Hi everyone,
I've decided to include a tracking script on the site and in the name of transparency I would like to inform everyone about it. So here's that: the site, as of today, includes a tracking script.
A likely FAQ:
Why include a tracking script?
This lemmy instance has started picking up a lot of traffic, most of which likely isn't actual users but web crawlers.
For comparison another site I host had 98% of its traffic caused by AI web scrapers. In that case I used the tracking script to figure out whether actual usage was close to what I was seeing. While I have the access logs of my reverse proxy available to look through those are filled with federation traffic and as such not nearly as handy for diagnosing actual user traffic.
I don't want to be tracked, can I opt out?
Yes, please feel free to do so. Simply block the domain analytics.neshweb.net using your AdBlocker of choice or, if you are using PiHole or similar, you can block it on a network level.
What is getting tracked?
Pages visited, Operating System, Screen Size, Device Type, IP GeoRegion. Note: Of these only Screen Size and OS are data points I previously had no access to. All other data points were already being logged in the reverse proxy access log.
Who has access to this data?
Only me. The tracking service is, like lemmy, running on my own physical hardware in my home. There is no data exchange with anyone.