Watchers

<![CDATA[ In my linklist features a webcam, which looks out over the Outer Harbour at Stornoway. It's not that good, but it shows what the weather is like, which ferries go in and out (if at all). At night, you just see the lights in the Coastguard Station as well as the regular blinks of the beacon in the channel off Arnish Point and Arnish Lighthouse (sic). The beacon carries a red light, and as this features in the description for the cam, anyone looking for a red light will be directed to an innocuous buoy outside Stornoway Harbour.

Associated with the cam comes a list of all the people that are watching it. This does not give names or addresses, but a rough indication of location and their ISP is included. It shows that the Stornoway webcam is well frequented, people from all over the world watch it. Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Poland, USA, South Africa, Egypt, Palestinian Occupied Territory, Vietnam - to name but a few. The list stretches to 105 countries, the majority are not listed. What never ceases to amaze and amuse me is the question why people would want to watch a Stornoway webcam? At the moment, the weather is the leading reason. Since advertising on Metcheck that snow is falling here, the number of watchers has jumped to over 200 a day, from an average of about 70. Having in interest in weather is perfectly valid. But sometimes, people look at it through their boss's Internet connection. There are some odd names in there, have a look:

National Institute for Biological Standards and Control
Orkney Islands Council (as if they don't have enough of their own snow)
London International Financial Futures Exchange
Kingston Council, Kingston upon Thames

and those just from the last 2 hours or so. We're REALLY busy at work there.
Anyway, any sort of publicity for the islands welcome, I assume. ]]>