What happens when your browser is not accepting a session cookie.

Here is a situation common to new users...

New Users: A new user receives his/her temporary password and user name and logs on. The Control Center prompts you to change the temporary password, so naturally you follow the link, and, it takes you right back to the log on page. You do this two or three times before you starting thinking we are idiots and what a rip off this was, never knowing your web browsers privacy settings are not allowing a session cookie.

Here is a situation that happens to the most experienced computer users...

Experienced Users: A long time customer gets a new computer, or, a new Internet Service Provider, or, he/she upgrades the web browser, or, gets a new web browser. Maybe a two year old was fixing the computer with a large hammer that makes loud squeaking noises. The point is this, something changed and reset the privacy settings dis-allowing a session cookie. AOL's default setting is this way, as are some versions of MSN and Internet Explorer.

Cookie abuse and mis-use...

There are different types of cookies that you may find stored on your computer. They can contain information or program instructions. An example of this is when a web site allows you to save your user name and password so you do not have to remember it anymore, another example is program instructions about displaying advertising on your web browser. Neither of these is a session cookie but becasue of abuses by developers and large corporations web browser developers added features to handle all types of cookies, including session cookies. Web browsers released before the year 2000 never had the option of accepting or denying a session cookie, session cookies were automatically accepted by most popular web browsers. The attitude, 'ugh cookies bad...' and the real mis-use of cookies prompted browser developers to provide more control over cookies.

How do you fix it? Change your browser settings.

That is what I said, change your browser settings! Open your web browser, go to the help menu and search for 'Session Cookies'. READ the information and adjust your settings per the instructions. You want to allow your web browser to accept a session cookie! You can block first party and third party cookies to secure your computer, but you must accept session cookies or it will be very difficult to do more than read articles or look at photo albums on the web.