Web access logs: FOI release

Information requested

How many times have Scottish Government IT devices accessed the following websites from the period of 1st of March 2020 to the present day,

I would be grateful if a month by month breakdown were possible, so March 2020, April 2020 etc:

https://wingsoverscotland.com/
https://gordondangerfield.com/
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/
https://weegingerdug.wordpress.com/

Response

I attach a copy of some of the information you requested below.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have all the information you have requested. Please note the time periods you have requested for each ask listed above cannot be fully provided. The Scottish Government's policy is to retain logs of web access for six months only. Therefore the data below lists the number of times have accessed the requested websites between the dates of 26th August 2020 to 24th February 2021.

Original Domain	Numbers of Visits between 26/08/20 - 24/02/2021
https://wingsoverscotland.com/	1408
https://gordonangerfield.com/	68
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/	439
https://weegingerdug.wordpress.com	262

Unfortunately if the month by month breakdown which you requested, if it was available, was fulfilled it would have resulted in the exceeding of the upper cost limit of £600. Under section 12 of FOISA public authorities are not required to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying would exceed the upper cost limit, which is currently set at £600 by Regulations made under section 12.

You may, however, wish to consider reducing the scope of your request in order that the costs can be brought below £600. I recommend for future similar requests for a month by month breakdown that the number of website requested is reduced and/or the time period requested reduced to a shorter length. The website data access logs we hold are held on multiple servers and a report is required to be built for each to retrieve information on each website, for each server and for each time period requested.

You may also find it helpful to look at the Scottish Information Commissioner's 'Tips for requesting information under FOI and the EIRs' on his website at: http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourRights/Tipsforrequesters.aspx.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.