# RE: PLEASE READ - for those who are being logged out unexpectedly **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 22, 2002, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-please-read-for-those-who-are-being-logged-out-unexpectedly/99566 "2002-03-22T18:21:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-please-read-for-those-who-are-being-logged-out-unexpectedly/99566/1 "2002-03-22T18:21:20Z")
Will setting our profile to auto-login not allow others who use the same computers as we to post under our user name? ---
**Author:** ![Tattva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@Tattva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tattva)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-please-read-for-those-who-are-being-logged-out-unexpectedly/99566/2 "2002-03-22T18:55:29Z")
I think the answer to your question is Yes. If you forget to logout, people can use that computer to post as you. Just remember to logout. (I know there’s a logout button on the main [board page](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb).) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-please-read-for-those-who-are-being-logged-out-unexpectedly/99566/3 "2002-03-22T18:58:52Z")
As Tattva said, if you set auto-login to yes remember to log out when you are done using the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-please-read-for-those-who-are-being-logged-out-unexpectedly/99566/4 "2002-03-22T19:14:56Z")
I guess I’m just as confused as I can be, then. What good will logging out do if the cookie is going to log me in automatically when I (or one of my co-workers) comes back to the site? I get the distinct impression that I’m missing something significant here. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-please-read-for-those-who-are-being-logged-out-unexpectedly/99566/5 "2002-03-22T19:29:41Z")
When you log out from the main site, the cookie will be deleted. The next person coming along will have to enter a username and password. If you set auto-login (using cookies) to no, then my understanding is that every time the session expires you would have to re-enter your username/password. (I have not verified that.) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-please-read-for-those-who-are-being-logged-out-unexpectedly/99566/6 "2002-03-22T20:57:00Z")
I know I’m beating this to death, but maybe it’s helpful for others out there with situations similar to mine. I’ve just set both options to “yes.” I guess we’ll see how it goes. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-please-read-for-those-who-are-being-logged-out-unexpectedly/99566/7 "2002-03-22T22:33:24Z")
Okay, I played around for a while, posted several replies, never had to log in twice. Logged out, closed my browser, came back, had to log in again. Just like I want it. Thanks, all! ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-please-read-for-those-who-are-being-logged-out-unexpectedly/99566/8 "2002-03-24T07:52:49Z")
Until I changed my profile option to auto-login, I was being timed out within half an hour. Not a problem since. John ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-please-read-for-those-who-are-being-logged-out-unexpectedly/99566/9 "2002-03-24T21:38:43Z")
I did as suggested the other day, and since then, I seem not to have been automatically logged out. So, I guess it worked. For privacy and convenience on the lab computers, what I did was set up a Netscape profile, and then put the profile in a directory accessible only to me. That way, I log into the computer once, and don’t have to enter passwords for the board, my e-mail, etc., but anyone else using the computer (other than the administrator, of course, but there’s nothing I can do about that) can’t access my profile, so won’t be able to log in as me.