Title: [Plugin: WordPress.com Stats] Quantserve Code in Stats Javascript
Last modified: August 19, 2016

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# [Plugin: WordPress.com Stats] Quantserve Code in Stats Javascript

 *  [Brian](https://wordpress.org/support/users/galaxyfox/)
 * (@galaxyfox)
 * [15 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/)
 * Today, I visited my blog while not logged in and for the first time, I noticed
   that the Quantserve tracking code was present.
 * I never added this code to my blog so I started investigating and it turns out
   that it was injected by the WordPress.com plugin.
 * When was this added as I was not aware of it and is it really necessary? The 
   plugin worked fine before this change and I really don’t want the Quantserve 
   code to load for my website visitors.
 * [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/stats/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/stats/)

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 17 total)

1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/page/2/?output_format=md)
[→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/page/2/?output_format=md)

 *  Moderator [Matt Mullenweg](https://wordpress.org/support/users/matt/)
 * (@matt)
 * [15 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/#post-1777173)
 * We’re going to use this to provide some cool features around uniques and people
   counting.
 *  Thread Starter [Brian](https://wordpress.org/support/users/galaxyfox/)
 * (@galaxyfox)
 * [15 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/#post-1777320)
 * Thanks for the quick reply Matt!
 * I don’t really want a script that sets a third party tracking cookie in users’
   browsers like Quantcast loading on my site although I’m looking forward to the
   upcoming features around uniques and people counting.
 *  [Haoxian](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lonelicloud/)
 * (@lonelicloud)
 * [15 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/#post-1777327)
 * I found this too.
 * Add most important is that the script from quantserve.com is loading very slowly.
 * I want this script from quantserve.com off my site.
 * I’m wondering that if you developer could provide a choice for us to decide whether
   use it or not???
 *  Moderator [Matt Mullenweg](https://wordpress.org/support/users/matt/)
 * (@matt)
 * [15 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/#post-1777328)
 * It should load even faster than the main JS. It can’t be an option, it’s required
   for the functionality we’re planning.
 *  Thread Starter [Brian](https://wordpress.org/support/users/galaxyfox/)
 * (@galaxyfox)
 * [15 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/#post-1777329)
 * The main problem I have with the Quantcast code is that I’m working on page speed
   right now and it makes 1 request each to 3 different hosts, meaning 3 extra DNS
   lookups and 3 requests in addition to setting cookies.
 * edge.quantserve.com (JS file)
    pixel.quantserve.com (302 Redirect to the next
   one) segment-pixel.invitemedia.com OR cms.quantserve.com
 *  [gazouteast](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gazouteast/)
 * (@gazouteast)
 * [15 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/#post-1777340)
 * My team and I are with Brian on this –
 * We’ve had the most absolute devil of a time getting a new site build’s templates
   to settle down and function as designed – We finally tracked it down to conflicts
   with the quantserve javascript that were causing the entire footer to appear 
   inside the header zone. It was also causing some real bitch headaches with the
   css names too. Not to mention the cumulative resource overhead it’s been building
   on our active sites’ servers.
 * Matt – this is yet another intrusive and unwanted addition to WordPress – (this
   time via a WordPress maintained plugin) – **was this SPYWARE injection discussed
   on trac BEFORE inclusion?** If not, why not? It goes completely against the transparency
   requirements of the open source declaration. Why is there no mention of this **
   footer script injection** on the plugin page? What are you hoping to garner by
   hiding this addition?
 * This is starting to happen too frequently with WordPress – issues like the _involuntary\
   _P\_dangit_ rewriting that broke URLs, this new **SPYWARE** in the footer, making
   a total balls-up of the VHOSTS function in the 2.9.2 to 3.0 merger, and other
   issues, are destroying your credibility as a paladin of the open source community.
   As my grandmother used to say, “You need to buck up your ideas young man, before
   you find yourself with no friends.” And as my mother still says to me now, “You’re
   never too big for a boot in the seat of your pants.”
 * **This footer script is not an acceptable action Matt** – I’ll be pulling this
   plugin off all our sites and switching to an alternative stats solution – I **
   DO NOT** want an unmonitored 3rd party recording all our visitors actions on-
   site, the keywords they use to get there, and those they use to navigate internally,
   and I most certainly do not want an online behavioural analysis group like quantcast.
   com monitoring activity on our sites without the express permission of myself
   and our site users.
 * We’d wondered why our LAN’s antivirus layers had started rating our sites with
   a yellow icon – now we know.
 * **I particularly do not like that you tried to camouflage this behind a wp.me
   short link** so that searching the code did not find quantserve or quantcast 
   in any of the files or templates – you do realise you have just shown hackers
   and other miscreants how to hide their activity – don’t you?
 * That’s another reason to ditch all usage of, and permissions to include, url 
   shortening services on all our sites – as a preventative measure to stop others
   following your example. Have you not been following the news about short url’s
   as routes to malware injection on twitter and facebook? I am severely disappointed
   in you introducing this major security threat.
 *  [Haoxian](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lonelicloud/)
 * (@lonelicloud)
 * [15 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/#post-1777341)
 * I received a notice email about new comments from gazouteast; where is it?
 *  [gazouteast](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gazouteast/)
 * (@gazouteast)
 * [15 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/#post-1777342)
 * LOL – although I can still see what I posted, I wouldn’t be surprised if the 
   WP reputation protection squad have hidden it.
 * The bit I forgot to add, was to ask how many millions of web sites’ data is now
   passing through the servers of a commercial, online-behaviour analysis and market-
   targeting company?
 * … and dare I add?
 * How much is Akismet / Matt / WordPress getting from that deal?
    (I include Matt
   in that because the plugin is now “claimed” and attributed to Auttomatic rather
   than the original author.)
 *  Moderator [Matt Mullenweg](https://wordpress.org/support/users/matt/)
 * (@matt)
 * [15 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/#post-1777343)
 * I’ve never seen the stats pixel mess up a layout — you should contact [support@wordpress.com](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/support@wordpress.com?output_format=md).
   There’s no financial aspect to stats.
 * Or… turn off the stats plugin? 🙂
 *  [Mark / t31os](https://wordpress.org/support/users/t31os_/)
 * (@t31os_)
 * [15 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/#post-1777344)
 * It got caught in the spam queue, it happens sometimes, even to regular legitimate
   users, i’ve unspammed the post for you, please try not to jump to conclusions.
 *  [gazouteast](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gazouteast/)
 * (@gazouteast)
 * [15 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/#post-1777345)
 * Matt – I don’t think it’s the pixel itself, but the Tolstoy-length mess of javascript
   in the footer, that’s revealed in its full glory if you use FireBug to show the
   CSS behind the page layup.
 * As soon as the stats plugin was removed, the layup went back to how it should
   behave, and the footer went back to the bottom of the page instead of sitting
   in the header. Leaves me wondering if the wp_enqueue doesn’t like something in
   the quantcast javascript and it pulled the footer back up into the header because
   of it.
 * Theme is a heavily reworked “Modern Style” from the themes repository – heavily
   reworked due to a large number of custom post types and taxonomies, and due to“
   uniquefying” the displayed output for each post type within overall normal archive
   and category output lists.
 * We’re really hoping you have some good things for CPT and CTT UI’s coming in 
   3.1 – trying to find a balanced and non-conflicting set of plugins to do the 
   job, has been a real pain in the neck – we ended upcustom writing a whole bunch
   of templates, a big chunk of functions.php and Lord knows how many other bits
   and pieces – for a site that in all honesty should have been designable, buildable,
   and deployable in under 3 days – it’s taken over a month so far, and likely won’t
   complete until the end of the week.
 * [@mark](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mark/) – many thanks for that – I
   can see a couple of words in there that might have triggered the spam trap – 
   must remember not to use them in future.
 * Gaz
 *  [Shakhawat](https://wordpress.org/support/users/shakhawat_jaheed/)
 * (@shakhawat_jaheed)
 * [15 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/#post-1777382)
 * Make an option to host the quantserve script locally. So, it will reduce DNS 
   querry and after certain time the script should be refreshed from quantserve 
   main script.
 *  [gazouteast](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gazouteast/)
 * (@gazouteast)
 * [15 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/#post-1777383)
 * Would rather the plugin was left with a “lite” version without the QuantServe
   mess in the footer – it has all I need without the quantcast stuff in it … bit
   like the option WordPress gave to the plugins that had link cloaking in them –
   lose the cloaking and you can keep it in the repository as a “lite” version, 
   or keep it and you have to host it on your own site.
 * …. what’s good for the goose?
 *  [Frank Goossens](https://wordpress.org/support/users/futtta/)
 * (@futtta)
 * [15 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/#post-1777393)
 * It might be pretty useless, but [i would like to protest the use of quantcast as well](http://blog.futtta.be/2010/12/15/wordpress-com-stats-trojan-horse-for-quantcast-tracking/),
   because;
    - it impacts performance (document.write is bad for your dom and there are 2
      extra dns-lookups + javascript-file and a pixel to download)
    - it impacts privacy: my visitors are tracked, the data that is collected that
      way is used for commercial purposes by quantcast
    - the plugin page on wordpress.org does not mention the 3rd party tracking in
      the plugin at all
    - i did not opt in for 3rd party tracking on my blog
    - there is no opt-out option
    - there is no information on how to disable this for my blog (with some php-
      or js-variable) either
 * I really love the simple, straightforward functionality the WordPress Stats plugin
   provides. Adding “cool features” is great, but do provide a Quantcast-free version
   for those of us that don’t want all that tracking on our blog(s)!
 *  [Frank Goossens](https://wordpress.org/support/users/futtta/)
 * (@futtta)
 * [15 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/#post-1777394)
 * awfully quiet round here …
 * let me add some more arguments against the inclusion of quantcast, this time 
   from the perspective of stats reliability:
    - users can opt out of tracking via [the NAI optout page](http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp)
    - [IE9 will include anti-tracking features](http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2010/12/07/ie9-and-privacy-introducing-tracking-protection-v8.aspx)
    - in the US [the FTC is reconsidering to create a “do not track”-list](http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/article.php/3895466)
 * all of this means that even now at least part of a blog’s visitors are not trackable
   by quantcast (and others) and that with IE9 and the FTC’s actions, the number
   of do-not-track users will become even more important over time.
 * the conclusion: quantcast-based wordpress-stats are not only a problem from the
   point of view of privacy and performance, but also from a data-reliability point
   of view as a growing number of visits will never be included in these “cool features
   around uniques and people counting”.
 * looking forward to a more transparent & open discussion with the automattic-guys!

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 17 total)

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 * 17 replies
 * 7 participants
 * Last reply from: [gazouteast](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gazouteast/)
 * Last activity: [15 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpresscom-stats-quantserve-code-in-stats-javascript/page/2/#post-1777400)
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