I don't think the numbers are real, in the sense that things like spambots, search engines, web crawlers and the like all trigger a page view. This is compounded by the fact that multiple clicks are counted from the same source. So, while you are on the site, a second click on a link won't register a +1, but if you leave the site, go elsewhere, and then come back later, it will +1 I think.
This is why peanut's numbers are all fake. His counters register everything, human and software generated, plus I think Thierry's right in the belief that he can set a base count to work from, like designating a starting check number so that the guy that just wrote his first check shows check number 1001.
It's all bullshit, but we here at APF pull the curtain back on the wizard!