I've discussed a CGI exit script in my WebTechniques Perl column, including why it is necessary, and how to set up the site for it.

Oddly enough, I also use my CGI "exit" script to track links I place on slashdot and other public arenas to see if anyone follows them. For example, on slashdot, I may code in a story like:

For more information about my legal case, visit
<a href="http://www.stonehenge.com/cgi/go/http://www.lightlink.com/for
+s/">the
friends of randal schwartz website</a>.
[download]

which then shows up as a link like:

For more information about my legal case, visit the friends of randal schwartz website.

And clicking on that link (try it) takes you to www.lightlink.com/fors/, while first noting it on my server, so I can see if this link I've so carefully typed was of interest to anyone, or if I was just wasting my breath. Obviously, I don't need to code inward links to my site this way... only links from a public site to some other public site. It's a nice way of knowing if I'm just babbling. {grin}

-- Randal L. Schwartz, Perl hacker