Hopefully, you are already using Google Analytics to track your visitor stats. If not, it’s time to get it installed. Google Analytics is a powerful free tool that provides robust insights into your site’s performance. But the data you are tracking needs to be accurate or it won’t do you any good. One major thing that can skew your Google Analytics data and cause inaccurate reporting is allowing it to track yourself.
Allowing Google Analytics to track your own visits to your site can really throw your numbers off. This can be especially noticeable when you are working on a new post, playing around with your blog design, or doing anything where you need to refresh the page often or move quickly between a few pages. Google will count all of these actions as real traffic when in reality, it’s just silly you playing around with your site.
The good news is that it’s super easy to block yourself from being tracked by Google Analytics. Below you’ll find two easy methods for accomplishing this.
HOW TO BLOCK GOOGLE ANALYTICS FROM TRACKING YOUR OWN VISITS
1. Best Method
Currently, the best method out there is a Chrome extension which, when installed, will prevent Google Analytics from tracking your own visits to your website. What’s great about this method is that you can set a list of domains you don’t want your visits to be tracked on and the extension will automatically block your visits on only those specific domains.
Click the blue + add to Chrome button and then in the popup click Add extension.
4. Now in the top right-hand side of your browser (just right of the address bar), you’ll see a new grayed-out icon that looks like this:
5. Now navigate to the website you don’t want your visits to be tracked by Google Analytics on. Click on that little icon and click Block Analytics for this website.
You can also click on Options to manually add any website you wish (without navigating there) and/or to view the list of websites you have blocked yourself on. To manually add a website in the Options section, paste in the URL to the website where it asks for the URL and then click Add. Then be sure to save your changes.
Advantage of this method: you can set specific websites to block yourself on.
Disadvantageof this method: only works for the Chrome browser.
2. Alternative Method
If Chrome isn’t your preferred web browser, then you can accomplish the same thing in any browser by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
**Please keep in mind that this method will block you from ALL Google Analytics tracking on EVERY website out there, not just the tracking for your own blog.**
How to install
Open the web browser you want to install the add-on to (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer 11, or Opera).
Click the big blue Get Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on button.
Review the terms of service and then click Accept and Install. Continue to follow any prompts your computer gives you to install the add-on.
5. Now just repeat this process in all of the web browsers you use. The install process will be a little different in each browser, but you should get prompts to guide you along.
Advantage of this method: works on all web browsers.
Disadvantageof this method: blocks you from ALL Google Analytics tracking on EVERY website out there, not just the tracking for your own blog.
Do you ever feel like there aren’t enough hours to accomplish everything you need to get done each day? Using keyboard shortcuts is a surefire way to increase your productivity and accomplish more work each day. Here at Designer Blogs, we use keyboard shortcuts like mad women to help us dramatically speed up our design work and processes and it is why we share with you the best keyboard shortcut cheat sheet we know.
The Most Popular Shortcuts for Windows and Mac
The first cheat sheet we want to share with you includes all the basics. We have created it especially for you in perfect Pinterest format, so you can pin it and use it whenever you will need it. This sheet includes the most popular shortcuts for both Windows and Mac. I use them every day at work and I can’t stress enough how much time they save me!
Keyboard Shortcut Cheat Sheet For Adobe
If you are using Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign you need to check this website. You will find here a shortcut cheat sheet visualizer that will speed up your work. You can print them out and pin them up by your computer or download them as desktop wallpaper for quick reference when you need help remembering a shortcut.
What do you think this image is saying? How does it relate to or comment on society or current events? Can you relate to it personally? What is your opinion of its message?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
With the help of Ms. Goldberg, a special-occasions specialist who also does a brisk bridal business, you will discover the work of unjustly forgotten designers like Mary Ann Restivo, Bill Tice and Luis Estévez among the Vuitton and Versace. “Accessible vintage luxury,” is the goal, she said. “I want someone to be able to come in and take it home and not just wish for it.”
… “People gate-keep us,” Mr. Plotitsa said. “It’s their little secret. We’re priced fair, and they don’t want to share that. We’re not a Maxfield,” the haughty boutique on Melrose Avenue.
Daily Word Challenge
Can you correctly use the word haughty in a sentence?
Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.
If you want a better idea of how haughty can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.
Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.
Learning to code so that you can land a job in tech can feel daunting. That’s why we’re sharing inspiring stories from Codecademy’s community — to show how people like you (yes, you!) can embark on a learning journey and end up with a totally new career. We hope these stories serve as a reminder that there’s no single path to a more fulfilling work life.
Today’s story is from Jenni Park, a 26-year-old Developer at a consulting firm, living in Chicago. Read more stories from Codecademy learners here — and be sure to share your story here.
Why I chose to learn to code
“My sister’s a nurse, and I was trying to follow in her footsteps and become a doctor. At the time, I was very passionate about it. I was volunteering at hospitals, shadowing doctors, working as a medical scribe, taking Organic Chem I and II — you name it, the whole nine yards. I took the MCAT and scored in the 97th percentile, and I got into a few medical schools. As I was reading my acceptance letters, I felt impending doom. I was overwhelmed by the idea and felt like I was making a mistake.
Throughout college, I always thought that computer science was something more I’d be more interested in. I really liked the idea of marketing, coding, programming, and building your own website. Going into my senior year, I decided to sit my parents down and I was like, ‘Don’t be mad. I’m pivoting.’ And they were very supportive, which was so nice. To have my family and friends be very supportive of that transition really helped me significantly to push myself to actually do it. I started off with my own personal research, searching what jobs can you get, and programming languages everyone should learn. I was familiar with SQL and Python, so I started off with that, and I just saw Codecademy all the time.”
Learn something new for free
How I made time to learn
“Making this career change was very important to me, because not only was I trying to make my parents and my sister proud, but I also wanted to make myself proud. In my head, I’m always thinking, If I could sit on my phone for an hour, I could sit on the computer for an hour and get my brain juices flowing a different way. So, like every morning I was learning before I had to start at nine for work.
I wake up at six anyways, I could do my morning walk, scroll on TikTok, sit for an hour, drink my coffee, read through some articles, scroll through Codecademy, and do a little exercise here and there. Everything changes so fast in programming; new versions come out like every other week. If you don’t make time to practice, you’re going to lose it. My friends are also very driven and career-oriented, so it helps to be surrounded by that.”
Looking for a community to keep you accountable?
Check out Codecademy chapters and events to meet like-minded programmers around the world who are on a similar path.
How I saved up money to switch careers
“I was making enough to buy myself a McChicken a week, but I knew this was important to me, so I needed to save what I can. Even if it was just $10 a week, or no coffee for two days, I can do that. If I could spend $100 going out once a week, I can afford to do this. That was the biggest bet that I made on myself and I’m so happy that I did, because it was a catalyst [for me] to get my first job.
I just needed something that was affordable, and in my head, it made sense to do a monthly membership before I make that investment like getting master’s or doing a bootcamp. Granted I had a scholarship to go to a bootcamp, but I thought about it for two years before I did it. I was like, ‘Is this a financial investment that I’m not going to regret?’”
Want your employer to pay for your Codecademy membership?
Everything changes so fast in programming; new versions come out like every other week. If you don’t make time to practice, you’re going to lose it.
Jenni Park
Developer
How long it took me to find a job
“It took about three total months to land an entry-level job! Right now it has been a month and a half since finishing my [bootcamp] program and I have been successful at landing interviews with bigger tech companies like Uber!”
How I got in the door
“I met a gallerist through a family friend, and he needed to hire someone to help now and then. Since I wanted to learn, I thought, let me just go and assist. It was a work-from-home job. While I was doing that and learning how to use SQL and build queries through Codecademy, I suggested creating an inventory database to keep track of our clients, artists, galleries, and budgets. I offered to build this database for him, and he agreed, but without payment. He saw it as my personal project, something I could work on during my free time. It worked out well and they still use the system I created. Being able to build that little inventory database while working on my career transition really propelled me forward.”
How I evaluated the offer
“I left the art job and got a job at a place where I used to intern, and I’ve been here for now almost three years. They were the ones who were like, ‘You should continue using Codecademy, and if you want to pursue school, we’ll support you and help pay for it.’ If you have an education budget through work, you should use it to pay for Codecademy. You get so many resources and certifications — that’s ultimately what landed me my first job, being able to say, ‘I accomplished this in this amount of time.’
I decided to go back to school at Northwestern University for their six-month full-stack programming bootcamp. Everyone was like, ‘What’s your next step? What do you want to do next?’ And I was like, ‘I’m getting back on Codecademy!’ I want to learn machine learning and my dream is to work for an AI company. I had an open conversation with my workplace, where I explained that if [coding] opens doors for me, I’m going to walk through them. They said, ‘You’re more than welcome to do whatever. We’ll support you in any capacity.’”
What I wish I knew before I started learning
“On my GitHub, I started a little beginner’s JavaScript notes that you could copy the code and put into VS Code. While I was doing Codecademy, I kind of wished I had like a quick overview first of what was coming, like basic concepts we’re going to learn. I’m working on something like that for every programming language that I’ve learned — the only one I’ve completed so far is JavaScript.
If you’re making a career change, a cover letter is really important. For every job I’ve ever applied to, I only have heard back from companies where I’ve submitted a cover letter. If we just look at my experience on paper, I have pre-medicine things and then I have very little data and programming stuff. In a cover letter I can be like, ‘Hey, I was this, I’m doing this. These are the projects I’ve worked on. This is what I’m looking forward to.’ Advocating for yourself in a professional landscape also shows confidence.”
Not sure where to start? Check out our personality quiz! We’ll help you find the best programming language to learn based on your strengths and interests.
Want to share your Codecademy learner story? Drop us a line here. And don’t forget to join the discussions in our community.
Have you ever come across a project that’s so inspiring that it just begs to be shared? I recently had that experience with Dru from The Whole Mindset! Back in March, Dru came to us with a pre-designed logo and a big dream: to elevate her brand and build a website that functioned beautifully and facilitated online sales. Buckle up because I’m about to take you on a journey of creative collaboration – a journey that resulted in something truly special!
Logo, color, and other important things
When it comes to designing anything, the first step is always to sort out your logo, colors, and general branding. If you’re going for a custom theme, it’s a great idea to invest in a custom logo too. Dru decided to create her own logo, and let me tell you, it’s pretty impressive! I was happy to give a few small design suggestions and help pick out a color palette. We had a short chat and ended up with a color scheme that we both love!
Dru was looking for a website that’s both fun and professional. To achieve this, we decided to go with muted tones that perfectly match her logo.
Let the fun begin!
After finalizing the logo for Dru’s brand, I started working on designing her website. She already had a WordPress website set up on WordPress.com, but I suggested switching to a self-hosted WordPress website as it would offer more flexibility and cost-effectiveness. Dru wanted to add a shop, podcast section, and coaching services, which could get expensive on WordPress.com.
Designing the homepage was a bit challenging as it required a lot of sections, which could make the website look overcrowded. I had to make sure that everything was included without making the homepage too cluttered.
I’m so happy with how the design turned out! Dru was fantastic to work with and made the whole process a breeze. I hope her website brings her lots of happiness and success.
I asked her about short testimonials for this post, and it is what she wrote:
Handling big projects, especially those with a shop and several other features, can be quite overwhelming. So, it’s not surprising that Dru was a bit confused about the costs. But hey, that’s alright! I appreciate the feedback as it helps me understand how we can communicate things better. My top priority is to keep you informed of any additional costs well in advance, so you don’t have to pay for things you don’t need or won’t use.
Let me know what you think about this WordPress makeover. Would you change anything in it?
Cheetahs are the fastest animals on land; they can also stop and start with extraordinary agility. Dogs are really good at reading our emotions, and they have a keen sense of smell. Bats can produce echolocation calls at a rapid rate — up to 190 calls per second — to help them fly in the dark. And whales can communicate over thousands of miles using complex vocalizations.
Ever since the discovery of whale songs almost 60 years ago, scientists have been trying to decipher their lyrics. Are the animals producing complex messages akin to human language? Or sharing simpler pieces of information, like dancing bees do? Or are they communicating something else we don’t yet understand?
In 2020, a team of marine biologists and computer scientists joined forces to analyze the click-clacking songs of sperm whales, the gray, block-shaped leviathans that swim in most of the world’s oceans. On Tuesday, the scientists reported that the whales use a much richer set of sounds than previously known, which they called a “sperm whale phonetic alphabet.”
People have a pho-ne-tic alphabet too, which we use to produce a practically infinite supply of words. But Shane Gero, a marine biologist at Carleton University in Ottawa and an author of the study, said it’s unclear whether sperm whales similarly turn their phonetic sounds into a language.
“The fundamental similarities that we do find are really fascinating,” Dr. Gero said. “It’s totally changed the way we have to do work going forward.”
How much time do you spend with, or near, animals? Do you like to watch shows or read books or articles about them? In general, are you someone who is fascinated by animals and the things they can do?
What questions do you have about animals’ characteristics and capabilities? Would you want to be an animal researcher, like the scientists discussed in the article? Why, or why not?
How much did you know about whale communication before reading the article? What struck you as most interesting about it? What questions do you still have?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
You knew when you graduated from nursing school that your educational journey wasn’t over. Continuing education is as critical for nurses as the original degree you received. Given the ever-changing landscape of the medical field, it’s vital that nurses constantly update their knowledge base.
As a busy career nurse, you know that finding time to take continuing education courses is not easy. The idea of leaving a twelve-hour shift to race to class is understandably overwhelming. Luckily, attending courses in person is not the only option.
Modern technology has created opportunities for professional development and growth that don’t require anything more than a computer and an internet connection. If you have those tools, you can take continuing education courses online. This way, you can stay up-to-date on everything you need to know to be an excellent nurse and do it at your convenience.
The Evolution of Online Learning in Nursing Education
Obtaining additional education and even certifications online is easy and accessible, but it hasn’t always been that way. Nearly thirty years ago, Duquesne University, USA, offered the first online doctorate in nursing, and ever since, nurses have used online tools to support their career growth.
As the healthcare industry experiences major nurse shortages, online learning offers a way for more prospective nursing students to begin their careers. Of course, at their inception, virtual nursing education programmes were controversial. However, after decades of results, the consensus is that there is a definite benefit to offering some nursing education online.
Even nurses who prefer to complete their degrees at a brick-and-mortar university can benefit from online learning, as many of the required continuing education courses can be found in virtual form. Thanks to advances in technology, these courses can include everything from simple slideshows to live lectures and even interactive programmes.
The pandemic taught the healthcare industry that quite a bit of medical work can be done virtually. Research by Wolters Kluwer revealed that 93% of surveyed nursing schools used virtual learning in some way, reflecting the growing prominence of online education in the healthcare sector.
Advantages of Online Education in Nursing Professional Development
Flexibility in Scheduling
While clinical courses need to be in person for hands-on learning, much of the information that nurses are required to learn can be delivered online to allow for a self-paced educational experience. Research into self-paced learning models published by Jonathan G. Tullis and Aaron S. Benjamin in PubMed Central shows that this method is highly effective and supports better retention.
Many nurses lead extremely busy lives, balancing professional careers and families at home. Being allowed the flexibility of online learning for continuing education gives them the freedom to take care of those courses when it works best for their schedules.
Accessibility from Anywhere
Online nursing education has also added an element of accessibility that was lacking in traditional models. No matter where you are or what physical limitations you might have, you have the opportunity to access a world-class education thanks to online options.
Cost-Effectiveness
Quality online learning options are often much more affordable than traditional schools, which provides learners with more access than ever. Given the dire need for nurses across the globe, this is an advantage that will bring more nurses to the trade.
Overcoming Challenges: Maximizing the Benefits of Online Continuing Education
There are challenges with online learning. Some students find self-paced programmes to be difficult because they struggle with motivation. Others prefer an in-person setting where they can access real-time support from peers and instructors.
Technical Hurdles
For students who are not as technologically inclined, it can be daunting to manage all of their coursework online. There are often software programmes and websites that need to be navigated to complete online work.
Social Stigma
There is sometimes a stigma associated with online learning that suggests it is inferior to brick-and-mortar alternatives. This outdated notion is simply untrue, and many online programmes for both continuing education and full-length degrees are hosted by prestigious institutions.
Time Management
If you’re not able to properly schedule time for schoolwork, it’s easy to fall behind with online learning. Figuring out how to balance your time well to include plenty of time for classes — even when you don’t have to physically attend them — is critical to success.
Motivation and Engagement
Often, the social aspect and peer connection are a valuable part of the learning experience. This can be lost with online learning, making it difficult to engage with the course. Feeling isolated in your journey can make it difficult to stay motivated.
These challenges are not insurmountable, however. Today, online continuing education options for nurses are equipped with incredible systems for support and collaboration. As more nurses opt for online learning to meet their needs, more data is available showing how effective these options are.
The Future of Online Learning in Nursing
Going forward, the overwhelming expectation among experts is that online nursing education will continue to grow in availability, accessibility, and opportunity.
Integration of AR and VR Technologies: Innovations in the curriculum will allow for more courses to take place virtually using artificial intelligence and augmented reality.
Expansion of Mobile Learning Platforms: While so much of today’s nursing curriculum is hands-on and requires in-person attendance, technological advancements may soon provide ways for nurses to perform procedures virtually from anywhere.
Utilisation of Artificial Intelligence: Some programmes are already using simulations to supplement their nursing education programmes, saving time and money on equipment. Virtual reality allows nurses to practise and learn new skills with zero risk, thereby decreasing mistakes.
Conclusion
Nurses around the world utilise online learning to advance their careers, and the most educated nurses are also the best compensated. In Australia, for example, nurse salaries reflect the importance of ongoing education. Whether aiming for career advancement, skill enhancement, or keeping pace with industry trends, accessing the appropriate online education platform is pivotal. That’s where we come in!
Alison’s free online nursing courses provide high-quality training – from experts like NHCPS and the US Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE) – to support your continuous learning. All the courses are self-paced for completely flexible study and cater for nurses at every stage of their career, from enrolled and registered nurses to nurse managers. Enhance your training in everything from basic clinical skills to nurse leadership and from patient care to medical specialisms. Enrol today and discover for yourself the impact online training can have on your continuing education and career advancement.
Why not join the ranks of nurse educators offering their courses online? If you are a fully qualified professional nurse, you can apply to create nursing courses with us. Apply today!
Over the next six weeks or so, a trillion cicadas will emerge across the Midwest and Southeast for a brief, raucous, once-in-a-lifetime bender.
Joseph Yoon is a chef who promotes an appreciation of edible insects through his business Brooklyn Bugs. Here is how a recent Times article describes some of the meals he makes with these creatures:
For his ramp and cicada kimchi, he leaves the insects whole and intact in their crackling shells so they’re slowly permeated with a spicy fermenting juice, and serves it with a wobble of soft tofu and warm rice. He fries cicadas to make tempura, folds sautéed cicadas into Spanish tortillas with potato and onion, and bakes cheesy casseroles with cicada-stuffed pasta shells.
Would you eat a cicada — or any other type of bug? According to the article, about two billion people around the world regularly do. If you were to eat a bug, which would you choose, and how might you like it cooked?
Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Nobel laureates’ names have slipped out prematurely before. In 2019, the poet Katarina Frostenson, a member of the Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Prize in Literature, left after an investigation found that her husband had repeatedly leaked the names of winners.
This year’s chemistry Nobel laureates — Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov — were selected for their discovery and development of quantum dots, used in LED lights and television screens and to help guide surgeons as they remove cancer tissue. At least one of the recipients still described the accolade as unexpected.
Daily Word Challenge
Can you correctly use the word accolade in a sentence?
Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.
If you want a better idea of how accolade can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.
Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.
Comment on How To Block Google Analytics From Tracking Your Own Visits by Ophindi
Hopefully, you are already using Google Analytics to track your visitor stats. If not, it’s time to get it installed. Google Analytics is a powerful free tool that provides robust insights into your site’s performance. But the data you are tracking needs to be accurate or it won’t do you any good. One major thing that can skew your Google Analytics data and cause inaccurate reporting is allowing it to track yourself.
Allowing Google Analytics to track your own visits to your site can really throw your numbers off. This can be especially noticeable when you are working on a new post, playing around with your blog design, or doing anything where you need to refresh the page often or move quickly between a few pages. Google will count all of these actions as real traffic when in reality, it’s just silly you playing around with your site.
The good news is that it’s super easy to block yourself from being tracked by Google Analytics. Below you’ll find two easy methods for accomplishing this.
RELATED: How to Install Google Analytics to WordPress & How to Install Google Analytics to Blogger
HOW TO BLOCK GOOGLE ANALYTICS FROM TRACKING YOUR OWN VISITS
1. Best Method
Currently, the best method out there is a Chrome extension which, when installed, will prevent Google Analytics from tracking your own visits to your website. What’s great about this method is that you can set a list of domains you don’t want your visits to be tracked on and the extension will automatically block your visits on only those specific domains.
How to install
4. Now in the top right-hand side of your browser (just right of the address bar), you’ll see a new grayed-out icon that looks like this:
5. Now navigate to the website you don’t want your visits to be tracked by Google Analytics on. Click on that little icon and click Block Analytics for this website.
You can also click on Options to manually add any website you wish (without navigating there) and/or to view the list of websites you have blocked yourself on. To manually add a website in the Options section, paste in the URL to the website where it asks for the URL and then click Add. Then be sure to save your changes.
Advantage of this method: you can set specific websites to block yourself on.
Disadvantage of this method: only works for the Chrome browser.
2. Alternative Method
If Chrome isn’t your preferred web browser, then you can accomplish the same thing in any browser by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
**Please keep in mind that this method will block you from ALL Google Analytics tracking on EVERY website out there, not just the tracking for your own blog.**
How to install
5. Now just repeat this process in all of the web browsers you use. The install process will be a little different in each browser, but you should get prompts to guide you along.
Advantage of this method: works on all web browsers.
Disadvantage of this method: blocks you from ALL Google Analytics tracking on EVERY website out there, not just the tracking for your own blog.