Brown mini-map

What is the point of the "brown mini-map?" Is it just to let us know that the client is no longer connected to the grid? Why can't it re-establish the connection?

Lately I've been having intermittent connection losses with my cable modem (Grrr comcast). Every time my modem burps, it takes about 1 to 1½ minutes for everything to wake up again, and everything is kosher for another 8-10 mins before it burps again.

However the SL client, it seems the mini-map goes "brown" the moment my connection wakes up again... and it doesn't seem to even TRY to reestablish connection.

Most online games like this usually just log you out when something like this happens, usually if the disconnection is prolonged. However most games will reestablish connection and continue as if nothing really happened. SL seems to give up far too soon, and doesn't really tell you that you're disconnected from the grid, let alone tell you it's doing anything about it.

And while on the subject, why isn't there away to logout from the client with out having the "quit" the client entirely, and start the application all over again if you just want to relog? It would be nice if there was a logout function so it just goes back to the login screen.