If you're looking at this blog, I know the following things. How you got here, how long you stayed for, what you clicked on while you were here, what ISP you're using, whether you've got an Apple Mac or PC, what browser you use, where you live and the company you work for. Then I can label you and track how often you come back. Scary that, isn't it?
Most of the time, I don't really care who you are or what you're doing here. Those are just the details available to me and most other bloggers. I'm aware that if I go onto someone elses blog, I'll probably be tracked, it's part and parcel of blogging. We do it to be nosey and for a bit of security. As long as there's nothing odd going on, it's just another little bit of code on a website.
I've run this blog for three years and in that time, there's never really been much to worry about. Yesterday, during a little check of the stats, it became clear that someone has been getting here using some very interesting google search terms; they stood out from the randomness that you usually get. Let's just say they were very specific.
I worried a bit, wondering what that person might think and considered shutting down the blog for a bit. Then I thought actually, this blog's not that bad. When I write, it's not a matter of taking cheap potshots at someone close to me, or badmouthing a certain company, or giving shit to anyone other than people who wear luminous trainers. Oh, and Fearne Cotton. This blog has always been about things that affect my life and probably yours as well, it rarely goes into specifics.
In fact, anonymity only really matters to me because it's easier to write to a sea of blank faces, just like anyone who gets on a stage to perform finds it easier to have the audience blacked out.
So basically - to that person with the quick google fingers...re-read the first paragraph of this blog post. You're not onto me, I'm onto you.
MUHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAAAAAAAAA etc
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16 comments:
I became quite obsessed with my stat counter for a while there. One person in particular creeped me out just for the sheer number of pages he/she would view in one day.
It is fascinating to see where they all come from etc, but yeah, don't delve too deeply, you may not like what you find :/
Very brave approach to the anonymity question. I'd like to think I'd be as sanguine, but it'd probably be a question of repeatedly hitting a large red panic button...
Self-editing in case vs blogging about what you want to blog about...it's a tough one.
Steph - Hello my dear, good to have you back around. Yeah, it's best not to read too much into stats. They're a bit misleading - but they do enable you to keep an eye out, especially if you don't use your own name to post.
Rage - I think it's all about a mixture of both, blog about what you want but be aware that if someone was to read it they might not approve. Sex stuff and specific situations, naming people etc are all out of the question for me. Keep it ambiguous.
Was the google search term "Whats being said about me Fearne Cotton"?
Oh shit I am so sorry. It was me. I just didn't think, you know, that my search terms 'Stockings, suspenders, black fishnets, sexy female goats, smeared with butter' would get on your radar but, sigh, it obvioiusly did.
I'm really sorry for the distress I've caused.
p.s. What I want to know is how I turned up on your blog with those search terms?
ooh very interesting..i didn't even know you could track stats on your blogs (shows what I novice I am).
Very interesting ...
I've used stat counters on both my blogs but nowt have come up really worthy of mention.
A friend of mine, did, however shut down their blog after becoming distressed at the amount of searches for `pics of horrific car crash injuries' (one of his blogging posts carried the title `Car Crash Telly').
I get "Fat heather from Eastenders" ALL THE TIME. Oh, and "hot serial killers". Nice.
Aaaanyway, I only know that because of Wordpress' "Blog stats" page, as my stat counter (imaginatively statcounter.com) doesn't seem to do anything except tell me where people are coming from. The search engine terms and stuff don't register at all, which is weird.
Also, when I went on my parents' internet and looked at my blog, instead of saying "House in the middle of nowhere", my tracker said "opposite side of the country, possibly even London", which makes me think these trackers aren't entirely accurate.
UNLESS you work where I do, accessing blogs from a big institution or company, in which case... meh... bloggers will know where you are.
With you all the way on this! LOVE my statcounters. Gotta keep an eye out for the nutters!
You know you can label the individual IP addresses in statcounter? That way you can see them easily if or when they turn up again.
(www.statcounter.com)
How much do you obsess over your stats? On a scale of 1-10, with 1 meaning you don't track stats at all and 10 meaning you need therapy becuase all you do is look at your stats, where do you stand? I'm a solid 8.
Robbie - Why yes, yes it was! I feel she's onto me...
Brennig - Look, I've had it up to hear with your dodgy searches. If I've told you once, I've told you three times. There is NO porn on here. I took it all down.
miss h - There's a wealth of information to be found ;)
MOT - Yeah, that's a bit odd :-/ I used to have a picture up of 2 elephants having sex, and literally I'd get hundreds and hundreds of hits a day just from people searching for it. Weird. I took it down. No amount of hits is worth that weirdness.
Blueskies - That's the problem I was on about in my last geeky post about wordpress and how annoying it is. No stats show up because they don't allow java scripts, which most stat counters rely on. Thus you're stuck with 'no referring links'
All Mod - Hehe yeah I know about stat counter and labelling. Maybe you need to re-read my first paragraph again, too ;)
Unbearable - I'd say on average, I'm more of a 5. Then I'll have 10 days every so often. Like yesterday. Yesterday I was stat checking crazy.
Above and beyond me. x
I can't really tell much from my stats, but I just use the google ones? Maybe they are not the best?
Oops!
Of course, the sneaky way round the statcounter is to use google reader. No-one will even know about your stalking!
Yes, I always wonder why people actually go to the blog rather than use google reader. Either they are inept or they want you to know they have been there - or think you are too stupid to notice perhaps.
But it is a pity when we lose our little patch of space where we can say what we want.
I understand your frustration.
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