Re: Session-id and proxies (was: Re: session-id redux)

www-talk-request@w3.org
Wed, 26 Jul 95 22:22:07 PDT

>out in your mind. Chances are it is a personal touch that made a difference.
>
>We can't do that with the web, but sessioning gives us a start. Particularly
>if the sessions can be associated with user profile or other data. If

Sure we can. Get the clients who access your site to use the From: header.
All the personal touch you want can be had with that information: User
profiles, user-specific pages, everything. You can even get consenting
users to fill out registration forms with their zodiac sign and favorite
color if you want.

Users concerned about privacy won't send their From: or Referer: headers,
and don't want you knowing their click-stream anyway. Bonus: There headers
items are already spec'd, and everyone agrees on what they do, and should do.

>is interested, I could try to list what benefits I would hope to get from a
>extensible sessioning standard. They go far beyond the current "clickstream"
>discussion.

You're probably right, there are benefits for 'knowing your customer'. So
run an Xterm app on your users' displays, or run a telnet-able bbs site, or
hack HTTP into a stated machine with CGI scripts (or a specialized server)
and the From: header.
-----
Dan DuBois, Software Animal ddubois@spyglass.com
(708) 505-1010 x532 http://www.spyglass.com/~ddubois/