What can a site actually log?
All I know of is the IP address.
Is there any other ways of identifying a user, or just the ip?
Printable View
What can a site actually log?
All I know of is the IP address.
Is there any other ways of identifying a user, or just the ip?
a site can log the users ISP too.
Sites can log what OS your using your host name, browser, ip, how long you have been on the site etc.
How many times you have visited, what time you visited, date etc
There is quite a lot that can be logged, mostly to do with whats installed on your computer. Like if you have shockwave installed, shockwave files can get your MAC Id or whatever it's called.
Screen res and apparently color depth.
Name, address, e-mail, passport number, bank details
Joke,
It depends on what the webmaster has installed, different stat programs log different things. Most common are stated above like your i.p, isp, how long you were on site etc.
Location via an IP Geolocation Service.
It looks like you want to identify a user, in which case, use a few of these things in conjunction with each other. Like an IP, and then a User-Agent, and a few other $_SERVER variables presuming your using PHP, then make sure at least like 3/5 are right, otherwise log them out of do whatever your trying to do.
It really depends on the site, you can log whatever the user/browser provides for you... other sites log different things, that the user provides for you.
Hence where privacy policies and legal conditions come in, they tell you what the site is collecting about you.
If you provide your First and Last name to a site, and your mobile number.. they store (log) it.. their privacy policy should tell what they do with the information.
It all depends on the site, if the user provides it.. and understands what it is going to be used for, you can log whatever they provide, as long as they know.
Dentafrice is right. The only thing I know of which is literally impossible to withhold is an IP address. Then again, it is near impossible to browse the internet with only that these days.