I'm writing an Internet tool and I would like to know how many
people are actually using it at any given time (eg. sort of like
GameSpy where you can go to its homepage and see a message like
"Currently there are 136 GameSpy users").

I was thinking of using the Inet control to ftp a small text file
to my web site when someone was using the program, and then having
the program count the number of such files.  Is this the best way
to do it?  Or does someone have a better way to track usage?

Using VB5 Professional.

Otser.

I don't know anything about CGI programming, so that option is out.

There's no connection "being made"... they will only be running my
program when they're already connected to the net.  It's a net tool,
totally unusable if they're not already connected.  I see no problem
with the program reporting their usage of it.  I'll just mention it
in the docs, so they're aware of it before they decide to use it.  :)

Otser.

Big Brother is watching!

It will only report that the program is in use, nothing more.
Many commercial programs do this, such as NetSonic, GameSpy,
and Internet Explorer.

Otser.

And you have the means to proove that ?  I would sure like to see that for
myself. By the way : I would be interrested in such a program to monitor
outgoing data.  Maybe you feel it coming, but _I_ want to be the judge of
what get's send where.  What I can't see ( == being send without my
approval) I can't check on contents.  In other words : You can (but you
won't, you have _promised_ me :-) send _anything_ without me knowing it.
Big Brother in a commercial jacket :-((((

Greetz,
  Rudy Wieser

Actually Gamespy would have to know that the program is in use, since
it's logging on to the gamespy server. (That's where the news messages
comes from) Internet Explorer, IIRC goes looking for updates.

--
"So I said to the runner, 'Remember to look ahead.', but all he could do
was run..."
        - Mirris Star Upon Dawn
http://home.sol.no/~thafsaas

Well, I know for a fact that NetSonic and GameSpy do, and I
heard that IE does but I can't verify it for myself.  But
with Microsoft's reputation I wouldn't shrug it off.  :)

Otser.

Hello Otser,

"Knowing for a fact" is commonly used as "I have it from a reliable
source".  Most people don't bother to check.  Before I get worked-up about
this intrusion of my privacy I would like to know for sure.  I.e. with my
own eye's or from the person who did do the test (first possibility
preferred :-)

Intrusion of my privacy -> Forcing me to send data to people I don't know,
and in my opinion have nothing to do with my usage of their program.  
Unless it would be to send me Spam.  And that's something I hate even more
...

Greetz,
  Rudy Wieser

Hello Zatar,

Ahh... GameSpy uses a central computer to retrieve data !  That was
something I did not know.  As it was told it looked like it wanted to send
a message to some company while you where playing your game (Quake :-) on a
whole other server (or maybe even one-on-one).

In case of IE and others in the "update" field : Looking for updates is
could be nice, but it's stupid to go look for updates if the User does not
want them (I know what "features" my current software has, and do not want
to re-experience a whole new set of those "features" by installing the next
"better" version of whatever). So it should be possible for the user to
Enable them (as opposed to the possibility to Disable it !)

Greetz,
  Rudy Wieser

Big Brother is still watchin, no matter what he is watching.

:
: And you have the means to proove that ?  I would sure like to see that for
: myself. By the way : I would be interrested in such a program to monitor
: outgoing data.  Maybe you feel it coming, but _I_ want to be the judge of
: what get's send where.  What I can't see ( == being send without my
: approval) I can't check on contents.  In other words : You can (but you
: won't, you have _promised_ me :-) send _anything_ without me knowing it.
: Big Brother in a commercial jacket :-((((

Windows machines connected to the Net should ALWAYS be behind a
firewall, to prevent denial of service attacks and for countless other
reasons.  Any firewall can be configured to list incoming and outgoing
TCP/IP connections.  Getting a log should be simple, and will reveal a
lot about how Windows TCP/IP works that you might find useful.

Joe