User Statistics

July 26, 2001 12:16 AM

Perhaps a way, if not to tell *who* is currently logged in, at least a count of how many Mefites are in the house? I ask only because I'm on the other side of the Pacific from most of you (or the other side of the Eurasian landmass), and, well, etc.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken to feature requests at 12:16 AM (11 comments total)

That's a neat idea! Why didn't I think of it. Only thing: it has to be sufficiently accurate; not based on some X10-like false metric coming from an inactive browser window.
posted by ParisParamus at 6:48 AM on July 26, 2001

But, when you're logged on, are you actually "logged on"? I mean, it's just a cookie, isn't it? You don't actually authenticate with the server. MeFi has no way of knowing who's here or, especially, when you leave.

Unless, I suppose, you use the referrer logs to generate a list of users who've viewed pages in, say, the last 10 minutes. But that's not very accurate.
posted by jpoulos at 7:08 AM on July 26, 2001

the last 10 minutes. But that's not very accurate.

No, but it would be interesting... ;)
posted by daveadams at 8:53 AM on July 26, 2001

I did that a while ago, since I open session variables on everyone that last ten minutes, it's as simple as writing one line of code that displays "23 members currently online"

it means that 23 people hit the front page of the site in the last ten minutes. When I had it up a few months ago, the most popular question about it was "so what? can we get an instant messenger or something so I can talk to those others? not much point in knowing how many other anonymous members are hitting the site."

So I took it away, since it seemed pointless.
posted by mathowie at 9:31 AM on July 26, 2001

Well, we do optionally have IM addresses in our profiles now. Maybe a preference in our profile whether others can know we're online, and then the "23 members currently online" thing would be a hyperlink to a list of who's online.

Eh?
posted by anildash at 11:34 AM on July 26, 2001

and then the "23 members currently online" thing would be a hyperlink to a list of who's online.

What about people that want to surf here anonymously, having never consented to having their name appear in the "recently surfed" list before?
posted by mathowie at 12:15 PM on July 26, 2001

Opt-in...
posted by fooljay at 10:08 PM on July 26, 2001

Nah. A bloated slo-mo chat room. Might encourage too much stacatto repartee. I thoroughly enjoy reading MeFi's occasional semi-personal banter, but I think the current quantity is the right quantity.
posted by Opus Dark at 10:36 PM on July 26, 2001

On (sober) second thought, you might be right, Opus Dark. Email is always available to 'take it offline' if necessary, and what makes this place is the interaction that the discussion threads capture. That said, though, I am always curious when I'm on Mefi (most of the bloody time these days) how many others are around, and where....
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:42 PM on July 26, 2001

Well, I suppose a head count could be interesting, but the medium is unsuited to accuracy in this regard. Remember, no one is actually "here" - we just ring up, request our packets, and hang up again. No measurable persistence. There are some well known alogorithms, and Matt could rig a counter in his sleep.

Heh - then I'd know when no one was about, and I could blow up the place...

Just kidding! All I need do now is add the words fuse, timer, and Taliban, and I can wish a personal good morning to Carnivore...
posted by Opus Dark at 11:09 PM on July 26, 2001

[What about people that want to surf here anonymously, having never consented to having their name appear in the "recently surfed" list before?]

This would be a really interesting feature if you could opt into it. I mean, if you didn't want people to contact you if they had comments then why put email addresses and screen names in at all?
posted by revbrian at 12:42 PM on July 27, 2001