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CCat
We're all quite mad here
MVM
join:2005-12-06
Wonderland

CCat

MVM

NoScript/Google Analytics

I see this on various pages/sites. In NoScript there is an option to allow/disallow Google Analytics. Can someone tell me what that is and is it better to allow it or not.

Lanik
Lab-nik

join:2001-06-25
San Francisco, CA

Lanik

Against what some may believe Google Analytics isn't that bad. Allows web masters to gather information as to who visits their web site. There are other software applications that do this too such as WebAlizer and AWStats. As far as the information submitted that's a long subject and to be honest I don't use their product so I couldn't tell you. Do what I do, block them and if you encounter any issues just allow them temporarily, if need be. I haven't encountered any issues and any need to enable it yet.

YMMV.

CCat
We're all quite mad here
MVM
join:2005-12-06
Wonderland

CCat

MVM

Thanks

Grail Knight

Premium Member
join:2003-05-31
Valhalla

Grail Knight to Lanik

Premium Member

to Lanik
quote:
Against what some may believe Google Analytics isn't that bad.
There is one who believes Google Analytics are the handiwork of the devil.

So are wireless routers, portable phones, debit cards, anyone who questions it, anyone who expects answers to questions, humans, small children, etc...

rick752
Premium Member
join:2006-01-27
New York

3 edits

1 recommendation

rick752 to CCat

Premium Member

to CCat
Google Analytics is Google's way of tracking most everything you do all across the web. It is also used for targeting their advertising to you based on that collected info.

If you don't mind google gathering info on a lot of things you are doing on the internet, then there really is no problem. I personally don't think it's anyone's business what I do but mine.

Lanik
Lab-nik

join:2001-06-25
San Francisco, CA

1 edit

Lanik

Looks like web stats of some sort to me:

said by »www.google.com/analytics ··· rovision :
Use Google Analytics to learn which online marketing initiatives are cost effective and see how visitors actually interact with your site. Make informed site design improvements, drive targeted traffic, and increase your conversions and profits.

CCat
We're all quite mad here
MVM
join:2005-12-06
Wonderland

CCat

MVM

Aha...The plot thickens. Ill ask George what he thinks!

rick752
Premium Member
join:2006-01-27
New York

1 edit

rick752 to Lanik

Premium Member

to Lanik
Google uses this free tool on many, MANY sites all over the world (in conjunction with Adsense too) to built THEIR OWN giant database that tracks users from site to site via a unique identifier. To me this is outright privacy invasion.

Think about this:
There will be (or are already I think) instances where these records can be used against you. What if a credit card company uses this info for a check on you .. only to find that you have been visiting loan consolidation companies or bankruptcy sites. What if you are trying to get health or life insurance and you have been found to be search health symptoms or cancer sites? Once your identifier is figured out, most everywhere you have ever visited can be brought up in these tracking databases.
I don't care like this idea at all and find this privacy invasion of the highest degree.

Lanik
Lab-nik

join:2001-06-25
San Francisco, CA

Lanik

Rick,

Don't get me wrong I hate it no more then the next guy. I just rather know more about it aside from its a good idea to block it. I like my Google tamed and this sounds like something I don't like having around. I block their cookies and scripts as well.

rick752
Premium Member
join:2006-01-27
New York

1 edit

rick752

Premium Member

There is something else that always bothers me about Google ... Why would a tracking company make a toolbar that blocks their own tracking script?

I wonder if this if a false sense of stopping Google's tracking? I just have this feeling that although the Google Toolbar may stop Google Analytics on sites where that script exists, installing the Toolbar itself may actually send tracking from ALL sites visited directly to Google via the toolbar itself ... hence tracking EVERYWHERE you go on your browser and not just where Google Analytics is found.

Think about it.

nwrickert
Mod
join:2004-09-04
Geneva, IL

nwrickert to CCat

Mod

to CCat
I just blocked it in noscript. That way the it no longer is listed on the noscript line.

Keep in mind that this only prevents the javascript running. It doesn't prevent access to the site.

rick752
Premium Member
join:2006-01-27
New York

2 edits

1 recommendation

rick752

Premium Member

Well fortunately for me, I keep all of this google tracking stuff blocked (and many others) in my Tracking Filter subscription for Adblock Plus.

None of these tracking/analysis sites aren't going to know sh_t about me or any of my subscribers if I can help it

Lanik
Lab-nik

join:2001-06-25
San Francisco, CA

Lanik to rick752

to rick752
It makes sense but I don't use Google Toolbar and despise it actually it can be more problems then its worth, I was talking about CustomizeGoogle extension: »www.customizegoogle.com and »addons.mozilla.org/en-US ··· ddon/743
Lanik

Lanik to nwrickert

to nwrickert
said by nwrickert:

Keep in mind that this only prevents the javascript running. It doesn't prevent access to the site.
That's a good point but doesn't it also block the tracking script from executing, thus making it non-effective?

rick752
Premium Member
join:2006-01-27
New York

rick752 to Lanik

Premium Member

to Lanik
Oh, sorry lanik. I thought that was the google toolbar that did that ... I have never used either.

Do you know that the google logo that is used in the code that puts the google search box on your site also tracks users? So it isn't just script that collects info (even thought the amount of info collected is diminished with an image).

Lanik
Lab-nik

join:2001-06-25
San Francisco, CA

Lanik

No I didn't know all that. CustomizeGoogle is a good way to make sure you're not tracked by Google. Just another thing I lay on top of whatever else I have blocking it including your filters. I figure one of those 3 things is bound to catch something.

rick752
Premium Member
join:2006-01-27
New York

1 edit

1 recommendation

rick752 to CCat

Premium Member

to CCat
As long a we are talking about this, I'll let you in on a few tracking facts:
1. ANY image is capable of setting a cookie and receiving info that you visited that site.
2. Any image from another third-party site on that site is also capable of setting a cookie and receiving info that you visited that site.
3. Any image can be coded to execute as a script to gather info ... either first or 3rd-party. These are recognized by the browser as images and not script. These types of image/scripts are known as "web bugs". It is an image that has ?extra code that executes through the server of the domain the image is served from.
4. Web bugs can be exploited through html "noscript" tags ... when javascript is inactive (also when using the NoScript extension), the web bug image code will initiate instead.

So you see, scripting is not the only problem. ANY image can send tracking info to the address it is served from. The ABP Tracking Filter is full of them.

Hope this shines a little light.
rick752

4 edits

rick752 to Lanik

Premium Member

to Lanik
The EasyList and the Tracking Filter do a very good job of shutting down most of google's tracking abilities.

They probably already know what places I am looking at and where I live when I set 'pins' and an ID for locations when I use Google Earth

Keep thinking about this stuff ... you think no one knows what you are doing on the web?

Lanik
Lab-nik

join:2001-06-25
San Francisco, CA

Lanik to rick752

to rick752
Thanks I wasn't quite sure what "Web Bugs" were, NoScript however does protect you from it.

»/r0/do ··· shot.png

Look right under what I have circled.

CCat
We're all quite mad here
MVM
join:2005-12-06
Wonderland

1 recommendation

CCat

MVM

I have all 3 of your filter sets installed, should cut down on a lot of it.

rick752
Premium Member
join:2006-01-27
New York

4 edits

rick752 to Lanik

Premium Member

to Lanik
Yes. A web bug is an image that contains executable code in the address. It doesn't have to be in noscript tags .... it was just exploited in those when javascript is inactive. The server used those to still track when users were using the NoScript extension. Another EasyList Forum member and I actually discovered NoScript's noscript exploit and passed it on to Georgio who added that option in NoScript.

ABP shows web bugs pretty good. It is usually defined as an IMAGE in ABP's TYPES ... but is usually followed by a "?" and some scripting code. Many times it is contained on one of those invisible 1x1 gifs but doesn't necessarily need to use an extension at all.
rick752

1 edit

rick752 to CCat

Premium Member

to CCat
said by CCat:

I have all 3 of your filter sets installed, should cut down on a lot of it.
It does, CCat. I HATE trackers and so-called "web analysis" code. They are always marketed under the ruse of helping the user receive "more targeted advertising". Jeez, who needs more of that!
rick752

rick752 to CCat

Premium Member

to CCat
Here is a recent article from the New York Times that discusses this exact topic:
»www.nytimes.com/2008/03/ ··· acy.html

Here are the Slashdot comments from that same article:
»yro.slashdot.org/article ··· /1357228

IMHO, this article only scratches the surface of the evilness of this topic ... but you'll get the idea.

Both the article and the Slashdot community's comments are great reading if you haven't seen them yet.

CCat
We're all quite mad here
MVM
join:2005-12-06
Wonderland

1 edit

CCat

MVM

N/M

Unknown_Poster
@verizon.net

Unknown_Poster to rick752

Anon

to rick752
said by rick752:

Google Analytics is Google's way of tracking most everything you do all across the web. It is also used for targeting their advertising to you based on that collected info.

If you don't mind google gathering info on a lot of things you are doing on the internet, then there really is no problem. I personally don't think it's anyone's business what I do but mine.
Bingo.
said by Grail Knight:

There is one who believes Google Analytics are the handiwork of the devil. . . .
It may not be 'the handiwork of the devil', but it can still go pound sand, imo.

I've got something *right here* it can analyze-- let it send a little 'targeted advertising' to *this*, if you catch my drift.