics

#331

Post by crtasm »

cm2187 wrote: post #205
turbinerneiter wrote: post #15

There is a German movie about the system that is used to gather TV ratings. It's a special box that some users get which reports what they are watching. Small sample size goes into a big statistic (not sure how accurate the portrayal of the system in the movie is). These boxes are given to the people who pay the German public TV fee, which excludes i.e. students (they don't have to pay) and some other groups. This gr…

Don't modern internet-connected TV boxes snitch on what people are watching? Surely we don't need a sampling anymore? Just thinking that the elderly population is probably the least likely to use those boxes (though I am not even sure of that), whereas they constitute the (dying) core of traditional TV viewership.

> Surely we don't need a sampling anymore?

Depends, are the TV networks buying that information? Or just advertisers?

Re: Tech-savvy audiences block Google Analytics

#332

Post by bluGill »

mattmanser wrote: post #316
atoav wrote: post #281

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who has been in one or another meeting with German TV stations I can assure you this is not completely far fetched. The people deciding what is running at these stations are of the mindset (a translated quote): > Our average viewer is 65 years old and watches TV while doing the dishes, we must not show things that cannot be understood by them and then they will serenade about how they would "love to have a…

Well, you say that, but isn't that exactly why Netflix got rid of ratings? All the documentaries were getting really high ratings, so would display highly in searches, but not many people actually watched them. It's the same for most content, I read a huge amount. I do read some intellectual books, but only occasionally. The rest of the time I read utter, thoroughly entertaining, trash. I don't want to read about an…

> It's the same for most content, I read a huge amount. I do read some intellectual books, but only occasionally. The rest of the time I read utter, thoroughly entertaining, trash.

I feel the same way. However I force myself to read things that will better me once in a while anyway. I too want to hit things with a big sword (without the pain of getting hit), and get the girl (without cheating on my wife), but the world including me is better if I do something else anyway. Which is why I do sometimes read a complex math book.

Re: Tech-savvy audiences block Google Analytics

#333

Post by sidibe »

jeroenhd wrote: post #140

I expected these numbers to be higher. However, an even more interesting metric is the 88% block in Firefox. Firefox may not have a great market share, but based on these numbers it's market share may very well be eight times higher than your analytics report. This can change the argument of "it's only 3% of our users so we don't need to test on FF" to "it's a quarter of our user base, we should at least test it", de…

The reason Firefox is higher is probably because it's the easiest one to block ads on mobile. Most people I know who use Firefox on mobile do so specifically to have ublock origin. I personally use chrome on desktop but Firefox on mobile.

Re: Tech-savvy audiences block Google Analytics

#334

Post by asddubs »

marcinzm wrote: post #306

>I looked at analytics of a site that had a post trending on Hacker News and Reddit with more than a thousand upvotes and more than a thousand comments. Reddit is a very diverse site and not a tech savvy site overall. This just means the subset of users who liked this, likely very technical link, blocked GA. To use that to claim 58% of all reddit users block GA is very disingenuous imho.

doesn't ublock black GA by default? That might help explain it

Re: Tech-savvy audiences block Google Analytics

#335

Post by bluGill »

gruez wrote: post #283
jobigoud wrote: post #275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They could put an IR camera right next to the remote sensor. Since it's behind a glass that is opaque to visible-light you wouldn't even know the camera's there, and if you put tape on it your remote wouldn't work anymore.

>Since it's behind a glass that is opaque to visible-light you wouldn't even know the camera's there If it's opaque to visible light how does the camera produce an image? >if you put tape on it your remote wouldn't work anymore. Not really? You just have to be more careful placing the tape. Besides, nowadays many smart TV have app remote controls, or RF-based remote controls so the IR sensor being blocked is a non-is…

> If it's opaque to visible light how does the camera produce an image?

It isn't opaque to infrared light though. The image is still high enough quality to make out people, it looks funny but it is good enough for their purposes.

Re: Tech-savvy audiences block Google Analytics

#336

Post by KallDrexx »

yissp wrote: post #239
conradfr wrote: post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know a connected TV / set-top box is on a channel but you don't know how many / which persons in the house is in front of it.

How long until they start putting cameras in them and doing facial recognition?

So I found out my neighbors were proud to be participating in some new Neilson study. Apparently they pay you to wear these boxes in your pocket that pick up sound. At the end of the day it syncs what it heard to their servers and you get points, which eventually translates to money.

Essentially the stated purpose is so that it can pick up what music you listen to throughout the day, but in reality it's picking up everything.

Re: Tech-savvy audiences block Google Analytics

#337

Post by mardifoufs »

rapnie wrote: post #318
jccalhoun wrote: post #299

I am amazed at how non-techy people use the internet. I teach college and I will sometimes have students go to some web site. I am amazed at how few use adblocking and just accept all the ads and popups and overlays and crap. Even more than that, I will see them using something like google docs and google will put an overlay for some new feature and they don't click the X to close it. They just type away with that ov…

Yes, and it goes further than that: "Should I add an ad-blocker to your browser for an ad-free internet experience.. it'll only take 2 sec." and they respond: "Nah, not needed". And also "You are using the worst browser available to you (Samsung), shall I install Firefox?" and then "Nah, don't care".

The Samsung browser isn't actually that bad at all. Has some neat features that can't be found in Firefox or even Chrome, like the enhanced video playback tools. Plus it supports adblocking plug ins (though only FF has the much better ublock origin). Keep in mind that tons of website just outright won't work with Firefox mobile too, and it has a very annoying bug that has been known for years where all your tabs will very oftem reload whenever you switch to another app and come back. And that's regardless of how much free ram you have. Samsung browser just... Works.

Re: Tech-savvy audiences block Google Analytics

#338

Post by hnlmorg »

cm2187 wrote: post #293
yissp wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How long until they start putting cameras in them and doing facial recognition?

Some sort of localised motion sensor would probably be sufficient to tell you how many people are watching without invading too much on people's privacy. You wouldn't know the age, but you already have ton of information by knowing the address and the subscriber already.

> Some sort of localised motion sensor would probably be sufficient to tell you how many people are watching

You'd also have pets captured, curtains flapping by an open window captured, and any toys kids are playing with (like balls) potentially captured as another viewer too.

Meanwhile pap who likes to sit motionlessly while the kids round around him, isn't detected.

> without invading too much on people's privacy

Motion detection feels like a pretty major privacy violation to me.

> You wouldn't know the age, but you already have ton of information by knowing the address and the subscriber already.

Except when you have friends or family over.

Re: Tech-savvy audiences block Google Analytics

#340

Post by ta988 »

conradfr wrote: post #231
cm2187 wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't modern internet-connected TV boxes snitch on what people are watching? Surely we don't need a sampling anymore? Just thinking that the elderly population is probably the least likely to use those boxes (though I am not even sure of that), whereas they constitute the (dying) core of traditional TV viewership.

You know a connected TV / set-top box is on a channel but you don't know how many / which persons in the house is in front of it.

Most "smart" TVs have cameras these days...
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