Comments on: The Google Analytics opt-out hype http://www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/03/19/the-google-analytics-opt-out-hype/ Thu, 17 May 2012 13:37:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Georgia Feickert http://www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/03/19/the-google-analytics-opt-out-hype/#comment-31587 Georgia Feickert Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:46:59 +0000 http://www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/03/19/the-google-analytics-opt-out-hype/#comment-31587 It’s arduous to search out educated people on this subject, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks It’s arduous to search out educated people on this subject, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks

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]]> By: Drisko http://www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/03/19/the-google-analytics-opt-out-hype/#comment-30320 Drisko Sun, 15 May 2011 19:46:05 +0000 http://www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/03/19/the-google-analytics-opt-out-hype/#comment-30320 great share great share

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]]> By: calcula tu nomina 2011 http://www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/03/19/the-google-analytics-opt-out-hype/#comment-29557 calcula tu nomina 2011 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:04:27 +0000 http://www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/03/19/the-google-analytics-opt-out-hype/#comment-29557 <strong>[...] Para leer artículo relacionado aquí: [...]...</strong> ... […] Para leer artículo relacionado aquí: […]…

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]]> By: Richard Catto http://www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/03/19/the-google-analytics-opt-out-hype/#comment-26400 Richard Catto Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:39:38 +0000 http://www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/03/19/the-google-analytics-opt-out-hype/#comment-26400 You're right. Google Analytics is about tracking trends not about tracking every person. Still, if their opt-out plugin became popular and Analytics only tracked a fraction of visitors, it would make it less accurate and therefore less useful. It's a paradoxical situation. Btw your article is duplicated and you spell "lose" as "loose". You’re right. Google Analytics is about tracking trends not about tracking every person. Still, if their opt-out plugin became popular and Analytics only tracked a fraction of visitors, it would make it less accurate and therefore less useful. It’s a paradoxical situation.

Btw your article is duplicated and you spell “lose” as “loose”.

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]]> By: Twitter Trackbacks for Tech Leader » Antonio Petra » The Google Analytics opt-out hype [techleader.co.za] on Topsy.com http://www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/03/19/the-google-analytics-opt-out-hype/#comment-26396 Twitter Trackbacks for Tech Leader » Antonio Petra » The Google Analytics opt-out hype [techleader.co.za] on Topsy.com Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:38:12 +0000 http://www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/03/19/the-google-analytics-opt-out-hype/#comment-26396 [...] Tech Leader » Antonio Petra » The Google Analytics opt-out hype www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/ – view page – cached The announcement on the Google Analytics blog More choice for users: browser-based opt-out for Google Analytics on the way is already creating a lot of hype. Questions are being asked about how wise it is a move for Google Analytics, with some even suggesting that it will bring about its downfall. The implication is that this is a gesture of good faith by Google based on the criticism they have... Read moreThe announcement on the Google Analytics blog More choice for users: browser-based opt-out for Google Analytics on the way is already creating a lot of hype. Questions are being asked about how wise it is a move for Google Analytics, with some even suggesting that it will bring about its downfall. The implication is that this is a gesture of good faith by Google based on the criticism they have received recently about their approach to privacy highlighted with the launch of Google Buzz. View page Filter tweets [...] […] Tech Leader » Antonio Petra » The Google Analytics opt-out hype www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/ – view page – cached The announcement on the Google Analytics blog More choice for users: browser-based opt-out for Google Analytics on the way is already creating a lot of hype. Questions are being asked about how wise it is a move for Google Analytics, with some even suggesting that it will bring about its downfall. The implication is that this is a gesture of good faith by Google based on the criticism they have… Read moreThe announcement on the Google Analytics blog More choice for users: browser-based opt-out for Google Analytics on the way is already creating a lot of hype. Questions are being asked about how wise it is a move for Google Analytics, with some even suggesting that it will bring about its downfall. The implication is that this is a gesture of good faith by Google based on the criticism they have received recently about their approach to privacy highlighted with the launch of Google Buzz. View page Filter tweets […]

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]]> By: uberVU - social comments http://www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/03/19/the-google-analytics-opt-out-hype/#comment-26385 uberVU - social comments Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:25:04 +0000 http://www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/03/19/the-google-analytics-opt-out-hype/#comment-26385 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by mgtechleader: The Google Analytics opt-out hype http://tinyurl.com/yza9qlm... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by mgtechleader: The Google Analytics opt-out hype http://tinyurl.com/yza9qlm…

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]]> By: Brian Clifton http://www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/03/19/the-google-analytics-opt-out-hype/#comment-26382 Brian Clifton Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:49:00 +0000 http://www.techleader.co.za/antoniopetra/2010/03/19/the-google-analytics-opt-out-hype/#comment-26382 Nice worded article Antonio Its important to bear in mind that it is the website owner that conducts the tracking - Google is simply the tool used to facilitate this. In the same way the driver of a car is responsible for his/her actions when driving - not the car manufacturer. If visitors loose trust in website owners to the point that they no longer wish to be tracked, then so be it. Google has pushed hard to protect privacy with GA's approach on "aggregate and anonymous" data reporting. This stance has been to G's detriment in some respects with many an "industry analyst" and competitor sneering at that fact - as if it was some kind of technical limitation. Also, website visitors want to control their privacy - regardless of geographics or culture. Pernicious techniques such as the use of tracking by stealth - using Flash shared objects - has removed that control. In my view the combined effect of tracking individuals and using stealth techniques has severely damaged the "trust factor" visitors want. By association, it's damaged ALL vendors in the WA industry. Whether that damage has, or will, reach a critical mass to the point where web analytics numbers become a finger in the air guestimate, is yet to be seen. What can be done? --------------- Google's approach, as is Yahoo's, is to put the control of tracking in the hands of the end user when Yahoo/GA is being used. This has to be a good thing. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if such a measure is adopted as data-protection law in many countries. Its also the responsibility of us - as practitioners, vendor owners, bloggers and WAA members to promote best practice for data collection and management. I would love to see a code of conduct on this from the WAA as a condition of membership... As an aside - a further thinking from Google on this could be to stiffle the propoganda from the China "google-gate" fall out i.e. that Google operates in the same way China does by deploying tools to monitor user activity on the web. Clearly these are two very different things, but to the layman its easy to think that China has a point! Best regards, Brian Clifton Author, Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics Nice worded article Antonio

Its important to bear in mind that it is the website owner that conducts the tracking - Google is simply the tool used to facilitate this. In the same way the driver of a car is responsible for his/her actions when driving - not the car manufacturer.

If visitors loose trust in website owners to the point that they no longer wish to be tracked, then so be it.

Google has pushed hard to protect privacy with GA’s approach on “aggregate and anonymous” data reporting. This stance has been to G’s detriment in some respects with many an “industry analyst” and competitor sneering at that fact - as if it was some kind of technical limitation.

Also, website visitors want to control their privacy - regardless of geographics or culture. Pernicious techniques such as the use of tracking by stealth - using Flash shared objects - has removed that control.

In my view the combined effect of tracking individuals and using stealth techniques has severely damaged the “trust factor” visitors want. By association, it’s damaged ALL vendors in the WA industry.

Whether that damage has, or will, reach a critical mass to the point where web analytics numbers become a finger in the air guestimate, is yet to be seen.

What can be done?
—————

Google’s approach, as is Yahoo’s, is to put the control of tracking in the hands of the end user when Yahoo/GA is being used. This has to be a good thing. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if such a measure is adopted as data-protection law in many countries.

Its also the responsibility of us - as practitioners, vendor owners, bloggers and WAA members to promote best practice for data collection and management. I would love to see a code of conduct on this from the WAA as a condition of membership…

As an aside - a further thinking from Google on this could be to stiffle the propoganda from the China “google-gate” fall out i.e. that Google operates in the same way China does by deploying tools to monitor user activity on the web. Clearly these are two very different things, but to the layman its easy to think that China has a point!

Best regards, Brian Clifton
Author, Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics

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