I hope you don't mind me if we stay focused on the original question even though all the subjects are interesting per se.
> I do think there is a HUGE difference...
This is off-topic and a matter of perspective.
> I understand that your main concern is not privacy, but the usefulness of such privacy-friendly stats.
It's not about my privacy concerns. It's about the purpose, legitimacy, and effectiveness of a feature. Showing a count of unique/returning visitors is simply a lie; privacy friendliness apart.
> Analytics is a very complex space...
This is off-topic and a matter of approach and experience.
> Privacy-focused tools already clearly state that they are a "simple" alternative and that they offer only basic stats.
This is the central subject of the discussion. They all promote simplicity and coolness. However, simple != erroneous. You can be simple and provide correct information or not provide them at all. Otherwise, there is a problem of ethics and liability.
How can we trust tools supposed to handle our online privacy while at the same time the same tools are pretending something that is not true?
And please, don't get me wrong. It's all about the metric on users. In effect, the same tools without these particular metrics may have an audience striving for such simplicity. However, with these invalid metrics baked in, it seems to be a more opportunistic move than a privacy-focused one.
> I do think there is a HUGE difference...
This is off-topic and a matter of perspective.
> I understand that your main concern is not privacy, but the usefulness of such privacy-friendly stats.
It's not about my privacy concerns. It's about the purpose, legitimacy, and effectiveness of a feature. Showing a count of unique/returning visitors is simply a lie; privacy friendliness apart.
> Analytics is a very complex space...
This is off-topic and a matter of approach and experience.
> Privacy-focused tools already clearly state that they are a "simple" alternative and that they offer only basic stats.
This is the central subject of the discussion. They all promote simplicity and coolness. However, simple != erroneous. You can be simple and provide correct information or not provide them at all. Otherwise, there is a problem of ethics and liability.
How can we trust tools supposed to handle our online privacy while at the same time the same tools are pretending something that is not true?
And please, don't get me wrong. It's all about the metric on users. In effect, the same tools without these particular metrics may have an audience striving for such simplicity. However, with these invalid metrics baked in, it seems to be a more opportunistic move than a privacy-focused one.