I despise Google and what they became and so should you.
Maybe my 10 visits a day webpage is an anomaly, and I’m truly the only one not using Google analytics - Still, don’t pretend Google analytics is used by everyone.
For our podcast we specifically set up Plausible to exclude Google
analytics. Rather little of value to be gained or lost either way, but
it's a matter of conscience and politeness to our users. Sadly we
had to put in links to other big-tech application platforms, but those
are links to click out of choice if you're a user of those services.
This is always the problem when interacting with the corporate internet. I have a Shopify store on my website where my readers can buy mugs and t-shirts to support me(not that anyone is lol). Lord knows what goes on in there.
I hope someone reinvents the services we take for granted with a focus on privacy.
> I despise Google and what they became and so should you
It's a bit laughable to talk about despising a company over this stuff. We're not talking about an evil regime, or even Nestle for what they did with breast milk in Africa. It's so over the top.
Should they instead invest time and public money into solving simple product problems (“how many times was this thing looked at?”) in a way that can be understood by the average desk worker? When that problem is well met by the private sector?
> Should they instead invest time and public money into solving simple
product problems ... when that problem is well met by the private
sector?
I think the answer is yes, and in my earlier post said I'd actually be
happy to give more money for government projects that protect peoples'
privacy better. For me the problem is not "well met by the private
sector" because that solution imposes a hidden externality upon the
public end-users. Part of the price we pay is leaking of our data to
a non-national private company.
I'm not sure using Google Analytics qualifies as an "externality" but even if it does the UK government has proven time and time again it doesn't give a damn about anyone's privacy, so what makes you think any in-house version would be any better for privacy? Because it would certainly be worse from a technical standpoint.
> what makes you think any in-house version would be any better for
privacy?
Well, it's a personal value judgement what is "better" of course, but
for me being British, I see my government as having some legitimate
interest in what I am doing, especially when transacting with them.
On the other hand, a gargantuan for-profit American corporation that
enriches it's shareholders and was once run by Eric Schmidt, whose
legendary face-palm gaffes buried "Don't be Evil" under a smoking heap
of sulphurous brimstone....
"We know where you are. We know where you’ve been. We can more or
less know what you’re thinking about"
No thanks!
My government may be a sneaky bunch of bastards, but so far they've
had the good manners not to openly show utter contempt for privacy.
Yes, we should. In fact, I believe every unit of governance of human society (read: nation) should be as independent as possible in every area necessary for its functioning. This means every nation should be completely independent in all of the technology it uses. This is obviously impossible. Not every nation even has the required raw resources, energy input or workforce. So no point in even trying. Luckily, all of this unfathomable monument and mess of concrete and asphalt and silicon which is called global human civilization has not even 50 years left to its total collapse. But oh, wait a minute, let me open the door... This must be your new FPV drone from China, son! Came fast, isn't it? It has only been one week...
A lot of people use google analytics for no logical reason what soever though.
Typical use case for a small to medium website seems to be a list of most visited pages.
That's a perfectly logical reason to use GA. As long as HTTP servers don't have a built-in UI for analytics, people will continue to use GA (with server side Measurement Protocol for counting hits from people with adblockers) for that use case.
I despise Google and what they became and so should you.
Maybe my 10 visits a day webpage is an anomaly, and I’m truly the only one not using Google analytics - Still, don’t pretend Google analytics is used by everyone.