Q6: How do I prevent counting my own visits?

Partial IPs: "123.45." matches all in that range
Cookie-based exclusion: Set a cookie and check for it
Session timeout: Don't count repeat visits within X minutes

Answer

To exclude your own visits, add your IP to the ignore list:

@ignore_ips = (
    "123.45.67.89",       # Your home IP
    "98.76.54.32",        # Your work IP
    "192.168."            # Local network prefix
);

You can also use:

Tip: Find your IP at whatismyip.com and add it to the list.