Why am I asked to log in when I follow emailed link

Hi, It was suggested by Nicole that I ask this question here for the Tech experts to ferret out. I am receiving the daily-ish messages and notices of new posts to forums I follow. So I recently started having an issue that when I click on the link it takes me to the Permies forum page but I cannot post a reply or to click "bookmark/update the topic" without having to log in. This requires extra steps where I enter the requested info but then having to go back to my email to wait for new message with another link to sign in again (the second time).  It then usually but not always takes me back to the forum page I was on. If it does not take me to the linked page then I am in the general list of forums and must search for the right one (not always successful). Often by that time I forget what I was going to reply and just give up.  If I do find it, it takes me a while to read thru the comments again and find the one I wanted to reply to and get back on track. If not, "giving the pearls of input" just doesn't happen.
Can anyone help figure out what is happening and fix it since the system obviously knows me or it wouldn't have sent me the email notification in the first place.
I wonder if there's something I can do to stay signed in or be recognized when I get the original email. I don't remember ever signing out of Permies and am using the same computer. I also visit the site regularly, so this is happening (becomes a sign in issue) when I want to post something or to bookmark the topic.  Thank you.

My hospital used My Chart, and I am asked to sign in after I use the link on their email notifications.  I do know that emails are not considered to be secure.  I can’t speak for this site, but I imagine it uses similar logic.

Is the problem only when clicking the link in the Dailish?

It could be something with the cookie settings.

If the browser cleans cookies each time, then it would log out between sessions.

r ranson wrote:It could be something with the cookie settings.

If the browser cleans cookies each time, then it would log out between sessions.

I checked my cookie settings on browser Firefox. It is only blocking cross-tracking cookies and it is not clearing cookies each time I close browser. I'm using up 2+Gb space for cookies already! So I don't think that's causing the issue.  

John F Dean wrote: My hospital used My Chart, and I am asked to sign in after I use the link on their email notifications.  I do know that emails are not considered to be secure.  I can’t speak for this site, but I imagine it uses similar logic.

I agree that emails are not considered secure. Maybe some browsers claim that they secure the data, I don't know if that's really true. Certainly need to be aware of what is shared by email, but a link to a frequently visited page should not "break" the relationship between parties, especially if cookies are being stored from that site.  Permies is not a high-level security data site like a hospital medical records site needs to be. Or is it set up that way??

People might share an email and say "hey look at this".  So unless it's a login email, the link isn't specific to any one account.  

I know permies uses a cookie to determine if we are logged in - and if I clean my cookies I get logged out.  

Maybe you have a stuck cookie from when you viewed it logged out?  

Anne Miller wrote:Is the problem only when clicking the link in the Dailish?

Well yes. That is the main email content I receive. The links work right to take me to the indicated forum page but I am treated as having gotten there without "log in permission".  I sometimes get emails about Purple Moosages and those work correctly. I am able to reply to those messages so far without asking to log in.
Dunno...maybe it's another one of those "mystery" issues that happens at random and no one can figure out why.  I'll deal with it for now.  Just is a bit disappointing not being able to freely communicate readily on the site.  Good intentions intercepted.

Thanks everyone for putting your thinking caps on over this one!

I surfed around a bit to see if email software ever uses "private" browser sessions to show links.  It seems like kind possibly a good idea, but a casual search didn't turn up any reference to it, and anyway you'd probably have noticed - I think this feature usually comes with some distinct rendering cues.  But it's something you could check.

Hi Denise,
Do you use different computers to look at Permies? It sounds like there may have been some security update on yours if not.
I used to have the same problem where it wouldn't even log me in on my tablet, insisted on sending an email link which I can't access on my tablet! Luckily it is not doing that now, but it is always logging me out, whereas on the PC I am always logged on...(.Computers! Who'd have them?!)

From my original thread

Devaka-Cooray wrote:If you set up a password, you can simply log in by entering your email address and password. - no need to go through login links.

On the other hand, if you don't manually log out from permies on your tablet, you should be able to stay logged in on that device for a long time - like for months.

It was so long ago I don't remember if that fixed my issue, but I certainly use a password now to log in which is much easier if I need to use another device (and my tablet still logs me out automatically!)

Another thought (probably you've already tried this?) Try copying the link for the thread, then you can at least just paste it in your browser after logging in?

Nancy Reading wrote:Hi Denise,
Do you use different computers to look at Permies? It sounds like there may have been some security update on yours if not.
I used to have the same problem where it wouldn't even log me in on my tablet, insisted on sending an email link which I can't access on my tablet! Luckily it is not doing that now, but it is always logging me out, whereas on the PC I am always logged on...(.Computers! Who'd have them?!)

From my original thread

Devaka-Cooray wrote:If you set up a password, you can simply log in by entering your email address and password. - no need to go through login links.

On the other hand, if you don't manually log out from permies on your tablet, you should be able to stay logged in on that device for a long time - like for months.

It was so long ago I don't remember if that fixed my issue, but I certainly use a password now to log in which is much easier if I need to use another device (and my tablet still logs me out automatically!)

Another thought (probably you've already tried this?) Try copying the link for the thread, then you can at least just paste it in your browser after logging in?

Nancy, I have used the  same computer for several years and only that one. I never set up a password since Permies doesn't require one and I prefer not to have so many passwords. Most sites they're not even necessary but they demand you create one. Thank goodness Permies doesn't!  That's a good idea Devaka to copy the site url to help find the right one again. Thank you.