| What's the use of anonymous surfing? Well, for me, it lets me know pretty quickly whether my sites are online. Since I've got a bunch of sites out there, it just makes sense that occasionally there will be an issue with one of them. But the question is: Is it something I did? Is the hosting server down? Or is there a breakdown in the internet between me and the hosting server? |
| Many people aren't aware that not everyone view the web in exactly the same way. Not only are there multiple browsers and multiple browser configurations (and sadly, Internet Explorer ships configured for speed, not for accuracy...), but there are data tables on mega-servers all over the planet that provide the roadmap when you type in, for example, ChuckBrown.com in your browser's address bar. Each Internet Service Provider (ISP...the people you pay your internet bill to every month) points to any one of a number of these servers...so I, being a Roadrunner subscriber...can legitimately view something completely different than an SBC/Yahoo subscriber who lives nearby. These are normally transitional differences...i.e., they'll work themselves out over a period of hours or days. But, in the meantime...I need to know for sure if my web site is online or not. |
| The quickest way to do this is to check one or more anonymous surfing sites. The functional of anonymous surfing is basically designed to let you "peek through someone else's eyes" as you view web sites. For me, being able to see thru the "eyes" of someone else around the country (viewing from other ISPs and points on the internet) lets me gather some objective evidence. |
| Here are some sites that I use to anonymously surf to my sites to confirm that they don't exist only in my mind: |
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| As always, if you know of another great example of this type of tool that I've overlooked, please let me know...and I very likely might include it for my own benefit and that of others. Thanks for your interest! |