FingerPrint

    We needed a method to uniquely identify users in order for that user to return to previously created gene list without having to login to a user account. This was based on the feedback indicating that many users do not like to have user accounts. We have tested several methods, including server and client based cookies, session IDs and IP addresses, but the majority of these methods turned out to be problematic; for example assigning identical IDs to users sharing the same network. Our solution is based on the article “How Unique Is Your Web Browser?” and was developed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). We have implemented a customized, lightweight build of the proposed system in order to maximize performance. This new FingerPrint solution gathers information about browser screen, resolution, browser version and client IP address, that is used to create a unique ID using the murmur hash algorithm. This approach provides a robust method for assigning unique IDs based on our current testing.