Canvey Beat monitoring
FOUR WEEKS after moving the Canvey Beat from WordPress to BlogSpot, Google has finally got around to indexing the new site. But what has been fascinating in the intervening period is to discover the number of devoted readers the Blog has acquired. During the past four weeks, it has only been those individuals that have counted towards the site’s hits.
The new StatCounter facility not only counts page-loads; it also keeps track of individual visitors by using a cookie and recording their IP address – consequently recording the number of visits each individual makes and what pages and links they access. Moreover, StatCounter provides full details of each individual’s ISP provider; the geographical location of their internet access node; and full details of their browser and system specifications. The information it gathers is sent to StatCounter’s own servers where it is collated in graphical and detailed data forms for inspection.
Interestingly, very few visitors surf their way to the site. The vast majority enter the new Canvey Beat address into their browser by hand (or use their software’s Favourites facility). And a considerable swathe do not bother entering the address at all – they sit on the home-page week after week and refresh it manually from time to time. (I had thought the habit of assigning a favourite Website to one’s desktop background had died out with the introduction of RSS). StatCounter records this type of behaviour as ‘multiple visits spread over a number of days.’
I was surprised to find that three individuals are so worried about their identity being discovered that they use a proxy service. But what they are seemingly unaware of is that their particular proxy providers do not hide their browser or machine details from view. Neither do they hide the proxy service’s organisation name, which one proudly proclaims as: HideMyAss.com. (Only an internet entrepreneur could have thought that one up). All three paranoid visitors could obtain similar ‘security’ by subscribing to a standard AOL account.
The politicians, it seems, are everywhere. I was surprised to find the Canvey Beat being regularly monitored by Parliament; and Castle Point and Essex Councils. (The Town Council does not have a proprietary node and undertakes its monitoring by individual councillors and their ISP accounts). I would like to think that it is the quality of my local journalism which attracts all their attention; but I fear it has much more to do with ensuring they can undertake any necessary damage limitation exercise quickly via the readers’ forum.
I had intended to only publish posts over the week-end; but that ambition was never fulfilled. The local news that I was privy to would have been stale had I queued it for the Friday night, so I continued to write it up and notify Facebook and Twitter as usual. Making the Canvey Beat into a week-end Blog was, in hindsight, a stupid idea. I am now resigned to the fact that, in addition to my camera, voice recorder, notebook, mobile and suitcase, my laptop also needs to accompany me when I am on the road.
That will not happen when my girlfriend and I go away together though. There is not enough room in the boot. And there is absolutely no way I am giving up my beloved MX-5 for a more conventional vehicle…
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