Logging in twice at the same time

[Mick F]

I just logged in from my iPad and from my MacBook both at the same time.
Although I could compose posts simultaneously, I couldn't post simultaneously. I had to wait until the minute had changed. I suppose I could have posted on one at 14:42:59 and the other at 14:43:00 ie one second apart. As it happens, I had to wait about five seconds (I think).

I have no issue about this, but it seems strange that I can be logged into the forum from more than one place at a time.
If I had a smart phone as well, perhaps I could be logged on in triplicate?

Is there a limit?

[jezer]

I am finding that I have to log in to the forum every couple of days on my iPad, inspite of ticking the box to stay logged in. This has only happened recently, in the past I stayed logged in all the time

[Mick F]

That's all to do with cookies.
I never bother with remaining logged in, preferring to do it manually in and out. The MacBook and the iPad remember the username and password, so it's no bother at all.

My point is that I can be logged in with both devices at the very same time.

We have two MacBooks, an elderly iBook and a modern iMac as well as the iPad. Mrs Mick F has a Samsung Galaxy thingy.
Maybe I can be logged in on all six devices at once?

[Vorpal]

I often use multiple log-ins to find and add links to other posts on similar topics. Otherwise, I have to copy everything to another program to make it acceible whilst composing a post.

I've also had a smart phone logged in at the same time as two log-in on the laptop

[thirdcrank]

I am finding that I have to log in to the forum every couple of days on my iPad, inspite of ticking the box to stay logged in. This has only happened recently, in the past I stayed logged in all the time

ditto.

I thought is was something I was doing. I've not knowingly altered anything about cookies.

On the subject of being logged on twice, I can't see any other easy way of researching with the POST A REPLY screen open.

[Mick F]

Yes, but that's on the same computer.
Having multiple windows open whilst logged in is obviously sensible and normal.

I'm talking about being logged in on multiple and completely separate devices all at the same time.
Dunno why you should be able to do this or gain any benefit from doing it, but you can.

[thirdcrank]

I am finding that I have to log in to the forum every couple of days on my iPad, inspite of ticking the box to stay logged in. This has only happened recently, in the past I stayed logged in all the time

It's just done this to me again, the first time it's happened for a while. That's without me altering any settings or doing anything different.

[jezer]

I now have to log in on every visit. I think it's an iPad issue. It was alright until the recent update, and all other actions are much slower than they used to be

[Mick F]

I updated my iPad Mini to IOS8 and everything is slower now.
I wish I'd not updated.

[admin]

Your login session is remembered using a cookie, and each browser will store its own cookies. So you can be logged in multiple times, once in each browser. Each login is a separate session, and the Forum will treat you the same as if you were several different people who just happen to be using the same account.

Opening multiple tabs in one browser will share the login session between tabs. So you can have several pages open at the same time but all within one login session.

[drossall]

Behind all this lies the fact that sessions on the Web generally aren't "real". In a traditional online system, the user's terminal establishes a connection to the host, which is validated by username and password. The session is a constant connection between the two, that lasts until the user logs out and terminates it, or something untoward happens, such as an interruption to communications, or a power failure in the terminal.

Partly because the Internet's origins lie in military systems, designed to be robust against communication interruptions (such as a large bomb landing on a networking centre), Web sessions generally work differently. Each page request and response from the server is independent. Then, nothing is happening, and no interaction exists, until the next page request - which could be done by a different route if, in the intervening moments, workmen have accidentally dug up a key fibre optic cable or whatever.

Therefore, Web sessions are illusions, created (most often) by exchanging cookies with every page request, which in effect say "I'm still here and it's still me". As a result, you can't say when a session ends with any great meaning. The user may log out, but probably won't, and even if (s)he does then the session may continue with a series of requests for pages that do not require authentication (being logged in).

The end of the session comes, then, when the realisation gradually dawns on the server that the user has wandered off to the BBC Web site or started watching the big match on TV, and isn't coming back. There's no formal termination. Most people, for most purposes, assume that a session has ended when nothing happens for half an hour, but that's entirely arbitrary.

In that context, it doesn't make a lot of sense to say that Mick F is logged on twice. We haven't heard from his PC for five minutes, but he may just have switched to his mobile, which is why we're getting page requests from that. Who knows. We won't know, until we find out whether he comes back with another page request from the PC.

The observed behaviour of not being able to submit twice in a minute is probably a defence against accidentally posting the same message twice. You'll probably find you can't do it from two windows on the same PC and the same single "session" either.

[Mick F]

Thanks for that, excellent!
I understand now!