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In most instances I've been able to make prompt decisions as to the benefits of UA's to my own websites.
This partucular one I'm just not sure of.
Should the UA remain eduactional than I'm all for it as it would decrease costs and perhaps allow use of less expensive computers in reigons that otherwise wouldn't have the budget.
This particular visitor was from Ohio Public Library InformationNetwork.
However if the UA decides to go commercial or allow it use for commercial infrastrucures than I may change my outlook.
Comments?
From our viewpoint as webmasters, nothing really changes - The behaviour of the user is what will be
important to us. I haven't seen such as visitor yet, so I'm wondering what they "look like" from a
User-agent standpoint. But it looks like the point of thin clients is simply to move hardware cost and
software complexity away from the workstation and back to a centralized server. From what I read,
it looks like the workstations will run very simple keyboard, mouse, and display software, and all
the action will take place on the server. In other words, the workstation just acts as an interface
to a "remote" virtual PC, which is hosted on the server. A web browser, for example, would actually
run on the server, and the server would just send "screen shots" to the thin client workstation.
That means the workstation itself will not need regularly-performed software upgrades and patches,
won't need floppy, hard or CD-RW drives, and may not even need a CD-ROM drive (although for a
library, I'd think you'd want the ability to review CD-archived material at the workstation). It's
a dumb terminal with graphics, mouse, keyboard, and network capability.
Therefore, the chances of anyone "hacking" individual workstations or introducing a virus/worm into
the network are very low.
On the one side you have those benefits, on the other you have the problem of a 'non-standard'
computing environment and you lose the economies of scale that standard PCs can bring. Personally,
I'd hate to get locked in 100% to such a set-up. My first question would be, "Can I use these
older PCs as thin client workstations if I rip out the user-accessible drives?"
Anyway, whether the server owner is commercial or educational, the user behaviour is what will be
important - They are still eyeballs on your web site, and if that's good it's good.
Just some thoughts - It'll be interseting to see what happens with this idea.
Jim
Jim,
This particular visitor only viewed a single page with the images realted to that page. The page does have about five thumbnail photo's. None of which were enlarged. The visitor really didn't do anything out of the ordinary.
The content is a thirty year old article from a magazine.
The particular search topic has been getting some recent activity
" Walter Paisley" as he was in the news recently. One part of a four part story.
I wouldn't even have caught the UA except by accident :-)
It is my hope it doesn't lead to some massive catching and storing by commercial infrastructures.
It could be a good thing in the PUBLIC educational system.
I recall reading that even the old 286's can be used.
The NetX HPe Thin Client, combining the power of today's PC technology with the longevity of solid-state components
Basically a PC without a local harddisk. The ideal type of machine for library terminals.
I wouldn't even have caught the UA except by accident :-)
Yeah, accident, right! :)
Hey, I count on you as one of the sharper-eyed log-checkers around here! Thanks for the UA.
It is my hope it doesn't lead to some massive catching and storing by commercial infrastructures.
Well, I've got all my files set up with cache-control headers courtesy of "ExpiresActive On" in
.htaccess, and so they cache what I want them to cache, and on pages where I want to know actual
"hit" rates, I just put a 1x1 non-cacheable GIF transparent image. Whenever that page is loaded
from my server or from any cache, the noncacheable GIF "phones home" and I see it in my logs. So,
rather than worry about it, I specify it! Related thread [webmasterworld.com]
As bird says, "thin clients" are just a way to provide cheaper, more reliable, and more tamper-proof
machines for public use, and keep the software and expensive hardware physically secure.
One thing they don't publicly emphasize, however, is that this kind of sub-network architecture
makes it easy for system administrators to log what users are doing, click-by-click (We use a
similar system at work for licensed, data intensive, and expensive computer-automated-design
software).
Jim
"Every NetX thin client solution is a custom solution, because every company and every network have their own special needs."
This will make any standard assumptions quite impossible as far as use is concerned.
