identity of client

[dips255]

What is the unique identity of a client accessing a web page. Is it possible to detect it? The IP of client is not always static, hence it cannot be considered. I have seen that the chat widget from meebo.com shows 'nick name' of client. I had used it with 2 different static IPs but in both cases my nick name remained the same. I also changed my computer name, still it was the same. I wonder what is the logic to detect the client's identity

[Old Pedant]

Probably they are using cookies. Nothing magic. Once the user has identified himself/herself, they simply store that identity in a cookie and then retrieve it from the cookie at any later time. Go turn off all your cookies and I'll bet meebo.com won't have any idea who you are.

[dips255]

I disabled cookies and tried meebo. Its still showing my nick name.

[Old Pedant]

<shrug>There are other ways. Maybe meebo uses a plugin?? Anyway, cookies are the easiest and most likely thing to use with a browser.

Yeah, I just looked at meebo.com, and it's an IM-based system, not browser-based. So it's not restricted to what a browser can do.