I personally avoid tools like these out of respect for my users' privacy. Log analysis is fine, having their data absorbed by Google is not. Also, using GA creates additional lag. Many times have I waited for a page to finish loading with the Google Analytics URL in the status bar.
A good feature for HN would be if someone adds a new account (one minute ago when I checked this one), submits some sort of trolling or moronic comment that gets down-voted a few times (which hopefully this one will), it should be flagged, looked at by an admin, then just purged. Obviously no good intentions with the creation of the account or the comment.
Perhaps it's an inherent problem with HN? Disposable accounts for when you want to say something that may/will be voted into the negatives.
Even so, I don't think purging poor comments is the correct idea. I myself have been learning what is/is not acceptable here by reading said poor comments.
might be a troll, but i wouldn't 100 percent count on it. if you're new to a site and want to get attention quickly, what better way than to make a trolly-sounding comment that everybody will pile on immediately.
it takes some people awhile to realize that it doesn't work that way around here.
Does anyone have this kind of data? I think we lack a standard definition of what a hacker even is, let alone usable metrics. Prove me wrong if you can, it would be incredibly interesting.
CO2stats would know though, since they keep track of where people are to analyze their power sources. I'll ask them.