Logging (computing)

These log messages can then be used to monitor and understand the operation of the system, to debug problems, or during an audit.

Logging is particularly important in multi-user software, to have a central overview of the operation of the system.

This relieves software developers of having to design and code their ad hoc logging systems.

[15] Message logs are almost universally plain text files, but IM and VoIP clients (which support textual chat, e.g. Skype) might save them in HTML files or in a custom format to ease reading or enable encryption.

In the case of IRC software, message logs often include system/server messages and entries related to channel and user changes (e.g. topic change, user joins/exits/kicks/bans, nickname changes, the user status changes), making them more like a combined message/event log of the channel in question, but such a log is not comparable to a true IRC server event log, because it only records user-visible events for the time frame the user spent being connected to a certain channel.

Instant messaging and VoIP clients often offer the chance to store encrypted logs to enhance the user's privacy.

These logs require a password to be decrypted and viewed, and they are often handled by their respective writing application.

Some privacy focused messaging services, such as Signal, record minimal logs about users, limiting their information to connection times.