Patent ID: 7693841

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for providing access to a Web site having a generic version and a non-generic version, the method comprising: under control of instructions executed by at least one processor of a computer system: receiving a query request from an originator through an interface associated with the Web site, wherein the interface is configured to provide anonymous access to the generic version of the Web site, the query request including a first universal resource locator (URL) associated with the Web site; determining whether the first URL included in the query request indicates a desire of the originator to anonymously access the generic version of the Web site; generating an internal URL for redirecting processing of the query request to the back end server associated with the Web site; inserting into the internal URL a marker indicating that the originator of the query request is to remain anonymous when the first URL included in the query request indicates a desire of the originator to anonymously access the generic version of the Web site; redirecting processing of the query request to the back end server using the internal URL; at the back end server, when the internal URL includes the marker, processing the query request without using user-identifiable information associated with the originator as part of a data collecting scheme for personalizing Web site interaction with the originator, and providing the originator with access to the generic version of the Web site; and when the internal URL does not include the marker, processing the query request using user-identifiable information associated with the originator as part of a data collecting scheme for personalizing Web site interaction with the originator, and providing the originator with access to the non-generic version of the Web site.