Usage reflects seasonal interests in water and a growing interest by the public in water resources information. The webserver log plays the same role as a cash register tape in establishing a record of the website's success in distributing information. Like the electronic checkout counters at a modern supermarket, the log also provides valuable information about the customers and their preferences. The logs of the USGS water-resources webserver, water.usgs.gov , provide a nearly continuous record of operations since the webserver began service in November 1994. This paper discusses some of the user characteristics that can be inferred from analysis of the logs.
All webserver software can save information about each hit.
That is, whenever a request arrives via the Internet, the software records what was requested, the Internet address of the user making the request, and the result of the request. It also can record the browser software being used and the page the user was viewing when he or she initiated the request. In this analysis, only successful requests are counted. A single view presented to a user, similar to a page in a book. A single internet address.