NONE: Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Web tracking solutions
Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Web tracking solutions
Drazen Kacar (dave_at_fly.cc.fer.hr)
Sun, 20 Oct 1996 06:41:21 +0200 (MET DST)
Brady Chatfield wrote:
>
> We simply send a unique character string so you can tag a browser as being
> unique in relation to all others. The information the cookies have basically
> says "I'm John Smith"... we can then reference anything on "John Smith" that
> we have chosen to store from previous visits. Therefore, if the "John
> Smith" cookie remains intact, I can always tell you with 100% certainty
> when he visits.
You can't, there is a limit on number of cookies that a browser can store.
If too much sites use them, cookies won't last enough to be returned to you.
> How can a standard log detail a path through site, and if that claim is
> made, what is the accuracy of it? All you know about a hit in a standard
> log is the source Internet address. Period.
You could try with combination of IP address, date and referer header.
That doesn't guarantee meaningful results, but you'll get something.
And if you have from header, you won't have any problems with this. If a
person doesn't send from header, I'd take it as a hint that the person
doesn't want to be logged at all.
> Geographical resolution is the biggest crock of bull I've seen,
> especially in I-PRO ( I believe ). They say when you get 500 hits from
> Microsoft (microsoft.com), that means that 500 hits are logged to
> Redmond, Washington. Well, the local Phoenix Microsoft office's domain
> also ends with microsoft.com. So, your tracking software will say these
> guys are in Washington? Don't think so. If anyone tries to say their
> product can do this, run, don't walk, and make sure to hide your checkbook.
You don't do geographical resolution based on domain name. You do it on
IP address. If you can find registry for all of them.
> package. A 404 error is when you dial up a page and it isn't there. This
> type of stuff gets recorded in the server error log by default, so this
> is not a feature of a stats package as far as I can tell (or would pay
> for).
Logging 404 responses is default for some servers. Not all.
> Choice #1 is having a customer register somewhere to then be able to
> track them (interse'). Choice #2 is cookies.
>
> Yes, but if we *have* this great technology then let's use it to its fullest!
Indeed. When I use Netscape, the browser goes through the proxy which strips
cookies, ad banners, animated gifs, BLINKs and all other kind of crap.
It sends From header with the correct E-mail address, but I suppose that
nobody logs that.
And when I use Lynx, that's all done by default. :)
--
Life is a sexually transmitted disease.
dave_at_fly.cc.fer.hr
dave_at_zemris.fer.hr
