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Auto logging off !

Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 4:54 am
by alhoon
After editing a post for more than an hour and a half, adding more than 2 pages, editing it, making corrections to it etc, I pressed "submit".
Then I was taken to a screen with the guest colors that said "Sorry you can only edit your own posts" losing ALL my work. The system has kicked me out, propably because the post has taken so long.
:evil: :evil: :evil:
I tried to go back with the back button, nothing. I have to just accept that with the press of a button, I lost what I was writing for an hour and half.

Please, please increase the time before the system kicks someone out.

Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 10:48 am
by HuManBing
Ack, I feel your pain. Nothing more irritating than a carefully-typed-out message lost because of some browser hiccup.

But it's weird that the forum logged you out after just a few hours though. I have been logged in for months at a time. Every time I come to the forum, I'm logged in.

Maybe there is an option in your profile setting that allows you to tell the browser how long to sign you in for?

Also, depending on your browser, you *should* be able to hit the "back" button and regain your typed text. Not all browsers do this, but I know the latest version of Firefox does. I do not know if this applies to merely navigating away from the page and then hitting BACK, but it might cover log-out problems and BACK as well.

Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 11:42 am
by The Giamarga
Good point about the browser 'Bing ;-)
Opera also saves the input with the back button.

Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 11:46 am
by Gonzoron of the FoS
Many apologies alhoon. I'm paranoid about such things, so whenever making long posts on any board, I hit "preview" often just to be safe. (and sometimes cut and paste into a text editor run locally to be really safe.)

But regardless, that stinks, and I've tried something that should help prevent it in the future. The default session length is 1 hour, meaning if you don't do anything within 1 hour, you'll be logged out. As HMB mentioned, usually you won't notice this if you have "log me in automatically" checked because you'll just get auto-logged in again next time you click on something. But if you're editting a post, you'll have a new session id, so the edit won't take.

Anyway, I've upped the session length to 24 hours for now. The only problem it may cause is a little less security. People who log in at a public computer and don't log out when they leave will now open a 24-hour window (rather than a 1-hour window) in which strangers can use their account to post malicious and off-topic things. But unless that becomes a big problem, I don't see a reason not to extend the session length.

Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:27 pm
by alhoon
Thanks Gonzoron. I also usually ctrl-A and copy my text before posting a large post, BUT this time I forgot.

And HMB, I used windows explorer. :)