I think this is not so great idea. On one hand there's more privacy ( not so much...we can't identify anyone using Analytics ) on the other hand this might make Analytics useless.
How crazy - more choice for web browsers, less reliable data for analytics users.
Considering the most important information is sent to and can be logged by your web servers, this seems pretty pointless and will become a reason not to use Google analytics. Everyone will eventually start using other means of tracking their users and Google will no longer be able to analyse web traffic, serve the most targeted ads and make money in the same way it has before.
99% of the time the data is used to enhance your browsing experience so its only the users that will suffer.
I now see no reason to use Google Analytics now, as I can't trust my numbers. I guess I will now have to really solely on data provided by my domain host.
This doesn't make any sense. The data is already anonymouse and can only be viewed by website owner to track site performance. Where is the privacy issue??? Also this same data is logged at the website server so you are not hiding anything.
You are making a great analytics tool less acurate therefore less useful.
I've been doing this for years with FireFox and AdBlock Plus. Oddly enough, I trust that combination to completely prevent information harvesting much more than I trust a tool from Google which purports to do the same.
I agree with the useless situation. Because if users can opt-out of it, then the statistics shown in Google Analytics will be fake, not showing up everything you want to know to improve your website content..
After installing this and preventing the sites I visit that depend upon my traffic metrics to survive/make money from knowing I (anonymously!) ever visited, I think I'll start carrying a can of mace to spray at anybody who even glances at me on the subway. My privacy is too important. Thanks Google for setting the bar! I'm sure Zuckerberg thanks you too.
So why should a site owner bother using Google Analytics now? This is a cynical ploy by Google for good PR, since GA does not reveal any personal info to the site owner, while all of Google's other tracking (in search, adsense, etc) is much more likely to get tied to individuals and compromise their privacy.
Google - if you really care about privacy, make this tool opt a person out of ALL Google tracking including IP number association with all searches (within minutes of completing the search if you feel that IP will give user better custom results at time of search).
What is Google doing here? As my Analytics Data is slowly but surely useless! As one can immediately estimate the number of users, is perhaps more accurately!
I had to double check that it wasn't April 1st when hearing this news.
We all know that Google have taken a bit of a hammering regarding privacy recently in the browser wars & was guilty of retaining personal data from their street view outings.
However, is this really an answer, this seems to be a knee jerk - PR friendly action.
If we cannot trust Google analytics data as being accurate then we are encouraged to purchase other paid third party solutions.
great PR for PC. Now if the same people who made this decision could use their influence to promote the recycling of old websites. We've gotta do something since they take up so much landfill space. You know what they say, "a frivolous decision is better than no decision." This reminds me that this generation was not around during the "new coke" strategy. How much more perfectly does the wheel need to roll? Do the higher ups make decisions just to justify their existence? What's wrong with enjoying the ride as it exist?
I think Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on should have been released a long time ago. Good that it has come now and I am sure a lot of internet users are going to use it. Visit my blog - Techchai.com to read some more interesting facts.
A few folks on this thread expressed concern about Google Analytics accuracy suffering as a result of the new opt-out. And I wanted to give everyone a few more details because we fully believe our reports will continue to offer the same level of value and accuracy our users have come to expect.
Though we don't know how many people will eventually opt-out, if you compare this with similar features I think it's safe to assume only a miniscule fraction of users will probably choose to do so. One example is our Ads Preferences Manager. Of the millions and millions of users, we’ve seen maybe tens of thousands of users visit the site every week. And of those select users, only 1 person out of 15 who visit actually opts out.
We want to provide users with the option to opt-out where appropriate, but we will still work to ensure Google Analytics remains the best product it can be.
For those that are interested, here's an interesting blog that offers some additional commentary.
Do that for Adsense First!!!
ReplyDeleteInteresting step for privacy. I'm assuming this doesn't opt you out of Google monitoring your browsing habits.
ReplyDeleteWell... I think that first comment says it all.
ReplyDeleteOr just block www.google-analytics.com and google-analytics.com using your hosts file.
ReplyDeleteSee: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_file
Wont accuracy suffer?
ReplyDeleteWhy do we have to install something to disable something else?
ReplyDeleteWhy not just use cookie to disable tracking like http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp ?
I think this is a great ideia to prevent some evil countries from monitores the web in a evil-non-Google way.
ReplyDeleteThis now makes google analytics useless.. If we are unable to trust the figures and use them why bother?
ReplyDeleteI can see many people finding a different method / using inbuilt methods now instead of google analytics.
This is good. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI think this is not so great idea. On one hand there's more privacy ( not so much...we can't identify anyone using Analytics ) on the other hand this might make Analytics useless.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow crazy - more choice for web browsers, less reliable data for analytics users.
ReplyDeleteConsidering the most important information is sent to and can be logged by your web servers, this seems pretty pointless and will become a reason not to use Google analytics. Everyone will eventually start using other means of tracking their users and Google will no longer be able to analyse web traffic, serve the most targeted ads and make money in the same way it has before.
99% of the time the data is used to enhance your browsing experience so its only the users that will suffer.
Why spend resources and time on this.. I dont see any good reason to do this, but I see a couple bad.
ReplyDeleteI now see no reason to use Google Analytics now, as I can't trust my numbers. I guess I will now have to really solely on data provided by my domain host.
ReplyDeleteAgreed... not seeing a good reason to use analytics now. The road to hell is paved eith Good intentions. Like this
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't make any sense. The data is already anonymouse and can only be viewed by website owner to track site performance. Where is the privacy issue??? Also this same data is logged at the website server so you are not hiding anything.
ReplyDeleteYou are making a great analytics tool less acurate therefore less useful.
I've been doing this for years with FireFox and AdBlock Plus. Oddly enough, I trust that combination to completely prevent information harvesting much more than I trust a tool from Google which purports to do the same.
ReplyDeleteThis is the stupidest idea. This is what we get when we push the "privacy" issue too far. Google has just rendered Analytics useless.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree. The first comment says it all.
I agree with the useless situation. Because if users can opt-out of it, then the statistics shown in Google Analytics will be fake, not showing up everything you want to know to improve your website content..
ReplyDeleteIndex this site
ReplyDeletehttp://kosanya.wordpress.com/
After installing this and preventing the sites I visit that depend upon my traffic metrics to survive/make money from knowing I (anonymously!) ever visited, I think I'll start carrying a can of mace to spray at anybody who even glances at me on the subway. My privacy is too important. Thanks Google for setting the bar! I'm sure Zuckerberg thanks you too.
ReplyDeleteSo why should a site owner bother using Google Analytics now? This is a cynical ploy by Google for good PR, since GA does not reveal any personal info to the site owner, while all of Google's other tracking (in search, adsense, etc) is much more likely to get tied to individuals and compromise their privacy.
ReplyDeleteGoogle - if you really care about privacy, make this tool opt a person out of ALL Google tracking including IP number association with all searches (within minutes of completing the search if you feel that IP will give user better custom results at time of search).
Completely terrible move. Woopra is starting to look really good.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Google doing here? As my Analytics Data is slowly but surely useless! As one can immediately estimate the number of users, is perhaps more accurately!
ReplyDeleteI had to double check that it wasn't April 1st when hearing this news.
ReplyDeleteWe all know that Google have taken a bit of a hammering regarding privacy recently in the browser wars & was guilty of retaining personal data from their street view outings.
However, is this really an answer, this seems to be a knee jerk - PR friendly action.
If we cannot trust Google analytics data as being accurate then we are encouraged to purchase other paid third party solutions.
lets hope this just stays in Beta.
great PR for PC. Now if the same people who made this decision could use their influence to promote the recycling of old websites. We've gotta do something since they take up so much landfill space. You know what they say, "a frivolous decision is better than no decision." This reminds me that this generation was not around during the "new coke" strategy. How much more perfectly does the wheel need to roll? Do the higher ups make decisions just to justify their existence? What's wrong with enjoying the ride as it exist?
ReplyDeleteI think this plug-in is part of global domination. It will get the data directly from your browsers to Skynet Ser..., I mean, Google Servers.
ReplyDeleteI think Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on should have been released a long time ago. Good that it has come now and I am sure a lot of internet users are going to use it. Visit my blog - Techchai.com to read some more interesting facts.
ReplyDeleteHi all,
ReplyDeleteA few folks on this thread expressed concern about Google Analytics accuracy suffering as a result of the new opt-out. And I wanted to give everyone a few more details because we fully believe our reports will continue to offer the same level of value and accuracy our users have come to expect.
Though we don't know how many people will eventually opt-out, if you compare this with similar features I think it's safe to assume only a miniscule fraction of users will probably choose to do so. One example is our Ads Preferences Manager. Of the millions and millions of users, we’ve seen maybe tens of thousands of users visit the site every week. And of those select users, only 1 person out of 15 who visit actually opts out.
We want to provide users with the option to opt-out where appropriate, but we will still work to ensure Google Analytics remains the best product it can be.
For those that are interested, here's an interesting blog that offers some additional commentary.
-Brian Richardson, Google
Dear Brian,
ReplyDeletethe link to Ads Preferences Manager dosen't work. Please, can you fix it?
Thank you.