Forum Unreliable

[Jim Dow]

I have tried on several occasions to report/respond to posts using this forum; and it is completely unreliable! Even days after reporting/responding, my responses/reports remain unavailable.

At this point, I am feeling like this forum is entirely useless, with the worst occassions involving the addition of pictures.

With todays technology, this is inexcusable.

[Festus2]

Jim -
I have looked up your recent posts and 2 days ago you submitted a post complete with 3 photos and yesterday you also submitted a post. In yesterday's post, you indicated that you "had tried several times to update my progress but this forum will not take a valid input. I'll try later."

I am a bit puzzled why you state that "even days after reporting/responding, my responses/reports remain unavailable". During the last two days, you have successfully submitted 3 posts, including the one above, so your posts are appearing on the forum. There isn't a technical problem with the forum software - everything is working fine.

If you are having problems attaching photos to your posts, there is a sticky written by hankpage complete with instructions on how to do that. This sticky "Posting photos on the forum" is right here at the very top of this section.

If, after reading it and trying some test photos in this section, you still are having problems with posting pics, let us know and we will help you out.

Also, if you have experiencing posting problems of some sort, please let one of the Moderators know so we can work together to find a solution. If we unaware of your posting issues, it is difficult for us to help.

[Jim Dow]

Two days is still "days".

Previously, I have had no provlem responding or posting pics. It all started a couple of days ago; and the problem has repeated itself daily and repeatedly since them.

I have had no other problems with other forums which I use.

I tried several times to follow the trail of posts related to my camera project; and even today this forum is having glitches - even to show the previous day's posts only to fail to show them on subsequent visits to the post - as a test.

You've got a problem with this forum. I even terminated the IE session to clean out the history/cookies - to no avail.

Thanks

[hankpage]

Jim, I have looked back on your posts and see only where you have deleted a few of of your own posts. I am not pointing a finger just looking for a solution since you should see your posts immediately. Is it possible that you are previewing your posts and not submitting them??? Like Festus2 said, if you work with us we can find a solution. By the way .... nice work on the rear-view camera .... I have been following your progress. Hang in there, Hank
Once you view a post it will no longer be shown if you return to "NEW POSTS" but if you go to the thread you posted in it will be there. (I'm just thinking out loud)

[theeyres]

Jim, I'm fairly new to the forum--just a couple months--but I have not had any problems posting so I don't think it is the forum. And I see two pages of responses to your Rear Camera post, plus your comments on this thread... Can't help solve the problem, though. Hope the above ideas help.

[SAD]

Originally Posted by hankpage

...Once you view a post it will no longer be shown if you return to "NEW POSTS" but if you go to the thread you posted in it will be there. (I'm just thinking out loud)

I think this is it ^

Jim, are you making a post in your thread, and then hitting "New Posts" expecting to see it there? You will not see it there... Since you've seen it, it's not "new" to you.

If someone else comes along and posts a new reply, that thread will get bumped to the top of "New Posts"... And when you view it, it will no longer appear.

This is functioning as designed. It only shows posts "New" to you since your last forum visit.

If you want to see last 24 hours (regardless of whether you've seen it already or not), use "Today's Posts" under the "Quick Links" menu option.

If you simply want to see threads that you have participated in, try "User CP" (Control Panel). This will show all threads you have "subscribed" to. This page has a similar feature as the "New Posts" such that it only shows threads that have had activity since your last visit. You can click the link "Show all subscribed threads" and it will show both those you have and have not seen.

Hope this helps.

[Jim Dow]

The first time I encountered the problem, I made a post to update my progress - submitting my post (with pictures) as usual.

Several hours later, I checked to see that the post (update) was available; and it was not. So, I submitted another post very similar to the original update - probably wiht the same title. The system returned a message that I was attempting to duplicate a post. I responded to the message and edited the last post to delete it - both the original update and the second similar post were visible. The forum seemed to accept the delete; leaving only the original update post visible.

Next day, I was going to contribute a second update; but the origianl update was not available. I proceeded to summarize both the original post and the second update into one post and suibmit it. Everything seemed to work as expected.

Later in the day, I checked again and neither the original update, non of the apparently conflicting updates, nor the final update were available. Indications of a problem.

Later, I tried it again and when that apparently failed I became frustrated and quit all together.

Now, I don't know what's wrong with the forum; but it definitely has a technical problem.

[Essness]

Originally Posted by Jim Dow

The first time I encountered the problem, I made a post to update my progress - submitting my post (with pictures) as usual.

Several hours later, I checked to see that the post (update) was available; and it was not. So, I submitted another post very similar to the original update - probably wiht the same title. The system returned a message that I was attempting to duplicate a post. I responded to the message and edited the last post to delete it - both the original update and the second similar post were visible. The forum seemed to accept the delete; leaving only the original update post visible.

Next day, I was going to contribute a second update; but the origianl update was not available. I proceeded to summarize both the original post and the second update into one post and suibmit it. Everything seemed to work as expected.

Later in the day, I checked again and neither the original update, non of the apparently conflicting updates, nor the final update were available. Indications of a problem.

Later, I tried it again and when that apparently failed I became frustrated and quit all together.

Now, I don't know what's wrong with the forum; but it definitely has a technical problem.

With all due respect, this sounds much more like a setting in YOUR browser that fails to display the latest updates on the page you are posting to and attempting to view.

With 10, 000 members and only you are having problems................ well, it just doesnt add up!
Check your settings in your browser to ensure it's set to refresh when you open the page.

[Festus2]

Jim -

This is what I've discovered so far ------

I've gone back and reviewed the thread you started on the 10th of this month - "Effective Wireless Rear View Camera along with all of the posts that are contained in the thread. I did notice that there is duplicate post called "Partial Success" that you submitted along with two deletions that were done by you.

I've also note that you have posted a response to a thread ("Need Reviews On") started by WYO85 on the 21st of this month.

You have posted two replies to a thread started by lucemw on Review Cameras.

During this time frame, no technical problems with the forum were reported by any member and no problems have been reported up to today so I am assuming that the forum is functioning properly.

The forum software cannot, on its own, detect when a member has submitted a duplicate post. Duplicate posts can be made without any automatically generated message telling you that you are making a duplicate post. The forum software will not delete a duplicate post. Moderators, when they find duplicates or when they have been sent an email to this effect, will find the duplicates and delete one of the them.

To the best of my knowledge, duplicate posts can only be modified or deleted by the Moderators or Administrator and not by some software function.

It now appears that you are not having any more issues with posting and that the forum is working for you as it is for other members.

The problem that you experienced earlier is most likely due to the reasons outlined by hankpage and by SAD.

[SAD]

Originally Posted by Jim Dow

The first time I encountered the problem, I made a post to update my progress - submitting my post (with pictures) as usual.

Several hours later, I checked to see that the post (update) was available; and it was not. .

Tell us EXACTLY what sequence of events/steps you used to check on your post.

[Jim Dow]

Guys,
I made a post, submitting it correctly.
Some time later, enough time for the system to make the post - hopefully it's not that slow, I checked the post; and it was not there.
Assuming that I HAD done something wrong, I resubmitted a post with the same title; and the forum noted that I had made two posts with the same name and notified me of the duplicate - showing both posts.
I immediately edited the second post and deleted it - or that is what I was trying to do.
Some time later, enough time for the system to take the correct action, I checked the post again; and neither the original post nor the deleted post were available.
Guessing that the forum had killed both posts - the original and the aleged duplicate - I submitted another post (with a different title) and correctly submitted it.
Some time later, I checked to see if the latest post - with a completely different title had been posted. It had not been posted.
Some time later, I tested that particular thread of posts; and nothing which I submit will be posted correctly.

Conclusion: The forum did not handle the edit/delete correctly; and the entire thread of posts is contaminated.

Just to note: There is at least one other thread which I have encountered recently that will not allow a "return" from the thread once that thread is entered.

Conclusion: The forum code is buggy!

At this point, I am not certain that the entire thread of any sequence of posts contains all the relevant information (posts) intended - any subject. The subject matter is interesting and informative; but the content embodied in all the posts in a thread, collectively, is questionable.

I am a relatively new member; and I enjoy reading about what other people have done; and I have learned a lot from reading. However, at this point, the forum has lost my confidence. Also, I wonder what I have missed.

[Jim Dow]

The login sequence for the forum is definitely buggy and incomplete.

[Jim Dow]

Festus2: If you check tonight's posts from me, you will find 2 previous posts.

The first is a response to your post - after I logged in.

The second is an alert to you that the login procedure is buggy.

After logging in and making my first post the forum declared that I was not logged in and forced me to login again - which I diligently did.

At which point, the forum lost my first post; or that is what it appears to have done.

After logging in a second time, I notified you that the login procedure is defective. I imagine that this particular post is lost as well.

[Jim Dow]

Festus2: I am using FireFox and Internet Explorer to access the forum; and the problems persist. It does not matter which browser I use, the problems are still there.

[hankpage]

Originally Posted by Jim Dow

Festus2: If you check tonight's posts from me, you will find 2 previous posts.

The first is a response to your post - after I logged in.

The second is an alert to you that the login procedure is buggy.

After logging in and making my first post the forum declared that I was not logged in and forced me to login again - which I diligently did.

At which point, the forum lost my first post; or that is what it appears to have done.

After logging in a second time, I notified you that the login procedure is defective. I imagine that this particular post is lost as well.

Jim, When you log in check the box to keep you logged in and see if this helps. We will get this solved, Hank

[Festus2]

Jim Dow -
1. Can you tell us which thread is "contaminated"? Please provide the title and date of this thread so we can have a look at it. In what way is this thread and the posts found in it "contaminated"?

2. Are you now able to post a reply?

3. Are you now able to start a thread? Try starting a test thread in this section. Just enter "Test thread" for the title and a short, simple sentence for the body/text of the thread.

4. Are you now able to read posts?

5. Can you explain what you mean by "the content embodied in all the posts in a thread collectively is questionable"?

6. Have you tried following the suggestions outlined earlier by hankpage and SAD to try to solve the problem you are having?

7. "Assuming I had done something wrong, I resubmitted a post with the same title; and the forum noted that I had made two posts with the same name and notified me of the duplicate - showing both posts".

a) Was this notation and notification made by one of the Moderators? Just how did you receive this note? By PM? By a note at the bottom of the post? Somewhere in the thread? Again, the only way you should have been notified of a duplicate post is by one of the Moderators who have have soft deleted one of them or completely deleted one leaving only the other.

I'm sorry to hear that you have lost confidence in the forum and that you feel you have missed out on reading some of the threads/posts.

Quite frankly, I am at a loss to explain what has or is happening to your posts and threads. We have not received any queries or concerns from any other member about technical problems with the forum software or that they are having posting issues. Consequently, I am satisfied that the forum software is functioning as it should and is not "buggy".

In the last day or two, have things returned to normal or are you still having issues? If things are back to normal for you, perhaps whatever problem you had has disappeared.

[Festus2]

Jim -
Everything you said you have sent is coming through. So far, I have received 4 posts from you tonight in this thread.

More ........

I see that you have made a post re Generators so it looks like you are able to respond to posts and have access to the forum. Everything that you have sent tonight seems to be coming through ok.

Maybe things are now working as they should be????

[hankpage]

Jim, If you are trying to review your posts by clicking on new posts it will not be there. Since you have already read it it is no longer new. If you go to QUICK LINKS and then today's posts you will see it if you have SUBMITTED it.

[Festus2]

Jim -
To add to what Hank has described, if you go to Quick Links and click on Today's Posts, all of todays' posts will appear including any that you have submitted. The unread posts will be in bold print.

To read a post, just click on it and it will appear. Once you have read it, return to Todays Posts and the title of the one you just read will appear but will be in light print.

Bold print post/thread titles--- are the ones that you have not read.
Light print post/thread titles --- are the ones you have read.

When you are finished reading all of the posts that you want to read, you can go to Mark Forums Read, click on that (the option below Todays Posts) and this will result in all of the post titles appearing in light print - even the ones you really didn't read.

Try this and see if it helps with your problem.

[Jim Dow]

a) Login from the "Welcome" box is NOT acknowledged throughout the forum's activities.
b) The "list" function for entering text on the main posting dialog does not work
c) The "edit/delete" function does not work.
d) Often "Submit Reply" fails