Source Code: https://github.com/parkr/ping
Godoc: https://pkg.go.dev/byparker.com/go/ping
Google Analytics is creepy. It knows where you are, what computer you’re using, what browser you’re using, what page you visited, and so on. It has horizontal data for IP addresses, so Google knows what sites you’ve visited across the Internet, for how long, and what your path was. I’m uncomfortable giving Google all this data.
But, I wanted to know what my “greatest” hits are. I wanted to see what people liked and didn’t like. Using Google Anayltics isn’t an option, but what about using something much simpler? Enter: ping.
Ping is a tiny little server that logs three things:
A single tiny JavaScript file that the user requests sends down these three things and that’s all there is to it. As unintrusive as possible, while still providing insight into the site’s strenghts.
It also respects the Do Not Track header, which many browsers now allow users to set for all requests. Complying with this header is not mandatory, but aligns nicely with our motivation for respecting users’ privacy when they ask for it.
Neat, huh? It even comes with a Docker image. Installation instructions are available in the README.
ping is licensed under the MIT License, copyright Parker Moore.