Can a wiki tell the difference between visitors?

#1

Folks,

Without going into the verbose reason why. Can a wiki tell the difference between visitors?

I do not want to track anyone, just be able to tell the difference between one device accessing my wiki and another.

On my own wikis I can make use of the browser sniffer and various $:/info tiddlers to generate a finger print of sorts. Then I can detect if I am coming from firefox/chrome/android etc…

I just want to be able to identify unique visitors on a URL hosted wiki, I want to tell the difference between them. I know my server can do this but is there anyway tiddlywiki can?

  • One work around I can see is users wanting to return could be given a url that includes there nominated user name in the URL.
  • Another may be relying on local storage or cookies for users who opt in, otherwise they can’t benefit from user customisations.
  • And perhaps another they submit this info and I register them so the wiki can recognise them.

Please remember, I do not want this information. I want the wiki loaded in a users browser to be able to identify the unique user for when they return, and discover they are coming from somewhere different if they are.

General internet or website designers may know the answer even if not how to in tiddlywiki.

What are your thoughts?

#2

This is beyond my current skills but perhaps you could use the same techniques as cubari.moe:

repo : https://github.com/subject-f/guyamoe

It relyies on local storage + allow history synchronisation through remotestorage provider.

#3

hmmm, If users set: https://tiddlywiki.com/#%24%3A%2Fstatus%2FUserName, you should be able, check it with startup actions.

If the local-storage plugin is installed, and the user-name is the only tiddler that’s saved to the local storage, it should work out.

Since users actively have to set the name to “anything” it’s a perfect opt in mechanism.

Since no info is sent to anyone, there shouldn’t be any privacy concerns.

It is important though, that users know, if they change the local-storage “Save Filter” setting, there may be privacy problems. eg: If they use 3rd party PCs and create private content. …

just some thoughts.

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#4

Mario, I suppose If we consider the username as the opt-in mechanism and add the “fingerprint” to see browser and other information, thus detecting when they come from somewhere with a different local storage, we may have sufficient to detect different users.

I also have @EricShulman’s get and get cookies that allows us to not use the local storage plugin.

@telumire

Your links lead me to 5apps Storage and it raises an interesting idea that TiddlyWiki would do well to to embrace. Basically find an app or internet site on the internet and BYOD “Bring your own Data” provider. Using a combination of local storage and/or private online storage configured only on your own machine.

I think it needs to mature and we need some new metaphors so users from any background can comprehend what it offers. “Portable Private Storage”?

Then finally we need a messaging service not unlike “Twitter” but which allows us to send and consume messaging as we wish, including privately. With tiddlywiki, “Portable Private Storage” and “Messaging infrastructure” we could rebuild the internet with privacy, data and software sovereignty.

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#5

Thanks for fixing my typo :grin:

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#6

I thought that very a pertinent comment. (aka: Serverless Network-ish)

Just a comment, TT