<span style="color: lightblue">When I try to do some things here in the last few days, my login has been changed to 'undefined': that is, the top panel which usually says "Hello, LennonCook [log out]" says "Hello, undefined [log out]". undefined has no privaledges whatsoever, and attempting to even view my profile results in the page which tells me that I'm not logged in. From there, I can click the 'Login' link, while still undefined, and be able to log in normally. However, trying to submit a post when it does this to me results in it simply telling me that I am not allowed to, with no sign of being not logged in. The main thing I've noticed causing this is when I try to post a poll. The error is reproducable.
It has only been happening in the past few days, and only here. Browser is Firefox 0.9.2, and all cookie requests from here are told to 'Allow for Session'.

Have you tried other browsers as well?

For forums and such, you need to set the cookies preference for this site as "permanent".

If you really feel insecure by having too many unwanted cookies, what you can do is:

Tools -> Options -> Privacy -> Cookies

And check (tick) on "Enable Cookies", then select the bullet for "Ask for each cookie".

Exit Firefox and try again. When the browser ask for the permission to store cookies from IW, select "Allow". DO NOT select "Allow for Session only" or you will have to clear out the old entries by removing IW's domain from the "Exception..." menu.

If the above trick still does not work, that means like Firefox as been instructed not to store cookies from Ironworks. What you need to do is to go into the "Exception..." menu and remove Ironwork from the list and then repeat the above step.

OR... sometimes the stored cookies get corrupted. In this case, you need to go to the "stored cookies" menu and delete all cookies from Ironworks. Then restart Firefox and try again. This happened to me once with Firebird 0.6 (I think)

[ 07-21-2004, 06:17 AM: Message edited by: Paladin2000 ]

<span style="color: lightblue">But, why not Allow for Session? All that it does, is to log me out and reset New Post markings when I close the Window. There is no logical reason why any site should need permanant cookies, except to store things like last visit. I do have it asking for each cookie, this is part of how I've managed to have no spyware for several days running. But, it has not been happening for as long as the cookie being set to 'Allow for Session' - I had this for nearly a week before this problem started happening. I will try this if I can get some logical reason why I would need permanant cookies for any other reason than new post markers, and to keep me logged in from session to session.
And FYI, when I come here in a new session, I am logged out - not undefined.

Groj: the only other browser I have access to, is Explorer. And I'm avoiding touching it as much as I possibly can...

True, but if you don't encounter this particular problem with Explorer, at least you'll know for sure it's a Firefox-related error, and not Ironworks-related.

The problem with "Allow Session" cookies for IW is because when you login, the cookie is forwarded to Firefox, but after the login, the forum will refresh the page, therefore to Firefox or other browser, this might mean that you are no longer viewing the "current page". As such, the previous session cookies are expired and promptly deleted.

This might happen if you select cookies preference to "allow session only" for IE too.

BTW... there is no problem with Firefox. It is a matter of getting to the right setting. Firefox is much much more stable and secure then IE. In my very very honest opinion.

[Added]
Everytime you post a new post, edit your post or post a new topic, or maybe just by simply viewing any topic, IW will try to update/modify your current stored cookie(s). If you only allow session cookie(s), the cookie(s) will not be updated. As such, you are having the old cookie(s) and the board software might reject it or the browser might simply think that you no longer have any cookie(s) stored for the current page or session.

[ 07-21-2004, 06:54 AM: Message edited by: Paladin2000 ]

<span style="color: lightblue">Allow for session in Firefox is exactly what it implies - allow until you close the window. It asks separately when "The site www.ironworksforum.com wants to modify an existing cookie" - in which case, I again Allow for Session. In other words, it will always update the cookie, it will always store the cookie - they will just be deleted when I completely close Firefox.

Sorry, I need to get out from the house for a short while, meantime, I did a search on "session cookies" on Google with some results:

http://www.google.com/search?q=sessi...utf-8&oe=utf-8

I will go through it and attempt to understand what actually is the difference between session cookies and the other types. I will get back to you later. ;)

[ 07-21-2004, 08:02 AM: Message edited by: Paladin2000 ]

*BUMP and reply*

Found something here:

http://www.ubbcentral.com/boards/sho...=&fpart=2&vc=1

Anyway, session cookies are supposed to let you post and do you stuff while the session is open but in some cases it does not work. Anyway, the above link will take you to a very long discussion and I only understand less than half of what they are saying.

To be fair, I set my IE 6.0SP1 to reject all cookies except session cookies. Then I deleted all the cookies from Ironworks and try to log in.

Immediately after logging in, The status on the top left hand corner says that I am not logged in. My best guess is IW or any UBB powered board does not make use of the session cookies for tracking your ID.

To make things short, it would be wise to allow persistent cookies for Ironworks and other forums as well.

For a complete answer, I suggest that you post your question in Mozillazine forum.
<font color=white>
Beware that Mozillazine forum is quite a crowded place and there might be some jerks and trolls hanging there, but generally speaking most of them are quite help. But the forum is extremely busy, so you might have to wait for a while to get your question answered.</font>

[ 07-21-2004, 12:07 PM: Message edited by: Paladin2000 ]

<span style="color: lightblue">You and I seem to be understanding the 'Allow for Session' option differently. ;)
Your apparent understanding: Allow for Session only allows certain types of cookies.
My understanding: Allow for Session allows all cookies (even persistant ones) to be set, but they are removed from the cookie jar when the browser is closed. And a quick visit to the Firefox IRC channel (irc.mozilla.org:6667 , #firefox) confirmed this. This means that I have to log in each time I come to a forum by typing my user name and password (which helps me to remember my password if I need to login elsewhere, and also helps to prevent other people who have access to my computer from posting as me), and that the 'New Post' markers are set errenously - and since I ignore them anyway, that doesn't bother me.
And so, whilever the Window remains open I should be logged in, as myself.
And besides, if it was a problem with the cookie being rejected, wouldn't you generally expect it to log me out, rather than register me as being logged in as 'undefined'?