---
title: "Removing Google Analytics from this blog"
date: 2015-09-25T12:30:25-07:00
date_display: September 25, 2015
...

There was a lengthy discussion about Peace and ad-blocking in [Accidental Tech Podcast Episode 136](http://atp.fm/episodes/136). There were many lessons to learn from the story; as a side effect, it also made me reconsider Google Analytics on this blog.

I've been a user of ad-blocking for years and have little to no moral burden.[^1][^2] I do hate being tracked online, even by Google (to whom I entrust so much of my personal information), although it's certainly better (I believe) than the host of shadier ad networks out there. Given this, why should I force something even I hate down my visitors' throats? Google Analytics is nice at telling me how many page views I got and where they came from, and I don't earn any money from it so I shouldn't feel guilty, but (1) it does install a tracker, and (2) I care very little about traffic anyway.

At this point the decision is pretty clear. I'm simply removing Google Analytics from this blog. This makes the blog entirely cookie-free and JS-free (except for the very occasional JS embed).

[^1]: I do try to support websites I frequent, e.g., through [Ars Premier](https://arstechnica.com/subscriptions/).

[^2]: Although it's easy to be a user of ad-blocking, I fully understand the moral (or even legal) burden of being the developer of an ad-blocker, let alone being the "face" of the ad-blocking industry; therefore, I understand and respect Marco's decision of pulling Peace.