What does a website 'see' of its visitors?

I was wondering how much information a website can see about a person's computer. I know websites place cookies, and I understand their purpose. And I know the visitor's IP address can be seen. I wondered, though, can they see the name of the computer, for example? I mean the name one has given their computer when they start it up for the first time. I've noticed that computer names of the senders are visible if one checks the headers of received e-mails in Outlook Express.

 

Depends on the scripts used. There are plenty of malicious script code that when activated can retrieve a lot of information, or even set your machine up to be used for other purposes (if that script is allowed to install programs).

This is why there are anti-script browser plugins, anti-virus programs that now analyze web code, etc...

Stat counters are examples of what a regular website may gather.

 

Ip address, Browser (with version), screen resolution, operating system, source of your visit (where did you come from to the site, bookmark, or link on another site or whatever), and more...

I've mentioned only scripts that are not considered as malicious. Malicious ones can do much more =|

 

Thanks for your replies. I wondered if a visitor's computer name (the one you see when you see when you go to system properties-computer name) and the name of the registered owner would be visible to a website owner. I know browser, OS, and IP address are visible. I've been to sites that will indicate the last site I had been to, so I know that goes on. I've been to sites that will say something like 'this is how the public sees your computer' and the computer is given this name consisting of a string of letters and numbers which includes my ISP and IP address, but not the name of my actual computer as indicated above.

 

I'm think such information as computer name, hardware configuration etc. can be accessible via Java applets.

 

Seems to me a few years ago I went to a site that popped up an Explorer looking window that showed the contents of my C: drive and said something like your computer may be at risk or your privacy might be at risk (trying to sell something). It showed the actual contents of my C: drive including a few folders that were unique to my computer. Haven't seen it in quite a while so I assume it has been patched in IE but there used to be such a vulnerability.