Ok DU Knowledge Whizzes, Who Can Tell Me More About Google-Analytics.Com?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

I notice threads I click on in DU now send my click to google-analytics.com. I tried to read up on it but the info is vague at best. If it's one thing DU is indispensable for it is the plethora of knowledge its members have. Can anyone tell me more about what this service does or how it works?

Thanks.

[TOhioLiberal]

1. I believe...

...it has to do with the google ads.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

3. Ahhhhh Ok, So Each Thread I Click, It Sends The Ads That Were Viewed

within that page then? That makes sense I guess. I was thinking too narrow-mindedly, in terms of the threads themselves containing keywords. But I forgot that ads are present even when you reply to a post.

Do they track ip addresses too do you know?

[TOhioLiberal]

5. I think it looks at keywords also...

for instance, if we start chatting about (M)Ann Coulter or O'liely, conservative ads should show up.

I'm not sure about ip adresses though. My guess is no; YMMV :shrug:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

6. I Think I'm Grasping It Now.

It uses keywords in the clicks to more accurately target ads. And on second thought they probably due reference the ip address to target the ads more specifically.

No biggie. I just saw like 4 different routing messages zap by too quickly to read at the bottom of firefox when I clicked on a thread, and had to freeze my screen at just the right time in order to read it. I thought at first I had been hijacked, but when I saw it was google analytics I figured it had to do with that ads. I was still curious as to what exactly the process was though but was disappointed to find such vague references on google. (though I must admit, I only searched for google-analytics.com, and maybe woulda gotten more hits if I seperated the words. Hmmm, maybe my dumbass should just try that now lol)

[tkmorris]

2. It analyzes website traffic

Using it Skinner et al can see what everyone is doing here at DU. How long they spend looking at which boards or threads, where they surfed in from, where they actually are geographically (in a general sense at least), which if any ads they click on, etc.

[Canuckistanian]

4. It watches everyting like a hawk

I was in a long thread and someone casually mentioned Toby Keith. Almost immediately, about four Toby Keith ads appeared.

I think they just throw out random ads until they encounter a "trigger phrase". Then, it's target, target, target.

[Marie26]

7. We'll see

Kyrgyzstan has got to be the most obscure country in the world. So if we start seeing "Tour Sunny Kyrgyzstan!" ads, I guess we'll know why.

[grytpype]

8. Get Firefox and use the No-script extension.

Gives you total control over who can run scripts when you view a website. Most scripts aren't for your benefit, they don't add any functionality except ads and Big Brother tracking devices.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

9. I'm Using Firefox.

I don't mind the ads though, was just curious about the google analytics redirect is all.