registration

I wanted to post a note for a piece of equipment that I am trying to sell. When I tried to do this, the system indicated that I had to register first. I thought registration was optional?

Please fill me in.

Wade Oberle Manutronics, Inc - Division on Sanmina 414-947-3477

reply »

Wade,

Posting into the SMT Forum does not require registration, yet in order to post into the PCBCE Mart, Library, or News, you must be registered. In the case of News, you must be registered with a company account. Also, we have always required registration with the PCBCE Mart.

Registration is also FREE.

Thanks, Cliff

| I wanted to post a note for a piece of equipment that I am trying to sell. When I tried to do this, the system indicated that I had to register first. I thought registration was optional? | | Please fill me in. | | Wade Oberle | Manutronics, Inc - Division on Sanmina | 414-947-3477 |

reply »

The problem I am having is similar to Wade's, with the difference that I'm a registered user. Whenever I click to post an item to the PCBCE Mart, I get directed to the registration page. I have tried to re-logon from that page, but it doesn't help. Sometimes the system allows me to start the posting process, then it throws me out when I click to submit the "categorize the item" entries. And I always make sure that I don't forget to login before trying to post. Any suggestion?

SB

| Wade, | | Posting into the SMT Forum does not require registration, yet in order to post into the PCBCE Mart, Library, or News, you must be registered. In the case of News, you must be registered with a company account. Also, we have always required registration with the PCBCE Mart. | | Registration is also FREE. | | Thanks, | Cliff | | | I wanted to post a note for a piece of equipment that I am trying to sell. When I tried to do this, the system indicated that I had to register first. I thought registration was optional? | | | | Please fill me in. | | | | Wade Oberle | | Manutronics, Inc - Division on Sanmina | | 414-947-3477 | | | |

reply »

Stephano,

Sounds like the system is losing track of you while you are trying to post, or other travelings on the site. In most cases, this means you probably do not accept cookies. Keeping track of users who refuse cookies, is very difficult. In trying to accomidate non-cookie users, we use tracking methods in the URL. You may have noticed the temporary session CFID and CFTOKEN variables appended in the URL, if you don't accept cookies. Those two variables keep you logged in. Once it "loses track" of you, the system will assign new values, and log you out. The trick for us is having that information properly placed on every url within the site (thats a lot of URLs). But we must have missed a couple.

Thanks for the report, and I will check the pages you mentioned and make sure that session continuity exists for non-cookie users.

A suggestion would be to verify you have cookies on, because the changes probably would not happen immediately. We are almost finished with a new look for the PCBCE Mart, and when that goes up, the non-cookie problem will be fixed.

Cliff

| The problem I am having is similar to Wade's, with the difference that I'm a registered user. | Whenever I click to post an item to the PCBCE Mart, I get directed to the registration page. I have tried to re-logon from that page, but it doesn't help. Sometimes the system allows me to start the posting process, then it throws me out when I click to submit the "categorize the item" entries. And I always make sure that I don't forget to login before trying to post. | Any suggestion? | | SB |

reply »

Cliff,

thank you for the explanation. Yes, I actually have my browser set to not accept cookies. I have done that by purpose, and I'm reluctant to make a change to this setting, even if it adds a functionality (= post items onto the PCBCE Mart). So I will probably wait for this item to be taken care of, before trying again.

Thanks again,

SB

| Stephano, | | Sounds like the system is losing track of you while you are trying to post, or other travelings on the site. In most cases, this means you probably do not accept cookies. Keeping track of users who refuse cookies, is very difficult. In trying to accomidate non-cookie users, we use tracking methods in the URL. You may have noticed the temporary session CFID and CFTOKEN variables appended in the URL, if you don't accept cookies. Those two variables keep you logged in. Once it "loses track" of you, the system will assign new values, and log you out. The trick for us is having that information properly placed on every url within the site (thats a lot of URLs). But we must have missed a couple. | | Thanks for the report, and I will check the pages you mentioned and make sure that session continuity exists for non-cookie users. | | A suggestion would be to verify you have cookies on, because the changes probably would not happen immediately. We are almost finished with a new look for the PCBCE Mart, and when that goes up, the non-cookie problem will be fixed. | | Cliff | | | The problem I am having is similar to Wade's, with the difference that I'm a registered user. | | Whenever I click to post an item to the PCBCE Mart, I get directed to the registration page. I have tried to re-logon from that page, but it doesn't help. Sometimes the system allows me to start the posting process, then it throws me out when I click to submit the "categorize the item" entries. And I always make sure that I don't forget to login before trying to post. | | Any suggestion? | | | | SB | | | |

reply »

Stefano,

As a web developer, I see the pros and cons quite clearly, and I strongly believe that the pros of cookies much outweigh the cons. The main reason I see for not accepting cookies, is to remain anonymous and to attempt to have some Internet privacy.

Yet, in the wake of trying to stay anonymous, many online Internet services will not be available to non-cookie users. We did consider not allowing non-cookie users to register, thereby eliminating hours of work, and potential errors, but since I had already created a mechanism to track non-cookie users, we decided not to exclude anyone. Yet, we cannot guarantee that our sevices will function at 100%. It is too easy to get "logged out" when you don't accept cookies.

Also, I believe accepting cookies allows for a much better web experience, and I personally don't have the patience to deal with the "non-cookie" experience (ie: logging in all the time, refusal of service, etc), but of course, it is a matter of preference.

Also, you may wander onto a site similar to ours, where there is tracking information appended to the URL. If that URL is bookmarked, sent to a friend, there is the potential that the friend will have access to information that the original client had submitted, therefore making it "unsafe" not to use cookies (I know its a stretch, but possible). We of course, have seen this problem long ago, and even if you send a bookmarked SMTnet page with your tracking information on it (cfid & cftoken), the others who receive it and attempt to access that page, will be given their own id and token.

Maybe a possible solution is to have "safe" sites, where you use cookies and others you turn them off. You can also delete cookies later.

As a note, the SMTnet cookie, has 4 variable name/value pairs: cfid, cftoken which are tracking information, same as on the URL and 2 variables that determine if you accept cookies (smtnetison & smtnetison2). I believe WebTrends may set a variable also, making a total of 5 variables.

I attached a link that points to a previous thread, in which I discussed cookies. It also has a good link to a cookie information page, which dives into many questions.

Another resource on cookies: http://www.winmag.com/Karen/

I'm not trying to force you into submission with the cookie thing, just thought I'd let you know what I know. :)

Cliff

| Cliff, | | thank you for the explanation. Yes, I actually have my browser set to not accept cookies. I have done that by purpose, and I'm reluctant to make a change to this setting, even if it adds a functionality (= post items onto the PCBCE Mart). So I will probably wait for this item to be taken care of, before trying again. | | Thanks again, | | SB | | | Stefano, | | | | Sounds like the system is losing track of you while you are trying to post, or other travelings on the site. In most cases, this means you probably do not accept cookies. Keeping track of users who refuse cookies, is very difficult. In trying to accomidate non-cookie users, we use tracking methods in the URL. You may have noticed the temporary session CFID and CFTOKEN variables appended in the URL, if you don't accept cookies. Those two variables keep you logged in. Once it "loses track" of you, the system will assign new values, and log you out. The trick for us is having that information properly placed on every url within the site (thats a lot of URLs). But we must have missed a couple. | | | | Thanks for the report, and I will check the pages you mentioned and make sure that session continuity exists for non-cookie users. | | | | A suggestion would be to verify you have cookies on, because the changes probably would not happen immediately. We are almost finished with a new look for the PCBCE Mart, and when that goes up, the non-cookie problem will be fixed. | | | | Cliff | | | | | The problem I am having is similar to Wade's, with the difference that I'm a registered user. | | | Whenever I click to post an item to the PCBCE Mart, I get directed to the registration page. I have tried to re-logon from that page, but it doesn't help. Sometimes the system allows me to start the posting process, then it throws me out when I click to submit the "categorize the item" entries. And I always make sure that I don't forget to login before trying to post. | | | Any suggestion? | | | | | | SB | | | | | | | | |

reply »