Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Bandit127 on 24 July 2008, 19:31:23

Title: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: Bandit127 on 24 July 2008, 19:31:23
How DOES the forum know who is online :question

And does 'online' mean literally that, or does it mean that I have a valid connection with the server :question

It can't be a socket connection by IP address because I appear as 'guest' if I haven't logged in - even though my IP address is still connected. Hmmm.

Sorry to the uninterested, but I have more than a passing interest in such things and it's been bugging me...

Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: amigov6 on 24 July 2008, 19:44:18
Not entirely sure but we can all scoll down to the bottom of the homepage & see who's online hence everyone else is offline! :)
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: Vamps on 24 July 2008, 19:51:02
We all come up as guests untill you sign in, that will be how the site knows, I guess. :)
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: tunnie on 24 July 2008, 20:56:39
cause your logged in ;)
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: PaulW on 24 July 2008, 21:02:18
Online refers to the time since you last 'visited' the site (clicked a page while logged in)  This is recorded as a 'Session'

Sessions vary in time, from 5 minutes on most sites, to about 30 on others...

The time is recorded from when you last click a page in a special sessions table, which records your username, the time you last accessed, and various other bits (IP address, etc), and when a pre-set time is reached (say 10 minutes), your session them 'times out' and the board software removes your entry from the sessions table, thus making you 'Offline'

If you access OOF, and then turn your computer off, even though your not online, your session will remain active till it times out on here.

If you click 'Logout' then your session is removed from the list (you become offline) and you become a guest till you next login :)
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: Bandit127 on 24 July 2008, 21:08:55
Quote
cause your logged in ;)
Sounds simple but I don't think it is.

I can close Firefox, come back to OOF and be me. But if I delete cookies before I close Firefox (or IE), I come back as a mere guest. So it has something to do with cookies.

Also, I am guessing that most of us do the "remember me" thing on the login so we stay logged in. But most of us are not shown as 'online'. It was about 20 earlier, 48 now. But most of us is about 2,000. (All of us is 3,687)

Still hmmm.
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: Vamps on 24 July 2008, 21:11:06
If I forget to log out at night I am still logged on when I come back on the next day, the link must remain live. ;)
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: PaulW on 24 July 2008, 21:11:59
Sessions also authenticate against local cookies... hence if you delete, you become guest as it can't confirm your who you are.
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: Bandit127 on 24 July 2008, 21:14:55
Quote
Online refers to the time since you last 'visited' the site (clicked a page while logged in)  This is recorded as a 'Session'

Sessions vary in time, from 5 minutes on most sites, to about 30 on others...

The time is recorded from when you last click a page in a special sessions table, which records your username, the time you last accessed, and various other bits (IP address, etc), and when a pre-set time is reached (say 10 minutes), your session them 'times out' and the board software removes your entry from the sessions table, thus making you 'Offline'

If you access OOF, and then turn your computer off, even though your not online, your session will remain active till it times out on here.

If you click 'Logout' then your session is removed from the list (you become offline) and you become a guest till you next login :)

Ha ha! And the cookie just stores authentication data (hopefully encrypted) for when I come back again to do the logging in for me - and so anther session starts!

'Tis sad but true, but I will probably sleep better tonight for that. Thanks  :)

Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: amigov6 on 24 July 2008, 21:30:01
This post is sapping me of my will to live. :'(
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: Elite Pete on 24 July 2008, 21:30:50
Quote
This post is sapping me of my will to live. :'(
;D ;D
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: STMO123 on 24 July 2008, 21:32:34
Quote
Quote
Online refers to the time since you last 'visited' the site (clicked a page while logged in)  This is recorded as a 'Session'

Sessions vary in time, from 5 minutes on most sites, to about 30 on others...

The time is recorded from when you last click a page in a special sessions table, which records your username, the time you last accessed, and various other bits (IP address, etc), and when a pre-set time is reached (say 10 minutes), your session them 'times out' and the board software removes your entry from the sessions table, thus making you 'Offline'

If you access OOF, and then turn your computer off, even though your not online, your session will remain active till it times out on here.

If you click 'Logout' then your session is removed from the list (you become offline) and you become a guest till you next login :)

Ha ha! And the cookie just stores authentication data (hopefully encrypted) for when I come back again to do the logging in for me - and so anther session starts!

'Tis sad but true, but I will probably sleep better tonight for that. Thanks  :)


Surely this is true of any site where you tick the "remember me" box?
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: amigov6 on 24 July 2008, 21:36:35
Excuse me while i switch the gas on.....please make it stop :-? ::)
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: dbug on 24 July 2008, 22:01:51
It's Cookies, cookies effing cookies!!!!  (http://www.dbug.co.uk/pics/smile/moon.gif)
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: Vamps on 24 July 2008, 22:37:23
Quote
It's Cookies, cookies effing cookies!!!!  (http://www.dbug.co.uk/pics/smile/moon.gif)


Got a packet of them and 40 tea bags, free today in Tesco's. ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: TheBoy on 25 July 2008, 22:18:27
It sees your requests, so knows your online then.  I counts you online for a defined number of minutes, unless it sees another request, which resets the timer.

If you request a logout, it removes you for online list immediately.

The software we use does not use 'sessions' in the normal sense - sessions are inefficient (though sometimes necessary).

It knows who you are using cookies.
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: Vamps on 25 July 2008, 22:19:35
Quote
It sees your requests, so knows your online then.  I counts you online for a defined number of minutes, unless it sees another request, which resets the timer.

If you request a logout, it removes you for online list immediately.

The software we use does not use 'sessions' in the normal sense - sessions are inefficient (though sometimes necessary).

It knows who you are using cookies.

Sober then................. :question
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: HolyCount on 25 July 2008, 22:20:30
Quote
It sees your requests, so knows your online then.  I counts you online for a defined number of minutes, unless it sees another request, which resets the timer.

If you request a logout, it removes you for online list immediately.

The software we use does not use 'sessions' in the normal sense - sessions are inefficient (though sometimes necessary).

It knows who you are using cookies.

And it can see you through the little known about inbuilt mini web cam at the bottom of your monitor .....

So stop sitting there in your shreddies ..... Big Bro is watching  ;D :D
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: TheBoy on 25 July 2008, 22:25:52
Quote
Quote
It sees your requests, so knows your online then.  I counts you online for a defined number of minutes, unless it sees another request, which resets the timer.

If you request a logout, it removes you for online list immediately.

The software we use does not use 'sessions' in the normal sense - sessions are inefficient (though sometimes necessary).

It knows who you are using cookies.

Sober then................. :question
Of course...
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: Vamps on 25 July 2008, 22:29:55
Quote
Quote
Quote
It sees your requests, so knows your online then.  I counts you online for a defined number of minutes, unless it sees another request, which resets the timer.

If you request a logout, it removes you for online list immediately.

The software we use does not use 'sessions' in the normal sense - sessions are inefficient (though sometimes necessary).

It knows who you are using cookies.

Sober then................. :question
Of course...

 :y
Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: Golfbuddy on 25 July 2008, 22:32:59
I reckon it's witchcraft and electrickery!!  :-/

Title: Re: How does the forum know if I am online/offline?
Post by: Vamps on 25 July 2008, 22:34:20
Quote
I reckon it's witchcraft and electrickery!!  :-/


Well it all is to me......................... :-[ :y