[WEB4LIB] FW: counting use of resources

[Julia Schult]

"Gimon, Charles A" wrote:

> We run visitors through a counter page before referring them on to the
> remote database. URLs look like this:
>
> http://www.mpls.lib.mn.us/subcount.asp?URL=41
>
> We're running a little Access database behind this that stores info about
> all the remote databases. Here, 41 is "What Do I Read Next?". When the user
> clicks on the link, the subcount.asp page queries the database for the URL
> for What Do I Read Next, increments the clickthrough count for that database
> by 1, and sends a redirect to the user to go to that URL.

This sounds like what I've been looking for.  Because of caching, I've always
felt very uncomfortable about my web statistics supposedly counting "hits" on
our pages, when really both end-user and ISP caching render those counts
*completely* wrong.

Being able to use click-thru counts would help me almost more than overall web
page usage stats because I would be able to tell how my web page design helps
and hinders my users, as well as what they most want from my pages.

However, I do want my users to be able to see the url when they mouse over the
link.  I guess I can use the "title" attribute we all just learned about on this
list to have the url show up in the bottom bar in Netscape.  Does it do that in
Internet Explorer, too, or does it just show up as a "mouse-tip"?

> Separate counts are kept for library staff, public terminals in the library,
> and users outside the library. We have a separate page for staff that
> queries the same database and reports the clickthroughs on each database
> month by month.

This, too, is something all our staff want to know.  How is our usage in the
dorms compared to here in the library?  But I don't understand how you can keep
separate counts for these groups?

> Of course, we host our own server; what you're able to do will be limited by
> what your web hosting service allows.

And therein lies my real problem, perhaps.  It would be interesting to survey
Web4Lib and find out how many of us have complete control over our own servers,
how many of us rely on a central IT department which serves other masters, and
how many have outsourced servers with ISPs.  Anyone willing to take that one on?

Does this solution require Microsoft Access to be loaded on the Web Server?  (Or
could the Access program and file be on another computer in the network?)

---Julia E. Schult
Access/Electronic Services Librarian
Elmira College
Jschult at elmira.edu