Re: Large Log FIles

There is no way to accurately determine visits or visitors. It doesn't 
help to take the additional steps (sessions, cookies etc), that just 
gives you different results, not better results.

This is a fundamental issue in how the web works. There is no solution, 
only approximations. There isn't even a standard for how to do the 
approximations. Various groups use different approaches to approximating 
the results.

All kinds of trouble comes from this. Everyone always wants to know the 
number of visits/visitors. Since we can't know either of those, some 
approximation is made and used as if it is true. However, every approach 
to making an approximation gives different results, so when someone 
challenges your approximation they will always be able to come up with 
some "authoritative" source that gives conflicting results, no matter 
where you got your numbers to begin with.

Jason


Sean at Imaginet wrote:
>
> Certain other analysis packages <cough> Webtrends </cough> will _claim_ 
> to be able to tell you this information but it is inevitably arrived at 
> by placing assumptions on the data available and cannot be viewed as 
> being reliable and additionally costs a packet for the privilege of 
> obtaining this dubious info.
> 
> To determine figures like this additional steps (sessions, cookies etc) 
> need to be taken to collect the necessary information as the server logs 
> alone are unable to provide it.

-- 
Jason-0+atMNauWdDk/NM4vaOc/[email protected]
--
Dr. Seuss books . . . can be read and enjoyed on several levels. For
example, 'One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish' can be deconstructed
as a searing indictment of the narrow-minded binary counting system.
   -- Peter van der Linden, Expert C Programming, Deep C Secrets
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