New Site Configuration?

[joeg]

Until last night (I'm talking about a period of over ten years, I guess), whenever I got an email telling me that someone had contributed to a thread I'm following, the email said something like this:
-> If you want to view the newest post made since your last visit, click the
following link:
viewtopic.php?f=.........

When I clicked the link in TBird, I was taken to mozillazine and asked to log in.

Just now, though, I was taken directly to the post without being asked to log in.

I've just turned on my machine, and when I turned it off yesterday, as always, I cleared the history, cookies, etc. And, as always, before I turned of my machine last night, I ran CCleaner.

Is this an anomaly or has something been changed?

Thanks.

[LoudNoise]

The software hasn't been updated. Likely an anomaly.

[joeg]

The software hasn't been updated. Likely an anomaly.

OK, thanks.

Yes, I just tried it on my other FXv38 machine and was asked to log in.

[LoudNoise]

Delete your mozillazine cookies maybe?

[joeg]

I have Fx set to do it automatically.

[rsx11m]

Wild guess: You may have collided with one of those bots gathering information for search engines. It happens on occasion that I open the browser with fresh cookies and it tells me I'm Google Bot anyway. Thus, if you get to the post in that state, you are already "authenticated" with that fake bot identity and it takes you directly there rather than asking for a login. You should see this indicated in the upper-right corner where you usually see the "Login" link. This state doesn't persist, thus may be gone with the next move you make, and you won't be able to do anything other than reading a post, like adding replies or editing posts.

[joeg]

Wild guess: ...

OK, thanks.