Pete,

We presently capture the IP address and the domain name of all virtual
visitors.  It should be possible to correlate the IP address with a
specific geographical area.  That information SHOULD exist in Internic's
database, and I expect that someone has written a program which will do it
all for you.

However...we don't presently have the time to investigate this.  I'm just
happy that we're logging this information.  It is available if we choose to
use it.

Incidently, we have configured our server not to count hits from either our
own domain or USC's domain, so these numbers indeed represent virtual
visitors and not staff.  We do not log staff access to our web site.

As for whether the information is reliable...yes it is, it just isn't
complete.  As I said, we've made no effort to correlate the IP address with
the geographic location of the server.

I don't know what you're suggesting when you ask if we are providing
general information to the entire world.  We don't presently make our logs
available outside the museum.

Jim



>Jim,
>
>Do you have any reliable information on the demographics of the 100,000
>hits?  Are you communicating with your service area (whatever that may be
>for a large NH Museum) or are you providing
>general information to the entire world?  This is something we want to
>talk about at the CAM conference in July.
>
>Pete Lee
>LAMM Director
>
>_______________________________________________________________________________
>Los Angeles Maritime Museum
>San Pedro, California
>[log in to unmask]  310.548.7618
>Please Place Intended Reciepient's Name in Subject Line

Jim Angus
Information Technology and Hypermedia Programs
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA  90007

voice:  213/744-3317
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