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Merge pull request #116 from offen/development

New article, deepdive update
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Hendrik Niefeld 2020-08-30 20:39:59 +02:00 committed by GitHub
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title: Why Offen is a valid Matomo alternative
description: This brief comparison of both tools gives you a first insight into the field of fair and lightweight web analytics.
date: 2020-08-28
slug: matomo-alternative
sitemap_priority: 0.7
image_url: /theme/images/offen-blog-0100-Matomo.jpg
author: Hendrik Niefeld
bottom_cta: fair
# Why Offen is a valid Matomo alternative
### Matomo at a glance
Matomo was started around 2007 as a successor to phpMyVisites and *open-source alternative to Google Analytics.* The project founded by Matthieu Aubry used to be called Piwik until it was rebranded to its current name in 2018. According to Wikipedia it is installed on about 1.5 million websites, making it one of the best known open source web analytics applications on the market.
Operators interested in open and privacy friendly web analytics particularly appreciate Matomo's ability to be self-hosted. The respective app variant called "Matomo On-Premise" has no license costs, but paid plugins are necessary for extensive use.
### Room for improvement
Despite the general popularity, there are some problems with Matomo's decisions regarding privacy. By default, the software only offers an opt out feature for website users. This way, *consent is practically a preset.* In addition, access to usage data is not automated and therefore can be very complex and laborious for users. A common problem which the GDPR mandates explicitly under the heading ["Rights of the data subject"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation#III_Rights_of_the_data_subject){: target="_blank"}.
On the technical side, the following issues are particularly apparent. Installing Matomo can be a bit of a pain as there are many dependencies that must be pre-installed on the system. This also applies to the requirement to use a dedicated MySQL database, which makes installation even more complex. Last but not least, the tracking script that Matomo uses is extensive and therefore delays the loading of the pages considerably.
---
## Operators and users as equal parties
To address the above mentioned issues we develop a fair and lightweigt web analytics tool that treats operators and users as equal parties. It is called Offen and is [available as a beta version.](https://www.offen.dev/get-started/)
*Offen's default is to NOT collect any data.* Usage data is collected after opt in only. If users choose to opt in, they have full access to their data. They can delete it any time or opt out completly.
The collected data is presented to users with explanations that describe why a particular metric is relevant and what the privacy implications are. This helps to strengthen trust in operators.
At the same time essential metrics give operators the chance to gain valuable insights in an ethical way. Thereby allowing them to improve their websites and develop ideas for new services. All without violating the privacy of their users.
Offen is open source and will always be available for free with no hidden costs lurking. Operators self host the app and can be sure not to pass on any data to third parties.
The installation is relatively simple and supports the use of SQLite files as well. The tracking script is reduced to a bare minimum and allows pages to load much faster.
To complete the package, the app allows to manage several websites with one login. All website accounts can be shared within teams. A [detailed documentation](https://docs.offen.dev/){: target="_blank"} assists with the installation and daily operation.
### Confidential by design
Our strict focus on data protection also means that there are some Matomo features we will never offer. This includes the export of data and public access to reports without prior login. Furthermore due to the integrated end-to-end encryption Offen does not provide access to the raw data.
### Switch to fair web analytics
We hope this overview helps you to get a better insight into the topic of fair web analytics. If you are passionate about ethical software and want *a truly lightweight and privacy focused alternative to Matomo* you should give Offen a try. Why not let both run parallel for a while and then see how it feels? We are looking forward to your [feedback.](mailto:hioffen@posteo.de)
Find further information in our [explainer](https://www.offen.dev/#bg-explainer) or head to our [get started](https://www.offen.dev/get-started/) section.

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@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ Yet, many internet users still do not know what really is happening to their dat
[^5]: Mozilla Raises Concerns Over Facebook's Lack of Transparency <https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2019/01/31/mozilla-raises-concerns-over-facebooks-lack-of-transparency/>
[^6]: Google Has Quietly Dropped Ban on Personally Identifiable Web Tracking <https://www.propublica.org/article/google-has-quietly-dropped-ban-on-personally-identifiable-web-tracking>
<div class="flex justify-end pb5">
<img class="smaller-image" alt="Detour" src="/theme/images/gfx-deepdive-A.png"/>
</div>
As a regular user of the internet, are you really being spied upon? *What exactly is "my data"?* Can a website operator see my name when I'm using it? Does it know about my Email address or my phone number? Does it know which other websites I have been visiting, which search query led me to the site in the first place, what I have recently purchased online, or who I am acquainted with?
> If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place. [^7]
@ -36,6 +40,8 @@ We would like to turn the tables on this much quoted statement and apply it to t
Visiting a website or using a web application that utilizes Offen, the user gains access to and ownership of the usage data collected. As a guiding principle, data collection is Opt-In only. Consent can be revoked at any time, just like users can choose delete their data retroactively. The cookie used by Offen allows viewing all of the associated metrics so that users can *assert themselves what is being collected and what isn't*. Data is being displayed in an accessible and articulate manner and each metric comes with explanations about its usage, relevance and possible privacy implications.
<img class="smaller-image-2 mt3" alt="Lots of ways to break your software" src="/theme/images/gfx-deepdive-B.png"/>
### For operators
Operators of small and mid-sized websites and web applications are faced with growing challenges not only since the introduction of GDPR: how do they gain insights into what users are interested in and which of the features offered are being used? Is it possible to showcase *transparent and considerate handling of user data* - i.e. neither being spy or data leech - without surrendering and abandoning usage metrics altogether?
@ -50,7 +56,9 @@ We want to exemplify that it is time to depart the age of "data capitalism" [^8]
[^8]: Vielleicht wird in Zukunft auch mit Gewalt um Daten gek&auml;mpft <https://www.zeit.de/digital/datenschutz/2019-01/datenschutz-nick-couldry-datenkolonialismus-datenhandel/komplettansicht>
---
<div class="flex justify-end">
<img class="smaller-image mt2" alt="Detour" src="/theme/images/gfx-deepdive-C.png"/>
</div>
### Offen as a technology

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@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ RELEASE_DIRECT_URL = 'https://get.offen.dev'
DOCKER_DIRECT_URL = 'https://hub.docker.com/r/offen/offen'
HEROKU_DIRECT_URL = 'https://heroku.com/deploy?template=https://github.com/offen/heroku/tree/master'
UBERSPACE_DIRECT_URL = 'https://lab.uberspace.de/guide_offen.html'
YUNOHOST_DIRECT_URL = 'https://github.com/offen/offen_ynh'
OFFEN_AUDITORIUM_URL = 'https://offen.offen.dev/auditorium/'
DOCS_GETSTARTED_URL = 'https://docs.offen.dev/running-offen/'
DOCS_TRYDEMO_URL = 'https://docs.offen.dev/running-offen/test-drive/'

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<hr class="ma0 mb5 b--black-05">
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<p class="lh-title ma0 mb2 gray">
Offen as a lightweight<br> Docker image
Offen as a Docker image
</p>
<a class="w-100 w5-ns tc b link dim ph4 pv2 dib b--solid bw2 cclr-brd-black-mid mb5 white cclr-bg-black-mid" href="{{ DOCKER_DIRECT_URL }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deploy with Docker</a>
<p class="lh-title ma0 mb2 gray">
Your own instance on Heroku
Your own Offen instance on Heroku
</p>
<a class="w-100 w5-ns tc b link dim ph4 pv2 dib b--solid bw2 cclr-brd-black-mid mb5 white cclr-bg-black-mid" href="{{ HEROKU_DIRECT_URL }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deploy to Heroku</a>
<p class="lh-title ma0 mb2 gray">
Your own instance on Uberspace
Your own Offen instance on Uberspace
</p>
<a class="w-100 w5-ns tc b link dim ph4 pv2 dib b--solid bw2 cclr-brd-black-mid mb6 white cclr-bg-black-mid" href="{{ UBERSPACE_DIRECT_URL }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deploy to Uberspace</a>
<a class="w-100 w5-ns tc b link dim ph4 pv2 dib b--solid bw2 cclr-brd-black-mid mb5 white cclr-bg-black-mid" href="{{ UBERSPACE_DIRECT_URL }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deploy to Uberspace</a>
<p class="lh-title ma0 mb2 gray">
Offen as a YunoHost application
</p>
<a class="w-100 w5-ns tc b link dim ph4 pv2 dib b--solid bw2 cclr-brd-black-mid mb6 white cclr-bg-black-mid" href="{{ YUNOHOST_DIRECT_URL }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Install with YunoHost</a>
</div>
<hr class="ma0 mb5 b--black-05">