Why block google analytics?

Post by **nilesh** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 2:53 am

One suggestion/question:
Why google analytics is blocked (by default when you subscribe to easy list)? It is not an ad. Infact, it is a very useful tool for website owners, and is in no way an inconvenience to the end user.
In my opinion, google-analytics should not be blocked. Its an unobstrusive script.

thanks
Nilesh

Post by **rick752** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 3:06 am

nilesh wrote:One suggestion/question:
Why google analytics is blocked (by default when you subscribe to easy list)? It is not an ad. Infact, it is a very useful tool for website owners, and is in no way an inconvenience to the end user.
In my opinion, google-analytics should not be blocked. Its an unobstrusive script.

thanks
Nilesh

I realize that it is helpful to webmasters and I am not against blocking anyones stats. I do not want to deny anyone the ability to see who comes into their site and where they go. I have not purposely blocked a site's personal stats if they are only served thru them.

What I DO object to is the tracking of my surfing by a marketing company across the internet to gather information about what I'm doing and where I am going solely for the purpose of targeting ads to me.

Some might call it "marketing analysis" ... I call it SPYWARE!

Post by **The Masked Marauder** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 4:39 pm

I'll second that. I don't like companies "peeking over my shoulder" when I'm surfing the web, especially when they don't bother to ask my permission first.

Post by **Sheepy** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:17 am

I think I tend towards not blocking it. If Google Analytics is being blocked en masse by a popular plugin for a specific browser, the reported porportion of that particular browser is likely to be less then what it deserves. I am not entirely sure I want this.

But then, I don't really like being traced even if it is Google. I would have its cookie erased on browser close if I were not using its services.

And I block quite some web stat in my own list, too, which makes me wonder whether I have really think about it. Apparently no.

Post by **IceDogg** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:53 pm

I vote for blocking it too. I don't care what the site is I just don't feel like I should allow them to track, trace, or advertise to me just because I VISIT their site. If they feel it's required so be it block me and I won't be back end of story. Google is doing ok without my info.. trust me.

Post by **Peng** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 4:29 am

nilesh wrote:One suggestion/question:
Why google analytics is blocked (by default when you subscribe to easy list)? It is not an ad. Infact, it is a very useful tool for website owners, and is in no way an inconvenience to the end user.
In my opinion, google-analytics should not be blocked. Its an unobstrusive script.

Nope, having 15 dozen _utm* cookies in my carefully-pruned cookies list isn't an inconvenience at all......

Post by **Wladimir Palant** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 6:56 pm

I think that blocking anything other than ads should be an opt-in thing. In the end webmasters (and not only them) need their statistics and not everybody is so much concerned about it.

Post by **rick752** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 9:15 pm

Boy, this is getting tough.
I'm getting a 50/50 feel from users for blocking/not blocking these. Maybe I should just stick to out-and-out advertising and leave the 'market analysis" blocks out of the filters. I only have about half a dozen of them in there anyway.

Doing this would 'lighten' the filter and also NOT cause the "Smith College" link false-positive using *.webtrendslive.* (which, btw, I just removed) ... right Wladimir?

Post by **Wladimir Palant** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 9:31 pm

My plan for the big filter database (which, I hope, we are still going to make

) was to have several categories - like ads, stat scripts and element hiding - and let the user choose which ones he actually wants to subscribe to.

Post by **rick752** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 9:37 pm

So, Wladimir

Do you think that ABP is at the point where it could easily handle a large database of that magnitude now?

And what about older machines and memory requirements? Would those factors play in or are they irrelevant?

(just questions)

Post by **Wladimir Palant** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 10:32 pm

The thing that worries me most is the startup delay right now. Other than that we are fine - 5000 filters are absolutely no problem. I think I have a solution to the startup issue but this will take some time to be implemented. Meanwhile we can already start I think (we won't get thousands of filters overnight).

Post by **rick752** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:13 am

I have removed some of the stats/tracking blocks for now.

Those could go right back in to the filters if this article has any truth to its prediction:
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6131472.html

.... I will be watching

Post by **Bad Brad** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 5:03 am

Wladimir Palant wrote:... anything other than ads should be an opt-in thing. In the end webmasters (and not only them) need their statistics ...

I agree.

That said, I suspect Google Analytics goes way beyond helping the "little gal" figure out which end of her website is up...

I would choose to block Google Analytics!

Brad

Post by **IceDogg** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 1:28 pm

Rick, could you list the ones your removed so I can add them to my personal list please. Thanks.

PS. Might be a good idea to have a place where you list added/removed filters for ones that liked them and had no issues with them. Just a thought.

Post by **The Masked Marauder** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 2:22 pm

Bad Brad wrote:That said, I suspect Google Analytics goes way beyond helping the "little gal" figure out which end of her website is up...

I would choose to block Google Analytics!

I'll second that opinion. Here's what Google itself has to say about it:

Google Analytics is one way we invest in our advertisers and everyone else who wants to create quality content on the web. With Google Analytics, you can get started today creating targeted, ROI-driven marketing campaigns and improving your site design and content.
http://www.google.com/analytics/

Its primary function is advertising-related, even though it can be used for other purposes. If I can block a tool that web sites use to hone their ads, then I'm all for it.

Post by **rick752** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:20 pm

Discussion continued in *PRIVATE*

Post by **rick752** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 5:32 am

After some deliberation and a little research, I have decided to KEEP certain "marketing analysis" strings in the list. The previously released strings have now been returned.

Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 1:00 am

Thank god for that!

Post by **Bad Brad** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:40 am

A wise decision, indeed!

Post by **Sheepy** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 3:07 am

I recently finished an old game "Dex Ex 2: Invisible War", in it the protagonist was being tracked by someone.
When the protagonist complains of it, the reply is "your concept of privacy is outdated", that privacy is an illusion that inhabit people from sharing themselves and connect with each other, and that a new generation grown up in the lack of privacy will have no problem with it.

The first statement is not relevant to our age, the second I have reservation, but the last I'm certain holds some truth. It's happening right in my doorstep.

Post by **IceDogg** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 5:11 am

I hear ya Sheepy, happening everywhere really. Sad I think. All under the name of security. Funny I always thought of privacy as the first line of defense in security. Things sure have changed.. guess that means they won.

at least to some degree.

Post by **rick752** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:34 am

I thought that I would post the final resolution here seeing that this post is linked from a couple of other sites.

This is my final decision:

All major 'tracking' filters have been removed from the EasyList subscription and have been added to a new subscription called the "ABP Tracking Filter" subscription.
This allows users to choose whether to block the major tracking sites or not simply by adding another small subscription (the easylist no longer contains these). This subscription will only be quietly marketed and may contain additions from other filter-makers to relieve them of these filters and the 'burden' of controversial conversations like this.

You can install the ABP Tracking Filter easily here:
http://easylist.adblockplus.org

EasyList Forum