Trouble logging in. Or actually not.

May 2, 2006 4:16 PM

Trouble logging in. Or actually not.

I got a couple of different messages, one saying "error, email Matt" and another saying "error, delete MeFi cookies, if problem persists, email Matt". I gave up, thinking I wasn't logged in, but when I went to Ask, it turns out I was.

Another related thing. Is the CAPTCHA case-sensitive? Because it doesn't say either way. That would have eliminated one possible avenue of enquiry into why login was failing.
posted by AmbroseChapel to Bugs at 4:16 PM (12 comments total)

Thinking about the CAPTCHA, it really shouldn't be case-sensitive, because it uses varied fonts and therefore lots of letters are ambiguous. I can't tell if a double-u is upper or lower out of context.

I guess I could always try the experiment, but I'm logged in now and I'm scared to log out...
posted by AmbroseChapel at 4:18 PM on May 2, 2006

It's not case sensitive, as far as I know. You had a cookie issue - delete them and shift-reload.
posted by SweetJesus at 4:21 PM on May 2, 2006

Also, I will remove the captcha completely very soon and revamp the login page.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:48 PM on May 2, 2006

You had a cookie issue - delete them and shift-reload.

Yes, I did, and I did.

Perhaps I'm not expressing myself well.

The page kept telling me I had a problem, even when I had actually successfully logged in.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 5:32 PM on May 2, 2006

I too have gotten errors telling me login failed when it didn't.

Captcha isn't case-sensitive for me. I always have to use all lower-case for it to go through.
posted by moonshine at 5:41 PM on May 2, 2006

I too have gotten errors telling me login failed when it didn't.

Me too, just now. Just a heads-up.
posted by Optimus Chyme at 6:09 PM on May 2, 2006

The page kept telling me I had a problem, even when I had actually successfully logged in.

Yeah, I had the same thing happen yesterday. I cleared my cookies, shutdown firefox, and it was fine.
posted by SweetJesus at 7:13 PM on May 2, 2006

I had this exact problem a week ago. I tried to log in like 30 times and then gave up (I was on Ask). I then clicked to the blue and found out I was logged in. I did not clear cookies or anything in between.
posted by Manhasset at 7:57 PM on May 2, 2006

Yeah I got that a lot this weekend, on a comuter other than my usual one. Deleted all the cookies and had the problems as described, but I don't think it ever really logged me in.
posted by kyleg at 11:47 PM on May 2, 2006

Same here. Happened to me about two weeks ago. Was about to email Matt but then noticed that I actually was logged in after all.
posted by lazywhinerkid at 2:52 AM on May 3, 2006

Matt, please license moift's award winning animal captcha technology.... tia.
posted by Dreamghost at 10:23 AM on May 3, 2006

Woo, the captcha image on the login page is finally dead and the login page has been rewritten. Bizarre captcha-related errors should be a distant memory now.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 1:28 PM on May 4, 2006