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Please see README.md to set the basic configuration parameters, prior to adding Analytics to your instance of AnyNews.

Disabling Analytics

You have to walk before you can run, so it's best to disable analytics when you've first installed AnyNews. In fact, the initial AnyNews configuration in config.js has analytics disabled:

module.exports = {
    appName: "MyNews",
    basePath: "https://www.mydomain.com/",
    enableCategories: false,
    //
    // *-- analytics disabled
    //
   	analytics: {
		enabled: false,
		type: "empty",
		config: {}
    },

    accentColor: "#6699cc",
    flavors: {
        default: {
            name: "MyFeed",
            localeName: "en",
            defaultForLanguages: ["en"],
            cssFile: "./assets/css/default.css",
            services: [
                {
                    title: "My Service", url: "/rss/news.rss"
                }
            ],
            isRTL: false
        },
	}
};

Debugging

If you're debugging your instance of AnyNews, you might find the ConsoleLogger useful. The ConsoleLogger writes messages normally sent to analytics engines to the console device in the browser. To enable the ConsoleLogger, use the following lines in the config.js file:

    //
    // *-- console logging instead of analytics
    //
   	analytics: {
		enabled: true,
		type: "console",
		config: {}
    },

Using Analytics

Application usage measurement (analytics) is implemented in AnyNews via integration with the Matomo privacy-preserving analytics system using a special toolset provided by Clean Insights. Via simple configuration settings, it's possible to demonstrate the capabilities of Clean Insights and Matomo right from your instance of AnyNews. If your organization already has a running instance of Matomo, it's easy to configure AnyNews for that instance.

If your organization uses another analytics system, you can add a new logging class to the AnyNews JavaScript code, customized to your needs. Contact Guardian Project for assistance with analytics customization.

Ethical Analytics with Clean Insights & Matomo

AnyNews promotes ethical analytics through support for Clean Insights. Clean Insights, in turn, works with Matomo, a privacy-preserving analytics platform available for on-premises hosting or in the cloud.

Demonstration Instance of Matomo

The Clean Insights team runs a demonstration instance of Matomo to which your AnyNews instance can connect to test the Clean Insights approach to analytics. To do so, send an email to support@guardianproject.info, and you'll receive the configuration data required. Then you'll modify the file config.js. In the analytics object, set enabled to true, set type to cleaninsights, then insert all the information you where provided. Your configuration file will now resemble this:

module.exports = {
    appName: "MyNews",
    basePath: "https://www.mydomain.com/",
    enableCategories: false,
    
   	analytics: {
		enabled: true,
        //
        // *-- CleanInsights-specific configuration
        //
        type: "cleaninsights",
        config: {
        	//
        	// *-- Provided Clean Insights configuration information
        	// *-- Contact support@guardianproject.info
        	//
        	server: "https://metrics.cleaninsights.org/cleaninsights.php",
            siteid: 140103,
            timeout: 5,
            persistEveryNTimes: 1,
            debug: true,
            campaigns: {
                beta: {
                    start: "2021-01-01T00:00:00-00:00",
                    end: "2021-12-31T23:59:59-00:00",
                    aggregationPeriodLength: 1,
                    numberOfPeriods: 90,
                    onlyRecordOnce: false,
                    eventAggregationRule: "avg"
                }
            }
        }
    },

    accentColor: "#6699cc",
    flavors: {
        default: {
            name: "MyFeed",
            localeName: "en",
            defaultForLanguages: ["en"],
            cssFile: "./assets/css/default.css",
            services: [
                {
                    title: "My Service", url: "/rss/news.rss"
                }
            ],
            isRTL: false
        },
	}
};

Private Instance of Matomo

If you are running your own instance of Matomo, follow the directions in your email as to how to obtain and configure the Clean Insights Matomo Proxy for your server instance. Then, you'll provide your own configuration information, in the form above, for example:

        config: {
        	server: "https://MYHOST.MYDOMAIN.com/cleaninsights.php",
            siteid: YOUR_DEFINED_SITE_ID,
            timeout: 5,
            persistEveryNTimes: 1,
            debug: true,
            campaigns: {
                beta: {
                    start: "START DATE",
                    end: "END DATE",
                    aggregationPeriodLength: 1,
                    numberOfPeriods: 90,
                    onlyRecordOnce: false,
                    eventAggregationRule: "avg"
                }
            }
        }

Many other variables can be set in the Clean Insights Matomo Proxy, depending on the settings in your instance of Matomo. Sensible defaults are provided. For additional information see the design documents.