Tracking which websites are running my script...

listenmirndt

Hi guys, wondering if I could get some advice,

I just want to track which websites are running a script I have written,

Just to keep track of how many websites might be using it,

I have written a system that uses file_get_contents,
that works.......

but I am wondering if file_get_contents might not work on all servers that are running it,

I am getting more downloads/registrations then I am seeing installs being tracked by quite a bit...

so I am wondering if there is an issue with my tracking script,

and if there might be a better/more reliable way to track

thanks!

bradgrafelman

listenmirndt;10996857 wrote:
I have written a system that uses file_get_contents,
that works.......

but I am wondering if file_get_contents might not work on all servers that are running it,

It's certainly possible that it might not work for any number of reasons... one, for example, being the fact that allow_url_fopen is enabled.

listenmirndt;10996857 wrote:
I am getting more downloads/registrations then I am seeing installs being tracked by quite a bit...

Well that's not surprising... if I downloaded a PHP script then the first thing I would do is remove any code that looked like it was "phoning home" or being tracked in any way. Plus, maybe some of those downloaders decided that, for one reason or another, they didn't want to use your application?

johanafm

If I noticed that code wanted to send information anywhere for any other reason than doing its very specific job, even just letting someone know I installed it, I most likely wouldn't even remove that part of the code. I'd assume there would be more hidden things and not use it at all.

listenmirndt

not likely.
not really helpful either.

johanafm

listenmirndt;10996972 wrote:
not likely.

You don't have to speculate on wether its likely or not. This is what I would and will do. It's not about chance or statistics. It's how I have decided to act, and thus is how I will act.

listenmirndt;10996972 wrote:
not really helpful either.

Yes it is. Now you know that at least one person will forgo using your program and at least one other will get rid of the code you are so interested in having executed 100% of the time.

When the world doesn't work as you want while your code seem to work as you want, there seems to be little point improving your code. You should obviously spend your time improving the world. I await the day when brad would leave such code in place and I would use it.

Derokorian

not really helpful either.

Actually by telling you how they would handle the situation where reporting was present, they are telling you that at least a percentage of people downloading the file won't be reported as using it. There are also people that might be using it without access to internet (like intranet) or people who downloaded it multiple times for one reason or another. To be fair on the rare occasion I use a third-party script I also wouldn't allow it to make calls that aren't what I DL'd it for, whether that means removing the code that makes the call or not using the script at all.

traq

I might even rewrite it to provide bogus statistics... might be fun... 🙂

Sops21

I'd have to say that I'd either remove the code completely or remove that part of the code. Who would want to use a script that phones home?

spufi

Sops21;10997080 wrote:
Who would want to use a script that phones home?

E.T.? 😃