[Closed] Does anyone else get logged out all the time?

I'd say it happens every week to me, its either the laptop, phone or work PC.

Yes, if I only use 1 device I need to log in weekly. If more than 1 device that day then next time I access the site on any device.

Yes, it's why I gave my "P" up.

Nothing been done about it and I've mentioned it, like, 20 times over the last two years.

Finally got fed up. Handed the P back and logging in still happens.. so I've saved myself the price of a mars bar and a bag of crisps.

so I've saved myself the price of a mars bar and a bag of crisps.

Is that each time you login???

I have to log in about once a month. When it happens, it tends to be both phone and PC the same day. This would tend to indicate that it's not the site causing the more frequent logging in but then folk say that this is the only site to display this behaviour with them. 😕

I get logged out several times each day. I prefer it that way

Yes.

yes

I get logged out perhaps once every 2 or 3 weeks. Autofill very useful.

Yes but that's due to "self-destructing-cookies" add-on 😆

Yes, frequently

But why's that a problem?

It's a problem because the field allowing you to log back in is only shown after all the ads are loaded- and that can take a very long time.

It's a problem because the field allowing you to log back in is only shown after all the ads are loaded

The suggestion I used (from someone on here) is to bookmark this link: http://singletrackmag.com/wp-login.php?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fsingletrackworld.com%2Fforum
Instead of the forum URL itself. Either gives you the login box on its own, or the (logged in) forum if already logged in.

it's because the site generates more revenue the more eyeballs see the ads, it's designed to log you out so the website makes more dosh and it's never addressed because no resident grumpy is prepared to admit it as it's clandestine and very annoying. 😀 well that's my theory anyway.

As theories go, it's bollocks, or it'd happen to everyone.

I get logged out maybe once a month, I think it's when the site's updated / restarted. "Nothing has been done" because, to my knowledge, no-one with the power to do anything about it or narrow down the cause has ever replicated the issue. Safari seems to be a fairly common denominator from what I've seen.

As theories go, it's bollocks, or it'd happen to everyone.

That's the genius of it all. The [i]algorithm[/i] gives the impression the logouts are arbitrary, thus accusations of forcing premier members to view adverts can be disregarded.

You almost had us fooled...

Safari seems to be a fairly common denominator from what I've seen.

Chrome user here.

I get logged out with chrome and mobile chrome.

The frequency varies, so yes I can imagine it's hard to pin-point.

In a fit of irony, I had to log in when I got into work this morning.

Chrome user here.

The suggestion I used (from someone on here) is to bookmark this link: http://singletrackmag.com/wp-login.php?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fsingletrackworld.com%2Fforum
Instead of the forum URL itself. Either gives you the login box on its own, or the (logged in) forum if already logged in.

Thanks John!

The suggestion I used (from someone on here)

Me (-:

You can tweak the last bit to go to your preferred forum too, so http://singletrackmag.com/wp-login.php?redirect_to=forum/forum/off-topic goes directly to the chat forum, http://singletrackmag.com/wp-login.php?redirect_to=forum/forum/bike-chat to the bike one.

I had this problem and someone on here asked if I was in private mode on an iPad.
I didn't even know that existed. As it happened I was and that's what kept me logged out.

While the clever people are on here, this is supposed to allow force zooming...
javascript:document.querySelector('meta%5Bname=viewport%5D').setAttribute('content','width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=10.0,user-scalable=1');
It doesn't can it be tweeked?

I had this problem and someone on here asked if I was in private mode on an iPad.
I didn't even know that existed. As it happened I was and that's what kept me logged out.

That'll do it, aye. Ditto "incognito" on Chrome.

The persistent login needs cookies. If something is interfering with cookies - private browser modes, privacy addons, no-script plugins, anything like that - it won't work.

I think I might have just sussed what's going on...

Cougar - Moderator
I think I might have just sussed what's going on...

was I right and it was a conspiracy? 😮

Yes, yes it is.

(No.)

Stand down. User error, it's not doing what I thought it was doing. Bugger.

Affected Chome users, answer me this:

Are you using that workaround link ^^ to open the site? Moreover, is anyone affected who is [b]not[/b] using it, and would like to help with an experiment?

I use the above link but it is still really annoying. For instance I decide to catch up on the Zwift thread. I'm happily reading page 102 of 119. When I click to go to page 103 I get logged out. I then have to go back to the login screen, log back in and spend five minutes trying to get back to page 103.

Or I spend ages tapping out a post, press send post and get logged out. I then have to go to the log in screen, log back in and write my post out again. It's got to the point that I copy any long posts to my phone clipboard before attempting to post. If it was once a month I wouldn't mind so much but it happens a couple of times a week.
I only tend to use the site on my phone, using Crome and no weird privacy settings.

I get logged out most days. I use the workaround* when needs be to avoid the advert rigmarole.

As I said last time this came up, I can recreate the log out by rebooting my android device. But not my Chromebook device.
I get logged out on any device, but cant find a way of replicating it on chromebook.

To my idiot eye, it's a bad bit of cookie somewhere.

* lazy dev wont fix problem link I think you mean.... 😉

Frequently, on many different PC's in different places.

Bloody annoying.

Right, Stoner, you'll do. (-:

First up, I'll caveat this by saying that I don't believe this is a single issue, but rather there are multiple causes. I'm just exploring one here.

We've established that this is a cookies issue, yes? So logically, either they're not being set correctly, or they are being set correctly and something is eating them. I've been watching my cookie behaviour whilst navigating the site, and here's my current thinking:

On the login page, there's a tick box which says "remember me." Leaving the box empty creates a "wordpress_logged_in" cookie with an expiry date of "session." I'm not 100% certain how a session is defined in this context, but I'll come back to that. The pertinent point here is, a session cookie will disappear when the criteria for "session" are no longer met. Conversely, ticking the box creates a permanent cookie with an expiry date a fortnight hence (which is the Wordpress default).

Now, I have that redirect URL saved on my browser address bar. I use it continually to back out of pages and return to the menu. I'd never noticed until just now, but that redirect has a side effect - [i]it replaces the permanent cookie with a session one.[/i]

The reason I'd never noticed is, I rarely shut down either my work or home laptop, rather they go into various sleep states. As Chrome never really shuts down fully (unless you change a setting to make it do so), that session state is presumably being held open. The reason I had to log in this morning (again, I'm assuming) is because I shut down my laptop on Friday as updates were pending.

The fly in the ointment here is I just tried to replicate it with another reboot, and the login persists. So I'm thinking that for the session to actually reset, with Chrome at least, you need a reboot and for some time-out period to elapse. This might also explain why different people are having different experiences - different browsers are handling the session concept in different ways. Speculating, Safari might be more aggressive in its clean-up. I'm going to try again and leave it 20 minutes before opening Chrome back up.

If you're an affected Chrome user and want to help pin this down:

Install [url= https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/cookie-inspector/jgbbilmfbammlbbhmmgaagdkbkepnijn?hl=en ]Cookie Inspector[/url] please? Log in, press F12 for the developer window, and select Cookies from the menu (you might need to click the '>>' button for more menu items depending on screen size).

You should see a wordpress_logged_in cookie, with an expiry date. That date should be an actual date rather than "session." Let me know if you manage to do anything (other than my shortcut link) which resets it to session.

It'd be helpful if iUsers could do this also, though I've no clue how you'd do that in Safari.

Now, I have that redirect URL saved on my browser address bar. I use it continually to back out of pages and return to the menu.

as do I.

logged_in cookie showing Session

I am amazed this thread hasn't been closed, and users directed to the ignored website upgrade thread.

logged out.

Logged in, set to Remeber me

logged_in Cookie now fortnight date.

going to android to see if I can now **** this up.

am logged in on Android.

Now rebooting android. Cookie inspector still showing fortnight on logged_in cookie

Android reboot complete.

Ive been logged out on Android

Chromebook Cookie unmolested. Still logged_in fortnight.

clicking on "workaround" link, changes chromebook cookie to Session BUT it does not need to take me to the login page (as logged in)

I've just shutdown my laptop for 20m with the cookie set as 'session' and it still honours it when I come back. Strange.

Someone just needs to go and work-up the session cookie from scratch/template, because the one being used is borked.

We cant solve this from recreating even if we could recreate. We cant change the cookie contents

Borked how?

I can't fix it directly of course, but if I can go "here is the problem" or at least one of the causes, I'd hazard it stands a much better chance of getting resolved. That's the theory, anyway.

I'm still not convinced it's the most common cause, either. People were using that link because they were getting logged out in the first place. I spoke to a colleague just now for a second opinion, he said that they get it all the time on the site he runs and it was always either corrupt cookies (clear cache, restart browser) or some over-zealous 'security' product frobbing about with it. Which is what I've said all along.

Borked how?

eh? you mean random logouts is a design feature?

corrupt cookies

over-zealous 'security' product

eh? you mean random logouts is a design feature?

I thought you meant the cookie itself was broken in some manner I hadn't noticed.

Who writes the cookies?

Your web browser, onto your hard disk (/$storage).

native chromium/chrome/android. No 3rd party over-zealousing going on here.

No, I know, I didn't mean you specifically, I meant generally.

I have this problem on Opera. Hi, yes, it's me, I'm the guy who still uses Opera. Though I believe that these days its Chromium based so presumably has similar cookie handling to Chrome.

Now then.

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/derbyjs/E67seYwFOdI

[i]It turns out that if Chrome is set to "Continue where you left off" on startup (or the equivalent option in Firefox), the [session] cookie does not actually expire when the browser exits[/i]

[img] [/img]

Is this the difference? I have Chrome configured in this way; those who are affected, do you have it set to open a home page / new tab?

Cougar - Moderator
Is this the difference? I have Chrome configured in this way; those who are affected, do you have it set to open a home page / new tab?

I have Opera's equivalent (Open the start page) selected.

Just for the record.

I still only get logged out once per month on safari across iPad, iPhone and Macbook.

I have Opera's equivalent (Open the start page) selected.

Do you have the option to restore previous tabs instead? Can you try it?

I don't know if this is going to make any difference - the retention of the session cookie is a quirk of Chrome, and we can't assume that other browsers work in the same way. Chrome and Opera use the same rendering engine (Blink) though so there's a certain logic to it possibly displaying the same behaviour.

I still only get logged out once per month on safari across iPad, iPhone and Macbook.

If the "remember me" cookie is working as intended, it should be once a fortnight.

Cougar - Moderator
Do you have the option to restore previous tabs instead? Can you try it?

Not just now, sorry. I can maybe try this evening but the logging out behaviour doesn't appear to be consistent enough that trying it for a day or two will definitely provide results.

Don't care if you fix it now, I'm oooot.

Not buying a "P" back, been too long and far too annoying this "little" problem.

mark's sitting there with a switch going 'hahahha they think it's a coding problem that can be solved'

If the "remember me" cookie is working as intended, it should be once a fortnight.

Seems to be less than that for me.

Because it's not working as intended. (-:

Well if anyone on the dev side is actually going to spend any time looking at the issue, here are some observations from when I went cookie sniffing -

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/stw-please-stop-logging-me-out/page/3#post-6942875

As per Stoner's note, seems like the session tracking is messed up

Confirmed, that setting makes a difference. I've just switched Chrome to display a new tab on startup. Rebooted and I'm logged out.

Don't care if you fix it now, I'm oooot.

Not buying a "P" back, been too long and far too annoying this "little" problem.

Good for you, have a biscuit.

I have mine set to New Tab too.

But rebooting doesnt ALWAYS log me out.

ANd anyway, the only consistent log out I get is on Android reboot, when new incidence of chrome always starts with new tab page.

But rebooting doesnt ALWAYS log me out.

If you haven't done anything to inadvertently reset the cookie beforehand, it won't do.

The million dollar question is, what are you doing differently on the two devices which is resetting the cookie on one but not the other? I know the login redirect link does it, but does anything else?

Id ask of others on android, if they reboot, do they get logged out?

Not many people often reboot their phone, I do quite often as I use a handful of batteries rather than charge it over USB (long story)

I've had a biscuit, and sitting watching you lot try and fix a problem we all brought up, hmmmmmm 2 years ago.

Enjoy the hassle, Mr Patronising.

Stoner - Member
Id ask of others on android, if they reboot, do they get logged out?

On various devices I use chrome, edge, opera, dolphin and adblocker browsers. I regularly get logged out of all of them.

I've been a subscriber since pretty much day 1 of Singletrack. The new website is crap on mobile devices (no zoom, can't see the title, can't go to the last page from the menu) , the logout issue has been going on forever and there is no sign of anyone listening. Really considering going away from the Photo now.

the logout issue has been going on forever and there is no sign of anyone listening.

It's not a case of "not listening," as I said earlier they have been unable to replicate the issue, which makes it near-impossible to fix.

I sent my findings to Mark earlier and he said he'd talk to the tech guys about it. They're apparently slammed at the moment (they're working on other projects besides just the forum), but hopefully they might get chance to look at it. Assuming I'm right, it should be a fairly simple fix. (If I'm not then who knows.)

(they're working on other projects besides just the forum)

I think we all assumed that. 8)

With respect, it would be more appropriate to prioritise resources towards fixing the thing that got broken before Christmas, and for which some of us actually pay, ahead of "other stuff". You know - Customer Service? Is there something in the air/water in Yorkshire that makes this concept too alien to understand?

Pass, that's above my pay grade (which isn't hard given it's "zero").

😆

In seriousness,

It's a commercial enterprise. All other things aside, where the dev team focus their efforts has to be prioritised by by management via whatever means makes the best business sense. I cannot for a moment envisage that they would intentionally not do that, so whatever their priorities there's surely a good reason (or at least, a well intentioned reason) behind that.

Ie, it might not be the right decision, but it almost certainly isn't intentionally the wrong one.

(In my opinion, I am not a staff member, etc etc. I'm just guessing.)

Ethics and morals are part of business too.

Not in my experience. (-:

Yo' Mods.. why are You trying to fix a problem that's really not Your issue ? I mean, I do appreciate your efforts n'all, seriously (despite the often snidy remarks I seem to get) but we've been (certainly I anyway) have been on about this for 2 years at least, check the threads I've posted, check the threads others have on the same subject.

We're not complaining for the sake of it, ok you might think we are but it's sad reflection if you do.

STW might think paying for a "P" just entitles us to get the adverts removed, but from my standpoint it means (meant) more. It meant I was contributing in a very small way to keep the forum going and support the development of the STW as a whole, which includes software upgrades and the like.

To give a "for instance" I've been logged in on seabreeze.com.eu since early November, I'm still logged in now and if I click on a thread the forum takes me to the last post I read, which enables me to continue reading from that point onwards instead of on here where you have to scroll/imagine/take a punt at the last post on the thread for you to read on from..

Instances like logging on and staying logged in are so 1996... I've never expected the latest software, the latest gizmo, the latest header, the latest HTML code (or whatever it is) all I've ever really wanted is to be able to read the forum without adverts intruding the whole page [i]before[/i] being able to log back in again.

It's simple really.

But I for one have stopped supporting you for this very simple reason. I honestly don't believe I'm the only one.

The complaints have come thick and fast over the years, and all that's been offered is a URL saved workaround. If anyone in my industry offered that as a solution, temporary or not, they would be laughed at through a smirk and out of the business in minutes. So, before you start having a pop at me for that comment and making excuses about you being a cottage industry etc. etc. The fact is you are not, you do have a a small team of IT bods and a network of IT bods at your disposal to sort issues out. I do not believe for one minute you've got 1 intern running the IT back office, but a bunch of tech you can draw upon.

Sadly, you've decided to pile your IT resource on "other stuff" whatever "other stuff" is you are working on if it's as reliable as this forums logging in issues I expect your IT tech team will be either gainfully employed for a very long time, or out on thier ear sharpish.

Now, no snidy comments please aimed at me. I AM Bored of them.

Yo' Mods.. why are You trying to fix a problem that's really not Your issue ?

Speaking purely for myself and not for the rest of the team:

The entire forum isn't "my issue" as a volunteer. Over the years I've tried to bring transparency to moderation and to tear down this "us and them" attitude. I do it because I love the community, that is all, I think it's a great resource full of (mostly) wonderful and diversely knowledgeable people. But accountability? Oh deary me no.

Sadly, you've decided to pile your IT resource on "other stuff"

I like how you say "pile your IT resource" like they have an army of staff. There is currently one full-time and one part-time tech, and amongst everything else they're currently in the middle of a network upgrade. I'm sure they could drop everything to field what in essence a (granted, long-term) minor inconvenience, but if I were their boss I wouldn't want them to.

Now, no snidy comments please aimed at me. I AM Bored of them.

Look at it from my point of view; again, I'm a volunteer doing what I can, and when people pop up to make pissy comments without contributing to the discussion it tends to irk somewhat.

That said, I didn't really want to bring this to the table but I'm having problems at home at the moment so whilst I'm trying not to bring it to "work" I'm appreciate that I'm probably snarkier than I should be at the moment. For my earlier responses, I sincerely apologise.

It's a commercial enterprise. All other things aside, where the dev team focus their efforts has to be prioritised by by management via whatever means makes the best business sense. I cannot for a moment envisage that they would intentionally not do that, so whatever their priorities there's surely a good reason (or at least, a well intentioned reason) behind that.

I get that. But what is a more pressing priority than keeping hold of a long term customer? It's much easier to keep customers than get new ones. As bikebuoy says, I'm on various other forums. I don't get logged out of them. I don't get logged out of Amazon. I don't get logged out of ebay.

I appreciate I'm just a simple bike mechanic and I know nothing about cookies/HTML etc, but if I had a customer for 10 years and they had brought their bike back to me with the same recurring fault for the last 2 years I wouldn't expect him to be a customer for very much longer... The way I see it either the folks at STW towers don't care or their IT people are incompetent. Sorry, but that's how it is.

well said BB. run for office, I'd vote for you.

Cougar - I'm sure no one it wanting to have a go at you. It does appear that you've tried more in the short lifespan of this thread to figure out the Logout issue than anyone else has in the past two years or more and while you are due our thanks, that's pretty embarrassing really. There's an army of folk waiting to provide feedback on changes and issues, it's just that (judging by the other thread) nothing gets done about them because the forum isn't priority enough.

Yo' Mods.. why are You trying to fix a problem that's really not Your issue ?

Well we do it as we're often seen as the face and contact point of the forum. I stopped looking into computers and webpages as a hobby years ago so my knowledge is crap and very outdated comapred to Cougar so he testing things with the very great help of Stoner is beyond what I can do.

We're not complaining for the sake of it, ok you might think we are but it's sad reflection if you do.

Well don't think that you might thing we do but we don't.

The fact is that while it's been over 2 years since people mentioned this it is a minoroty and proving to be hard to find what the issues was as it hasn't been easy to track the source. I've never been logged out daily only around once per month so can never find what the issue is if I even looked into it. This is the case for a lot of people.

The IT team is tiny as Cougar says, the resources and fundingn to try and sort issues probaly equally so. There is no big coperarion behind ST it's still essentailly 2 guys who wanted to do magazine, they have a little team employees helping with their adventure now but it is very small.