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Show HN: I replaced Google Analytics with simple log-based analytics

benhoyt.com

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Re: Show HN: I replaced Google Analytics with simple log-based analytics

#63
post #4

> Obviously with log parsing you don’t get as much information as a JavaScript-heavy, Google Analytics-style system. There’s no screen sizes, no time-on-page metrics, etc. But that’s okay for me! This also bypasses Ad blocker. In the case you have a large percentage of technical audience (who presumably would have Ad blocker installed) this log can be way more accurate than GA. However this still requires setting up…

> This also bypasses Ad blocker

GA does a good job at extrapolating your data to account for users with ad block. Obviously not perfect, but good enough for most cases.

Re: Show HN: I replaced Google Analytics with simple log-based analytics

#64
post #2

If you’re not a fan of big brother you probably should be logging to bare metal instead of Amazon S3.

https://aws.amazon.com/compliance/data-privacy-faq/ "We do not access or use your content for any purpose without your consent. We never use your content or derive information from it for marketing or advertising"

Are you sure that you didn't give consent when you agreed to the user agreement? (and will not in a user agreement update)

Re: Show HN: I replaced Google Analytics with simple log-based analytics

#67

If you take the trouble to host everyting on a stack you actually control, raw server logs and GoAccess is a highly capable and for most cases sufficient monitoring tool. I use othing but.

Same here. Nginx log + GoAccess. I actually login to the server and generate GoAccess html to check the traffic occasionally. I also anonymize ip on Nginx - that way I don't have to deal with GDPR. No cookies, js or third-party images, etc. Really see no need for anything else for a purely content based website. Then again the website is purely non-commercial for now.

Re: Show HN: I replaced Google Analytics with simple log-based analytics

#68

making your own beacon based tracking system is pretty simple, and then you have the screen sizes, time on page metrics etc.

The real power of Google Analytics is not in the tracking code, it's with the front-end interface that any non-technical product manager or marketer can use. Tracking users is easy. Allowing non-technical folks with easy-to-use analysis tools is much harder.

When I joined the startup I was on for a few years the original GA had been setup for our CEO by somebody not especially technical, he was also non technical and could never get it to do anything he wanted, for some reason it ended up with me being the techie having to make things work.

Re: Show HN: I replaced Google Analytics with simple log-based analytics

#69
post #63
post #4

> Obviously with log parsing you don’t get as much information as a JavaScript-heavy, Google Analytics-style system. There’s no screen sizes, no time-on-page metrics, etc. But that’s okay for me! This also bypasses Ad blocker. In the case you have a large percentage of technical audience (who presumably would have Ad blocker installed) this log can be way more accurate than GA. However this still requires setting up…

> This also bypasses Ad blocker GA does a good job at extrapolating your data to account for users with ad block. Obviously not perfect, but good enough for most cases.

How is this presented in the UI? I have never noticed this extrapolation.

Re: Show HN: I replaced Google Analytics with simple log-based analytics

#70
post #63
post #4

> Obviously with log parsing you don’t get as much information as a JavaScript-heavy, Google Analytics-style system. There’s no screen sizes, no time-on-page metrics, etc. But that’s okay for me! This also bypasses Ad blocker. In the case you have a large percentage of technical audience (who presumably would have Ad blocker installed) this log can be way more accurate than GA. However this still requires setting up…

> This also bypasses Ad blocker GA does a good job at extrapolating your data to account for users with ad block. Obviously not perfect, but good enough for most cases.

A proposition of what might have been true doesn't really have a place in analytics.
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