Private logging
Every time you visit a web page, you send a lot of information to the web server. Most web servers routinely maintain access logs with a portion of this information, which can be used to get an overall picture of what pages are popular, what other sites link to this one, and what web browsers people are using. It is not the intention of the Wikimedia projects to use this information to keep track of legitimate users.
These logs are used to produce the site statistics pages; the raw log data is not made public, and is normally discarded after about two weeks.
Here’s a sample of what’s logged for one page view:
Bad 24.55.88.143 c-24-55-88-143.hsd1.wa.comcast.net Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 1.0.3705; Media Center PC 4.0)
Log data may be examined by developers in the course of solving technical problems and in tracking down badly-behaved web spiders that overwhelm the site. IP addresses of users, derived either from those logs or from records in the database are frequently used to correlate usernames and network addresses of edits in investigating abuse of the WashingtonWrestlingReport.com, including the suspected use of malicious “sockpuppets” (duplicate accounts), vandalism, harassment of other users, or disruption of the WashingtonWrestlingReport.com.
Policy on release of data derived from page logs
It is the policy of WashingtonWrestlingReport.com that personally identifiable data collected in the server logs may be released by the system administrators, in the following situations:
- In response to a valid subpoena or other compulsory request from law enforcement
- With permission of the affected user
- To the director of WashingtonWrestlingReport.com, his/her legal counsel, or his/her designee, when necessary for investigation of abuse complaints.
- Where the information pertains to page views generated by a spider or bot and its dissemination is necessary to illustrate or resolve technical issues.
- Where the user has been vandalizing articles or persistently behaving in a disruptive way, data may be released to assist in the targeting of IP blocks, or to assist in the formulation of a complaint to relevant Internet Service Providers
- Where it is reasonably necessary to protect the rights, property or safety of the WashingtonWrestlingReport.com, its users or the public.
- IP addresses themselves may be displayed or noted on the message board by the system administrator at his choosing.
WashingtonWrestlingReport.com policy does not permit public distribution of such information under any circumstances, except as described above. Use of the website or message board constitutes acknowledgement and acceptance of this policy.
Updated 5-9-08