Iranian Visitor #3,046,674

This is interesting. We've always known that we have readers worldwide - but apparently, we also have visitors from an "Iranian Research Organization" located in Tehran. Below is the record from our SiteMeter. This is what they were "researching" on our site. We've heard from other bloggers that they've had Iranian online guests of a similar nature from time to time as well - usually when they publish anything critical about Iran's government.

Note on "Visit Length": The SiteMeter doesn't record time until visitors move beyond the first page they visit to the best of our knowledge. So it is unclear exactly how long they viewed the site - certainly more than the "0" seconds listed.

Comments

[Scott_H]

They didn't stick around long, did they?

"Visit Length 0 seconds"

[Pat Patterson]

Anything beyond 10 seconds and they have to gouge out their eyes like Oedipus.

[beimami]

I am not completely up to speed on SiteMeter, but based on the visit length, this may simply have been a hit from the search engine to a page the the searcher never actually visited.

[RayD]

@ Scott,

Actually, it doesn't record time until they move to a second page. So it is unclear exactly how long they viewed the site - certainly more than "0" seconds.

[Atlantiksegler]

Why are you publishing these details? Have you ever thought about the fact that the visitor might get into trouble because he viewed your site? And you make him clearly identifiable with IP and timestamp?

[RayD]

@ Atlantiksegler:

I'm not too worried about getting Iranian Intelligence Officers/Censors "into trouble."

[Atlantiksegler]

How would you know who he is? Maybe he's a student adhering to the opposition and is already questioned for visiting a "Zionist website"?

[LouMinatti]

I get such hits on my podunk website periodically as well. It's either a robot, or some Iranian guy is bored during lunch hour and is farting around, like hundreds of millions of other people around the world. I wouldn't be concerned. I'm not.

[xenolith]

Boy, talk about your lazy generalizations.

1. The visitor could've been searching on something out of simple interest.
2. You don't show the key words the visitor was using, which is easily determined by clicking on referring URL link, so we have no hint of what the visitor was searching on, whether innocent or nefarious. Was he searching on "crazy-ass Ahmadinejad" or "evil Americans attack Ahmadinejad"? You don't show.
3. You provide no explanation of any detailed knowledge of the Iranian Research Organization and whether the organization is known for any nefarious activity.
4. "So it is unclear exactly how long they viewed the site - certainly more than the '0' seconds listed." How can you be certain of that?
5. The fact that you get hits whenever you publish a critical story about Iran is meaningless. If you write a story about Iran, you're going to get hits from Iran, whether the story is critical or not, and I'm guessing from the nature of this site, you're typically critical.

Fair enough, there's plenty to be critical about. However, you have little fodder to formulate conspiracy theories from.

One would expect a lot more detailed critical thinking from a site devoted to critiquing the media.

[RayD]

@ xenolith,

Well - since we almost never get hits from Iran - and since we've had Iranian government visitors before - I think it is safe to assume that this site is blocked in Iran. That being the case - it is hard to imagine that this visit is just some innocent guy on his lunch break in Tehran.