[Closed] Continue with Recommended Cookies

Had it ages now but not every time. I just untick every box when it comes up.

Same here, every single page 😡🤬

Fine here

Have you tried a different browser or disabling whatever it is you've got installed that's buggering about with cookies?

You could report it to tech@

But don't expect anything to be done - this issue has been mentioned here numerous times.

same with me on both chrome and firefox,loads of ads too when logged in which I didn't get until this last week

just renewed my subscription and both issues now resolved,looks like you need to be a paying member if you want to avoid adds etc

Have you tried a different browser or disabling whatever it is you’ve got installed that’s buggering about with cookies?

Chrome and Opera both the same. What sort of thing might I have installed, that would cause 'continue with recommended cookies' for every page, repeatedly, on this site - but not on any other?

Same issue here. I’d be amazed if it’s something you’ve got installed. It’s more likely the fact that you are a free member - unfortunately the attitude appears to be pay for a subscription or get a poor user experience. Quite a novel approach in this day and age.

unfortunately the attitude appears to be pay for a subscription

Best dip your hand in your pocket then. What is it, about the same cost as half a pint per week?

It’s not the cost, it’s the shitty attitude. If they want to force people to subscribe then be honest about it and make it a members only forum. If they want to retain members and attract new ones make sure everyone gets a decent experience, that’s pretty standard practice in any half baked business model.

I’ve no problem at all with ads and anything else that is required to support the site while allowing me to carry on as a free member, but the sheer number of issues that apparently only affect non-paying members is crazy. When you add in that some paying members appear to have issues too (see the “will a subscription…” thread) why on earth would I dip my hand in my pocket?

What sort of thing might I have installed, that would cause ‘continue with recommended cookies’ for every page, repeatedly, on this site

I've no idea. But it has to be something on your machine conflicting with the site, otherwise it'd affect everyone.

I’d be amazed if it’s something you’ve got installed. It’s more likely the fact that you are a free member

How do you explain why it doesn't happen to me when I'm logged out, then?

It’s not the cost, it’s the shitty attitude.

The shitty attitude of whom exactly? Other users? Volunteer moderators? You can't mean the site owners surely, one of the other common bugbears is that they rarely reply.

why on earth would I dip my hand in my pocket?

Because you've used the site for free for twelve years?

’ve no idea. But it has to be something on your machine conflicting with the site, otherwise it’d affect everyone.

i'm getting it as well, if it is something to do with my pc conflicting with the site this is still the only site it's having an issue with so still a fault of the site.

as a free member i'm not complaing though, just a comment as it's being discussed.

fine here
both logged in and logged out (edit: and incognito too)
can't be the site, so must be the browser settings

this is still the only site it’s having an issue with

people say those exact words on every single site I use when they have an issue
typically it's the "always getting logged out" one
every single site/forum, not just this one

Yep - same here on Safari on iPhone 12. Not sure how that gets to be “user error”, but still…

you’ve used the site for free for twelve years?

All together now “if you’re not the client, you’re the product”.

Had the same issue yesterday evening. Getting a bit tedious the whole blame the user thing.

I went paid. Got rid of some of the issues. If you raise any issues it's always users fault. What you should do is tweak some switches in a browser you should use and under no circumstances use a "normal" browser.

I got a sub for £10, all good and i get to read the mag for a year.

I get a different list of topics depending on whether I am logged in or logged out. I also get the continue with recommended cookies thing when I'm logged out on the 3 devices I use (Chromebook / chrome, Galaxy S10 / chrome, Win10 / Chrome (at work). Maybe it's Chrome 🙂

How do you explain why it doesn’t happen to me when I’m logged out, then?

The same way that you can explain that it MUST be something to do with my browser - I guess. Actually I don't, I use the information before me and apply some logic. Perhaps our logic differs.

1. There are many users who this (and other issues) affect, not just me.
2. For me, this is across at least 3 devices and 2 different browsers.
3. I have not made any changes to any of these devices or browsers, let alone something that would affect only STW
4. If I had made changes to any of these devices or browsers, it is unlikely that all of the other people having issues have made the same changes
5. While you may think I and others are making this up, the issues I encounter here are not apparent on any other site I use
6. There is one common denominator here, this site. I've worked in IT for more years than I care to admit, and a lot of that in some form of support. I think you have too so you must agree that when trying to resolve an issue you generally look for common denominators and investigate from there?
7. On another thread the tech team already said they are short handed and that they've outgrown the Wordpress platform.
8. According to a lot of people on here there are no issues to report if you are a paid user, yet the free members appear to experience issues. I would imagine a lot of those paid members are using the same devices and same (stock) browsers as me.

Doesn't seem like a browser or any other individual user configuration or error to me.

The shitty attitude of whom exactly? Other users? Volunteer moderators? You can’t mean the site owners surely, one of the other common bugbears is that they rarely reply.

The shitty attitude of the product manager (or product management team) who owns this product. If you offer a service then it should provide a decent user experience, whether the user subscribes or not. Otherwise remove the free element and force everyone onto paid.

Because you’ve used the site for free for twelve years?

The site has been offered for free use by me for 12 years so why wouldn't I? I don't mind ads and whatever else is used to cover my free usage (as explained in the T&Cs).

Product management 101 says that if you want to sell something your users need to see value. £40 per year (according to the banner below this) to use a forum doesn't scream value to me, if I read the magazine regularly perhaps it would, but I don't. Even at half price I don't see value. I'm glad that some of you do see value but please don't assume that because you do, others should. And please don't get on your high horse and start trying to shame me into subscribing.

Bottom line is there are perceived issues with the website, but there appears to be no appetite from the owners of the website to try to fix this. Whether or not I personally live with it or flounce is a decision I'll need to make.

and now it seems to have fixed itself, nothing changed at my end

tonyd+1 - that pretty much mirrors my experiences across multiple devices and it's only this site (out of probably a dozen, or so, fora that I visit).

I stopped paying this year and it hasn't really changed anything (a few more ads, but I can pay that price).

As above, my perception is that all complaints, (constructive or otherwise) are brushed aside as 'user problems'.

What the conspicuously absent owners should apreciate is that a poor user experience will mean that people drift away and they will lose the asset that they have. My perception is that this is happening - there seem to be fewer cycling related threads relative to middle-class wind-baggery which makes this a less interesting place to visit.

That's my £0.02, anyway!

unfortunately the attitude appears to be pay for a subscription or get a poor user experience. Quite a novel approach in this day and age

Im finding it is completely normal on a lot of sites now, especially news ones.  There are s lot of news articles in my Google feed which if I click on them will come up with a subscription notice rather than letting me view the article.  It's not so common for forums but it does feel like the internet is going that way.  I'm very happy to pay for stuff I like as long as the price isn't crazy

My perception is that this is happening – there seem to be fewer cycling related threads relative to middle-class wind-baggery which makes this a less interesting place to visit.

That is my perception too

6. There is one common denominator here, this site. I’ve worked in IT for more years than I care to admit, and a lot of that in some form of support. I think you have too so you must agree that when trying to resolve an issue you generally look for common denominators and investigate from there?

It's fine for me and for a lot of other people, so "this site" is demonstrably not a common denominator in isolation.

The shitty attitude of the product manager (or product management team) who owns this product.

I'm not aware that STW has a product manager. The business owner is Mark who comments about twice a year.

Product management 101 says that if you want to sell something your users need to see value. £40 per year (according to the banner below this) to use a forum doesn’t scream value to me,

You've been here twelve years and don't see a value in it?

£39/year is the cost of the (delivered, paper) magazine subscription.

It’s not the cost, it’s the shitty attitude

It was the shitty attitude I got as a paying member that means I no longer part with cash

£39/year is the cost of the (delivered, paper) magazine subscription.

I do pay now since Marks plea at the beginning of Covid.  However equating the £40 to the cost of the paper magazine is irrelevant to many of us who never read the magazine.  I pay my subscription for the forum.  the magazine is of no interest to me.

Then you don't pay £40, do you. A digital sub is half that.

Ah OK.  I forgot what it was

You’ve been here twelve years and don’t see a value in it?

£39/year is the cost of the (delivered, paper) magazine subscription.

I don’t see £40 per year of value in this forum no, not when there is a free option. TJ does, I don’t - people are different.

I don’t read the magazine very often, when I do I buy a physical copy from the newsagents. Why would I pay £40 per year to not read the magazine?

I appreciate your point of view Cougar, I really do, but I do not share it so it’s probably better we agree to disagree and get on with what is left of our weekends.

Okay so, on topic, it affects me ~weekly.

Firefox mobile, Android, latest version, only add on is HTTPS Everywhere.

I just hit continue and be done with it.

Might be worth clearing your cache or existing cookies, bawache though it may be it has worked for me when the site has been playing silly buggers in the past.

and now it seems to have fixed itself, nothing changed at my end

And nothing has changed with STW.

It could be software. It does it on my telephone (constantly, and drives me potty to the point where it is almost unusable, and only this site does it) but it is fine on laptop with the same login🤷‍♂️
I'm buggered if I can figure out what I need to change though.

Sad to say I withdrew my membership as a result of the approach taken to consent/cookies here. Less about the UX than the abuse of ‘legitimate interests’ (which was not designed with adtech in mind) and pre-ticked boxes.

@saxabar I have to agree on abuse of legitimate interest. No easy way to deselect legitimate interest without going into a second tab and clicking hundreds of boxes is absolutely against the spirit behind the legislation. What compounds it is with the random re-asking it sometimes appears to opt every single one back in.

I do expect in the next cleanup of PECR and ICO refining DPA implementation (if they can get back on top of things) this will be cracked down on hard.

Even as it stands the cookie handling on this site is out of line with ICO guidance against GDPR.

Well, I've just logged on (Chrome) for the first time in well over two years, experienced the nag box on every click, wondered wtf was going on and saw this thread. And am entirely unsurprised by the whole, "IT'S YOUR OWN STOOPID FAULT" attitude (which partly explains not having logged on for over two years...).

Chrome and Opera both the same.

Never used either, I especially won’t use Chrome, it’s a Google product, so gets a pass from me. I very rarely get the cookies pop-up, it happened earlier, the first time for a couple of weeks or so? Not sure.
I use Flipboard a lot, and it’s a total pain, but I’m opening lots of different news items, so effectively a new viewer every time, so understandable. I usually just tap ‘reject all’, or ‘save my selections’, because my iOS setup automatically rejects most cookies.

The browsers I use, and have been for some time, are Safari, Firefox, Brave, DuckDuckGo and Ghostery Dawn, and I specifically use DuckDuckGo as search on all of them. The direct result is an almost complete absence of spurious advertising, or other internet related crap; which is why I decided to subscribe, having been a free-loader on here for many years after giving up buying bike magazines.

I only use iOS, my computer isn’t working at the moment, and I’ve not used it for any forum browsing for years.

am entirely unsurprised by the whole, “IT’S YOUR OWN STOOPID FAULT” attitude

... which is a scenario you've just invented.

Why would I pay £40 per year to not read the magazine?

You wouldn't. It's only £20 if you don't want a paper magazine delivered to your door.

“ am entirely unsurprised by the whole, “IT’S YOUR OWN STOOPID FAULT” attitude”

… which is a scenario you’ve just invented.

QED

Cougar doesn't actually have a role with ST any more AFAIK but still feels the need to aggressively dismiss any perfectly legitimate and constructive complaints people make. It's rather strange.

Trying to make out this site doesn't have significant ongoing problems is just ridiculous, frankly. It's easy to see the impact on user numbers - sometimes now even during normal hours there are threads halfway down the front page that haven't been commented on for hours. That never used to happen.

there are threads halfway down the front page that haven’t been commented on for hours. That never used to happen.

Which is weird as folk have been saying that for years now.

Cougar doesn’t actually have a role with ST any more AFAIK but still feels the need to aggressively dismiss any perfectly legitimate and constructive complaints people make. It’s rather strange.

On the upside, it gives you something else to complain about. Someone starts a thread about something and you're moaning that it attracts comments?

It's not "constructive," it's pointless. Doubly so when any attempts to diagnose a cause or come up with a workaround gets thrown straight back. There was talk earlier of "shitty attitudes" so I'll just say this - would you rather that I stopped trying and left you to your own devices? Because replies like this make me wonder why I bother.