[Marco van Herwaarden]

Let me clarify, though, I'm not trying to argue--I just would like to program some simple modifications that might emulate some AdminCP tasks. I would like to know, "hey, what extra protection exactly is offered by logging in through AdminCP to do this, and why can't I simply check a user's usergroup instead?"

The front-end login can be saved (and often will) and re-used at a later stage. This could lead to a user with bad intentions to obtain an admin session to the forums without the need to login or know the password. By requiring an extra login before performing any admin actions, we ensure that the person does know the admin password. This also (to some extent) protects about malformed links intended to trick an admin to click and unwillingly perform staff actions.