Timing out

[kathycf]

I don't stay logged in to the forum as I clear cookies after logging myself out and just before shutting down my browser.

I notice that when I am composing a longer post...which may take me about 5 or 10 minutes, I keep getting logged out of the forum. It is annoying and I was wondering if it would be possible to change the settings.

For example, if people don't choose to stay logged in all the time, could the "default" time be changed to a longer time period? Say instead of being logged out automatically after 10 minutes of no activity, could it be 30 minutes? It would certainly make things easier, instead of being logged out constantly.

I suppose it is my fault for rambling on, but still...

[jon1jt]

kathy, i'm glad you brought this up...timing out is the biggest nuisance on here and happens to me almost constantly, which is why i have a habit to post and then use the edit feature to complete it.

there aren't that many people logged on at once so i don't see the point of the system doing this.

[Turk]

That's not even a problem. Just check the box (remember me) when you are logging in. Then that problem will not occur ever again also you won't have to log in everytime you visit the forum.

[kathycf]

That's not even a problem. Just check the box (remember me) when you are logging in. Then that problem will not occur ever again also you won't have to log in everytime you visit the forum.

Well, yes, but I stated that I clear all cookies after every visit and before shutting down my browser. The way the site remembers is by setting a cookie, so that doesn't work.

I don't know if that would solve jon's problem, but it doesn't address mine. Thanks for the thought, though. I know that is is possible for the time setting that automatically logs people out to be be changed, so I am asking if Admin will consider the idea of changing that setting here.

[crisaor]

It's a recurring problem. I don't think there's much to do about it, specially if you're clearing your cookies.

[kathycf]

Hmm. Thanks for the link. The site has been updated a few times I think since 2004, so maybe (hopefully) it can be changed now. My message doesn't get lost, when I log back in it gets posted.

I just get annoyed getting logged out all the time. But, I guess I can live with it.

[Logos]

It might have something to do with ads refreshing? but I suspect it's still a cookie issue, that yes, the site times you out after 'inactivity' for a period of time (I think its about 15 minutes) which might be a default set by the forum software, maybe not possible to change but ya, only Admin can answer that.

One way to get around it is to try clicking the RememberMe box anyway when you log in. That keeps you logged in until you choose to "Log Out". Then you can clear your private data. I mean I sometimes spend half an hour composing a post, say in the "Latest additions...." topic and it keeps me logged in

[AimusSage]

I trick could be to start the reply, then open a new window of lit net and go to the who's online page found under quick links. That segment refreshes every few minutes, and might prevent you from logging out while you are writing the reply. I'm not sure it works, but I think it's worth a try.

[kathycf]

Thanks for the responses, I will give both suggestions a try.

[jon1jt]

That's not even a problem. Just check the box (remember me) when you are logging in. Then that problem will not occur ever again also you won't have to log in everytime you visit the forum.

this actually solved my problem of timing out, thanks Turk.

[Admin]

It is a cookie thing.

If you don't use cookies to handle user sessions you end up having to use phpsessions which cannot technically exist for too long of a time without being refreshed by a pageload.

Cookies are permanent (unless you erase them).

Consequently cookies are the most improperly maligned Internet technology there is. They are 100% safe. They cannot compromise your computer, give away personal information, or anything else.

Some advertisers use them for tracking, but they aren't tracking YOU personally, just your PC, they have no way of knowing who you are.

Additionally, most often they're used by advertisers to make sure you don't see too many ads. For instance on this site, cookies are used to make sure you don't see too many popups per day. But with cookies off you'll get far more.

Anti-virus and other security companies have a monetary interest in making sure you're scared of various things on the Internet. It helps them sell more products and helps make sure you appreciate their products more. So they will false list a lot of technologies like cookies, and or advertisements, as malicious when they're not.

Further reading:
http://www.thiefware.com/cookies.spyware.shtml

So, if you delete your cookies regularly, you're really making your life harder, subjecting yourself to more advertisements, and forcing yourself to spend more time logging in repeatedly to various sites.

The only time you should delete cookies is if you're using a public PC and you don't want the next person who sits down to have access to your stuff. If its your own private PC though, there really is no reason to.

[kathycf]

I erase cookies because I have trouble with another site I belong to. If I don't erase cookies and clear my cache the site software makes my browser "think" it needs to treat the pages as a file download and consequently goes nuts. It is a problem with that site, but it made my life easier to simply delete cookie rather than deal with that. So it wasn't a security concern.

Thanks for your response. I have been using the trick that Aimus suggested and that seems to be working out for me pretty well.

[Admin]

I'm pretty sure most browsers have settings to deal with sites differently. You could add this site as "trusted" for instance or something and so then keep it's cookies.

[kilted exile]

With firefox it is an exception system