In the visitor table
- Project key
- Secret-keyed network hash
- First-seen timestamp for new records
Ministry of Unexpected Gifts
Department of
Approximate Mathematics
PUBLIC VISITOR REGISTRY
A note from the counting desk
Counting curiosity.
With a margin of error.
The little badge estimates distinct networks requesting this project. It cannot tell how many individual people are behind those requests.
The Department has assigned Pudgy to explain. Please lower your expectations accordingly.
No names requestedNo emails requestedNo GPS requested
Procedure · approximately scientific
How a request becomes a number
- 01
The badge asks for the count.
Loading the gift page requests a small counter image from our counter service on Render. Like other web requests, this sends the network address to that service.
- 02
The address becomes a project-specific hash.
The counter combines the project key and network address with a private secret to generate a hash. It stores the hash rather than the raw IP address in its visitor table. This is still processing an IP address; hashing does not make it anonymous.
- 03
An existing match does not add another visitor.
A new project-and-hash combination adds one to the count. A matching combination leaves the total unchanged. The counter also records when that combination was first seen.
Records desk
What the counter keeps
Outside that table
The visitor table has no fields for names, email addresses, raw IP addresses, precise location, or browsing history. Hosting providers and infrastructure may keep separate request logs.
A separate filing cabinet
Your daily gift uses a different record.
The gift app uses a signed browser cookie to select your daily gift. Your collection is saved in this browser. Those records are separate from the network-based visitor counter.