Black Cat Webcam question

[This'nThat]

Another questiona about the Black Island webcam. You display three times: The Lake time; GMT; and "Your Computer". Do you actually read the time off our computers? Is this part of the data sent to your Web site whenever we connect, and you use software code to extract the time from one of the automatically-transmitted data fields?

[tpabrad]

When you open any webpage there are variables that are set that the webserver can see. Can tell what kind of browser your using, among other things. This stuff can be extracted and used to make the browsing experience better for the users.

[webmaster]

Originally Posted by tpabrad

When you open any webpage there are variables that are set that the webserver can see. Can tell what kind of browser your using, among other things.

Here's an example of some the things that web servers know about you:

[tpabrad]

Originally Posted by webmaster

Here's an example of some the things that web servers know about you:

I do a little PHP on the side so Ive had a little bit of past experience with the environment and session variables Cool stuff!

[BoulderBronco]

Originally Posted by webmaster

Here's an example of some the things that web servers know about you:

Is that for me? Thats kind of freaky. Thats all right for me except the IP. How much else could someone see about or on my PC?

[webmaster]

Posting this little widget apparently has caused some panic among some visitors that their IP number is being displayed to everyone. I guess I should have made it clear that your information is only being shown to you. No one else sees that information. Here is a warning on the site where I got the code:

These signs are created and served by our webserver in real-time for each person that views them. Your IP address and other information are only visible to YOU, not to others, but because people see their own IP address and computer information displayed on a blog or in a public forum, they think that their information can be seen by everyone!

I hope this eases the concerns that several of you have expressed. However, much of the information you see is logged by web servers every time you access them. There is no real anonymity on the Internet. If you illegally download music or movies, send threatening emails or use your computer for other illegal activity it is likely that the authorities could trace it back to you. If you are not doing anything wrong there is nothing to be too concerned about since the information is usually released only under a court order.

Although this forum's software knows your IP number, the only way I use it is to screen new members. If the IP number resolves to Romania or India, where hacking and spam are major industries, I usually reject the membership or immediately place it in moderation.

Sorry to hijack this thread with this. If this discussion continues I may move it to the Support Forum.

[CanisLupusArctos]

Originally Posted by This'nThat

Another questiona about the Black Island webcam. You display three times: The Lake time; GMT; and "Your Computer". Do you actually read the time off our computers? Is this part of the data sent to your Web site whenever we connect, and you use software code to extract the time from one of the automatically-transmitted data fields?

The time display is a java script I got from a site offering free java scripts. Google that, and you'll see what's out there. The script grabs the time from your computer to display the time to you. It also grabs the time from a timeserver that gives Greenwich Mean Time (GMT.) Then it uses an equation (GMT-5) to give you the "Eastern" display. For daylight saving time, I need to change the equation within the code so it reads GMT-4. That is because GMT never changes. In the world of weather (and aviation), we use GMT because it is a standard for all the world. When DST kicks in, you don't end up having temperature data for 2 a.m. twice in the same day. Losing and gaining an hour screws that whole process up. I change it on my weather station graphs on the page because the users of the page are mostly non-meteorologists who want to know the weather for the hour they're living in.

A major reason for using GMT in aviation is the fact that airline pilots are always crossing time zones quickly. They need a constant on which to set their watches. (Frequent business travelers have been known to do the same.) Since weather is such an intimate part of aviation, weather data is also on GMT. A pilot can look at a weathermap at one airport and see that it's labeled 14:00 GMT. Then he can fly to another time zone's airport, look at an updated version of the same map and see it was created at 22:00 GMT. He doesn't have to stand there and think "How much time passed between the first and second map?" because they're both on the same standard. That's a good thing, because he's probably tired after flying for a while.

Rest assured, the WeatherCam has no idea who you are or where you are unless you start making fun of us weather geeks, in which case it runs "C:\release_hounds.exe."

There is a visitor map that traces where the hits are coming from. THAT site knows where you are. It posts the info on a map, and I display the map. The map is stored on their server, not mine. I display it using a direct link to the off-site image source. If you click on it, the map expands and you can see how many countries are checking in on the lake.

Grant, I'm glad you enjoy the time lapse! I do too. It's fun to see the lake ice bulging and relaxing sometimes.

[Grant]

Every once in a while, you'll catch a snowmobile flying by in the distance.
It's a nice diversion as I sit here looking out the window at a bleak, salt-encrusted asphalt parking lot...