Confusing forum Login experience

[bgoodr]

I have since discovered the source of my confusion as to why the web site was not showing any controls for replying or starting new discussions. Reproduce this as follows:

1. Invoke Firefox 3.6.13 on 32-bit Windows XP (operating system probably is not pertinent here, but the browser might have something to do with it).
2. Press CTRL-SHIFT-DELETE while the web browser has focus, and select all of the check boxes, and click ok.
3. Navigate to http://forums.adobe.com/thread/778424?tstart=0 so as to see the forum threads.
4. See the "Sign in" link which is in bold in the upper right hand corner (this resolves to http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/membership/index.cfm?loc=en_us&nl=1 in my browser).
5. Ignore for now the very tiny "Login/Register" URL that resolves to http://forums.adobe.com/adobe_login;jsessionid=5D72B2B08DB63840242024B65CDE5D21.node0 on the left of the window and down a bit. Yes, there is a bit of user error, but there are two login or sign in URLs on the page, and that is going to be confusing to Joe User.
   
6. Click on the "Sign in" link above only, login with id and password.
7. Be taken to https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/membership/index.cfm?loc=en_us&nf=1&ref=login which is not what I had intended to do which is to go to http://forums.adobe.com/thread/778424?tstart=0
8. Look at that page, and be very confused by it.
9. Regain your bearings and give up, thinking someone messed up. In the browsers address bar, retype the URL you had intended to go to in the first place which was the forums at http://forums.adobe.com/thread/778424?tstart=0
10. Look in that page. Notice there is no "Start a Discussion" or "Reply" type of link at all.
11. Be very confused even more. I mean, I logged in, why isn't it showing those control links or buttons?
12. Read and read some more, and finally notice the "Login/Register" link under the big black FORUMS banner area at the upper left of the web page. That resolves to http://forums.adobe.com/adobe_login by the way.
13. Click on that link and watch how the page changes: Now be thoroughly amused as it now shows "Welcome, bgoodr" right in the spot on the page where "Login/Register" link used to be. Now we see the "Reply" button on the page. Notice the individual messages have "Edit" (on your own messages) and "Reply" on most of them. That is the state that the web page should have been in when I first logged in. I should not have to find that second "Login/Register" link and click on it.

Information on my browser config is shown below (gotten by way of Help --> Troubleshooting Information --> Copy to Clipboard)

Thanks,

bgoodr

  Application Basics

        Name
        Firefox

        Version
        3.6.13

        Profile Directory

          Open Containing Folder

        Installed Plugins

          about:plugins

        Build Configuration

          about:buildconfig

  Extensions

        Name

        Version

        Enabled

        ID

        Microsoft .NET Framework Assistant
        1.2.1
        true
        {20a82645-c095-46ed-80e3-08825760534b}

        Java Quick Starter
        1.0
        true
        jqs@sun.com

        AVG Safe Search
        10.0.0.1178
        true
        {3f963a5b-e555-4543-90e2-c3908898db71}

        Adblock Plus
        1.3.3
        true
        {d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}

        Delicious Bookmarks
        2.1.106
        true
        {2fa4ed95-0317-4c6a-a74c-5f3e3912c1f9}

        Tab Mix Plus
        0.3.8.4
        true
        {dc572301-7619-498c-a57d-39143191b318}

        DictionarySearch
        4.0.1
        true
        {a0faa0a4-f1a7-4098-9a74-21efc3a92372}

        EmailTheWeb.com
        2.20
        true
        {73c39a20-8768-4a82-8b43-fc9535715c5c}

  Modified Preferences

      Name

      Value

        accessibility.typeaheadfind.flashBar
        0

        browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion
        2

        browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone
        rv:1.9.2.13

        browser.tabs.warnOnClose
        false

        extensions.lastAppVersion
        3.6.13

        general.useragent.extra.microsoftdotnet
        ( .NET CLR 3.5.30729)

        network.cookie.prefsMigrated
        true

        places.last_vacuum
        1293508860

        privacy.sanitize.migrateFx3Prefs
        true

        security.warn_viewing_mixed
        false