visualize activity on a website

[brien]

hi all --

I'd like to have a real time visualization of all the visitors on my
website. That is, a list of all the people currently on each page,
updated in real time.

Does anyone have an approach they could share? I'm curious what
technologies people find useful for this kind of thing.

Also, if you don't mind, if you were to code something like this, how
many hours do you think it would take?

Regards

[GArlington]

On Jan 17, 9:31 am, brien <[e-mail]:

hi all --

I'd like to have a real time visualization of all the visitors on my
website. That is, a list of all the people currently on each page,
updated in real time.

Does anyone have an approach they could share? I'm curious what
technologies people find useful for this kind of thing.

Also, if you don't mind, if you were to code something like this, how
many hours do you think it would take?

Regards

You will not be able to do it in javascript. The closest you will get
is if you use AJAX and have VERY fast response page on the server.
Generally to achieve real-time you will need a client-server type
application, server will maintain connections to (number of) client(s)
and send short updates of status change.
There are various technologies that can be used to achieve this
(CORBA, RMI, sockets... to name a few).
Minimalistic real-time client-server application can be done in about
1-2 days, full application development timing will depend on spec.

[rf]

"brien" <xc******@gmail.comwrote in message
news:ee**********************************@q39g2000 hsf.googlegroups.com...

hi all --

I'd like to have a real time visualization of all the visitors on my
website. That is, a list of all the people currently on each page,
updated in real time.

You can *sometimes* tell when a visitor *starts* to be on your page.

Please define how you intend to tell when a visitor *stops* being "on" your
page.

--
Richard.

[David Mark]

On Jan 17, 7:33*am, "rf" <[e-mail]:

"brien" <[e-mail] in message

news:ee**********************************@q39g2000 hsf.googlegroups.com...

hi all --

I'd like to have a real time visualization of all the visitors on my
website. That is, a list of all the people currently on each page,
updated in real time.

You can *sometimes* tell when a visitor *starts* to be on your page.

Please define how you intend to tell when a visitor *stops* being "on" your
page.

Typically you store the time of each visitor's last hit. To determine
"absence", you subtract an arbritrary number of minutes from the
current time and compare it to each. I usually store this information
in a database table so that it is simple to query for just those who
are "present" (or to find the last visitation time of a specific user.)

[rf]

"David Mark" <dm***********@gmail.comwrote in message
news:ec**********************************@i7g2000p rf.googlegroups.com...
On Jan 17, 7:33 am, "rf" <[e-mail]:

"brien" <[e-mail] in message

>Please define how you intend to tell when a visitor *stops* being "on"
your
page.

>Typically you store the time of each visitor's last hit. To determine
"absence", you subtract an arbritrary number of minutes from the
current time and compare it to each. I usually store this information
in a database table so that it is simple to query for just those who
are "present" (or to find the last visitation time of a specific user.)

I repeat, please tell me how you know when a visitor has stopped looking at
a page.

I don't consider your "arbritary number of minutes" as a valid measure of
when a visitor has stopped looking at a page.

Snake oil? :-)

--
Richard.

[David Mark]

On Jan 17, 8:56*am, "rf" <[e-mail]:

"David Mark" <[e-mail] in message

news:ec**********************************@i7g2000p rf.googlegroups.com...
On Jan 17, 7:33 am, "rf" <[e-mail]:

"brien" <[e-mail] in message

Please define how you intend to tell when a visitor *stops* being "on"
your
page.

Typically you store the time of each visitor's last hit. *To determine
"absence", you subtract an arbritrary number of minutes from the
current time and compare it to each. *I usually store this information
in a database table so that it is simple to query for just those who
are "present" (or to find the last visitation time of a specific user.)

I repeat, please tell me how you know when a visitor has stopped looking at
a page.

You don't.

>
I don't consider your "arbritary number of minutes" as a valid measure of
when a visitor has stopped looking at a page.

It isn't. It is just a way to present a "Who is online" display and
to track the last visitation time for each user.

>
Snake oil? :-)

Not if you don't sell it as something it is not.