Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast

Re:Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast by andrewstuart2 on Thursday February 25, 2021 @11:08AM (#26264344)

I'm totally on board with not obsessing over user behavior or tweaking unrelated things in hopes of a revenue boost, but I prefer the scientific approach, which means I still want metrics. I'd like to know when I make a product change whether that improves the number of people who see my product and stick around versus seeing and leaving.

I don't have anything live that uses Google Analytics but I've used it once or twice in the past, and the primary thing they got right is that it's just so dang easy, and I'm almost guaranteed to have the data I want. I'd so much rather support an open source product that does the same, though.

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Re:Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast by statstutor on Thursday February 25, 2021 @07:54PM (#26270341)

I have a rule that I only collect data:

- if it is immediately and directly useful to my primary goals (the goals come before the data), and,

- if I'm confident in advance that the results will have some statistical power (so, A/B testing colour schemes is out), and,

- if I have planned in advance what the business consequence of the data analysis is.

Having any more numbers than that just creates obsession. Aren't we all posting comments here, looking for validation from the upvote counter?

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