Tech: Why no cookie?

Subject: Why no cookie??????
From: GUEST,GUEST!!!!!!!!Art Thieme
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 07:15 PM

I have tried for two months to re-set my cookie. Just yesterday I succeeded----or so I was told when I tried ----yet again.

TODAY I'm a GUEST again !!!!!!!!

What gives !!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????

Art

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: Lox
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 07:38 PM

At least you don't have to do the washing up!

disgruntled lox.

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: CarolC
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 07:39 PM

Art, my father has a thingie on his computer that automatically deletes cookies every 20 minutes or so. (At least he used to... he gave that computer away.) Do you have any kind of program like that on your computer?

Also, every time I log on to shorty, I have to jump start my cookie. I don't have to go through the whole process of logging out and resetting. I jump start it by going into the personal pages before I enter the forum. This does not happen for me with loki or ragtime.

I'm using an old browser and I think that may be the reason. Is it possible that you need to update your browser?

Carol

Subject: Standard Login Instructions
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 08:11 PM

Hi, Gang - If you've traveled around mudcat withoujt your cookie, you load up your browser cache with unregistered pages. Art, I thing you need to go through what I have delicately titled "the purge." At your age, I'm sure you're quite familiar with that....
-Joe Offer-

---

Your Mudcat membership is probably working perfectly - on Mudcat's end. Therefore, it's just a matter of cleaning things up a bit on your computer and resetting your Mudcat cookie. Since you've been having problems, I'm going to add another step and first ask you to clear your cache and history from your Internet browser.

First, if you think you've tried the login process correctly and you still can't get in, clear all the old files out of your browser.
(If you like, skip this part and try the login process once more - and THEN clear your browser cache if login still doesn't work).

CLEARING YOUR BROWSER CACHE
In MSIE (Microsoft Internet Explorer):

• On the "tools" menu at the top of your browser, select "Internet Options."
• On the general tab, you will see a button that says "clear history" - click it.
• Still on "tools/Internet Options/general," click on the "delete files" button
• Then click on the "OK" button on the bottom of the grey box, and your browser should be clear of all old files. That should solve most problems.

In Netscape:

• Go to the "edit" menu on the top of your browser and select "preferences." In the box that opens, make sure you go first to the "Navigator" category, and then click the "clear history" button.
• Then go to the "Advanced" category, still in the same box, and click on the little "plus" sign before the word "advanced." the word "cache" will appear below "Advanced" - click on "cache."
• Click on the "clear memory cache" and then on the "clear disk cache" buttons.
• then click on the "OK" button on the bottom of the grey box, and your browser should be clear of all old files. That should solve most problems.

LOGIN PROCESS

• First, go to the Membership page at Mudcat: http://www.mudcat.org/member/EntryForm.cfm If a registration form comes up with your name and everything, that means you're all OK. Correct the registration information, if needed, and click the "submit" button.
  If the registration form is blank, please do not fill it out because you have already registered with Mudcat and should not submit a second membership.
• Second, click on the logout link to clear any corrupted Mudcat cookies that may be still on your computer: http://www.mudcat.org/member/logout.cfm
  You'll see a second link that says "to logout, click here - click it.
• Another screen will appear that tells you that you have logged out.
  
• Now, go back to Mudcat Membership: http://www.mudcat.org/member/EntryForm.cfm
• A blank registration form should appear - leave it blank and click on the reset cookie link: http://www.mudcat.org/login.cfm

  
  

• A LOGIN page will appear which asks for your Code Name - enter your code name exactly, with correct capitalization, and click the submit button. Your code name is: xxx

  
  

• Another box appears that asks for your password. Enter it exactly, and click on the "submit query" button. Your password is: xxx

  
  

• You should get a page that says: You cookie has been reset. You are now acting as [Your Real Name] with email address

                                 [e-mail]

  
  

• It also says: Click here to view or edit your personal data That's a link that lets you update your registration, and it might be a good idea to do that. Remember that you cannot change to a user name or an e-mail address that is already in use by somebody else.

  
  

• Once you've reset your cookie, you're free to go to the lyrics/forum/chat page, or maybe it would be a good idea for you to check your personal page for messages that came in since you lost your cookie.

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: CarolC
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 08:35 PM

Joe, I clear my cookie cache frequently (more than once a day), but I don't know how to clear the old files from AOL. Your netscape method doesn't work with AOfreakingL.

I don't think that will help my problem though (it's not really much of a problem). There are a lot of quirky things that don't work right for me in Mudcat because I'm using such an old browser. I can't update my browser until I update my hardware. That means going without Mudcat for a while. I'm having trouble making myself do that.

Carol

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Jan 01 - 10:24 AM

OK, Joe, here's another one for you. I recently switched to DSL instead of my dial up ISP. Now I'm only a guest (but I don't mind doing dishes). My email address has changed, but nothing else about me ;)

What I'm wondering is, do I need to re-register, and if I do, what happens to all my traced threads and other personal information? Do I lose them?

Thanks!

Dani

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: Art Thieme
Date: 10 Jan 01 - 05:34 PM

Wow! I'M BACK !! (Joe, do I have you to thank for gettin' my name back?)

Before I could implement any of your great suggestions, I find, on awakening today, that my name is once again listed on all of my "reply" notes---and the GUEST notice is gone.

Whoever's responsible, THANKS !

Art

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 10 Jan 01 - 06:49 PM

Dani, follow the LOGIN intructions that Joe has posted above and your existing memberhip should be restored.

Art, I can not explain that. The cookie which lets the Mudcat system know who are so that it can find your member details is held on your computer not at Mudcat.

Jon

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jan 01 - 06:55 PM

Well, Art - I'm afraid that Mr. Fleets and I agree that you still should do the purge. So should Dani, who will be on the top of my Bad List if she should dare submit a second Mudcat registration. Dani, you may be able to get back in with just a cooikie reset, but it's best to go through the entire process to make sure everything's solid. Once you get back in, go to Membership and correct your e-mail address.

It's true that Mudcat has technical difficulties on the Mudcat end, but cookie problems are almost always on the user end, not at Mudcat Central. Submitting a new registration usually makes matters worse. If you need help, send me an e-mail (I'm listed in Mudcat Resources), or post a message in the Help Forum.
Thanks.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 10 Jan 01 - 09:08 PM

Joe, you have been at this a lot longer than me but I have yet to come across a Mudcat system failure on the registration (not that I'm doubting they happen). The most common ones I can think of are:

Cookie problems as you have mentioned.

Mistaken Usernames, e.g. there could be a Jon F and a JonF, someone may come back to rejoin (reset cookie), see JonF and assume that is them when really JonF is someone else and the person trying to rejoin was registered as squiggle, etc.

Missunderstanding of the difference between regitering a new member and re-setting a cookie. Maybe the user interface could be re-designed to make this more clear.

Confusion caused by missleading and inconsistent terms within the registration system. I know that you have mentioned this one to Max and hopefully it will be sorted. I can certainly see why a user may keep trying to choose passwords to resolve "CodeName" in use.

Jon

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: Sorcha
Date: 10 Jan 01 - 09:11 PM

I have this new computer, right? Sometimes, for reasons known only to It, cookies are just deleted. Nothing else, and the computer is set to accept cookies.......(now, I suppose somehumanperson could be fibbing, but I don't think so. I am the only person in the house that knows how to clear the cache.......) It's because it's a !@#$%^& computer!!!

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: Dani
Date: 11 Jan 01 - 09:51 PM

Thank you~

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Jan 01 - 11:56 PM

Aha! Dani's back! Jon, I guess our advice works, eh? And yes, I'd agree that I have seen no problems with registration on the Mudcat end - it's always on the user end. I had to go to New Hampshire to fix one, if I recall correctly. It seems our resident New Hampshire JoeClone™ failed....
(She doesn't fail often, and she's a darn good singer.)
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 01:18 AM

Say, is there some technically adept person here who's familiar with AOL? How would you change my "standard login instructions" above to tell AOL users how to clear their browser cache and history?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: CarolC
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 01:50 AM

Ok, to clear the cache in AOL...
In the desktop, double click on "My Computer".
Double click on [C:] drive.
Double click on Aol_ _ (whatever version you have).
Double click on "Cache"
Single click on "File"
Single click "Delete"
Confirm delete.

I notice there's a category (folder?) that's just above "cache" that's labeled Aoltemp. Could that be the history you're talking about? The only thing I found when I looked in there was a winzip thing that I don't know anything about, but it looks like a file or something.

Carol

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 02:47 AM

Carol, is there a way to clear the cache from within AOL, while it's running? Your method works, but I'm afraid it may delete files you'd rather not delete. Is that the way they recommend?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: CarolC
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 03:10 AM

Joe,

It's the only way I know of, and I think it's the way their tech rep told me to do it. I don't think I've been deleting anything but the contents of the cache when I do it, but I couldn't swear to that.

I usually clear my cache about two or three times a day, depending on how many sites I visit. And I have to sign off and then sign back on again before and after. Otherwise, my computer can't find anything.

I have to do it frequently because my computer starts to sieze up after I've accumulated about 100 to 200 thingies in my cache.

Carol

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: Jeri
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 04:02 PM

Hey, Joe - you know I love you right? Bite Me! :-) You didn't have a New Hampshire JoeClone™ when I tried messing with said computer. (Guys, it was sheer hell. Joe did the same stuff ONCE the computer owner and I did separately several times, only it worked when he did it. Mr Smug-Britches Magic-Fingers...)

There has got to be something that causes a browser to dump cookies when it shuts down, or when the computer does. I know folks on WebTV have said they had to log in every time, but I'm not sure that the cookes aren't stored on a server on the web, and there's any user control over that. It's just the other browsers dumping cookies I don't understand. I notice the cookies do have expiration dates, so theoretically everyone should have to refresh every so often. I've never been de-cookiefied without logging out, though.

Subject: RE: Why no cookie??????
From: Snuffy
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 04:48 PM

It does sometimes happen.

One day last year I noticed that my Mudcat cookie an the machine at work had been disabled. But I managed to reset it easily enough.

And when I got home that evening, my home cookie had gone walkabout too! They've behaved perfectly since then, though.