A blog does not need “analytics” • Hacker News Board

Re: A blog does not need “analytics”

#51

Post by bubblebeard » Sat, Aug 30, 2025, 1:15 PM UTC

I’m strictly against collecting data from users unless absolutely necessary, and never without their consent.

As for technology stripping us of our humanity, I could not agree less. I think it’s helped us connect better with each other across different countries and cultures, broadening what was for many a fairly narrow view of the world. Technologies like computers and the Internet are also amazing tools for aiding humanity in our creativity and exploration of everything.

And as for the constraints they may place upon you it’s no different then government, economy or religion. They are all constructs designed to control you. Best you can do is realize that and live with it as best you can. That or go hermit I suppose, it’s a valid choice.

Re: A blog does not need “analytics”

#52

Post by JKCalhoun » Sat, Aug 30, 2025, 1:17 PM UTC

stevage wrote: post #3

The author lacks imagination or is not arguing entirely in good faith: > I realised that knowing about my website visitors had zero effect on anything in the real world. Perhaps that's true for them? But you don't have to try too hard to think of legitimate reasons why basic analytics are useful to any blog author who is trying to increase their reach, like knowing what topics are of most interest to their audience,…

My personal blog? Analytics would be an ego thing only.

To be clear, my ego would love to know that people are flocking to read my brilliant prose! Alas, though, I don't even have what we used to call analytics: a number of visitors counter.

So my blog is, as someone on HN pointed out to me, "useless".

Re: A blog does not need “analytics”

#53

Post by bloqs » Sat, Aug 30, 2025, 1:20 PM UTC

an old man shouting at The Cloud(s)

Re: A blog does not need “analytics”

#54

Post by righthand » Sat, Aug 30, 2025, 1:22 PM UTC

KingOfCoders wrote: post #36

1. Yes 2. I use SimpleAnalytics 3. I think Search Console is useful 4. But then, really? PS: Over the last year, my impression in search more than doubled, my clicks fell 75% #AgeOfAI

How do you find Search Console useful and how is that relative to collecting analytics? Just curious, I've only used Search Console in the manner of validating how pages are returned when searching and validating page metadata is correct.

I realize that Google may require you to drain data into Search Console to use it or something, but I'm not sure how the data may be useful for the Search Console functionality.

Re: A blog does not need “analytics”

#55

Post by echoangle » Sat, Aug 30, 2025, 1:23 PM UTC

I don’t think server side analytics are surveillance at all.

It’s like if a shop is doing inventory and knows which product is bought how often. There’s no information for the visitor to volunteer, because every visitor should know that the shop/webserver knows when a visitor visits.

> The other reason you might put analytics on your site is to know when someone links to your writing. Again, if the linker doesn’t intend to tell you, then you’re surveilling. You do not need to know every time your writing is mentioned.

Assuming this is done with the referrer header, I also don’t see how this is bad. That’s the whole point of the thing, if you don’t want that as a user, disable it in your browser.

Re: A blog does not need “analytics”

#56

Post by chongli » Sat, Aug 30, 2025, 1:23 PM UTC

stevage wrote: post #14

chongli wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

any blog author who is trying to increase their reach, like knowing what topics are of most interest to their audience, when to post for bets result, comparing different styles of post etc. Why would I want to read a blog like that? That's hack writing 101. There's a million of those writers shovelling out that drivel on LinkedIn (which sells them all the analytics they need to do it). I want to read blogs by people…

You could make the counter-argument: Why would I want to read something written by someone who doesn't care about their audience at all? Both of those are extreme positions.

Pretty much everyone on Hacker News is writing comments for one another without the benefit of analytics. We're having discussion about topics we care about without delving into each other's personal details.

If you care about a topic you're going to care about a community you build and participate in around that topic. You don't need marketing-focused analytics to do that. You just need to keep writing and engaging with people in the comments.

Re: A blog does not need “analytics”

#57

Post by echoangle » Sat, Aug 30, 2025, 1:24 PM UTC

_heimdall wrote: post #33

stevage wrote: post #3

The author lacks imagination or is not arguing entirely in good faith: > I realised that knowing about my website visitors had zero effect on anything in the real world. Perhaps that's true for them? But you don't have to try too hard to think of legitimate reasons why basic analytics are useful to any blog author who is trying to increase their reach, like knowing what topics are of most interest to their audience,…

I have always thought of blogs as being written primarily for the author. Maybe they write because they enjoy writing, or to think through something, or to leave notes for later. When someone does it for the audience I always consider it more of a publication. Maybe that just semantics, but that's been the distinction for me.

I would count blogs as a type of publication. I would say that everything that’s published on purpose is a publication.

Re: A blog does not need “analytics”

#58

Post by righthand » Sat, Aug 30, 2025, 1:26 PM UTC

chongli wrote: post #56

stevage wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could make the counter-argument: Why would I want to read something written by someone who doesn't care about their audience at all? Both of those are extreme positions.

Pretty much everyone on Hacker News is writing comments for one another without the benefit of analytics. We're having discussion about topics we care about without delving into each other's personal details. If you care about a topic you're going to care about a community you build and participate in around that topic. You don't need marketing-focused analytics to do that. You just need to keep writing and engaging…

Careful, upvotes and karma are analytics.

Re: A blog does not need “analytics”

#59

Post by elric » Sat, Aug 30, 2025, 1:27 PM UTC

echoangle wrote: post #55

I don’t think server side analytics are surveillance at all. It’s like if a shop is doing inventory and knows which product is bought how often. There’s no information for the visitor to volunteer, because every visitor should know that the shop/webserver knows when a visitor visits. > The other reason you might put analytics on your site is to know when someone links to your writing. Again, if the linker doesn’t int…

Oh come now, that's putting the onus on the user who might not know the first thing about headers or browsers.

The refer(r)er header is a relic from a distant past when the internet was a very different beast, and when people had very different concerns.

Re: A blog does not need “analytics”

#60

Post by 8organicbits » Sat, Aug 30, 2025, 1:29 PM UTC

> I realised that knowing about my website visitors had zero effect on anything in the real world.

I'm in the process of trying to monetize a concept I discussed in one of my blog posts. I wouldn't have realized the idea was valuable, or that other people didn't find it obvious, if not for analytics.

I will agree with the general sentiment of the post: that there is a moral duty not to surveil readers of your blog. Personally, I find https://www.goatcounter.com/ strikes the right balance.