[hfot2]

Recently I have experienced a problem that I don't recall having in the past.

If I am slow in writing a response, when I hit the "submit" button I will get another log in page, even though I have already logged in - and can even see the "Welcome hfot2" note in the upper left. I am told I have to log in before I can proceed.

Is there a time-out feature that has been added that wasn't here before? What does it take to activate it? How slow am I?

distaff half of hfot2

[arunganpath]

Originally Posted by hfot2

Is there a time-out feature that has been added that wasn't here before? What does it take to activate it? How slow am I?

There is a time out feature. I've also experienced it.

It has nothing to do with whether you are slow or not. If you are not using the site for sometime, it auto logs you out. Then you just need to log in and continue.

[cityMONK]

Originally Posted by hfot2

Recently I have experienced a problem that I don't recall having in the past.

If I am slow in writing a response, when I hit the "submit" button I will get another log in page, even though I have already logged in - and can even see the "Welcome hfot2" note in the upper left. I am told I have to log in before I can proceed.

Is there a time-out feature that has been added that wasn't here before? What does it take to activate it? How slow am I?

distaff half of hfot2

have you tried my new naan recipe.

[machadinha]

Originally Posted by arunganpath

There is a time out feature. I've also experienced it.

It has nothing to do with whether you are slow or not. If you are not using the site for sometime, it auto logs you out. Then you just need to log in and continue.

No, I don't think so, although it may rarely happen to me.

What you do need to do is hit the "remember me" box next to the log-in box when logging in; this will set a cookie for you, to remember you. So you also need to set your system to allow cookies for this site, or it won't work. (A public machine may disallow it altogether. Conversely, on such a machine, don't forget to log out again.)

From the description I wonder if this is what's ailing Hfot though. No idea really. Although it might be good to check those settings, also if you've made changes to your system or something.

I think it's true that that "welcome" message remains even if you do or have been logged off btw, until you entirely refresh the page. So you have nonetheless been logged off.

[Nick-H]

If you don't tick "remember me", then yes, it times out, and seems to do so quite quickly. On the home machine, it is just a matter of ticking that box, then the timeout will never happen; on other machines, if you don't trust yourself to remember to log out and don't tick the box, then it happens quite quickly. It doesn't even give time for a decent-length post or PM.

[brishti]

Originally Posted by cityMONK

have you tried my new naan recipe.

:brishti

[nadreg]

No. There were no changes to the timeout settings. Mach and Nick are right. You probably just need to set the "Remember Me" checkbox when you login. This should prevent the logouts that you are seeing.

[Nick-H]

...and if that fails, try cityMONK's naan recipe!

Nadreg... could the timeout be made a little longer? Whereas it is supposed to work as described, that, having entered login again, it returns you to where you were, life, the browser and the we can conspire against this, and a long post can be lost for ever.

[hfot2]

Originally Posted by nadreg

No. There were no changes to the timeout settings. Mach and Nick are right. You probably just need to set the "Remember Me" checkbox when you login. This should prevent the logouts that you are seeing.

I hate to have more cookies (indeed, I hate to have any cookies, but that's just me!)

When I log out nowadays (ie before checking "remember me" as you suggest) I am told that all cookies have been deleted.

If I tell it to remember me, will I still be able to log out as before (and break the connection as it were) or am I always logged in?
AND - is IM storing my login password on my computer as a cookie? (I have avoided doing that for every site I visit.)

Will the little green light stay on if one checks remember me and then logs out? which is to say - is "remember me" different from log in and log out?)

distaff half

[hfot2]

Originally Posted by cityMONK

have you tried my new naan recipe.

No, not yet. When I do, I'll still bake them in my stone-lined oven; I'm not too keen on deep-frying.

distaff

[hfot2]

Originally Posted by brishti

:brishti

See Naan help please for the source of this non sequitur...

distaff

[hfot2]

Originally Posted by machadinha

No, I don't think so, although it may rarely happen to me.

It happens even when I am typing a reply and just don't hit submit fast enough - I take a while to get my words to my liking, and by the time I've finished it times me out.

Originally Posted by machadinha

From the description I wonder if this is what's ailing Hfot though. No idea really. Although it might be good to check those settings, also if you've made changes to your system or something.

I hope nothing is ailing my system and its just the time-out feature acting up. I have changed from Safari to Firefox on my Mac; Mr H still uses Safari on the MacBookPro and he too gets this time out issue.

We both have browser set to allow cookies so that should not be a problem.

Originally Posted by machadinha

I think it's true that that "welcome" message remains even if you do or have been logged off btw, until you entirely refresh the page. So you have nonetheless been logged off.

OK - that clears that up.

Thanks,
distaff

[hfot2]

Sorry for writing to each of you separately. It would have been more economical to write one response with multiple quotes, but I figured this would make each reply easier to find.

distaff

[machadinha]

Originally Posted by hfot2

... is "remember me" different from log in and log out?)

Yes (I mean, no ); that effectively sets a cookie for you, on your machine. Which is then cleared up again when you log out (it can never hurt to tell your system to clean up all cookies anyway though). It's the way the site can "remember" you during that session.

I don't know too much about the technical details, but it's hard to say just like that what information is stored in a random cookie precisely, and what that info is used for. (Obviously, it's a way for your machine and that site to communicate more closely than if you were merely browsing around it.) It should normally be benign, and used for the purposes as described; so e.g. on webmail or banking sites and the likes (forums where you log in as a member, indeed; or say sites where you have to log on as an administrator), where the site needs to verify who you are & remember you during that session indeed (often accompanied by a secure connection).

It can potentially be used for less benign purposes though; most commonly for (otherwise fairly anonymous, it's not like your identity is being hacked or sold to the CIA straightaway) marketing purposes, there's great commercial value to analyzing surfers' behavior. But I think ultimately planting a virus or something is not impossible, for instance. You'll also notice many sites won't clear up your cookies even though you do log off; either sloppy programming, or they do indeed use those cookies for more than they should, I guess. (Or think of third-party cookies: Many sites will attempt to store all sorts of cookies to clearly commercial sites if you look at them, that have nothing immediately to do with the site in question. A way to finance that site at best, I guess; but it's easy to think of again marketing purposes way beyond that, and no, I see no reason why ad dot click dot com should know about my browsing preferences.)

In any case, it's why I only allow cookies for sites that really need them (and that I really need to use), and that I remotely think I can trust, and why I otherwise have them set to be cleaned up automatically, and regularly do so manually. There's always stuff that somehow stays behind.

However,

Originally Posted by hfot2

We both have browser set to allow cookies so that should not be a problem.

Well, if that is the case, and if you do indeed tag the "remember me" box with each session (or, never log off again and otherwise leave that cookie intact), I don't think it's what your facing, and it didn't sound so from your original posting. I would have a look at your cookies list (somewhere in your browser/privacy settings, presumably) to see if IndiaMike isn't accidentally set to not allow cookies, you may have hit a wrong button some time.

Beyond that, I have no idea. Maybe Nadreg can think of something. Trying another browser to see what happens is a good idea yes.

nb

Originally Posted by hfot2

It happens even when I am typing a reply and just don't hit submit fast enough - I take a while to get my words to my liking, and by the time I've finished it times me out.

Yes, as confirmed above, that is what happens if you don't tick the "remember me" box. A thing to try and remember is to copy your text first before submitting; I often forget though, and in the past I have lost some lengthy posts that I put a lot of effort in. It's very frustrating, but there's otherwise not much to do about it (well, increasing that time-out period if possible could be an idea); it surely makes you remember to copy it a next time

[machadinha]

ps On rereading all that, and before we drive one another to utter confusion:

So you can evidently log in and out here without setting the cookie; but you will run into the time-out issue then.

So you need to tick the "remember me" box when (/ at the same time as) logging in for the cookie to be set; and your system needs to be set to allow for the cookie to be set.