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You can get user-based statistics without cookies with: (new Image()).src="http://your.tld/track.png?ua=" + encodeURIComponent(navigator.userAgent); and t

by uggedal 15y ago

You can get user-based statistics without cookies with: (new Image()).src="http://your.tld/track.png?ua=" + encodeURIComponent(navigator.userAgent); and then parse your logs. Update: this is just an example, as ars notes the user agent is sent as a HTTP header. But screen resolution etc is not.

ars 15y ago
??? How does this help? The UserAgent is already sent in the headers - what's the point in sending it in a query string?
mwexler 15y ago
Look, there are tons of data available in the browser, see http://panopticlick.eff.org/ http://panopticlick.eff.org/ for a good example. But they are non-stable for reasons outside of the user's control. So, if a user wants to kill her cookies every day, cool, they can. They can't randomly change their useragent+screen-resolution on a daily basis with the same ease. In addition, UA changes outside of user's control (a browser update pushed on them, for example) and that breaks tracking they may want. So, no, these workarounds are not the right answer; we need mechanisms that let users control their data and let them choose to share it. It's up to us as product makers to give them a good reason.
- jasomill 15y ago
  Well, having made no special effort, the site claims my User-Agent is as unique as my set of 5,150 installed fonts. To be fair, I suppose WebKit nightly version numbers don't satisfy most definitions of "random". As for mechanisms, to what end, if nobody bothers to use them? Especially things like "randomize User-Agent string" that'd break a great many "non-evil" sites?
  - mwexler 15y ago
    Looks like someone made a "randomize user-agent" for Chrome: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3880536 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3880536
dhx 15y ago
§66 on page 20 of Directive 2009/136/EC at [1] uses the word "information", not "cookies". Third parties may wish to store information on the equipment of a user, or gain access to information already stored, for a number of purposes, ranging from the legitimate (such as certain types of cookies) to those involving unwarranted intrusion into the private sphere (such as spyware or viruses). It is therefore of paramount importance that users be provided with clear and comprehensive information when engaging in any activity which could result in such storage or gaining of access. The purpose of the directive is to be as broad as possible to cover collection of any type of information without express permission or "strictly necessary and legitimate purpose". [1] http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:337:0011:0036:EN:PDF http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2...

by uggedal 15y ago

ars 15y ago

??? How does this help? The UserAgent is already sent in the headers - what's the point in sending it in a query string?

mwexler 15y ago

Look, there are tons of data available in the browser, see http://panopticlick.eff.org/ http://panopticlick.eff.org/ for a good example. But they are non-stable for reasons outside of the user's control. So, if a user wants to kill her cookies every day, cool, they can. They can't randomly change their useragent+screen-resolution on a daily basis with the same ease. In addition, UA changes outside of user's control (a browser update pushed on them, for example) and that breaks tracking they may want. So, no, these workarounds are not the right answer; we need mechanisms that let users control their data and let them choose to share it. It's up to us as product makers to give them a good reason.

jasomill 15y ago
Well, having made no special effort, the site claims my User-Agent is as unique as my set of 5,150 installed fonts. To be fair, I suppose WebKit nightly version numbers don't satisfy most definitions of "random". As for mechanisms, to what end, if nobody bothers to use them? Especially things like "randomize User-Agent string" that'd break a great many "non-evil" sites?
- mwexler 15y ago
  Looks like someone made a "randomize user-agent" for Chrome: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3880536 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3880536

dhx 15y ago

§66 on page 20 of Directive 2009/136/EC at [1] uses the word "information", not "cookies". Third parties may wish to store information on the equipment of a user, or gain access to information already stored, for a number of purposes, ranging from the legitimate (such as certain types of cookies) to those involving unwarranted intrusion into the private sphere (such as spyware or viruses). It is therefore of paramount importance that users be provided with clear and comprehensive information when engaging in any activity which could result in such storage or gaining of access. The purpose of the directive is to be as broad as possible to cover collection of any type of information without express permission or "strictly necessary and legitimate purpose". [1] http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:337:0011:0036:EN:PDF http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2...