[Lee Roder]

What's the purpose of the automatic logout after some inactivity in an opened window/tab?

This feature is a real :fire: when composing messages here or simultaneously visiting other sites, etc. I'd find this site more useable if a browser instance remained logged in until explicitly logged out or the browser was closed. "Remember me" is not what I want as it functions across browser instances across days.

By example, the CMP's forum functions correctly in that it forgets me if I close the browser window but as long as my browser logged into their forums remains open, even if I'm not "active", I remain logged in. So what I seek does seem possible.

Is there any way to make this work here? I'm sure I'm not the only member who would be grateful.

:D

[Mal H]

Sorry, but no can do. If we made the timeout period considerably longer, that list at the bottom of the main page, "Currently Active Users", would fill the entire page or maybe two, and the statistics would be very inaccurate. We have tried longer periods and the results were very bad.

Call it a flaw in vBulletin which we can't solve here at THR. If "Remember me" doesn't work for you for some reason, don't use it. However, you seem to be the only one for whom it doesn't solve the timeout problem. Don't forget that it is turned off if you log out.

[Lee Roder]

Thanks Mal.

Problem most often arises for me when composing a reply. I'm not verbally gifted so it frequently takes me a while to set my thoughts to words and by the time I'm ready to hit Submit Reply, I've been kicked out and have to log in again.

Does the board really need the "who's logged in" list? As to who's logged in, I don't really care.

[Claude Clay]

Lee--just a thought but if your post takes time to compose & type--
do it in MS Word and than copy & paste. it is also a good way to save some 'common remarks' for re-use.

[Mal H]

Good advice. In addition, since you know about the timeout problem, why not keep your session active (if you haven't used Remember me) by keeping a second window open on any THR page and occasionally refreshing it.

What is the downside to using the "Remember me" function?

Does the board really need the "who's logged in" list? As to who's logged in, I don't really care. Maybe so, but many members and nearly all moderators do care to see who is online at the moment. However, even if we decided to remove the listing, the statistics problem would still exist.

[Lee Roder]

OK, I do compose offline most of the time, but that's not really the issue as it still takes time.

The downside to "Remember me" for me is next day startup could provide access to others using my machine :eek: Be nicer if the connection just died with the browser as most other forums I hide out at. But I'll make do. If I use "Remember me" I will just have to log out explicitly. Deleting THR cookies during shutdown ought to work too. Hey probelm solved.

But broadcasting "who's logged in" or "who's looking at what forum" seems sort of an invasion of privacy to me. Maybe i should have read the TOS before now :what:

----> I just changed my CP setting to hide out here invisibly and so shorten the active user list yet I'm still listed at the bottom of every forum I visit?????

[Mal H]

... yet I'm still listed at the bottom of every forum I visit?That is only visible to you and the moderators. No regular member sees your name in those listings.

[Lee Roder]

OK thanks.