And if you're on one of those systems that let's you log in once and
then add anything you like to your shopping cart (and purchase it,
since your account already has your credit card number), then you might
*want* it to log you out after just a few minutes if you get up for
another espresso and end up so involved in a conversation with a mate
you meet on the way to the checkout that you entirely forget your
session, and end up leaving with him ('cause you know how espresso can
make you ramble until you forget what you were on about...)....
In other words, it depends on the system. =o]
The site doesn't know that you weren't buying tickets from a PC in a
public library. Better safe than sorry when a customer's money is
involved.
--- Jules Cisek <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> they expire so if you leave the computer and someone else comes into
> the
> office/internet cafe/or even your computer at home, they won't be
> able to
> reestablish your session.
>
> some sites don't expire their cookies (well they do, but like in 4
> years,
> MSN being the worst).
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Philip Mak" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2000 11:13 AM
> Subject: Should cookies expire?
>
>
> > I have a general question about websites that use cookies to store
> session
> > information:
> >
> > Why should they expire at all?
> >
> > Let me give you an example. Yesterday, I was at Amtrak Rail's
> website to
> > purchase train tickets. Now, I multitask a lot, and sometimes I
> might
> > leave one browser window idle while I go to do something else.
> >
> > So I'm browsing the possible rides I can get on, then I do
> something else
> > for half an hour. I go back to the browser window with Amtrak, and
> then
> > when I click something it tells me that my session has expired and
> I'll
> > have to login again!
> >
> > Gritting my teeth, I login again and start the process over. This
> time I
> > finish the reservation and minimize the window.
> >
> > Later that night, I want to check my reservation again. I maximize
> that
> > window and click something ... oops, session expired again!
> >
> > I realize that in a computer lab environment, automatic session
> expiration
> > may be needed for security purposes, but I think in the situation
> > mentioned above, it was excessive.
> >
> > What do people think about this?
> >
> > -Philip Mak ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
> >
>
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