Reply #20: If you create a white image file, 1x1 pixel, and add it to your post, [View All]

[L. Coyote]

each time someone requests the thread, their computer also requests the image file from your server. Yes, you need to have access to the server logs, and an application to analyze the logs makes things a lot easier.

If you want to avoid a lot of extra hits, remove the file from the post before the edit time expires, or the file will continue to be requested. Then you can reuse the file in the next thread .....

Here is what a log entry looks like:

212.229.194.194 - - <01/Feb/2002:00:08:30 -0800> "GET /enhance.css HTTP/1.1" 200 644 "http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=post&forum=389&topic_id=3454201" "Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.0; Windows NT; DigExt)"

This indicates that the request originates from IP 212.229.194.194, that the browser is Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.0, and that the operating system is Windows NT.

If the request originates from a Google search, you get this URL for example, showing the search terms:
"http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=impeach+bush&btnG=Google+Search&hl=en"

You would not believe how much info Skinner has!!!