stw – please stop logging me out

It’s very easy to say to use the login page link, but we all know it’s a PITA if you just want to pick up your phone between work to have a peek, to realise you’ve been logged out and then have to blah, blah, blah.

..and that, beyond all others, is the reason I have cancelled my subscription. I don’t really read the mag, but was happy to pay £35 a year for the site, but this issue, with no public acknowledgment, just grinded my gears. There are ways around it, which I don’t want to do, but if I’m fobbed off with workarounds instead of some public statement like “yes it’s an issue”, why should I?

(It’s not cookies/my browser or any of the reasons that are usually suggested in these threads – it’s left to the mods to suggest the workarounds )

(It’s not cookies/my browser or any of the reasons that are usually suggested in these threads – it’s left to the mods to suggest the workarounds )

So why does it work for a majority then. Such as myself.

So you, are a majority?

The “Remember me” box is the most pointless thing on this site. It does nothing.

Still, “it’s not really an issue, nothing’s broken, bookmark this link, etc., etc.”
That and “the banner ads are beyond our control” argument. Comedy gold.

So you, are a majority?

Yup.

That says it all.

You’re not doing anyone any favours.

It’s an issue.

It’s an issue yes but proved very hard to find the problem, even more so when it’s proving difficult to replicate.

Just because you can’t seem something being done doesn’t mean they haven’t tried.

It’s an issue for you and it seems to be related to your phone/computer/browser/network settings otherwise we’d all be having the same issue. That we’re not means that there’s something going on outwith the STW environment.

It’s an issue yes but proved very hard to find the problem, even more so when it’s proving difficult to replicate.

Clearly I’ve not spent enough time on here (!), but I’ve never seen that admitted before by anyone such as Mark, Chipps etc.

I’d climb right back off my soap box if that’s been admitted anywhere.

..and thanks Druidh for quoting the same twaddle that’s always trotted out 🙂

So why does it work for a majority then.

Seems like a good use of that vote thingy that’s on the homepage, if you/they are brave enough…

I access this site via personal iPhone, work phone, tablet, personal MacBook, work personal laptop and work hot desk style desktops. I’ve always had stw log me out every day or so irrespective of what I use. Amazon on the other hand seem to know it’s me unnervingly regularly no matter where I use the computer. It’s a bit creepy. And if a tiny company like Amazon can do it (without calling all their users dumbasses) I’m sure the might of stw towers should have no issue…..

I access this site via personal iPhone, work phone, tablet, personal MacBook, work personal laptop and work hot desk style desktops.

Maybe that’s a contributory factor.

and that, beyond all others, is the reason I have cancelled my subscription

Wait… you cancelled your subscription because you occasionally have to click on a link to log in?

Wow!

I’d climb right back off my soap box if that’s been admitted anywhere.

Yup it has but don’t worry about it.

And if a tiny company like Amazon can do it (without calling all their users dumbasses) I’m sure the might of stw towers should have no issue…..

I can’t recall that though.

And if a tiny company like Amazon can do it (without calling all their users dumbasses)

This.
Was just thinking the same thing as I went on to Amazon.
Would love to see them tell their users they’re not setting up their devices properly.

To be fair, Amazon only sort-of knows it’s you. You appear logged in, but if you actually try to buy something you’ll usually have to properly log in with a password.

GrahamS, I expected better from you 🙂

£35 year for something to fire up in quiet times at work, to realise you’ve been logged out and have to wait a minute for the adverts to load before the ‘log in’ appears…..yeah, it got a bit much!

Apparently it’s been admitted as an issue by the site owners, but Drac is being a smart arse and won’t link to it.

To be fair, Amazon only sort-of knows it’s you. You appear logged in, but if you actually try to buy something you’ll usually have to properly log in with a password.

Not true for me. I very rarely have to log in to buy anything.

Not true for me. I very rarely have to log in to buy anything.

That’s funny I always have to login to buy something.

Apparently it’s been admitted as an issue by the site owners, but Drac is being a smart arse and won’t link to it.

No. I admitted they acknowledge there’s an issue where by some users get logged out, they don’t know why as it can’t be replicated. I can’t link to it because I wouldn’t know where to find it, I’m having my tea, I’m shattered from being at work for 13 hours, I’m trying to chase up work emails and I really don’t think it’s necessary but please feel free to insult me if you wish.

GrahamS, I expected better from you

I get that it’s mildly annoying. I mean when I have to log in again I do tut a bit or maybe even roll my eyes. But cancelling your sub over it seems a bit drastic.

Out of interest I just tried logging out and seeing how long it took me to get the ad-filled forum up and log back in.
26 seconds. And that’s on an old iPhone on 3G.

Not true for me. I very rarely have to log in to buy anything.

That would worry me somewhat!

To be fair, Amazon only sort-of knows it’s you. You appear logged in, but if you actually try to buy something you’ll usually have to properly log in with a password.

Even that would be a step towards improvement on here. I’ve been logged on with my PC this evening…now returned to it and I’ve been logged out and have to log back in again to post – nothing has been done to the machine – the browser was left open (but the STW window had been closed) so my session and whatever was still ‘active’.

Could it be somehow related to memberID number? Not the actual Member name but the ID in the database? Could it be a bank of users within the database are suffering rather than anyone and everyone?

Without wanting to divulge too much of my life, but I just did some stuff in kitchen, locked doors, cleaned teeth, got into bed and guess what, logged out!

If it’s something that belongs on an STW KEL, then I can live with that.

Paying for a ‘premier’ sub which does this, with **** responses such as Drac’s, gets pretty frustrating, so you just give up paying for it.

No flouncing, just what I decided 🙂

Could it be a bank of users within the database are suffering rather than anyone and everyone?

Plausible but I’ve no idea how they work at STW HQ.

No flouncing, just what I decided

Are you sure?

Paying for a ‘premier’ sub which does this, with **** responses such as Drac’s, gets pretty frustrating, so you just end giving up paying for it.

Difficult being a mod.
Perhaps things like this should be dealt with by Chips or the STW team rather than volunteer mods.
But yes, it can be a problem, and it is annoying.

^ agree.

It’s just logged me out now. On iPad, not been to any other site or on any other device, just moving between threads.

£35 year for something to fire up in quiet times at work

Maybe that’s the issue, you’re expecting £35 worth of service, whereas I only have a £15 digital sub, so I expect less 🙂

It’s just logged me out now. On iPad, not been to any other site or on any other device, just moving between threads.

So it sounds like one of three things:

– the login cookie only gets set when you actually log in and expires a set time (say 30 days) after that timestamp, regardless of how often you visit during that time or even if you are visiting a that moment.
– or the session tracking (the bit that ties the login cookie to an actual login) is a bit screwy.
– or they are doing maintenance again and had to take the session database down.

Or some combination of those.

We have enough geeks here to sort this with a bit of coordination from the STW “web team” surely?

convert, you need to delete your cookies and clear your cache before moving between threads. It’s that simple really.

🙂 yes silly me- I just need to remember to do that 3 times an hour and it would work beautifully. Damned ungrateful users nausing the place up!

Next time someone (technically minded) gets logged out, take a peek at the cookie before you log back in again and see if it has actually expired. That might help rule out one cause.

That’s funny I always have to login to buy something.

I don’t. I’m guessing I’m not unique in this. (In fact I know I’m not).

It is funny though.

FeeFoo, I’m in the same boat. I’m thick, though, so not sure whether to laugh.
I’ve been logged out quite a few times over the last week or so (Android tablet and phone). When I’ve gone to log back in, the tick’s been gone from the box. Who’s doing that, then?

Whilst I appreciate this is probably not helpful,

You have to understand that as Mods, the ‘face’ of STW if you will, we have no access to the underpinnings of how the site works. For my part I try to be as transparent as possible, and suggest workarounds as they come to light not as part of some JHJ-esque conspiracy There Is No Spoon coverup but because I’m trying to help. I have no doubt that Drac and the anonymous others have similarly positive intentions at heart, even though I expect it’s somewhat challenging to remain bouncy when you’re met with a grumpy userbase after a 13 hour shift at work.

I don’t think anyone has ever actually denied that there is an issue, for some users, and that others seem to get on just fine. Why that might be, we don’t know. Or at least, I don’t have a scooby myself beyond what I’ve already posited. It’s demonstrably not a site-wide issue or everyone would be having the same problems. We’ve put forward suggestions and ideas which have helped some, but if it was an easy global fix, it would’ve been fixed by now. I’m pretty sure that the Powers That Be don’t run a site which is intentionally idiosyncratic just to spite you (though I probably would).

I’d be interested to see if anyone replies to GrahamS’ idea, that might throw a bit more light onto it.

I get logged out all the time on an ipad. Worse – whenever I click either the URL or Video code buttons it blackscreens, dumps me out of Safari and logs me out all in one fell swoop.

As soon as Andy Armstrong rolls out the new website everything will be sorted

For the sake of balance; I don’t have any issues with it remembering me; no complaints here.

whenever I click either the URL or Video code buttons it blackscreens, dumps me out of Safari and logs me out all in one fell swoop.

That one seems to be a new “feature” of the latest Safari on iOS. It used to work just fine. I don’t think we can blame STW for that, even terrible javascript shouldn’t be able to crash browsers.

Though interestingly although I get the same crash it doesn’t also log me out. That might suggest your iPad is only using an in-memory session cookie for some reason. Can I ask what settings you have under Settings->Safari->Privacy and Security ?

I was more grumpy at being called an arse than the 13 hour shift.

Cheers Graham for helping people and info gathering.

Yeah, about that – think I misinterpreted your tone. Was a bit grumpy myself. Sorry 🙂

No worries.