I'm thinking it's the last time they actually did something, such as viewing a page. And after a designated period of time, or if they log out, they are no longer considered online.
"I'm thinking it's the last time they actually did something, such as viewing a page. And after a designated period of time, or if they log out, they are no longer considered online."
Why would "last online" mean "last time a page was visited?"
I guess it's because the site doesn't constantly poll your computer, so each time you do something, it takes that as the last time you were active online.
"I'm thinking it's the last time they actually did something, such as viewing a page. And after a designated period of time, or if they log out, they are no longer considered online."
Why would "last online" mean "last time a page was visited?""
The only way the site can know when a user is online is by recording the last time the user queried the server. The simplest way to do this is to update every time the user visits a new page.
The wording is somewhat conflicting - but it does make sense. I believe after 10 minutes of 'inactivity', a user is no longer shown in your 'Online Now' section.
"I'm thinking it's the last time they actually did something, such as viewing a page. And after a designated period of time, or if they log out, they are no longer considered online."
Why would "last online" mean "last time a page was visited?""
The only way the site can know when a user is online is by recording the last time the user queried the server. The simplest way to do this is to update every time the user visits a new page.
The wording is somewhat conflicting - but it does make sense. I believe after 10 minutes of 'inactivity', a user is no longer shown in your 'Online Now' section.
"
BiggerBomb said:
"LordAndrew said:
"Because they have no other way of knowing whether someone is using the site at the moment. "
Whether or not they are logged on, similar to the way Facebook monitors online status. After all, GiantBomb does use some of the Facebook template."
Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe Facebook does something other than the "only way." I'm not trying to be a smartass, and I hope you're not taking my tone as abrasive. I'm just a curious cat.
"Because they have no other way of knowing whether someone is using the site at the moment. "
Whether or not they are logged on, similar to the way Facebook monitors online status. After all, GiantBomb does use some of the Facebook template."
Being 'logged on' is a client-side concept. A website can not 'ask' your browser whether you are still there, it can only be 'told'.
Facebook continually tells the server that your browser is still open by making asynchronous requests to the server 'in the background' without needing to refresh the whole page.
Giant Bomb doesn't use any 'Facebook template', whatever you mean by that.
I never use facebook, as I hate it. However I'm sure they have a different system that allows them to tell who is online, they even have instant messaging on there don't they, so they must have a system in place for real time who's onlinage. Giant bomb just takes the last time you were active, and if it's within a certain period of time says 'online now', right?
"Because they have no other way of knowing whether someone is using the site at the moment. "
Whether or not they are logged on, similar to the way Facebook monitors online status. After all, GiantBomb does use some of the Facebook template."
Being 'logged on' is a client-side concept. A website can not 'ask' your browser whether you are still there, it can only be 'told'.
Facebook continually tells the server that your browser is still open by making asynchronous requests to the server 'in the background' without needing to refresh the whole page.
Giant Bomb doesn't use any 'Facebook template', whatever you mean by that.
"
I mean that the way profiles work on GiantBomb is almost identical to the way Facebook profiles work. Color me ignorant, but I took that to mean that they are designed similarly. And I don't understand why GiantBomb cannot do what you described Facebook does.
"I mean that the way profiles work on GiantBomb is almost identical to the way Facebook profiles work. Color me ignorant, but I took that to mean that they are designed similarly. And I don't understand why GiantBomb cannot do what you described Facebook does.That is why I am asking."
The 'profile' pattern is a very common pattern for community websites - this, along with the fact that the developers like how Facebook works - explain the similarities between the two.
Giant Bomb could do what Facebook does, but considering that real-time information is not vitally important here as it is with things like chat in Facebook, it's hardly worth the effort required for implementation.
Bandwidth? That's more data being sent because everyone online is not only browsing, they're telling the servers they're online every few seconds. Also, infrastructure? Facebook is a networking site, based around people being online with each other, so social networking needs are met in the design process. GB isn't quite like that.
"I mean that the way profiles work on GiantBomb is almost identical to the way Facebook profiles work. Color me ignorant, but I took that to mean that they are designed similarly. And I don't understand why GiantBomb cannot do what you described Facebook does.That is why I am asking."
The 'profile' pattern is a very common pattern for community websites - this, along with the fact that the developers like how Facebook works - explain the similarities between the two."
Er, you just stated the similarities. The pattern is similar. Why explain it?
TheBeast said:
"
Giant Bomb could do what Facebook does, but considering that real-time information is not vitally important here as it is with things like chat in Facebook, it's hardly worth the effort required for implementation.
"
Now see, that answers my question. In which case what Lord Andrew said makes much more sense. There's no need to get so antsy, everybody.
I am rarely not online. I keep my laptop on overnight with my browser open on Giant Bomb. If it was constantly contacting Giant Bomb's servers to declare that I'm still online, I would stop doing that. That is not what I want from Giant Bomb.
Log in to comment