Arturo Calvo

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How to disable cookies on Google Analytics so that you don't need a consent banner

The integration of Google Analytics into a website or blog is not GDPR-compliant by default . You must first obtain explicit consent of the end-users to store cookies, describing in your privacy policy how you intend to use collected personal data. This is the reason why most websites nowadays display an annoying (but necessary) consent banner. If you fail to do so or if you only ask for implicit consent, you are at risk of being fined. However, it is possible to disable cookies on Google Analytics (GA) respecting end-users privacy, so that you don't need to ask for consent. The downside is that you will not be able to distinguish the type of user (unique vs new vs returning) and you will miss some session insights. If these details are not relevant for you, here is how you do it. Disable Google Analytics cookies on a custom website If you have a custom website with full access to the source code, you can simply insert the script below between the <head> and </head>

Microsoft will soon launch a feature to schedule chat messages on Teams

In 2021 I wrote an article where I shared why I started scheduling my emails and the positive impact this easy action has had on the wellbeing of the recipients and on my own work-life balance . However, one of my frustrations is that, as of today, it is not possible to schedule chat messages or posts on Microsoft Teams. Have you ever received a push notification on a Friday evening from a non-urgent message that could have easily waited until Monday? Yes, you know what I am talking about! The good news is that Microsoft is currently working on this feature, and it is expected to be released in July 2022 , as we can see on Microsoft's roadmap . It was back in June 2019 when this useful functionality was first proposed on Microsoft Tech Community . It soon gained many supporters that pushed it through the approval channels. I can't wait to start using this!

Getting a ReactJS app approved on Adsense

I developed a memory game called Kobadoo as a Single-Page Application (SPA) using ReactJS. Since the very beginning I tried to monetize the game by displaying ads, but it was not that easy. Despite the good traffic Kobadoo had, all my applications to Adsense were consistently rejected by Google with the cryptic argument " Valuable Inventory: No content ". My first guess was that the landing page needed even more text . I had at that time two or three paragraphs describing the game, and I ended up adding two more with the hope that it would help Adsense find better contextual ads. However, this change made no effect and the application was rejected again. Then, after reading some articles stating the poor SEO performance of ReactJS applications, I decided to implement Server-Side Rendering (SSR) with NextJS , which is a proven technique to rank better on search engines. Sadly, Google rejected once again my application with the same explanation. Disappointed, I decided to us

How to fix the "earnings at risk" error and ads.txt issues on Adsense?

When I started using Adsense I was shocked that, after a few days with decent revenue, it suddenly dropped to 0. I had previously followed the steps to upload the right ads.txt file to my root domain, and I could see it by opening https:// kobadoo.com/ads.txt . After waiting for a week with the annoying message " Earnings at risk " being displayed and zero earnings, I figured out what the problem actually was. I was able to access ads.txt , but Google bots weren't. My robots.txt file had this content: User-agent: * Allow: /index.html Disallow: / I changed it to the one below, and after a few hours the error message disappeared and the earnings came back to normal. User-agent: * Allow: /

How to convert a PWA into an Android app in 5 minutes

In early 2021 I developed a memory game called Kobadoo as a PWA (Progressive Web App) using ReactJS. It works pretty well as a browser game and gets decent traffic, but I wanted to reach more potential users by making it available on the official mobile app marketplaces. Since I didn't want to spend any time coding a native app, the easiest solution I found was to convert the PWA into a TWA (Trusted Web Activities) app. It barely takes 5 minutes to do it. TWA essentially allows you to easily create an Android app ( .apk file) that displays a full-screen browser view of your PWA. The user experience is almost identical to a web app and the views from the TWA will count as traffic on your web app. This means that if you have ads on your PWA, they will still work (and generate revenue) from the TWA. Another advantage is that every update you make on the PWA will be immediately reflected on the TWA without the need to submit a new version on Google Play. Here's how I convert

Be considerate of others: schedule your work emails

How do you feel when you receive a work email on a Sunday at 01:48? After having my first child I enjoyed the flexibility of choosing when and where to work from. I adapted my routines and started catching up with email at very unusual hours : late at night and on weekends. Every time I sent an email outside normal working hours I had a bad conscience. Despite my good intentions, these emails had some negative consequences : Disturbing the recipient during her free time if she has push notifications on. Create a false sense of urgency and despair. Give the wrong impression that I am always available and that I expect the recipient to be reachable too. Very low response rate . Affect the reputation of the business I represent as a "great place to work". Fortunately, most email service providers have now implemented the option to schedule emails to be delivered at a later date and time. [ Learn how it is done on Gmail and Outlook ] Scheduling feature on Gmail Since I s