Forced login - what? July 14, 2003 8:52 AM Subscribe
I just got forced to login when loading either MetaFilter or MetaTalk, with a statement that only logged-in folks can post. What's that about?
Then shouldn't I get the non-member version? Why does losing my cookie keep me from even seeing the sight as any non-member would be able to?
posted by NortonDC at 9:07 AM on July 14, 2003
posted by NortonDC at 9:07 AM on July 14, 2003
I'm sorry. I thought you just couldn't post, not that you couldn't see the site at all.
posted by timeistight at 9:10 AM on July 14, 2003
posted by timeistight at 9:10 AM on July 14, 2003
What page were you getting the error on, and what did it say again? I don't quite understand what you're saying, because I don't think I've ever actually written an error message with that statement (aside from MetaTalk comment pages).
I do user login checks in different ways, so it's quite possible you lost a cookie that maybe held your username and still had the one with your user ID, so some pages gave you the member view and others did not. It's the result of four years of spagetti code that I haven't reviewed in a while. Ideally, if you were considered a non-member in one place, you'd be a non-member everywhere.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:32 AM on July 14, 2003
I do user login checks in different ways, so it's quite possible you lost a cookie that maybe held your username and still had the one with your user ID, so some pages gave you the member view and others did not. It's the result of four years of spagetti code that I haven't reviewed in a while. Ideally, if you were considered a non-member in one place, you'd be a non-member everywhere.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:32 AM on July 14, 2003
I got that on http://www.metafilter.com and on http://metatalk.metafilter.com.
It wasn't the login screen, because it had text telling me that I couldn't comment without being logged in. It did vary at least by background color for the two sites.
Anyone know how to sift through phoenix's cache without triggering a reload of pages?
posted by NortonDC at 9:48 AM on July 14, 2003
It wasn't the login screen, because it had text telling me that I couldn't comment without being logged in. It did vary at least by background color for the two sites.
Anyone know how to sift through phoenix's cache without triggering a reload of pages?
posted by NortonDC at 9:48 AM on July 14, 2003
I may be misremembering the blue version. The gray login screen has the text I remember, while the blue doesn't. The most likely truth is that I got the standard blue login on loading http://www.metafilter.com, popped over to http://metatalk.metafilter.com to see if anyone else had reported the problem, saw the gray login screen with the text ("Before you can post a link or comment on an existing link, you'll have to login first. Note: You'll need register before you can login. (It only takes a few seconds).) and assumed it had also appeared on the blue screen I'd just seen.
Not as sexy as thinking I'd just found some new quirk...
posted by NortonDC at 9:55 AM on July 14, 2003
Not as sexy as thinking I'd just found some new quirk...
posted by NortonDC at 9:55 AM on July 14, 2003
four years of spaghetti code
Haven't seen that term in a while. Brings back memories (none of which I care to share here).
MetaFilter: Four Years of Spaghetti Code... With 17,151 Meatballs.
Beats pancakes.
posted by wendell at 10:32 AM on July 14, 2003
Haven't seen that term in a while. Brings back memories (none of which I care to share here).
MetaFilter: Four Years of Spaghetti Code... With 17,151 Meatballs.
Beats pancakes.
posted by wendell at 10:32 AM on July 14, 2003
oh, ok. I put a redirect thing on metafilter, if you had damaged cookies. If some properties were found, and others not, I bounced members to a login so they could get new cookies. I should probably put up a warning when I do that, indicating why.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:33 AM on July 14, 2003
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:33 AM on July 14, 2003
So it's about breaking your cookies.
posted by timeistight at 10:48 AM on July 14, 2003
posted by timeistight at 10:48 AM on July 14, 2003
You are in a room full of spaghetti code. There are 17,151 meatballs piled on top of the spaghetti and there are various flavours of cookie nailed to the wall at irregular intervals. There are doors to the north, west, sublime and random. There is something under the spaghetti,
A pony drops from the ceiling
posted by twine42 at 3:16 AM on July 15, 2003
A pony drops from the ceiling
posted by twine42 at 3:16 AM on July 15, 2003
that, twine42, is perfect.
posted by Mars Saxman at 7:49 AM on July 16, 2003
posted by Mars Saxman at 7:49 AM on July 16, 2003
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by timeistight at 9:00 AM on July 14, 2003