"The site ate my user ID"

[kevin]

For everyone:

The most common complaint I get is:

"The site won't log me in any more."
"I can't post."
"The site ate my user ID again."

I have never, not once, found that the user database had lost a user record. I have always found myself able to log in using that user name and password, even using a differerent computer. In every case I have investigated, the problem is the same. The cookie that our site uses to identify you has been lost from your computer.

You are logged into the site automatically using cookies. Cookies expire if not used relatively frequently. I have not investigated exactly how this process works. I know there is an expiration date on the cookie when it is placed on your system, but I have not taken the time to look to see what the message board software uses for an expiration period.

Cookies also get replaced if you are an active internet user. Windows has a maximum storage amount or count of cookies, and replaces the least used when this maximum is reached. Again, I have not taken the time to investigate what this limit is.

If you change computers, or install a new operating system, or "clear all cookies" with your browser, your cookie is lost as well.

If you try to use the site, and it does not log you in automatically, you can recreate your cookie by going to the main message board page, and logging in with your user name and password. Once your are logged in, the site will create a new cookie on your system.

If you have forgotten either your username or password, send me an email or phone me at 503-590-2913 and I will tell you your username (based on your email), and reset your password for you. Because the software uses a one-way hash to store your password, I cannot tell you what your password was, just give you a new one. If you email me because you have forgotten your password, tell me what you want your new password to be (it can be the same as the old one, there is no restriction on reuse).

I wish I could eliminate user names and passwords entirely, but it is our only defense against spam. I get approximately one email per month from a user with this problem.

I am sorry that some of you have problems with this now and then, I wish there was something I could do to prevent it. If I get time, I will dig into the code for the message board and see if I can lengthen the expiration date on the cookie, but from work I do with other sites (where I wrote the code that creates the cookie), I know that this does not solve the problem entirely.

If anyone has another suggestion on how to make this work better, I would love to hear it.

Please read my next message about email bounces as well.

Thanks,

Kevin
webmaster@337skymaster.com