Why does "google analytics" have to transfer data

[Why Syzygy]

for every link I clink on DU now? I read Skinner's advert thread. Still don't understand it. I'm donor status. I've never noticed the transfer in my status bar before. Also of late, clicking links within threads often just brings "google analytics" onto the scene, but my browser (Firefox) doesn't GO to the post link.

Is anyone else getting strange behavior from links?

[BlooInBloo]

1. It's not strange behavior to me. I've seen it for a long time.

[Ian David]

2. See what happens if you block it from your browser. n/t

[Why Syzygy]

4. How do I do that? nt

[housewolf]

3. Have you tried clearing your cache lately?

I can't promise it will make any difference, but it might.

I'm also a Firefox 2.x user. When I click a link, my status bar shows a DU link, the DU post starts to load and then I see the Google Analytics link in the status bar. When it's finished I see "Done" in the status bar. I don't have any problem with the DU links-within posts, for me they act just like clicking a link from the Latest page or one of the forum pages.

[Why Syzygy]

5. I do routinely.

You explained it exactly, other than as I wrote in the OP, MANY times the post link doesn't display.
I read long ongoing threads, and just click through to new posts from the post list. I've never had that problem before. I just went wireless, but that shouldn't matter.

[housewolf]

8. My wireless connection sucks big-time often

Even if I have a "very good" connection at the highest speed, sometimes it just doesn't load pages promptly. It's not unusual for me to have to hit "refresh" a time or two in order to get a page to fully load. It's especially bad on sites like TalkingPointsMemo and HuffingtonPost that have a lot of videos & ads, including Google Analytics.

Can you run a test with the computer in your house that is direcly connected, camparing it's load speed with you wireless machine? That might give you some clues.

What version of Firefox are you using? I read a post yesterday by some folks who have installed Firefox 3 and they said it's much faster than 2.x. I haven't tried it yet though, but hope to soon.

[pinto]

6. I use Firefox, have seen the same thing. Never too concerned about it, figure it's a hit count

thing. :shrug:

If you want some tech info, Elad would know. He's at our contact link.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. No biggie-- you'll also see links to...

Photobucket and other places if you watch closely enough. Opera has the same bar on it, and I amuse myself watching how many sites it goes to just to load a typical commercial page.

Don't forget that there's that Google search function up there and that Google collects data from the site for ad placement. But, the main thing you're doing is probably hotlinking to the ads Google is placing. And placing tracking cookies, which can easily be erased by any spyware program.

(Or, Google is working for Homeland Security and sticking those tracking cookies and webbugs all over the place, putting all of us in their Double Secret database.)