google-analytics Tracks All Of Our Webpage Visits... How To Stop It?

Discussion in 'Software' started by superstar, Jun 10, 2008.

  1. superstar

    superstar Major-Superstar

    While browsing the web, I often notice the www.google-analytics.com address appearing at the bottom left hand corner of my screen before a page loads. This happens to us all. Some may have very fast net speed and not notice the name show up before a page loads.

    I've found this information about it:

    I like my privacy I don't know about you... So how do I stop this from happening? I'm using firefox... I bet this info would be great to us all.
     
  2. Mada_Milty

    Mada_Milty MajorGeek

    Block cookies, disable scripting.......





    Stay offline??? :(

    The internet is NOT a private place by nature of its design.

    Try running

    Code:
    tracert www.majorgeeks.com
    at the command line to see how many networks your traffic has to pass through just to get to Majorgeeks.
     
  3. mcsmc

    mcsmc MajorGeek

    If you're looking for privacy, use a VPN service. They run about as much as a high quality porn site subscription per month.

    There's no way to bypass google-analytics by modifying your browser, etc. because it's server-side, NOT client-side.
     
  4. Cordialis

    Cordialis MajorGeek

  5. mcsmc

    mcsmc MajorGeek

    Regrettably, most proxy servers nowadays are simply servers owned by people that get paid to entice you into their pseudo-privacy, where in fact the pay comes from your information being sold to marketers. I'm sure there are some out there that aren't like that, but good luck coming across one (and being able to verify it).
     
  6. Cordialis

    Cordialis MajorGeek

    Well, I tend to believe you - they probably exists. IT criminals again. They are everywhere these days. Now here is an idea for an income source for Major Geeks. Safe proxy server surfing. I for one would gladly pay...
     
  7. Cordialis

    Cordialis MajorGeek

    Hmm. What about one's Google Gmail, bookmarks, Gmail notifier etc. Would such functions not be affected? Edit: I just realized that your URLs concerns other Google matters...
     
  8. Cordialis

    Cordialis MajorGeek

  9. Shadow_Puter_Dude

    Shadow_Puter_Dude MG Authorized Malware Fighter

    You can block Goggle Analytics all you want. The information collected by the Urchin is a product of how and why browsers and the internet work.

    There are far more efficient tools that will produce the same information more accurately than the Google Urchin provides.

    Personally identifiable information is not collected about individuals.

    The information collected allows website owners to see where their traffic is coming from and what is being linked to and what pages people are viewing. It also helps them identify content and band width thieves.

    As Mada has stated, the Internet by it's very nature is not private. Everything you do is traceable, back to you, proxies are not.
     
  10. Cordialis

    Cordialis MajorGeek

    You wouldn't happen to know more about (free) trust worthy proxy server sites or companies? Or was this not what you meant?
     
  11. Shadow_Puter_Dude

    Shadow_Puter_Dude MG Authorized Malware Fighter

    That's a typo. It should say proxies or not.

    Just because you are using a proxy, does not mean you are not traceable. You are still assigned an IP, and I will see that IP in my logs. You do something, illegal on a site, law enforcement will just get a court order for the IP trace, the Proxy will be required to give up the IP that was assigned that particular Proxy IP at that time, and they will continue to trace you to your ISP and get your information from them. Most often it's only a three step process. The proxy, your ISP, and then you.

    There is no such thing as anonymous on the Internet. One can have an illusion of anonymity, but one is never truly anonymous. You can make it extremely difficult to trace you, but not impossible.
     
  12. Cordialis

    Cordialis MajorGeek

    @ Shadow_Peter_Dude: Well, that would be good enough for me. I just want a fair amount of anonymity. And privacy. It is mostly the latter that is nagging me. I don't support crime. :-D
     
  13. Cordialis

    Cordialis MajorGeek

    I've been thinking about this. If sites can track me I should also be able to track them? I often wondered who left malware and odd cookies on my PC. How do I do that? How do I get some transparency and learn what sites dumps this stuff in my computer?
     
  14. Cordialis

    Cordialis MajorGeek

  15. Still Learning

    Still Learning Private First Class

    Try running

    Code:
    tracert www.majorgeeks.com
    at the command line to see how many networks your traffic has to pass through just to get to Majorgeeks.[/QUOTE]

    *I am enlightened*

    I never realized how many diffrent networks i had to go threw just to get to a website. I will have to start useing the tracert command more to learn

    also a good site to surf anonymous is the-cloak, google it i forget the exact address or TOR
     
  16. Mada_Milty

    Mada_Milty MajorGeek

    Even these are fallible, I'm afraid. The first "hop" on the list of networks generated by the tracert command is your ISP... you have to connect to them before you can go anywhere on the internet :(

    Not to mention, Tor makes internet performance near unbearable. IMO, that's not a sacrifice worthy of a marginal increase in privacy.
     
  17. Shadow_Puter_Dude

    Shadow_Puter_Dude MG Authorized Malware Fighter

    I think you misunderstand "tracking". No one is tracking you while you surf; and if they are, then you are infected. I can't track where you go on the internet once you leave my site. I can track what site you came from, if you got to my site by clicking on a link to a page on my site. If you enter the address directly into the browser address bar, I have no idea where you are coming from. However, I can track everything you view and everything you do while you are at my site, and I don't need a cookie to do that, it is a function of how and why browsers and the Internet work.
    To do that, you need to have a high level of knowledge about Operating Systems, HTML, PHP, Java Script, Visual Basic Scripting, progamming in general, Computer Forensics, Malware, and Hacking. Every site you visit that requires you to log-on places a cookie on your system. Every site you visit that serves ads, places a cookie on your system. You can block cookies, but it is going to make visiting some sites impossible. Cookies store some very basic information about you in the cookie. For example the MG site cookie stores enough information about you that it can recognize you when you visit the site. Cookies placed by adservers contain a bit more info about you. So, that the ad server can determine your geopraphical location and what ads you have viewed over a specified time period. If you live in Tampa, FL; does it really make since to show you an ad for a snow blower; when you visit a site that sells Lawn & Garden supplies.

    You want to use a proxy server or a anonymizer service then go right ahead, but that is not going to protect you from getting malware or stop cookies from being dropped onto your system. Using these type of servics add a layer between you and the site you visit and make it a little bit tougher to trace a misdeed back to the evil doer.

    If you have some really bad surfing habits, and fail to take the proper steps to protect your system and information, there is nothing that is going to stop a malicious site or person from dropping Malware onto your computer and stealing your personal information.

    I do a great deal of Malware research and visit some pretty nasty sites; and I never get infected, unless I do it deliberately.
     
  18. Bold Eagle

    Bold Eagle MajorGeek

    Personally I use NoScript to block unwanted prying sites from basically unsolicited spying on my activities and or surfing habits, but you will have to allow certain components at sites you trust to get the Java Script working properly:

    NoScript 1.6.9

    You have the peace of mind and power to only allow what sites you want! This will do exactly what you requested.
     

    Attached Files:

  19. Cordialis

    Cordialis MajorGeek

    Thanks a mill for all the fine information in here.

    This Woopra thing can track and analyse the most incredible things and a site owner can get all sorts of statistics about the users and visitors on his/her site. And it has a lot of live information also. It really is spooky this program here: http://www.woopra.com/features/
     
  20. Bold Eagle

    Bold Eagle MajorGeek

    Well like I said use NoScript and you have the power to choose. Try it out if you dont like them remove it.....personally I swear by it but importantly it shows you exactly how many sites/monitors are embedded with the one site you visit and the best of all it stops all the pop-up crap!!!!!!
     

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