METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRACKING CLIENT INTERACTION WITH A NETWORK RESOURCE AND CREATING CLIENT PROFILES AND RESOURCE DATABASE

A method for monitoring client interaction with a resource downloaded from a server in a computer network includes the steps of using a client to specify an address of a resource located on a first server, downloading a file corresponding to the resource from the first server in response to specification of the address, using the client to specify an address of a first executable program located on a second server, the address of the first executable program being embedded in the file downloaded from the first server, the first executable program including a software timer for monitoring the amount of time the client spends interacting with and displaying the file downloaded from the first server, downloading the first executable program from the second server to run on the client so as to determine the amount of time the client interacts with the file downloaded from the first server, using a server to acquire client identifying indicia from the client, and uploading the amount of time determined by the first executable program to a third server. The first executable program may also monitor time, keyboard events, mouse events, and the like, in order to track choices and selections made by a user in the file, and may execute upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, as well as monitoring or determining the amount of information downloaded by the client. The monitored information and client identifying indicia is stored on a database in a server for use in analysis and for automatically serving out files assembled according to user interests and preferences.