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Webalizer Access Stats

Prairienet runs the open source Web stats analysis program Webalizer.

Advanced Web Hosting Accounts

Advanced Web hosting accounts have their own domain names (virtual domains) and are automatically set up for Webalizer stats. Stats will be stored in a /logs subdirectory.
[How to tell if your site is being log-spammed]

Log directories are password-protected in order to limit traffic to human beings. Login information (username and password) is given in the password prompt box.

Some live examples are given below.

Web stats for Urbana Free Library
Web stats for CUVolunteer.org

Standard Web Hosting Accounts

Web stats are available upon request for Standard Web Hosting Accounts that have opted for a subdomain (e.g. dtccu.prairienet.org). A one-time setup fee of $25 may apply.

Web stats for Dog Training Club of Champaign-Urbana (dtccu.prairienet.org)
Web stats for Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center (cimic.prairienet.org)

For more information, please email Prairienet Tech Support at support at prairienet dot org.

Stats for everybody else

The Web stats for all other Prairienet pages reside at http://www.prairienet.org/logs/. If you're curious to see your page stats, pick a month, then click on URLs. At the bottom of the URL table, click on the "View all URLs" link (warning, file can be over 1MB). You can use your browser's Find feature to search for your own pages.

An alternative method for those comfortable at the UNIX prompt: use grep to search all URL summary files.

    grep myurl /content/web/root/logs/url_*

To mail yourself the file, add this:

    grep myurl /content/web/root/logs/url_* | mail myaddy@prairienet.org

The really enterprising can import this file into Excel for further analysis.

Note that Web stats in general are actually not all that useful anymore, given the amount of "non-human" traffic that regularly traverses Web sites - everything from search engine spiders, spammer's email collecting 'bots' to "log spammers". When even the most obscure page on your site is getting hits, it's sure sign that automatic traffic is traversing your entire site. For sites with many pages, this can add up to a very misleading picture of your site's traffic.

If you would like to keep more detailed track of your own stats, there are sites that collect stats for you, http://www.statcounter.com/ or http://thecounter.com. You can also search Google for "free web statistics".

How to tell if your site is being log-spammed

Log spamming is a tactic used by sites that are looking for ways to drive up their Google ranking (which is based in part on how many other sites are linked to it). Script-driven traffic traverses your Web site and inserts a forged "referrer" or originating site.

Two telltale signs that your site is being log-spammed:

a sudden, drastic and otherwise unexplained jump in traffic, sometimes 40-50 fold
porn sites in your Referer report (pick a month click on the "Referrers" link).