# Why can't I directly post a reply?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-directly-post-a-reply/155786
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [February 18, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-directly-post-a-reply/155786 "2003-02-18T02:37:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@DirkGntly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirkGntly)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-directly-post-a-reply/155786/1 "2003-02-18T02:37:11Z")
I keep thinking I’m doing something wrong, but maybe not?
I’ll read a thread without logging in. At the end of the thread I’m given the opportunity to reply, and login simultaneously. _This never works for me._ Invariably, the board tells me that I’m not logged in and I’m given the standard login screen at that point. My post is now vapor. If I log in at the screen I’m now presented with, I’m then told that I didn’t select a forum…but if I attempt to select a forum, I’m taken directly to the forum and my login is nullified.
Am I being a dolt, or is this a glitch?? If someone can correct me, great…otherwise, it’s quite annoying.
- Dirk
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### Author:  [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-directly-post-a-reply/155786/2 "2003-02-18T03:02:01Z")
From the FAQ Sticky at the top of ATMB:
> [@](#):
>
> \*\*Q: Why doesn’t it work when I try to log in at the quick reply box?
> A: I don’t know. It doesn’t appear to work at other boards that have the quick reply either. If someone figures out a fix, we’ll implement it. I could remove all the login info altogether, but we thought that it would be useful to show the poster’s name by the reply window, to hopefully cut down on people sharing computers posting under the wrong username.
> Do not use the Quick Reply box unless your username appears as the logged in user under the reply field.
\*\*
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### Author:  [@DirkGntly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirkGntly)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-directly-post-a-reply/155786/3 "2003-02-18T03:06:11Z")
:smack: Thanks, **Joey G,** I looked at the FAQ but somehow missed that one…maybe because it referenced it as a “quick reply” and I didn’t recognize that for some reason.
Thanks again!