10-23-2003, 02:44 AM
How can you avoid it? Put bluntly, stop using AOL.
More detailed version:
AOL uses Rotating IPs, so it can happen that when you hit "Reply", you have the IP "A", and after you type your message and hit "Submit", you have the IP "B".
That wouldn't be much of a problem in everyday life, but this board generates a Session ID (the long alphanumerical string that you can sometimes see in the URL field) based on your IP address (among other things as soon as you hit the "Reply" button. When you hit the "Submit" button, this Session ID is checked. If your IP has changed between these two times, your Session ID will be invalid. Thus "Invalid Session".
Before anybody here says that this system is crap, I would like to say that AOL is one of the most idiotic ISPs out there for using Rotating IPs.
99% of the normal ISPs use Dynamic IPs (You get your IP when you dial in and keep it until you log off) or Static IPs (You get the same IP each time you dial in).
My suggestion is to copy your posting before you hit the submit button. If something goes wrong, just hit "Reply", paste, and "Submit". Chances are that you keep your IP in that short period of time, so your Session ID remains valid.
EDIT:
Of course, the Session ID doesn't last forever, so Togashi's of course right when he says that you shouldn't wait hours after hitting the "Reply" button ;)
More detailed version:
AOL uses Rotating IPs, so it can happen that when you hit "Reply", you have the IP "A", and after you type your message and hit "Submit", you have the IP "B".
That wouldn't be much of a problem in everyday life, but this board generates a Session ID (the long alphanumerical string that you can sometimes see in the URL field) based on your IP address (among other things as soon as you hit the "Reply" button. When you hit the "Submit" button, this Session ID is checked. If your IP has changed between these two times, your Session ID will be invalid. Thus "Invalid Session".
Before anybody here says that this system is crap, I would like to say that AOL is one of the most idiotic ISPs out there for using Rotating IPs.
99% of the normal ISPs use Dynamic IPs (You get your IP when you dial in and keep it until you log off) or Static IPs (You get the same IP each time you dial in).
My suggestion is to copy your posting before you hit the submit button. If something goes wrong, just hit "Reply", paste, and "Submit". Chances are that you keep your IP in that short period of time, so your Session ID remains valid.
EDIT:
Of course, the Session ID doesn't last forever, so Togashi's of course right when he says that you shouldn't wait hours after hitting the "Reply" button ;)