My curiosity has got the better of me.

[Matilda]

I've read lately on a couple of left-leaning blogs that unknown
visitors from say, the FBI, or the CIA or a RW organisation have
been viewing their site.

How can they know this? I thought it was possible to count hits
on to a site, but not where they come from. Are these bloggers
being paranoid, or is this for real?

[FormerDittoHead]

1. easy - web logs...

web logs show the IP address of those requesting the page. The IP then resolves to a ".gov", etc address (if the web server's configured to do so)

[Matilda]

2. So some little governnent employee somewhere really might

be taking notes!

Does the same apply to any website?

I know that on William Blum's website, he puts up a warning saying
that as soon as you hit the button to enter, you will be registered
with an Intelligence Agency (forget which one). Of course, that's
enough to make you hit enter just to thumb your nose at them.

[FormerDittoHead]

3. Yes, or just reading.

When you request a webpage, the source's IP address is recorded in the logs.

For privacy, some people channel their surfing through proxy servers, ( http://www.anonymization.net ) who acts as intermediaries. I would imagine if the gov't wanted to be more stealthy, they'd do this.

I looked for a Blum website w/the msg, but I couldn't find such a warning. What's the URL? (Curious)

[Matilda]

4. I followed the link to Blum from Third World Traveler.

The current page looks as if it's been set up by TWT, whereas when
I followed it before, it linked to Blum's own website. I know that's
where I first found it, because TWT is one of my favorite sites,
but it was over a year ago now, and the links are different.


Edit to give current link from TWT:

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Blum/William_Blum.html