What's up with the 2 week login - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

What's up with the 2 week login

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
gabe1k_dup
Jul 16, 2009 8:12:08 Just asking, why can't you just stay logged in to the forums instead of having to login every 2 weeks?
#2
Seeker95
Jul 16, 2009 8:51:25 Because that is the time period they have chosen to set for timing out. No other explanation beyond that. Even if they offer an explanation, people will gripe.
#3
Zherog
Jul 16, 2009 9:35:12 Isn't your status of logged in or not determined by a cookie on your PC? If so, I don't see how that would affect the system at all.
#4
mudbunny
Jul 16, 2009 9:41:50 Having it set at 2 weeks, as opposed to permanently allows them to have somewhat accurate numbers on how many people are active on the fourms, how many are lurkers, and how many sign up, post once or twice and never come back.
#5
gabe1k_dup
Jul 16, 2009 9:50:07
Having it set at 2 weeks, as opposed to permanently allows them to have somewhat accurate numbers on how many people are active on the fourms, how many are lurkers, and how many sign up, post once or twice and never come back.

I see. What's the purpose of gathering that data?

I ask because I don't know any other forum that makes you do that.
#6
Zherog
Jul 16, 2009 9:54:24
Having it set at 2 weeks, as opposed to permanently allows them to have somewhat accurate numbers on how many people are active on the fourms, how many are lurkers, and how many sign up, post once or twice and never come back.

They could gather that data with a real simple SQL query against the database.
#7
CCS
Jul 16, 2009 14:52:33
Just asking, why can't you just stay logged in to the forums instead of having to login every 2 weeks?

You should be glad you only need to spend a moment logging in every 2 weeks.
Me? I have to log in almost every day. And that's despite hitting the 2 week button every single time. The longest my system has ever retained the cookie is about 3 days.
#8
Zherog
Jul 16, 2009 15:35:13
Two things.

1) While it's cliche, dump cookies and cache and try again

2) Check your bookmark for the forums. Does it point to forums.gleemax.com? Or does it still point to boards1.wizards.com (or some variant)? If your bookmark/favorite for the forums still points to boards1.wizards.com, change it to forums.gleemax.com. Nobody that I've seen ever knows exactly why, but there's some sort of error in the redirection that causes you to get logged out.

See if either of those help you, CCS.
#9
Paulon
Jul 16, 2009 16:31:39 If you're using Firefox there are cookie editing plugins for it. Back when the forum login system was going seriously wonky I went through and added about 50 years to the expiry dates on the cookies. I haven't had to login since, though it didn't help with the forums bugs at the time which seemed more a case of not reading the login status than not being logged in.
#10
serphet
Jul 17, 2009 12:02:04 it could be less for data gathering, and more for clearing out silly amounts of data from their servers.
#11
vaalingrade_ashland_02
Jul 23, 2009 9:55:07 Wasn't there a Firefox addon that can fix it?
#12
Jimmifett
Jul 23, 2009 15:55:16 most good web software that allows for logins implements some form of "Session" management. When you are logged in, you are granted a session that stores information about you. this can be as simple as preferences and skins to apply to the site, or as complex as tracking your every action on the site.

Each session takes up a portion of memory on the server. The more active sessions be tracked by the server, the more memory is used up. Sessions are usually tracked by sending you a cookie with a unique identifier of one sort of another.

By having the cookie expire after 2 weeks (or other arbitrary time period), then can have your sesssion data free up memory on the server when it expires.

Additionally, from a security point of view, do you want to go to a friend's house/net cafe/etc, log in from thier machine, forget to log out (destroying your session identifier), and give your friend/stranger full access to your identity on that site? Some ppl think 2 weeks is adequate enough for a forum for this security aspect.

#13
myt3m0w53
Jul 23, 2009 17:25:19 Google Chrome keeps letting me jump right into my mailbox... maybe a few times a month it re-routes me to log in again... I just open another tab and try again and it works fine
#14
Matt_James
Jul 24, 2009 8:17:18 Google Chrome *shudder* ;)
#15
serphet
Jul 24, 2009 11:55:27
Google Chrome *shudder* ;)

srsly?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 gabe1k_dup Jul 16, 2009 8:12:08	Just asking, why can't you just stay logged in to the forums instead of having to login every 2 weeks?
#2 Seeker95 Jul 16, 2009 8:51:25	Because that is the time period they have chosen to set for timing out. No other explanation beyond that. Even if they offer an explanation, people will gripe.
#3 Zherog Jul 16, 2009 9:35:12	Isn't your status of logged in or not determined by a cookie on your PC? If so, I don't see how that would affect the system at all.
#4 mudbunny Jul 16, 2009 9:41:50	Having it set at 2 weeks, as opposed to permanently allows them to have somewhat accurate numbers on how many people are active on the fourms, how many are lurkers, and how many sign up, post once or twice and never come back.
#5 gabe1k_dup Jul 16, 2009 9:50:07	Having it set at 2 weeks, as opposed to permanently allows them to have somewhat accurate numbers on how many people are active on the fourms, how many are lurkers, and how many sign up, post once or twice and never come back. I see. What's the purpose of gathering that data? I ask because I don't know any other forum that makes you do that.
#6 Zherog Jul 16, 2009 9:54:24	Having it set at 2 weeks, as opposed to permanently allows them to have somewhat accurate numbers on how many people are active on the fourms, how many are lurkers, and how many sign up, post once or twice and never come back. They could gather that data with a real simple SQL query against the database.
#7 CCS Jul 16, 2009 14:52:33	Just asking, why can't you just stay logged in to the forums instead of having to login every 2 weeks? You should be glad you only need to spend a moment logging in every 2 weeks. Me? I have to log in almost every day. And that's despite hitting the 2 week button every single time. The longest my system has ever retained the cookie is about 3 days.
#8 Zherog Jul 16, 2009 15:35:13	Two things. 1) While it's cliche, dump cookies and cache and try again 2) Check your bookmark for the forums. Does it point to forums.gleemax.com? Or does it still point to boards1.wizards.com (or some variant)? If your bookmark/favorite for the forums still points to boards1.wizards.com, change it to forums.gleemax.com. Nobody that I've seen ever knows exactly why, but there's some sort of error in the redirection that causes you to get logged out. See if either of those help you, CCS.
#9 Paulon Jul 16, 2009 16:31:39	If you're using Firefox there are cookie editing plugins for it. Back when the forum login system was going seriously wonky I went through and added about 50 years to the expiry dates on the cookies. I haven't had to login since, though it didn't help with the forums bugs at the time which seemed more a case of not reading the login status than not being logged in.
#10 serphet Jul 17, 2009 12:02:04	it could be less for data gathering, and more for clearing out silly amounts of data from their servers.
#11 vaalingrade_ashland_02 Jul 23, 2009 9:55:07	Wasn't there a Firefox addon that can fix it?
#12 Jimmifett Jul 23, 2009 15:55:16	most good web software that allows for logins implements some form of "Session" management. When you are logged in, you are granted a session that stores information about you. this can be as simple as preferences and skins to apply to the site, or as complex as tracking your every action on the site. Each session takes up a portion of memory on the server. The more active sessions be tracked by the server, the more memory is used up. Sessions are usually tracked by sending you a cookie with a unique identifier of one sort of another. By having the cookie expire after 2 weeks (or other arbitrary time period), then can have your sesssion data free up memory on the server when it expires. Additionally, from a security point of view, do you want to go to a friend's house/net cafe/etc, log in from thier machine, forget to log out (destroying your session identifier), and give your friend/stranger full access to your identity on that site? Some ppl think 2 weeks is adequate enough for a forum for this security aspect.
#13 myt3m0w53 Jul 23, 2009 17:25:19	Google Chrome keeps letting me jump right into my mailbox... maybe a few times a month it re-routes me to log in again... I just open another tab and try again and it works fine
#14 Matt_James Jul 24, 2009 8:17:18	Google Chrome shudder ;)
#15 serphet Jul 24, 2009 11:55:27	Google Chrome shudder ;) srsly?