I have enabled a bit of IP detection so that visitors or people who don't have their country set in their profile will automatically get presented with the correct community forum and homepage sidebar (for default theme).
If some of you overseas can logout and check to see this is working I would appriciate it. Of course it won't be 100% using this method as some users have IPs registered to companies from outside their country.
Thanks,
Jim
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IP country detection
staff_Jim
Publisher
Joined: December 15, 2001
KitMaker: 12,571 posts
Armorama: 6,599 posts
Posted: Friday, June 25, 2004 - 04:55 PM UTC
Vodnik
Joined: March 26, 2003
KitMaker: 4,342 posts
Armorama: 3,938 posts
Posted: Friday, June 25, 2004 - 11:32 PM UTC
Jim,
I'm not sure if it is a good idea. Quite a lot of people visit Armorama from their computers at work, and many of us work for international companies with international networks. I for example work in Poland, but our office network is not connected to the Internet locally at all. So depending on the proxy server in our corporate network I'm using at any given moment you will see me with American, French, British of German IP address...
Altavista and Google use IP detection system to identify user's country and select display language accordingly. It is VERY annoying when I see those pages in German only because I was connected through proxy server in Germany. And I don't understand German...
Of course I understand that in case of Armorama it would only affect people who did not select country and would not change display language, but the IP detection method is generally very unreliable.
Pawel
I'm not sure if it is a good idea. Quite a lot of people visit Armorama from their computers at work, and many of us work for international companies with international networks. I for example work in Poland, but our office network is not connected to the Internet locally at all. So depending on the proxy server in our corporate network I'm using at any given moment you will see me with American, French, British of German IP address...
Altavista and Google use IP detection system to identify user's country and select display language accordingly. It is VERY annoying when I see those pages in German only because I was connected through proxy server in Germany. And I don't understand German...
Of course I understand that in case of Armorama it would only affect people who did not select country and would not change display language, but the IP detection method is generally very unreliable.
Pawel
faze4
Joined: August 18, 2003
KitMaker: 188 posts
Armorama: 45 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 26, 2004 - 12:48 AM UTC
Jim,
Another option may be to detect the language setting of the browser of a user.
We have an application at work that detects this IE setting and works very well.
I don't no if it works with other browsers than IE
Another option may be to detect the language setting of the browser of a user.
We have an application at work that detects this IE setting and works very well.
I don't no if it works with other browsers than IE
TUGA
#034
Joined: April 26, 2002
KitMaker: 1,718 posts
Armorama: 1,130 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 26, 2004 - 01:01 AM UTC
Hi,
I've logout, clean all cookies and start a IE session with br.armorama.com.
AA haven't identified as a user for Portugal and shows me My community - United States.
HTH
I've logout, clean all cookies and start a IE session with br.armorama.com.
AA haven't identified as a user for Portugal and shows me My community - United States.
HTH
staff_Jim
PublisherJoined: December 15, 2001
KitMaker: 12,571 posts
Armorama: 6,599 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 26, 2004 - 06:10 AM UTC
Jose,
Your IP is registered to Portugal so I am not sure why it wasn't in my database. I have added it though. Does it show up properly now?
Thanks,
Jim
Your IP is registered to Portugal so I am not sure why it wasn't in my database. I have added it though. Does it show up properly now?
Thanks,
Jim
staff_Jim
PublisherJoined: December 15, 2001
KitMaker: 12,571 posts
Armorama: 6,599 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 26, 2004 - 06:11 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Jim,
I'm not sure if it is a good idea. Quite a lot of people visit Armorama from their computers at work, and many of us work for international companies with international networks. I for example work in Poland, but our office network is not connected to the Internet locally at all. So depending on the proxy server in our corporate network I'm using at any given moment you will see me with American, French, British of German IP address...
Altavista and Google use IP detection system to identify user's country and select display language accordingly. It is VERY annoying when I see those pages in German only because I was connected through proxy server in Germany. And I don't understand German...
Of course I understand that in case of Armorama it would only affect people who did not select country and would not change display language, but the IP detection method is generally very unreliable.
Pawel
Pawel,
Point taken. But I would rather hit 60% of users than non at all. And they can always register and set their country for an accurate display. I will add some kind of text message for that circumstance to encourage registration.
Thanks,
Jim
Merlin
Senior Editor#017
Joined: June 11, 2003
KitMaker: 17,582 posts
Armorama: 903 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 26, 2004 - 07:13 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Quite a lot of people visit Armorama from their computers at work...
I hope that's after hours and we don't get the blame for the drop in productivity! Just kidding - I sometimes log on at work too, when things are quiet. 
It sounds a neat idea Jim. Nothing's foolproof, but if new visitors mostly find a homepage in their own language it should certainly encourage new members.
All the best
Rowan
Paul_Owen
Joined: May 11, 2002
KitMaker: 140 posts
Armorama: 108 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 26, 2004 - 05:33 PM UTC
Wow Jim, doesn't IP to geographic location detection add a lot of overhead? Is it for each request? Does it use a web service or a local database?
Did you take a look at the Apache language negociation I was telling you about last week? That's the way to go, you can have Apache figure the language out and present the correct set of pages. Since it's done within Apache before any PHP or DB stuff it is much more efficient.
Paul.
Did you take a look at the Apache language negociation I was telling you about last week? That's the way to go, you can have Apache figure the language out and present the correct set of pages. Since it's done within Apache before any PHP or DB stuff it is much more efficient.
Paul.
MrRoo
Joined: October 07, 2002
KitMaker: 3,856 posts
Armorama: 2,984 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 26, 2004 - 06:06 PM UTC
Jim it shows up on mine here in OZ and to be truthful I do not like it or want it. I would rather see a different pic or article in the space each week with a link to more.
perhaps it's me but some changes to the site I am afraid I wonder about (no offence meant to anyone especially you staff Jim)
Just my 2 cents worth.
perhaps it's me but some changes to the site I am afraid I wonder about (no offence meant to anyone especially you staff Jim)
Just my 2 cents worth.
staff_Jim
PublisherJoined: December 15, 2001
KitMaker: 12,571 posts
Armorama: 6,599 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 26, 2004 - 08:21 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Wow Jim, doesn't IP to geographic location detection add a lot of overhead? Is it for each request? Does it use a web service or a local database?
Did you take a look at the Apache language negociation I was telling you about last week? That's the way to go, you can have Apache figure the language out and present the correct set of pages. Since it's done within Apache before any PHP or DB stuff it is much more efficient.
Paul.
Paul,
I didn't use the Apache language detection because I really wanted to go on a per country setting and not language. It's a single query that sets a cookie. And members are not checked as the info is driven from their country selection.
Cheers,
Jim
jimbrae
Joined: April 23, 2003
KitMaker: 12,927 posts
Armorama: 9,486 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 26, 2004 - 11:59 PM UTC
Hmm..weird, when I log-out and enter onto the site, I get the U.S. 'Welcome' message, when I go to latest posts, I see the 'Community' thingy from the U.K...this is strange....Jim (technically challenged as before)
TUGA
#034
Joined: April 26, 2002
KitMaker: 1,718 posts
Armorama: 1,130 posts
Posted: Sunday, June 27, 2004 - 05:25 AM UTC
Hi,
Still the same here - I logout, cleared all cookies and start a new IE session.
AA haven't identified my country and don't shows any flag at the community area, just a red X, if I follow the link I'm sent to US community area.
Still the same here - I logout, cleared all cookies and start a new IE session.
AA haven't identified my country and don't shows any flag at the community area, just a red X, if I follow the link I'm sent to US community area.
staff_Jim
PublisherJoined: December 15, 2001
KitMaker: 12,571 posts
Armorama: 6,599 posts
Posted: Sunday, June 27, 2004 - 05:49 AM UTC
Hmm...well the very first time you come to the site the code is a little screwy and even though the cookie is set, it is not detected until you leave the homepage or refresh it.
Jim - if you are getting the UK community forum (and are not signed in) then the cookie should be set properly. Did you try going back to the homepage to see what it said again?
Jose - Hmm...no clue. Your IP is in there so unless it keeps changing I don't get it.
Thanks,
Jim
Jim - if you are getting the UK community forum (and are not signed in) then the cookie should be set properly. Did you try going back to the homepage to see what it said again?
Jose - Hmm...no clue. Your IP is in there so unless it keeps changing I don't get it.
Thanks,
Jim
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