Google Apps Hacks

327  - ROLL YOUR OWN ANALYTICS API FOR A “MOST POPULAR POSTS” WIDGET

HaCK

# 135

When you set up your Google Group, choose the Announcement-only option. Once created, under

the “Group settings” menu item, select Access and make sure that the following are checked:

 Although it would be preferential to make the group private,

that would prevent public access to the feeds for the group, which you’ll need later.

 Keeping the group unlisted makes it less likely for someone to stumble

across your Analytics reports when searching Google Groups.

 This is so that no one else can post to the group, which would cause

issues when trying to retrieve the Analytics message.

Then click Save Changes.

Although you could email your reports directly to the Google Groups email address, each message

would then contain an “opt-out” link, because it’s not the email address that’s registered with

Google Analytics. Given that the messages will be publicly available, you’ll be using Gmail to

forward the messages from the same Gmail address you use for Google Accounts, so that if anyone

manages to nd the Google Group, they can’t stop the scheduled report. Simply create a new lter

 and set it up as follows:

Identify any email with Analytics in the subject that also has attachments.

Forward the email to your Google Groups ...