h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"If I don't "log out" before I switch off the machine - and I usually don't - I don't have to log in next time I hook up, which is convenient BUT (and this is my question)
how soon does (assuming it does) your sniffer dog realise that I have hung up without logging out?"

Web servers are 'connectionless'. It's not like a telephone, where both parties remain connected for the duration of the 'session'. Each page you request is a separate request, creating a new connection to our servers. The connection is closed when we have delivered all of the page. So if you don't log out, we don't care - you're not consuming resources on our servers. We don't maintain 'sessions' because that makes scaling web servers tricky, so we infer sessions simply from the last time you visited. So 'who's online' is taken from our records of who has fetched a page in the last 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, if you haven't been back to fetch a page, you drop off the list. This is why you can explicitly log out and remain 'online' for 15 minutes after that.

"does it get cross because I failed to bid farewell?"

No, but I start pouting when you won't write, or call, or visit.

"as I don't have to log in (as above) does it become aware of me as soon as I establish an internet connection or just lie in wait until I visit?"

Only when you visit. Unless h2g2 is your home page, which counts as a visit anyway.

By 'eck,
That was thorough, and quick, and clear enough even for me to get an idea of what happens.
My compliments to your wife and children on their wisdom in choosing such a splendid husband and father.

What a big circle, always on the move

<>

Hallo, visit how often ?lets leave the pouting to peta

Hi there

I'd just like to say that I think Mark, Peta and all of the h2g2 team deserve the respect of the h2g2 community, and that (sadly) this ban is completely deserved.

Alex

I don't know how I missed this thread until now<?>

I hope Mark & Peta can put this behind them and forget about it.

The "person" who posted that nasty bit was just one of many personalities of the person who was subscribed to h2g2. I do feel bad that 'she' was booted off because of what 'he' said in what what was more than likely a break from reality. (Try not to hold an illness against it's host.)

That said, I've booted people out of my Fan Club' for far less than that!

You are all doing a wonderful j*b!

Keep up the good w*rk!

The person(s) known here and elsewhere as LeKZ died on February 10th 2014.