Adam Jack replied:
The referring URL is available in the HTTP request for pages.
Many sites use it in CGI scripts to include it into the HTML
the provide. It is IMHO - given the current state of HTML - up
to the page creator to modify the page content. The browser
shouldn't be involved.
This is also logged. I have a script that scans the logs to see
who viewed my pages with what browsers - and where they came from.
... BTW - I form this scripts output into an HTML page which I
publish internally. I just need to click on the URLs to go
do exactly as you suggest. It is a lesson and a half.
You misunderstand. Yes, it's nice that a page author can see the URLs
which reference it, and that this author might modify their page to let
readers see these URLs. But I want to see these URLs for all pages,
even for pages where the author would rather I didn't see them. The
CIA and RJR aren't likely to make it easy to find criticism of
their pages.
Robin Hanson hanson@hss.caltech.edu http://www.hss.caltech.edu/~hanson/
818-683-9153 2433 Oswego St., Pasadena, CA 91107 FAX: 818-405-9841
818-395-4093 Div. Hum. & Soc. Sci. 228-77 Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125