Dammit! Logged myself out again. April 14, 2013 8:59 AM Subscribe
Is it really necessary to have more than one logout link when you are posting a comment or post? I refer to the Posting as: [username] (logout) right above the post textbox. More than once recently I have been aiming for the textbox with the mouse and clicked on the logout link by mistake. (Why anyone would actually want to log out of Metafilter is beyond me, but also fodder for a different post.)
Seriously, once a page up at the top is enough, no? Logging out should be a deliberate act.
I presume it's for people who share computers, who might begin to post a comment and then realize, "Oh hey, I'm posting as [username1], I'd better log out first and sign into [username2]." In which case that placement makes sense to me.
posted by cribcage at 9:05 AM on April 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by cribcage at 9:05 AM on April 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
Where would you put it?
posted by cjorgensen at 9:05 AM on April 14, 2013
posted by cjorgensen at 9:05 AM on April 14, 2013
We have it there because we have quite a few people with multiple accounts. It's there as a convenience to them. They can see who they're posting as and then have the exact link they need to change that where they're looking. Posting comments from an account you don't intend to happens quite a bit, and this logout links helps with that.
posted by pb (staff) at 9:08 AM on April 14, 2013
posted by pb (staff) at 9:08 AM on April 14, 2013
Why is this UI element dedicated to enabling a behavior that the FAQ specifically says is "discouraged"?
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 9:11 AM on April 14, 2013 [6 favorites]
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 9:11 AM on April 14, 2013 [6 favorites]
I thought the multiple accounts thing was casually discouraged though, except for the occasional sockpuppet? Why cater to them?
posted by Think_Long at 9:12 AM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Think_Long at 9:12 AM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
I assume there are at least some instances where more than one mefite shares a computer (couples or whatever). Not everyone can afford or needs a separate computer for each person.
posted by shelleycat at 9:15 AM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by shelleycat at 9:15 AM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Having a sock account is fine if you limit use of that account to eg questions or comments that pertain to your work identity (or whatever specific, narrow thing you want to cordon off - eg sex stuff; medical stuff), but you maintain your main account for all your other interactions on the site. The idea is, we expect you'll have one main persona on the site, but a second account for the occasional special-purpose thing is ok.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:15 AM on April 14, 2013
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:15 AM on April 14, 2013
if i could hitch up another, related, pony - why is the logout link at the top in a different place than login? and why is logout in a different place on normal and professional white? not a big huge deal, just something that tweaks my brain when i notice it.
posted by nadawi at 9:20 AM on April 14, 2013
posted by nadawi at 9:20 AM on April 14, 2013
The link at the top asks you to confirm logout, at least on an iPad. Does it not do that on the posting screen?
posted by disclaimer at 9:23 AM on April 14, 2013
posted by disclaimer at 9:23 AM on April 14, 2013
And note this means people have sock puppets specifically for asking questions they really don't want attached to their main account. If they goof and post their "help I have hemmorhoids" question from the wrong account, we can delete it (if they realize and contact us) but then if the same question shows up under the other username, still they have risked revealing who they are.
People use sockpuppets for the exact situation where you really don't want to make a mistake and post from the wrong account.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:25 AM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
People use sockpuppets for the exact situation where you really don't want to make a mistake and post from the wrong account.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:25 AM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
The one that gets me is hitting 'Popular' or 'Best Of' instead of 'Recent Activity' in the menubar at the top of the page. Not as catastrophic, still annoying.
posted by carsonb at 9:25 AM on April 14, 2013
posted by carsonb at 9:25 AM on April 14, 2013
The "Best Of" link placement gets me about every other day. I've never actually noticed the logout until just now.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 9:29 AM on April 14, 2013
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 9:29 AM on April 14, 2013
The link at the top asks you to confirm logout, at least on an iPad. Does it not do that on the posting screen?
Nope, for me it's Bang! You're gone!
posted by pjern at 9:30 AM on April 14, 2013
Nope, for me it's Bang! You're gone!
posted by pjern at 9:30 AM on April 14, 2013
It's there as a convenience to them.
They can't be bothered to go to the upper right corner of the same screen to click the other "logout" link?
(Also, it should be "log out" (two words). You log in and you log out.)
posted by pracowity at 9:36 AM on April 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
They can't be bothered to go to the upper right corner of the same screen to click the other "logout" link?
(Also, it should be "log out" (two words). You log in and you log out.)
posted by pracowity at 9:36 AM on April 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
I have been aiming for the textbox with the mouse and clicked on the logout link by mistake
I would firmly, yet avuncularly suggest you consider putting in some clickytime at the firing range on your scheduled off-hours. We need you all to be in top op-condition at all times. Command never knows when a mission might present itself or who will be assigned to it. Don't be, or post, the weak link.
posted by laconic skeuomorph at 9:42 AM on April 14, 2013
I would firmly, yet avuncularly suggest you consider putting in some clickytime at the firing range on your scheduled off-hours. We need you all to be in top op-condition at all times. Command never knows when a mission might present itself or who will be assigned to it. Don't be, or post, the weak link.
posted by laconic skeuomorph at 9:42 AM on April 14, 2013
Not everyone can afford or needs a separate computer for each person.
But everyone should have their own damn accounts on the computer. Unless we're talking about iPads it's trivially easy and free to create a second account on pretty much any OS.
posted by cjorgensen at 9:54 AM on April 14, 2013
But everyone should have their own damn accounts on the computer. Unless we're talking about iPads it's trivially easy and free to create a second account on pretty much any OS.
posted by cjorgensen at 9:54 AM on April 14, 2013
Well yeah sure, they all have their own accounts. That's the whole point. Sometimes the other person left their account logged in so you notice that while posting then log them out and back in again as yourself.
posted by shelleycat at 10:02 AM on April 14, 2013
posted by shelleycat at 10:02 AM on April 14, 2013
Unless you mean windows accounts in which case, why? We never bother when we share a computer (which does happen) and I know other people with only one computer who also don't bother. I'm just not that special that need things set up so carefully that logging in and out of windows is worth it to me.
posted by shelleycat at 10:04 AM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by shelleycat at 10:04 AM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
The link at the top asks you to confirm logout, at least on an iPad. Does it not do that on the posting screen?
Nope, for me it's Bang! You're gone!
posted by pjern at 12:30 PM on April 14 [+] [!]
Then might I suggest that the code on the logout button on the posting screen be updated with the same code as the one at the top of the screen?
posted by disclaimer at 10:07 AM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Nope, for me it's Bang! You're gone!
posted by pjern at 12:30 PM on April 14 [+] [!]
Then might I suggest that the code on the logout button on the posting screen be updated with the same code as the one at the top of the screen?
posted by disclaimer at 10:07 AM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
I have had problems hitting the logout link when posting from my mobile device. I didn't think it was in a bad spot until I did that more than a few times.
posted by P.o.B. at 10:09 AM on April 14, 2013
posted by P.o.B. at 10:09 AM on April 14, 2013
Maybe the second 'logout' link just needs a confirm dialog.
posted by pipeski at 10:11 AM on April 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by pipeski at 10:11 AM on April 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
But everyone should have their own damn accounts on the computer.
Thank you, Nick Burns.
posted by cribcage at 11:13 AM on April 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
Thank you, Nick Burns.
posted by cribcage at 11:13 AM on April 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
They can't be bothered to go to the upper right corner of the same screen to click the other "logout" link?
The mouse is heavy.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:24 AM on April 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
The mouse is heavy.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:24 AM on April 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
I have definitely started posting as Bulgarokotonos and that would be a huge problem because I don't want that loser getting credit for my wit and charm.
Conversely, he has started posting as me and I don't want to be help responsible for his boorish ramblings.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 11:25 AM on April 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
Conversely, he has started posting as me and I don't want to be help responsible for his boorish ramblings.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 11:25 AM on April 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
Does this mean I should get the cat his own account lest you think I have a hairball problem?
posted by arcticseal at 11:46 AM on April 14, 2013
posted by arcticseal at 11:46 AM on April 14, 2013
I use my wife's iPad fairly often. There's no way to set up separate user accounts. I use chrome and she uses safari for gmail. She's not a MeFite, but I can easily see how it could be a problem for couples who are. A reminder of who you are posting as and an easy way to fix it seems to make sense. Maybe if there was a logout confirmation on the link?
posted by double block and bleed at 1:37 PM on April 14, 2013
posted by double block and bleed at 1:37 PM on April 14, 2013
But everyone should have their own damn accounts on the computer.
Why?
My wife and I share most documents and all our music, pictures, movies and downloads on our desktop comp. We only need one user account. Setting up a second one would be impractical.
posted by zarq at 1:37 PM on April 14, 2013
Why?
My wife and I share most documents and all our music, pictures, movies and downloads on our desktop comp. We only need one user account. Setting up a second one would be impractical.
posted by zarq at 1:37 PM on April 14, 2013
Are jokey sock puppets allowed as long as they are not used for dhoyt style evil? I'd hate to see that tradition go away.
posted by double block and bleed at 1:40 PM on April 14, 2013
posted by double block and bleed at 1:40 PM on April 14, 2013
Yeah there's no problem generally with sock puppets. The big thing is that you can't pretend they are two different people, you can't use them to get around the posting limits and we'd prefer if people were somewhat restrained with their joking so that people don't get confused and/or irritated. That said, it's one of those things where almost all the time it's not a problem. We mention second accounts in the FAQ.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:27 PM on April 14, 2013
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:27 PM on April 14, 2013
I had never even noticed that was there!
posted by crossoverman at 2:30 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by crossoverman at 2:30 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
A possible change would be to make the logout link work the same as your username does now. It takes you to your user page, and if it said this instead:
Joe User (user page)
with the words in parentheses being a link and your username just plain text, it would suggest that the link leads to a page where you can log out. And if you clicked it accidentally, you would be able to just click the back button to return to the page. (I assume this works with all modern browsers. Am I right?)
I don't personally mind there being a logout link there, though. I'd use Ctrl+Home to find the logout link at the top if this one were removed, when I might need to log out. That's just one keypress, so no big deal.
posted by tykky at 2:35 PM on April 14, 2013
Joe User (user page)
with the words in parentheses being a link and your username just plain text, it would suggest that the link leads to a page where you can log out. And if you clicked it accidentally, you would be able to just click the back button to return to the page. (I assume this works with all modern browsers. Am I right?)
I don't personally mind there being a logout link there, though. I'd use Ctrl+Home to find the logout link at the top if this one were removed, when I might need to log out. That's just one keypress, so no big deal.
posted by tykky at 2:35 PM on April 14, 2013
But everyone should have their own damn accounts on the computer.
I could never share a computer with my wife; we both like things configured just right for ourselves and it would drive either of us crazy to use the other's setup. Plus, how would we IM each other from across the living room without separate computers? We might have to actually talk to each other.
posted by octothorpe at 2:50 PM on April 14, 2013 [4 favorites]
I could never share a computer with my wife; we both like things configured just right for ourselves and it would drive either of us crazy to use the other's setup. Plus, how would we IM each other from across the living room without separate computers? We might have to actually talk to each other.
posted by octothorpe at 2:50 PM on April 14, 2013 [4 favorites]
The problem I have with this UI implementation is that it's inconveniencing one set of users to avoid inconveniencing another set of users. So look at the two groups and decide who has the better case. Group one says it's too easy to hit by accident where placed. Group two says they need to be able to switch back and forth between accounts.
In my opinion the first group has the stronger claim (by far). I appreciate the fact that metafilter is trying to make things easier for a segment of it's user base, but it's essentially coming up with a technological solution to what amount to a management problem.
And you can't make the case you don't need separate computer accounts while maintaining it's too easy to post from the wrong metafilter account because you're sharing a computer with someone. This is the exact reason you need your own account.
I'm not going to waste time explaining why every person needs their own account. To me it's like trying to explain why every single inhabitant of a house needs their own key.
posted by cjorgensen at 2:56 PM on April 14, 2013
In my opinion the first group has the stronger claim (by far). I appreciate the fact that metafilter is trying to make things easier for a segment of it's user base, but it's essentially coming up with a technological solution to what amount to a management problem.
And you can't make the case you don't need separate computer accounts while maintaining it's too easy to post from the wrong metafilter account because you're sharing a computer with someone. This is the exact reason you need your own account.
I'm not going to waste time explaining why every person needs their own account. To me it's like trying to explain why every single inhabitant of a house needs their own key.
posted by cjorgensen at 2:56 PM on April 14, 2013
Have more than P.o.B. and pjern had problems with accidental logouts with this link?
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 3:10 PM on April 14, 2013
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 3:10 PM on April 14, 2013
No, but I prefer having the 'posting as...' Verbiage, with the Log out link. It works.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:34 PM on April 14, 2013
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:34 PM on April 14, 2013
I mainly have accidental logouts using the non-mobile site on my mobile (phone) device when I try to click on metatalk and miss. I don't have internet at home so the phone's my main access since I cannot visit when at work.
When I used to have a less sucky job I could use my computer there on lunch breaks, but I was always careful to log out whenever I exited the site. So, yes, there are people who don't have the good fortune to be able to stay logged in.
posted by mightshould at 3:48 PM on April 14, 2013
When I used to have a less sucky job I could use my computer there on lunch breaks, but I was always careful to log out whenever I exited the site. So, yes, there are people who don't have the good fortune to be able to stay logged in.
posted by mightshould at 3:48 PM on April 14, 2013
I'm reluctant to admit I've had this problem, as if it is possible to add the confirm dialog then I don't want to sour the deal by saying so. Still, yes, it is an issue that is easily fixable.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 4:54 PM on April 14, 2013
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 4:54 PM on April 14, 2013
help I have hemmorhoids
posted by allen.spaulding at 5:56 PM on April 14, 2013
posted by allen.spaulding at 5:56 PM on April 14, 2013
There's already a log out link on the page. Why put another one directly where somebody interacting with the site is likely to click it without wanting to?
posted by Pope Guilty at 6:13 PM on April 14, 2013
posted by Pope Guilty at 6:13 PM on April 14, 2013
... how would we IM each other from across the living room without separate computers? We might have to actually talk to each other.
This is what SMS was invented for. It's not only for poking fun at people during boring meetings, you know.
posted by dg at 7:32 PM on April 14, 2013
This is what SMS was invented for. It's not only for poking fun at people during boring meetings, you know.
posted by dg at 7:32 PM on April 14, 2013
I will say my phone gives me a non-trivial amount of problems in which there is some dissuasion from actively avoiding a misadventure with that logout in certain instances. It's not like I have fat fumbley fingers and I hit that logout regularly, more like less than a dozen times, but that placement has come to my attention through annoyment at being insta-booted midway through editing a comment.
posted by P.o.B. at 7:41 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by P.o.B. at 7:41 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
If you're looking for a log out,
The UI won't stand in your way,
But don't look at the snark that we're posting,
It'll only make you want to stay.
Err, that doesn't work really, does it?
posted by Abiezer at 7:51 PM on April 14, 2013
The UI won't stand in your way,
But don't look at the snark that we're posting,
It'll only make you want to stay.
Err, that doesn't work really, does it?
posted by Abiezer at 7:51 PM on April 14, 2013
I'm not going to waste time explaining why every person needs their own account. To me it's like trying to explain why every single inhabitant of a house needs their own key.
This analogy makes no sense to me. It's a copy of the same key. It fits the same lock. It's the same house. If all the things in the house are shared, why make individual access to them unnecessarily complicated?
posted by zarq at 8:02 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
This analogy makes no sense to me. It's a copy of the same key. It fits the same lock. It's the same house. If all the things in the house are shared, why make individual access to them unnecessarily complicated?
posted by zarq at 8:02 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Restless nomad, yes. I have accidentally logged myself out a bunch of times.
posted by zarq at 8:04 PM on April 14, 2013
posted by zarq at 8:04 PM on April 14, 2013
They mean everyone needs their own copy not a unique key.
posted by Mitheral at 8:09 PM on April 14, 2013
posted by Mitheral at 8:09 PM on April 14, 2013
Zarq, do you really mean that you and your wife both post under the name "zarq"? Because that... well, I share pretty much everything with my husband, but if I found out he'd been posting here under the name "Daily Alice" I would have a cow. Also, since we have some serious disagreements about social/political issues, I would appear to be constantly arguing with myself.
posted by Daily Alice at 8:28 PM on April 14, 2013
posted by Daily Alice at 8:28 PM on April 14, 2013
My wife and I share most documents and all our music, pictures, movies and downloads on our desktop comp. We only need one user account. Setting up a second one would be impractical.
Things shared across user accounts can go in a public folder. Windows 7 has a "libraries" feature whose default configuration gives you a unified view of your own account's stuff and whatever is in the corresponding public folder, which makes this arrangement quite easy.
In any case, if you're running Windows it's a really good idea to set up a second user account for admin tasks (e.g. installing and removing software) even if you're sharing your day-to-day user account with somebody else; that way the day-to-day account can be changed from a computer administrator to a standard user, which eliminates a whole class of security threats.
This kind of setup has been possible and beneficial since Windows NT, and particularly easy to live with since Windows 7.
posted by flabdablet at 8:29 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Things shared across user accounts can go in a public folder. Windows 7 has a "libraries" feature whose default configuration gives you a unified view of your own account's stuff and whatever is in the corresponding public folder, which makes this arrangement quite easy.
In any case, if you're running Windows it's a really good idea to set up a second user account for admin tasks (e.g. installing and removing software) even if you're sharing your day-to-day user account with somebody else; that way the day-to-day account can be changed from a computer administrator to a standard user, which eliminates a whole class of security threats.
This kind of setup has been possible and beneficial since Windows NT, and particularly easy to live with since Windows 7.
posted by flabdablet at 8:29 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
zarq: "My wife and I share most documents and all our music, pictures, movies and downloads on our desktop comp. We only need one user account. Setting up a second one would be impractical."
I wrote up a huge discomfited comment about how sort of not-cool it seems to me that I've been talking to your wife when I thought I was talking to you, but then I realized that by "user account" you probably mean "computer login," not "Metafilter login." Heh.
posted by koeselitz at 9:33 PM on April 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
I wrote up a huge discomfited comment about how sort of not-cool it seems to me that I've been talking to your wife when I thought I was talking to you, but then I realized that by "user account" you probably mean "computer login," not "Metafilter login." Heh.
posted by koeselitz at 9:33 PM on April 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
I brought this up initially out of annoyance at having been twice bitten.
Logout does the same thing for me, either place I click it. BANG, you're dead. I don't get any verification dialog in either Firefox 20 or Chrome. It sounded to me like someone upthread was getting that? pb?
I would also perhaps vote to move the logout link at the top of the screen, since I have also accidentally frobbed it when trying to hit the MeMail link.
I realize that this complaint, while perhaps making me seem unduly klutzy, seems minor and perhaps picayune, and I do have a little essential tremor in my mousing hand, I still feel that the design here is worthy of attention. We are all getting older, and what was great when the people who wrote the code were in their late 20's seems less accessible as I approach 60.
I think that this is the discussion we might really want to start feeling our way into. Thoughts?
posted by pjern at 10:21 PM on April 14, 2013
Logout does the same thing for me, either place I click it. BANG, you're dead. I don't get any verification dialog in either Firefox 20 or Chrome. It sounded to me like someone upthread was getting that? pb?
I would also perhaps vote to move the logout link at the top of the screen, since I have also accidentally frobbed it when trying to hit the MeMail link.
I realize that this complaint, while perhaps making me seem unduly klutzy, seems minor and perhaps picayune, and I do have a little essential tremor in my mousing hand, I still feel that the design here is worthy of attention. We are all getting older, and what was great when the people who wrote the code were in their late 20's seems less accessible as I approach 60.
I think that this is the discussion we might really want to start feeling our way into. Thoughts?
posted by pjern at 10:21 PM on April 14, 2013
If all the things in the house are shared, why make individual access to them unnecessarily complicated?
In our case, my wife and I have different interests. She needs to have a set of social media, facebook accounts and so on separate from mine. Also, having different email addresses and calendars is really convenient---we can message each other easily, for instance. Our domain is our "home", but we each have different spaces, for mail, etc... to store our stuff.
You might argue that still doesn't mean that we need unique computer accounts. You would be right in principle, but it would mean that we were constantly logging out and logging back in to make sure that we were using the proper identity. This is what having differing accounts does: all of my id's, mail, website fora, messaging are tied to my account, all of hers, tied to hers. We can set the desktop backgrounds too so that it's obvious whose account is logged in at any particular time.
So, it's actually much less complicated to have a single login do all of that switching, than try to do it on the fly.
posted by bonehead at 10:59 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
In our case, my wife and I have different interests. She needs to have a set of social media, facebook accounts and so on separate from mine. Also, having different email addresses and calendars is really convenient---we can message each other easily, for instance. Our domain is our "home", but we each have different spaces, for mail, etc... to store our stuff.
You might argue that still doesn't mean that we need unique computer accounts. You would be right in principle, but it would mean that we were constantly logging out and logging back in to make sure that we were using the proper identity. This is what having differing accounts does: all of my id's, mail, website fora, messaging are tied to my account, all of hers, tied to hers. We can set the desktop backgrounds too so that it's obvious whose account is logged in at any particular time.
So, it's actually much less complicated to have a single login do all of that switching, than try to do it on the fly.
posted by bonehead at 10:59 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Mitheral: "Sockpuppeting for anonymized AskMe is permitted."
For some reason, I'm really pleased with the use of "sockpuppeting" rather than "sockpuppeteering".
posted by moody cow at 1:55 AM on April 15, 2013
For some reason, I'm really pleased with the use of "sockpuppeting" rather than "sockpuppeteering".
posted by moody cow at 1:55 AM on April 15, 2013
Having a "confirm logout" step at any/all locations would be a solution worth considering.
posted by mightshould at 3:53 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by mightshould at 3:53 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I have done this several times. Never thought to ask about getting it changed though.
posted by knapah at 4:19 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by knapah at 4:19 AM on April 15, 2013
Oops. Sorry. Windows account. Not mefi account. My wife does read mefi on occasion, but never comments or posts.
We're still using Vista. I haven't upgraded out of laziness.
We have separate social media and email accounts, and do most of our surfing on websites, rather than through desktop programs. We log in and out under our own identities, which takes seconds, since id's/passwords are stored. As far as I know, we have never mistakenly posted or emailed from one account or another. (It would be hard to mistake each other's personalized screens in most website-based services like gmail, anyway.) We share a gmail family calendar across all our devices.
Perhaps this is more of a personal use thing. If we want to im or sms someone while at home, we use our phones.
We used to keep separate logins. It wasn't worth the effort. We wound up only ever using one id.
posted by zarq at 4:32 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
We're still using Vista. I haven't upgraded out of laziness.
We have separate social media and email accounts, and do most of our surfing on websites, rather than through desktop programs. We log in and out under our own identities, which takes seconds, since id's/passwords are stored. As far as I know, we have never mistakenly posted or emailed from one account or another. (It would be hard to mistake each other's personalized screens in most website-based services like gmail, anyway.) We share a gmail family calendar across all our devices.
Perhaps this is more of a personal use thing. If we want to im or sms someone while at home, we use our phones.
We used to keep separate logins. It wasn't worth the effort. We wound up only ever using one id.
posted by zarq at 4:32 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I treat the multiple accounts on Metafilter the same I do with multiple accounts with Google*. I use different browsers for each one.
But I agree with whomever suggested that a nag screen (Are you sure you want to log out?) would be the ideal solution to this ever so important problem.
* I know about the Google Lab tool to use multiple accounts with one browser and I sometimes use it.
posted by terrapin at 7:50 AM on April 15, 2013
But I agree with whomever suggested that a nag screen (Are you sure you want to log out?) would be the ideal solution to this ever so important problem.
* I know about the Google Lab tool to use multiple accounts with one browser and I sometimes use it.
posted by terrapin at 7:50 AM on April 15, 2013
It sounded to me like someone upthread was getting that? pb?
You currently get a confirmation dialog with the top right logout link on the iPad only in the default theme only. The reason is because taps are less precise than clicks (there's no cursor), and the logout link is close to the Search button. That's not the case in the plain theme, so we don't have the confirmation prompt on that iPad there.
posted by pb (staff) at 7:54 AM on April 15, 2013
You currently get a confirmation dialog with the top right logout link on the iPad only in the default theme only. The reason is because taps are less precise than clicks (there's no cursor), and the logout link is close to the Search button. That's not the case in the plain theme, so we don't have the confirmation prompt on that iPad there.
posted by pb (staff) at 7:54 AM on April 15, 2013
Yeah, I accidentally log myself out like this all the time (at least once every few days). It's something to do with how the page loads for me (with a MeFi Mail userscript or something), where I think I'm clicking on my username, but the page catches up with itself and before I know it I've clicked logout.
posted by iamkimiam at 8:45 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by iamkimiam at 8:45 AM on April 15, 2013
We discussed this today and we're leaning toward removing the logout link next to usernames. We know that'll be an annoyance to people who use that link to switch accounts, but the price will be learning where the logout links are in the header and footer which doesn't seem too bad.
posted by pb (staff) at 11:31 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by pb (staff) at 11:31 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yay, this happened to me a few weeks ago, fierce annoying, glad it's going.
posted by amorphatist at 5:55 PM on April 15, 2013
posted by amorphatist at 5:55 PM on April 15, 2013
Looks like it's time for a good greasemonkey script.
posted by Obscure Reference at 4:45 AM on April 16, 2013
posted by Obscure Reference at 4:45 AM on April 16, 2013
I like it. Much cleaner visually.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:04 PM on April 16, 2013
posted by Rock Steady at 7:04 PM on April 16, 2013
Thank you for fixing this minor-but-annoying UI bug.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 3:36 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 3:36 PM on April 17, 2013
Sorry you don't like the change Flunkie. There's a logout link in the header and footer that do the same thing.
posted by pb (staff) at 3:40 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by pb (staff) at 3:40 PM on April 17, 2013
Thank you pb, but I know (and have known) that those links are there. The reason that I'm asking that it please be put back is not that I think there's now no way to log out; it's that the link that has been removed is by far the most convenient link to log out in many situations wherein I often log out, and it's therefore the link I've gotten very used to using in those situations, and therefore the one I naturally go to, and therefore I've several times already been jarred and confused by the lack of it.
posted by Flunkie at 3:46 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by Flunkie at 3:46 PM on April 17, 2013
I'm sorry about the confusion. Anytime something you're used to using changes it's jarring, and I understand that. We move slowly here, but we do move. I'm afraid there isn't a great way to implement changes and not have some annoyance along the way.
We made this change because we heard from several people that the particular location of that link was an ongoing problem for them. Because we have two links on every page that do exactly the same thing, we sympathized with that view and decided that we'd help them out. I'm sorry you're now being annoyed, but we're not going to add the link back.
posted by pb (staff) at 3:54 PM on April 17, 2013
We made this change because we heard from several people that the particular location of that link was an ongoing problem for them. Because we have two links on every page that do exactly the same thing, we sympathized with that view and decided that we'd help them out. I'm sorry you're now being annoyed, but we're not going to add the link back.
posted by pb (staff) at 3:54 PM on April 17, 2013
OK. Frankly, though, it seems to me like the standard and common response of "make a Greasemonkey script for your personal small issue with the longstanding way that the site works" would've been better than breaking the longstanding way that the site had worked.
But oh well. I guess I'm going to make a Greasemonkey script for my personal small issue with the new way that the site now works.
posted by Flunkie at 3:59 PM on April 17, 2013
But oh well. I guess I'm going to make a Greasemonkey script for my personal small issue with the new way that the site now works.
posted by Flunkie at 3:59 PM on April 17, 2013
Flunkie, this might help: if you are at the bottom of a thread and want to go to the top where the remaining logout link is, the quickest way to get there is to hit the Home button on your keyboard. It'll take you straight to the top. Not many folks use the Home/End combo, but it can be very useful for things like that.
posted by Scientist at 4:00 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by Scientist at 4:00 PM on April 17, 2013
and it's therefore the link I've gotten very used to using in those situations
That you've adapted once is proof you can do it again. I don't mean to sound glib, but adaptability is admirable.
posted by carsonb at 4:06 PM on April 17, 2013
That you've adapted once is proof you can do it again. I don't mean to sound glib, but adaptability is admirable.
posted by carsonb at 4:06 PM on April 17, 2013
Not many folks use the Home/End combo
Now I do! Thanks!
posted by the man of twists and turns at 4:10 PM on April 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Now I do! Thanks!
posted by the man of twists and turns at 4:10 PM on April 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Of course I could adapt to the change. But I didn't say "it's the one I got used to and therefore it's the one that's most convenient"; I said "it's the one that's most convenient and therefore the one that I got used to".
posted by Flunkie at 4:11 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by Flunkie at 4:11 PM on April 17, 2013
The worst thing about designing and building UIs for web sites and applications -- and I say this as someone who does, on a daily basis -- is that you can put terrible, terrible things in front of users, and once they're used to it, some of them will resist change with all their might. People hate change, and one a site like this, asking for a feature to be changed (or to be changed back) often appears easier to them than simply putting in the effort to adjust.
To maintain perspective when I consider potential UI improvements, I try to remember that as a QWERTY typer who types 100wpm, I can (in theory) type even faster than that with DVORAK, but the time to adjust would simply not be worth the effort I'd have to invest. So, if I'm going to change the UI to be "better", I'd best make sure I'm solving an actual problem, a problem that saves more effort than it causes for people to adjust. Keeping in mind, of course, that people often massively over-estimate the amount of effort it will take to adjust.
I won't speculate here on whether this particular change falls on one side or the other, just trying to help put things in perspective.
posted by davejay at 4:13 PM on April 17, 2013
To maintain perspective when I consider potential UI improvements, I try to remember that as a QWERTY typer who types 100wpm, I can (in theory) type even faster than that with DVORAK, but the time to adjust would simply not be worth the effort I'd have to invest. So, if I'm going to change the UI to be "better", I'd best make sure I'm solving an actual problem, a problem that saves more effort than it causes for people to adjust. Keeping in mind, of course, that people often massively over-estimate the amount of effort it will take to adjust.
I won't speculate here on whether this particular change falls on one side or the other, just trying to help put things in perspective.
posted by davejay at 4:13 PM on April 17, 2013
A good example of this was, on a UI guidelines project I was involved in, our submit buttons. We put them along the right side of the page, to separate them from the too-numerous buttons on the left, and people really hated it, complained a lot. So we did user testing, and sure enough, moving them to the right end of the left-side buttons with a divider had a surprisingly large positive impact on usability for users not familiar with the application -- but also a large negative impact on usability for existing users, who kept moving their cursor all the way to the right, finding nothing, and then moving it back to the left once they'd located it. That effect wore off in about five form submits, however, so we made the change...and oh the yelling. Not from the users -- they adjusted quickly -- but from the people using the guidelines to design their own application pages, who didn't want to have to adjust to putting the buttons on the left side in their wireframes!
posted by davejay at 4:18 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by davejay at 4:18 PM on April 17, 2013
There's an amazing xkcd comic on how code/UI changes will always displease some subset of users. All I remember is there is something about making an application update makes it 1000x more efficient and some guy writes in to complain that he used to run the app in order to make his laptop overheat until the fan came on, which he used routinely to heat his apartment and how dare the people behind the app kill his room heater functionality. I can't find it, but I seem to recall it being something like that.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:36 PM on April 17, 2013 [6 favorites]
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:36 PM on April 17, 2013 [6 favorites]
Yeah, that's it. Wow my memory of it was way different, but still the same sentiment.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:47 PM on April 17, 2013
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:47 PM on April 17, 2013
Well, I guess I just want to say that I didn't say anything even remotely similar to "how dare you", that my "complaint" was a politely phrased request, and that this change makes it less efficient, not 1000x more efficient, to log out. I guess it makes it more efficient to stay logged in, but certainly not 1000x so.
In any case, if anyone else wants it back, here's a Greasemonkey script you can use.
posted by Flunkie at 5:20 PM on April 17, 2013
In any case, if anyone else wants it back, here's a Greasemonkey script you can use.
posted by Flunkie at 5:20 PM on April 17, 2013
I was hoping mathowie had totally made that xkcd up.
Last night I had a dream where I got to meet Peter Dinklage. I told him I was a big (ha!) fan and I'd loved him for like ever. He said, "You're just a 'Games of Thrones' fan," and I said he was wrong, he's all, "What else you like me in?" I answered with "Dancing With the Stars!" and the dream turned into a nightmare, and then I woke up.
I laid there for a while feeling mortified and embarrassed and then..."Wow, that's fucking brilliant. I need to tweet this to Tom Bergeron!"
I couldn't figure out a way to fit this story into a tweet, but if it happens you can credit this post!
Also, if it's already happened it because Peter was right...I am just a Game of Thrones fan.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:20 PM on April 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Last night I had a dream where I got to meet Peter Dinklage. I told him I was a big (ha!) fan and I'd loved him for like ever. He said, "You're just a 'Games of Thrones' fan," and I said he was wrong, he's all, "What else you like me in?" I answered with "Dancing With the Stars!" and the dream turned into a nightmare, and then I woke up.
I laid there for a while feeling mortified and embarrassed and then..."Wow, that's fucking brilliant. I need to tweet this to Tom Bergeron!"
I couldn't figure out a way to fit this story into a tweet, but if it happens you can credit this post!
Also, if it's already happened it because Peter was right...I am just a Game of Thrones fan.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:20 PM on April 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
You should find The Station Agent. It's a paint-by-numbers "misanthrope meets quirky people; finds out that people ain't so bad" little indie film, but he makes it sing.
posted by Etrigan at 7:05 AM on April 18, 2013
posted by Etrigan at 7:05 AM on April 18, 2013
Home button? WTF?
Well, learn something new every day. This is good. My finger was getting way to tired on these long threads.
Now, about them "F" keys.....
posted by mule98J at 8:29 AM on April 18, 2013
Well, learn something new every day. This is good. My finger was getting way to tired on these long threads.
Now, about them "F" keys.....
posted by mule98J at 8:29 AM on April 18, 2013
I just discovered a new pair of shortcuts on Firefox. Ctrl+PageUp/Down flips tabs forward or backward. And to think I had to discover that by hitting the wrong key by accident.
Someone should really write a guide about useful shortcuts of common browsers for navigating websites and Metafilter in particular. I feel there are some useful things I don't know, but I'm sure a lot of people have been using for ages. Another thing for the old todo-list I guess. (Also: Watch movies with Peter Dinklage. I might have the same dream.)
Besides this off-topic confession, I want to voice my acceptance of removing the logout link as discussed in this thread. It wasn't necessary at all to have one there. Goodbye little link. I sometimes used you because I am weird and want to log off when I'm done commenting for the time. I know where your brothers live.
posted by tykky at 11:51 AM on April 18, 2013
Someone should really write a guide about useful shortcuts of common browsers for navigating websites and Metafilter in particular. I feel there are some useful things I don't know, but I'm sure a lot of people have been using for ages. Another thing for the old todo-list I guess. (Also: Watch movies with Peter Dinklage. I might have the same dream.)
Besides this off-topic confession, I want to voice my acceptance of removing the logout link as discussed in this thread. It wasn't necessary at all to have one there. Goodbye little link. I sometimes used you because I am weird and want to log off when I'm done commenting for the time. I know where your brothers live.
posted by tykky at 11:51 AM on April 18, 2013
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posted by languagehat at 9:03 AM on April 14, 2013