March 30, 2004
Web Server Statistics Laid Bare
Thanks to Blogmentor, I have been provided with a something or other called Web Server Statistics, which gives me a vague idea about who has visited this site, how long they stay, how they got here and what they're reading, sort of. It's another way of knowing what's happening, other than messages from those of you who are kind enough to comment.
For example, I have a list of sample visits that tells me who has been here, and how long they have stayed. It comes in the most obscure code, so don't worry, I will not recognize anyone personally.
Well, Mozilla and Googlebot spend more time on my blog than I do. Whatever could they be doing? I am told they are webcrawlers and they are indexing my commentary for use on their search engine. This is why, for many months, Dakota was on the first page of information about scratched corneas . I sometimes had as many as ten disappointed visitors daily, straining their damaged eyeballs, looking for information about how to treat their painful condition. It must have annoyed them terribly when I popped up. Somehow, they have vanished from my statistics. I think, and rightfully so, that I am no longer on Google's page one about scratched corneas. Masai sneakers/cellulite is the search term that has moved into prominence in my statistics.
When I did do a little, overworked submission for the Belle du Jour contest and Sashinka mentioned my name as a possible porn star (I am honored) on her blog -- a few visitors arrived.
And now this. More than eight hundred people guided erroneously to me yesterday, thinking that I am offering the infamous digital disposable. I, of course, am thrilled, mostly by our amusing manifestation, but also by the inadvertant exposure. I'll bet they're not.
Photo note: This is Montreal. Symbolically, little old me, set against large, modern corporation.