Private messages failing

[LHaven]

hankpage and I are attempting to track down a problem with the photos in one of his posts being visible to some people but not others. We've been exchanging private mails. Yesterday, I send him one describing some findings, and didn't hear back. My mail never showed up in my outbox. I sent another one-liner asking him if he had gotten the first one. It also never showed up in my outbox. Today they still have not appeared. I'm hesitant to use public space to post this problem, but if private mail isn't working, I'm out of other options. In addition to fixing whatever problem this is, it would be nice if you could recover the text of the lost message so I don't have to try to reconstruct it from memory. Thanks.

[JRTJH]

I checked your profile in the Admin section and I only see one issue. You do not have "save a copy of outgoing PM's" checked. Unless you change that option in the user CP section, the system will not save any PM's that you send. I will send you a PM in a moment, please verify if you receive it.

EDIT: PM SENT...

[hankpage]

Thanks John, I made photo posts on Animal thread (https://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=385490#post385490) and LHaven says he can not see photos. I have tried other computers, logged in or not and I see the photos. I do not understand what the problem is. Can you see them???? Thanks, Hank

[LHaven]

Hank mailed me the URL of the photos, which I had already independently verified by examining the source of the webpage. Every one of those URLs, entered directly into a browser, pulls up a blank page, whether or not I am logged in.

I went to a browser I rarely use (so no Keystone forum cookies) without logging into the forum, and got the same behavior. I tried looking at the original posting on my phone (which did it via Tapatalk) over cell data only, and got three blank boxes, each of which said it was an image of something like 47 bytes, which is clearly ridiculous. So I've exonerated my ID, my computer, my browser, and my network.

Every other image on the thread is showing up. Hank's are unusual in that they were posted to an album instead of being uploaded to the posting. So I looked at "recently changed albums," verified they are presented in date order, and noted there was only one changed recently and it wasn't Hank's (see image).

The whole thing strikes me like some kind of bizarre permissions or cache problem, but the symptoms don't fit those very well either.

EDIT: I suppose the album clues may be false if Hank was reposting photos that have been in his album for some time.

[JRTJH]

I can see all of the photos (4 total) in Hank's posts #2 and #3 in the thread. I rechecked LHaven's profile and don't see anything that might cause a problem.

Have you (LHaven) recently upgraded, changed any software or changed any settings on your profile (prior to the recent change I suggested) ???

I'm guessing here, but it may be an interface issue between your "security program" and the forum software ??? I had a similar issue with Norton, finally uninstalled it, reinstalled it and things started working again.

I wouldn't suggest that IS your issue, but it MIGHT be...

[LHaven]

I have no AV or other such program on my Macs (other than Malwarebytes free, which I have to run by hand). Keep in mind, the display fails on both the computer and the smartphone (iPhone).

Here is how the posts show up for me on the computer in Safari (Firefox is similar), and on the phone in Tapatalk. The third image is what I get if I tap on any of the blank spaces where the photos should be. The fourth is the blank page I get trying to pull up the photo directly in a browser, plus the debugging screen -- note that it shows up as "picture.php 1x1," which would match the 43-byte claim elsewhere.

[LHaven]

I see your "fox test" post perfectly on both the computer and the phone.

[chuckster57]

IIRC, sourdough (Danny) had issues with images in Tap-a-talk. I’m not sure what his fix was. I can’t see images on my phone using the app, but have no issues on my laptop running windows edge.

[JRTJH]

I see your "fox test" post perfectly on both the computer and the phone.

The it is probably the way your computer "talks to" hankpage's posts.... Hank, how are you attaching the URL for your album photos?

[LHaven]

This is hilarious... when you mentioned Edge, I thought to try pulling the thread up on the Windows 10 VM I run on my Mac. It fails exactly the same way in both Edge and IE. And I know I've never accessed the forum from that VM.

I also reverified that I get the same result on Safari on my iPhone over cell data.

[chuckster57]

I’ll be watching to see what you do to resolve the issue.

[sourdough]

IIRC, sourdough (Danny) had issues with images in Tap-a-talk. I’m not sure what his fix was. I can’t see images on my phone using the app, but have no issues on my laptop running windows edge.


The cell, me and posting pics just didn't pan out and I have no problem with that. I like to take pics with one of my cameras and just use the SD card reader; always works without any problems. I can send pics from the cell messaging or something but other than that I don't find a use for them....and I'm absolutely sure that is me, my patience and my not wanting to deal with it. :D

[LHaven]

I thought of trying to access the webpage using VPNs out of Florida and Latvia. Other than an intro page from Cloudflare vetting my browser from Latvia, the results were the same. So, not a general network problem in Arizona...

[hankpage]

The it is probably the way your computer "talks to" hankpage's posts.... Hank, how are you attaching the URL for your album photos?

John, Like I told LHavens, I have been inserting photos the same way on this forum for ten years. I upload photos from my computers (PC Win 10 or 7) or my phone (Android - Firefox or Chrome no Tapatalk) to a private album on the forum. I view the photo in that album and copy the url it has assigned there. When creating my post I use the "Insert Image" icon (little postcard) And paste the url where requested ................ never a problem until now. I even made a sticky years ago to instruct folks on how to do it when web-hosting sites like Webshots started to charge or went under. I had to reload every photo I had ever posted on forums I was on. If LHavens is the only one who cannot see the photos logically the problem is on one of his settings. Perhaps they are timing out after the text loads before the photos. I am stumped, Hank :confused:

[JRTJH]

I'm stumped too. I don't see any settings in his profile that would cause a problem. Everyone else can view Hank's photos, I posted using his "tutorial" from years ago, LHaven can view my photos (posted like Hank's), so I have no clue. Maybe Janet, when she logs on may have a recommendation ??? As for me, I'm out of ideas.

[ctbruce]

It was me that was having trouble with Tapatalk. It started after I switched to the ad free version. I worked with their IT for several days and they couldn't reproduce the error. I finally unloaded the app and then downloaded it again. It started working correctly then and has ever since.

[chuckster57]

It was me that was having trouble with Tapatalk. It started after I switched to the ad free version. I worked with their IT for several days and they couldn't reproduce the error. I finally unloaded the app and then downloaded it again. It started working correctly then and has ever since.


Thanks for posting. I may have to do the same thing.

[B-O-B'03]

John, Like I told LHavens, I have been inserting photos the same way on this forum for ten years. I upload photos from my computers (PC Win 10 or 7) or my phone (Android - Firefox or Chrome no Tapatalk) to a private album on the forum. I view the photo in that album and copy the url it has assigned there. When creating my post I use the "Insert Image" icon (little postcard) And paste the url where requested ................ never a problem until now. I even made a sticky years ago to instruct folks on how to do it when web-hosting sites like Webshots started to charge or went under. I had to reload every photo I had ever posted on forums I was on. If LHavens is the only one who cannot see the photos logically the problem is on one of his settings. Perhaps they are timing out after the text loads before the photos. I am stumped, Hank :confused:

Hi Hank,

I do not see any pictures in your posts in that thread either?

-Brian

[JRTJH]

Hi Hank,

I do not see any pictures in your posts in that thread either?

-Brian

What equipment, what software are you using to view his photos (or that isn't working to view his photos? ???

[JRTJH]

The only "common admin selection" that I see with both LHaven and B-O-B03 is that both have "NO ADS ON TAPATALK" selected. Chip (CTBruce) does not have that selected. I wonder if there is some link between that selection during the Tapatalk install (probably an automatic selection in the software) and the inability to see photos ???

If either of you want me to "deselect" that option (I don't think you can even see it) I will, just contact me by PM when you have time and see me online. I'll go into the Admin Control Panel and change the setting, once done, you can PM me with any change in photo viewing capability.....

[ctbruce]

The only "common admin selection" that I see with both LHaven and B-O-B03 is that both have "NO ADS ON TAPATALK" selected. Chip (CTBruce) does not have that selected. I wonder if there is some link between that selection during the Tapatalk install (probably an automatic selection in the software) and the inability to see photos ???



If either of you want me to "deselect" that option (I don't think you can even see it) I will, just contact me by PM when you have time and see me online. I'll go into the Admin Control Panel and change the setting, once done, you can PM me with any change in photo viewing capability.....And you'll probably need to restart the app to make the changes after John is done. Ouch, my head hurts.

[B-O-B'03]

What equipment, what software are you using to view his photos (or that isn't working to view his photos? ???

Hi John,

I am using firefox on a windows 10 PC, do not have smartphone, so no tapatalk.

When I go to the Animal thread, I see the pictures from everyone except Hank.

I just posted a few of my own pictures to the thread, with no issues.

-Brian

[LHaven]

Thanks, B-O-B... I've been waiting for that other shoe to fall, and I figured it would eventually.

I'm pretty confident the problem is not in my profile, because I can't see those photos even when I'm not logged in, meaning that the forum doesn't even know who I am.

Not sure why my profile would be set to "no ads on tapatalk," since tapatalk expecte me to pay for that option, plus I certainly do get forum ads on tapatalk. (Though today, I seem to be getting only a bunch of gray squares marked "advertisement" with nothing actually in them; and on all forums, not just Keystone. Nothing's ever simple.) So feel free to turn that off, though I don't have high hopes.

[LHaven]

Tracking this down is just astonishing.

I sent the raw image link (https://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=267&pictureid=6936) to DW and both boys, none of whom are forum participants. All get blank pages. One of the boys posted the link as a private Facebook photo, to see if Facebook's server could fetch it from there, re-store it, and pull it up. Still blank.

Then I thought, maybe the forum software won't serve up album photos to non-members, and there's a bug that always considers me a non-member. So I sent the link of another album photo around (https://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=1081&pictureid=6263) and it pulled up just fine.

Honestly, this is like the forum software playing "Yanny or Laurel" with us.

I'm going to re-post the photo immediately below, in hopes that anyone else who sees nothing will chime in.

vvvvvvvvvv

https://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=267&pictureid=6936

^^^^^^^^^

[LHaven]

My son, 40 miles distant, attempting to load the link directly, responds:

After reading through the forum thread I tried firing up an Incognito window in Chrome and disabling my adblock… no change. Something’s definitely wonky.

[JRTJH]

Nothing shows in the area your link would be posted:

vvvvvvvvv


^^^^^^^

However, when I click on "edit" in your post, I can view the image link: between the vvv/^^^

The two links in your post are not the same:

https://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=1081&pictureid=6263 and
https://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=267&pictureid=6936

One is a URL and it's visible as a photo when I click on it.
The other is a IMG and it is not visible...

HMMMMMMM

[LHaven]

Don't get confused... there are three links in that post: a URL and an IMG to ...6936, neither of which will pull up for some of us; and a URL for ...6263 which I used to demonstrate that we have no problem accessing the average album reference.

[JRTJH]

OK, so now that we've all "confirmed" that the "image pasting from photo albums" is not a reliable means to post photos for some (not all) of us....

Have you considered using the "paperclip" and posting photos from your computer files? I've been doing photo attachments that way since I joined the forum and to my knowledge I've never had a failure to post, an orientation issue or a "lost" photo because of a edit/deletion in a photo album....

IMHO, relying on a link to a changeable file/deletable file is much like using "photobucket" for years and when they close, all your photos are gone.

I know this doesn't fix the issue, but sometimes when your tire goes flat, you change to use the spare and keep moving along. might be time to change the spare and get the flat one fixed later on......

[hankpage]

Don't get confused... there are three links in that post: a URL and an IMG to ...6936, neither of which will pull up for some of us; and a URL for ...6263 which I used to demonstrate that we have no problem accessing the average album reference.

Okay, I edited all of my posts on the "animal" thread using a different method. I hope all can see them now.

[Janet H]

I think the underlying issue here is that hank has several albums on his profile and most are set to private. That means that links to those images won't display to most viewers.

Editing the albums to set them to public (hank would need to do this) should change the display.

[LHaven]

That certainly fits all the symptoms.

It just begs the only remaining question of why so many people were able to see hank's "private" photos, and so few of us weren't.

[JRTJH]

And, let's not forget that your photos that were not visible aren't in an album marked "private" ?????

We may "solve the problem" by changing the process and NEVER learn why it happened while maintaining a full understanding that it will likely happen again given the same situation.... Some do, some don't and no rationale why (or who) will be the "next to see a blank screen".....

[hankpage]

And, let's not forget that your photos that were not visible aren't in an album marked "private" ?????

We may "solve the problem" by changing the process and NEVER learn why it happened while maintaining a full understanding that it will likely happen again given the same situation.... Some do, some don't and no rationale why (or who) will be the "next to see a blank screen".....

John, Have you gone back to writing fortune cookies again???

Okay, everybody can now see all my private parts . I hope you are all happy. :devil: You may never be able to wash that image from the recesses of your brain. https://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=251&pictureid=1587

[JRTJH]

Hank,

Now that is an image I'll hope I never encounter again !!!!!

http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/nervous/nervous.gif (http://www.sherv.net/)

[ctbruce]

Scarred for life.

[flybouy]

Hank, you would do that when the Holy Water store is closed.