OT Moderators re: Cookie length

[Buffboy]

I am not the fastest typist. I will start a reply then between interruptions, previous reading and other things it will drag out enough that the cookie will have expired. I hit post and I need to relog in. This means that I have to retype or (if I'm lucky) go back in the browser, copy the text then paste it to the "new" reply window. Could you please make the cookie so it doesn't expire?

[Hobie]

I am not the fastest typist. I will start a reply then between interruptions, previous reading and other things it will drag out enough that the cookie will have expired. I hit post and I need to relog in. This means that I have to retype or (if I'm lucky) go back in the browser, copy the text then paste it to the "new" reply window. Could you please make the cookie so it doesn't expire?

I think YOU have to do that. Your browser may be deleting the cookies or some such. I don't believe that the cookies will "time out" once you're logged in but your ISP might. Also, when you sign in you need to choose for the computer to log you in automatically. This might help.

I've gone away from my computer, walked the dog, cooked lunch and come back to find I'm still signed on, etc.

I double checked and I can not alter the cookies.

[AmBraCol]

I am not the fastest typist. I will start a reply then between interruptions, previous reading and other things it will drag out enough that the cookie will have expired. I hit post and I need to relog in. This means that I have to retype or (if I'm lucky) go back in the browser, copy the text then paste it to the "new" reply window. Could you please make the cookie so it doesn't expire?

OK. Give us some more info on your browser and we may be able to help you. As Hobie noted - there's nothing we can do from this end. You control the cookies on your end. The way it is set on the forum is so that you can remain signed in indefinitely. And you can set it to log you in automatically each time you visit as well. So if you need help getting the cookies on your end set up, feel free to post some details as to what operating system, what browser, what ISP etc you are using. If you're on AOL then all bets are off...

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I've got an example that can be reproduced that may help. I was in IE7 at the time. I replied to a post and in my reply I embedded a link. I hit the preview button to check the post and while checking, I hit the link in the preview window to make sure it was correct. I tried to back out of the link with the back button to get back to the preview window and thus tidy up the post but the when I went back ... I was given the expiration message. I had to redo the post from scratch. I was only away from the preview window for a few seconds.

I'm in FireFox at the moment so I can't retest, but I will try it again later this evening when I'm on a system with IE7.

I'm fairly sure that I've been able to do this test in the past, but for some reason it failed in the manner described last night. The machine I was posting from is not one I typically use so there certainly could have been something improperly set the in browser.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I just tested the issue in FireFox and IE7. I built a reply to this topic and put an embedded link in it. I then did a preview and followed the link in the window. When using FireFox 3.0, I was able to return and finish my editing via the "back" button. When in IE7, hitting the "back" button after being away for a couple of seconds resulted in an expired page and the loss of my post. Hence, here I am typing again.

So this seems to be an IE7 issue for the board's cookies. I'm not sure where one goes to change the way cookies are handled in IE. As I noted earlier though, FireFox handled it just fine.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I've tested a few different cookie settings and I have tested the suggested fix given by the IE error page. Neither has solved the problem. I'll stick to FireFox for the most part or try to remember not to navigate away from the board when I'm in IE. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[Hobie]

It is one thing for a page to expire and another for Buffboy's session to expire. TWO different issues. He could still be logged in and have the page expire after he left it. That's just how it works.

[Buffboy]

I started to reply to this on my work computer then got interrupted by work . By the time I got back to my post it did the same thing as my home computer. I had a dental appointment this afternoon so this has had to wait till I'm home again. Molar cracked lengthwise through the filling Thursday evening. Ever tried to get into a dentist on a Friday morning? Big fun,,,,,, NOT. On the other hand my doctor was in Friday and Hydrocodone works.

I'm using Win2k with Firefox. The browser is set up to accept cookies and to keep them till they expire. When I go into tools to look at cookies from this site, they all expire at an hour after I signed in. This was not the first time this has happened to me.

Wait now, I just went into cookies and now they expire 24 hours after sign in. On this computer this morning and later on my work computer, they were expiring an hour later. You change something?

Oh forgot the phone company is my ISP at home it's fiber optic to T-1 about a block away at the switch. The work computer is dedicated T-1 through the State server.

[AmBraCol]

OK. Let's see what happens. I just signed in on Firefox, something I rarely do here. I use Seamonkey for this and most sites and I keep Firefox stripped down for use on the http://www.sixshootercommunity.com forum which is filled with flaming adds and junk. Anyway, I checked and the cookie is set for about the time I logged on. Hmmm... I'm not sure what the time on the server is and if it coincides with my local time or not. Anyway, I'll let this set a while and come back later to see what happens.

[Hobie]

I'm using Firefox now and have no problems with the session timing out. However, just as with IE7, if I write a reply and post then try to back up the page will have expired (timed out).

FWIW, we (at least I) didn't change a thing.

I would like to understand this, just to add to the knowledge base.

[AmBraCol]

OK. Let's try again. That one got posted fine... I'm out of here for a while and I'll leave this open 'til I get back...

OK. I posted the prior note and then started this one. I've been gone for quite a while, 40 minutes or more, and I'll now try to post this. I've made no changes to the forum software, but am having no problems so far with Firefox.

[Buffboy]

Basically, I've just done the same thing Paul. I laid down for a nap but left the browser up on the computer but not on the leverguns page. I just came back to the computer and I had to log back in to leverguns when I came back here. So three hours later my cookie doesn't work anymore even though it had not expired according to my reading of it's properties. It didn't used to be that way even on this site and on the old site I would be logged on for days at a time without the cookie expiring.

Paul, I thought you said something in an old post about setting the cookies to expire after an hour but I haven't tried to find it. I may do that now.

[AmBraCol]

Well, I'll be gone for well over an hour in all probability. I'll leave this open and try it when I get back.

OK. It's been nearly two hours. Lessee wot 'appens...

[AmBraCol]

Basically, I've just done the same thing Paul. I laid down for a nap but left the browser up on the computer but not on the leverguns page. I just came back to the computer and I had to log back in to leverguns when I came back here. So three hours later my cookie doesn't work anymore even though it had not expired according to my reading of it's properties. It didn't used to be that way even on this site and on the old site I would be logged on for days at a time without the cookie expiring.

Paul, I thought you said something in an old post about setting the cookies to expire after an hour but I haven't tried to find it. I may do that now.

Well, I've not had to sign in again or anything, it just keeps me logged in. Here's what you can try doing.

Erase the levergunscommunity.com cookies. Erase passwords for levergunscommunity.com. Then sign in again, choose "Remember Password" and make sure you set it to allow permanent cookies for levergunscommunity.com. Then try again. I simply can't reproduce the condition you're mentioning with my current settings and am not sure what I'd have to do in order to do so.

[Buffboy]

Done Paul. I'll see if it works.

[AmBraCol]

Well, I've got Firefox set to restore my tabs when I start it up again. And guess what? Even though I've not signed in since last night on Firefox, and it's been over an hour since I started it up this morning, I'm signed in an ready to roll in Firefox. Please let me know how it goes for you after you clear your cookies and passwords and start fresh.