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Informal request for assistance...

Posted May 18, 2004 12:04 AM.

Apparently some people using IE6 are having trouble logging into Typekey via plasticbag.org and as a result can't post comments. Most other browsers seem to be working OK - certainly all Mac browsers that I've tried - but obviously this is a problem that I need to resolve. If anyone has any idea why this is happening (presumably I've messed up some aspect of the template), then I'd be delighted if they could e-mail me on my normal e-mail address: tom {at} plasticbag {dot} org. Otherwise I'll look into it more thoroughly tomorrow evening, once I've slept and worked the requisite number of hours.

Comments

Please stay on-topic, informative and polite. I reserve the right to remove comments for whatever vague capricious reasons seem reasonable at the time.

Yep, it doesn't work for me, using IE6 on my PC (this is posted in Firefox from the same desktop). It says you aren't logged in, then I login at typekey and get redirected back here, but it reloads to show that I'm not signed in. Worse yet, when you click on the "sign into typekey" link, it goes to typekey, figures out you're already logged in, then redirects back here, where the cookie apparently isn't being recognized.

Posted by: mathowie at May 18, 2004 1:57 AM

Because of the Barbelith thing (of course), with normal IE settings barbelith.com can't set a cookie that plasticbag.org can read, so you look unlogged-in even after you are. Individually, you can fix it by Tools -> Internet Options -> Privacy -> Web sites -> Edit -> barbelith.com -> Allow, but that's not very satisfactory instructions to have to give 70% of your readers.

I think this is (one of) the problems that's solved by adding

DynamicComments 1

to your mt.cfg file, though I'm not sure exactly what effect that has, not having used it. Log in and you get essentially what you would in a comment popup, I think. Worth a try, anyway.

Posted by: Phil Ringnalda at May 18, 2004 3:45 AM

I was able to sign in via Mozilla 1.7 on a PC. Now I am going to test my IE 6.0.

Posted by: Ms. Jen at May 18, 2004 6:33 AM

Aye, what Phil said. This mentions it, scroll down to where it says Beta 3:

http://www.premrara.com/index.php?p=263

Posted by: Aegir at May 18, 2004 10:12 AM

i've missed so many changes since my hiatus started!

Posted by: Bravo at May 18, 2004 2:18 PM

Looks like you may have been able to fix it, Tom -- this post has come from IE6.0/Win with no problems.

That said, your comment preview template needs, um, a little work ;)

Posted by: Scott M at May 18, 2004 4:34 PM

It seems to work perfectly well for me as well - at least when I'm using Internet Explorer 6.0 at work. Is the problem just intermittent, or restricted to various versions of IE6/Windows?

Posted by: Tom Coates at May 18, 2004 5:07 PM

When will people realise that Internet Explorer is rubbish and start to use proper web browsers? I'm probably as sick as you are, Tom, of having to work around legacy technology :(

Posted by: Jacob Martin at May 18, 2004 9:51 PM

I'm still having problems, every single time - when I try to log in with IE6. It's version 6.0.2800.1106.xpsp2.030422-1633. I'm not sure if that's any help, but I hope it is!

Posted by: Chris at May 19, 2004 1:39 AM

I wasn't able to comment at work today (IE 6, XP Pro, firewalled/proxy-servered and Google Toolbar if that's relevant but I can't see how it would be).

One relevant thing might be that I was also couldn't log in on sixapart's site to download MT 3, though I was quite able to get into typekey.com and fiddle with my profile. In fact I originally registered while I was at work.

I dunno about all this. I'm thinking of trying out Wordpress, once I've upgraded to a hosting package with SQL.

Posted by: fridgemagnet at May 19, 2004 2:09 AM

Woah there jake - not allowing cross domain cookies is *not* a legacy technology. (btw Tom, it's working for me now)

Posted by: Cal Henderson at May 19, 2004 3:58 AM

This is definitely IE Privacy settings related and probably down to which cookies are third party and which ones aren't.

I couldn't get past the Typekey sign in screen until I changed my privacy settings, in particular I set first party cookies to be allowed, third party cookies to prompt me and session cookies to always be allowed.

It worked, as you can see!

Posted by: Nico Morgan at May 19, 2004 12:11 PM

yes but... all this stupid typekey business/faff how long is it going to be before your comment spammers twig they too can just sign up for their free typekey thingy too? I still think my idea of us bloggers all clubbing together to hire a hitman to kneecap the evil scummy bastards is a better long term solution...

Posted by: groc at May 20, 2004 10:48 PM

Didn't work at all in IE6/WinME (SP1). Didn't work in any browser with Javascript disabled. Didn't work in any browser with Cookies disabled.

This is not very good, Tom. I'd say you're crippling 60% of your visitors, not being able to comment.

Posted by: sarcosos at May 21, 2004 2:16 PM

I'm not really too worried about the Javascript / cookies situation - everyone who is ever asked to post on a message board or on an online community of any kind has to have cookies and javascript enabled and it's for precisely the same reasons as here - because their identity needs to be checked before they post in order to reduce abuse. The IE thing is a concern, obviously, and I will be looking into it in greater detail over the weekend.

Posted by: Tom Coates at May 21, 2004 3:07 PM

You obviously didn't get my earlier post.

The reason IE doesn't like it is because IE's default settings aren't allowing the cookie to be set. Change the advanced IE cookie settings to allow first party cookies and session cookies and all will be well.

Posted by: Nico Morgan at May 21, 2004 4:50 PM

I can confirm Nico's statement. I set "Privacy" to "Accept All Cookies" instead of the default "Medium" and it worked.

BTW, I forgot to say you're crippling the blind, since they can not register an account..

Posted by: sarcosos at May 22, 2004 7:24 AM

Right, yes, that works now. In fact, you don't have to allow all cookies automatically - I think the one that was being rejected was the one from www.barbelith.com. I'd say set everything to "Prompt" on the Advanced tab.

Posted by: fridgemagnet at May 24, 2004 4:56 PM

Looks like xpsp2 doesn't allow cookies from directories that are being set after cookies from the root dir.

Posted by: Ome Ko at September 1, 2004 8:17 PM

time to consider WordPress (www.wordpress.org)

Posted by: prem at November 24, 2004 9:45 PM

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