Webmaster forum - Does favicon access = new visitor?

Author

Does favicon access = new visitor?

sam@alltm.org

2005-01-28, 7:43 pm

When I look at my site logs and see how many users accessed the favicon
am I looking at a the number for new visitors to my site?

I've always thought that browsers only grab the favicon once when they
first vist and never get it again.

If so, then the number of access to the favicon would be those browsers
that don't have my favicon or new vistors to the site.
Is this a reasonable assumption or am I missing something?

thanks

Beauregard T. Shagnasty

2005-01-28, 7:44 pm

sam@alltm.org wrote:
> When I look at my site logs and see how many users accessed the
> favicon am I looking at a the number for new visitors to my site?

No.

> I've always thought that browsers only grab the favicon once when
> they first vist and never get it again.

Until the user clears the browser cache, perhaps. Subsequent visit
would download it again, same as any other graphic.

And IE only uses it if the user bookmarks the site.

> If so, then the number of access to the favicon would be those
> browsers that don't have my favicon or new vistors to the site.

...which is true in some sense, as "browsers that don't have my
favicon" would have cleared it. You can't tell if they were never
there before.

--
-bts
-This space intentionally left blank.

www.1-script.com

2005-01-28, 7:44 pm

sam@alltm.org wrote:

> When I look at my site logs and see how many users accessed the favicon
> am I looking at a the number for new visitors to my site?

> I've always thought that browsers only grab the favicon once when they
> first vist and never get it again.

> If so, then the number of access to the favicon would be those browsers
> that don't have my favicon or new vistors to the site.
> Is this a reasonable assumption or am I missing something?

> thanks

No. It means that someone has just made a new bookmark on one of your
pages AND your favicon.ico was not in their browser cache at the moment.
Too many conditions to make it a reliable counter. It does not even
represent amount of bookmarks to your site because in many cases your
favicon.ico may have already been in their cache at the moment it struck
them to make a bookmark, in which case you will not see a hit in your
browser's log.

Could easily be a seasoned visitor who has known your site since day 1 but
have just discovered yet another great page at your site ;-)

Sincerely,
Dmitri
http://www.1-script.com/install/
Check out my CGI scripts installation offer
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Gerry for email use my name at dergal dt com

2005-01-28, 7:44 pm

www.1-script.com wrote:
> sam@alltm.org wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> No. It means that someone has just made a new bookmark on one of your
> pages AND your favicon.ico was not in their browser cache at the moment.
> Too many conditions to make it a reliable counter. It does not even
> represent amount of bookmarks to your site because in many cases your
> favicon.ico may have already been in their cache at the moment it struck
> them to make a bookmark, in which case you will not see a hit in your
> browser's log.
>
> Could easily be a seasoned visitor who has known your site since day 1 but
> have just discovered yet another great page at your site ;-)

Yes - and no - some browsers use favicons as website icons, and
sometimes IE will use it without it being added to favourites, (rarely
though, I think you have to click on the icon, or wiggle it or
something)...

HTH's

GErry

Duende

2005-01-28, 7:44 pm

While sitting in a puddle Gerry for email use my name at dergal dt com
scribbled in the mud:

> I think you have to click on the icon, or wiggle it

Hard to use your mouse if you're wiggling it.

--
D?
http://wipkip.biz
I recommend
http://hostingforabuck.com/

Auerbach

2005-01-28, 11:17 pm

"Duende" <usenetshit@sify.com> wrote in message
>
> Hard to use your mouse if you're wiggling it.
>
Never heard of multi-tasking? (g)