Information causes a problem........

This is not the first time, but it WILL be the last time ...........

I was writing a response to an ongoing thread, and hit "send"
I was given, in red, the information that another post had gone up since I started and to "click here" to read it before posting

Clicking causes a complete stall - I have to quite entire browser, because I can't just quit DG. Of course I lost the posting I was writing, and won't bother w/ it now.

Maybe it is because I am on Mac
Maybe it is because I am on Firefox
Maybe it is because I was wasting bandwidth ......arghhhhhhh

Whatever the reason, I won't be seduced by that coy invite to "click here" - nah, you ain't gonna get me again


If others have experienced this, I would appreciate knowing that much.

Thanks

I frequently get that message and always click on the link and have never had a problem. Previously I was on a PC and had no issues either with IE or Firefox, now I'm on a Mac with Safari and never have a problem either. So I'm not sure why you're having trouble. How old is your computer? I wonder if it's a memory issue where it would have trouble having another window open?

Wonder why you getting the message before you send. I don't get that until after I have sent my messgage and then the notices come up asking if i want to return to same forum or if somebody had just posted beore me, it wil show it in red .

It depends on your timing--if you preview your messages and someone has posted while you were typing but before you click "preview", then you'll get the message when you preview your post. But if you don't preview your messages you'll only see it after you send. But even if you do preview, there'll still be times when someone manages to sneak a post in between when you previewed and when you click send, and in that case you won't see the message until after you send either.

What ecrane said. Just adding that when it shows up when you preview and you clik on it, I frequently cannot return to the message I was going to post. I usually just post and go back and read the other message afterward.

Thanks for input!!!

You are right that it happens when one is in "preview" mode. That is the only time the red information statement appears.

I just had another system lockup when I asked it to scroll to "new" on a forum I am following. I had to close out DG - and reenter - then I just went to bottom, not asking for anything automatic.

It must be my computer, although it is less than 2 years old.........oh well, some of these strange things can be worked with ...one just has to get smarter than the computer!

This message was edited Jul 22, 2008 7:45 AM

ecrane3,

The situation doesn't happen very often so it's hard to remember, but doesn't Firefox open a new window when you click on the red line of writing to read the added message? If it does, then after clicking you would have two windows open in the browser bar: the first being your new post, and the other containing the new message from someone else. I was thinking that IE did, too, but it's been months and months since I used IE, so not sure.

Karen

I quite often highlight and copy my posts before I send them. Then if I lose the post for one reason or another I still have it in copy. Especially if it was a longer or detailed post.

I agree. I've many times opened a blank word doc and copied my posting into it just in case. I haven't lost anything, though, since I switched to Firefox. I found that even if I'm in preview mode with a post, I can use the back button to add or change a photo or just recheck something on the original thread and my new "not yet submitted" post is still there. Cannot do this with IE. If you back up with IE, it will erase your writing in the reply box. I've also had many times where IE just simply glitched and lost the whole thing. I no longer use IE except at a couple of sites where I MUST use it.

But I'm thinking that in this situation with the notice of the "new post" in red when you are previewing your own new post, is that after you click on the red line of writing you now have two windows open in your browser - one with the other person's new post and one with your own "not yet posted" post. If I am remembering this correctly, then the window with the other person's post will not go back to your own "preview" posting. You would have to manually click on that open window at the top of the browser to return to it.

Karen

Aha, I just posted on another forum and when I went to preview I got the red "new message posted" line. Yes, Firefox DOES open up a second window. After clicking on the "go here to read it", you should see two open windows on Firefox right at the top -- one that says "replying to a thread" and the other one that lists the forum name and the thread name. This second window is where you are right then.

You can move back and forth between the two. Whichever window you are currently viewing will have a red X by it. After you've read the "new message", you can close this second window and it will take you back to your posting preview since this will now be the only open window you have.

I believe IE does something similar, but it's been a long time since I used IE on DG, so I don't remember exactly how IE handles this.

Karen

I think all the browsers open that link in a new page--I'm pretty sure Dave controls that through the programming and he figured people would want to be able to go and read the new message without losing all the stuff they already typed in theirs, so the new one opens in a new window.

The other thing I thought of that can cause problems is if people have popup blockers that can cause problems with opening new windows, the popup blocker will sometimes block them. Usually what happens though is the new window doesn't pop up and then you think the link is broken, I don't know that it would freeze up the entire computer.

I assure you that if I do have two windows open, I still don't have the ability to switch or move - I can only quit the browser. I have learned to copy my message, most of the time, for exactly the reasons stated here. If I have to close the browser, I still "have" the message.

I really appreciate your help - and I will pay closer attention to the circumstances that cause this to occur.

I am going to get the computer tech over here soon as I am losing a lot of posts before I can send. It is frustrating and I have a new computer (well.......6 months old). It has never done this in the past, but I feel sure he can do something so it doesn't happen. It now happens about 3 or 4 times a week. I fly by the seat of my pants through life anyway and if.........I had to type something on notepad to copy and paste, I wouldn't even remember what the last post said.

ecrane3,

Wouldn't surprise me if all the browsers work that way in this particular instance. I believe you are correct that it is set that way via programming by the web site.

I always have the pop-up blocker turned off. Causes more trouble than it saves, IMO. Depending on how the pop-up blocker is set, it would either notify you that a pop-up had been blocked or it would just block with no notification.

In any event, opening a second window or even having a pop-up blocked should not freeze the computer/browser.

wannadanc,

If it happens again, be sure to take note of the circumstances and what was going on. Your computer should not be doing as you describe --- and clearly it is.

gessiegail,

I don't know why you are losing posts. But you don't need to type it into notepad first. Once you have typed your post, if you highlight your post and then do Control+C with your cursor on the message, the typing will then be on the clipboard of your computer. After you have copied to the clipboard, be sure to click on a blank space in the post so that you undo the highlighting. Then hit either preview or send, if your post disappears, hit the back button on your browser to go back to the thread, and in the posting box paste it back there from the clipboard (Control+V). As long as you haven't copied something else onto the clipboard, your copied post will still be there, so you could do this as many times as you need to. Only takes a couple of extra seconds, but it will assure that you don't have to retype everything.

It's a nuisance, no doubt about that, but it is a good work-around for this type of problem.


Karen

I just learned something gigantic! Thanks so much as I didn't know you could save to your 'clipboard'. AGain I thank you, Karen.

gessiegail,

Yep, every time you copy something on your computer it actually copies it to that "invisible" clipboard and stays there until you either turn off your computer or do another copy to replace the first one. Very handy gadget.

Karen

verrrry excited to know this!

It even "copies" when you do an X function, which deletes an item.... Control X??? or whatever it is on PC --- again, being a Mac, it is different and yet the same ....you can then do Control V and have the item pasted ........I do this when I am "moving paragraphs"

Trust me, Glendale, I AM finally paying close(r) attention to what is happening - it may be time to visit the Mac hospital again.

I just always thought that when I used control C to copy, I had to immediately use Control V and paste it somewhere.

gessiegail,

No, you don't have to paste right away after copying. It will stay there for you unless you copy something else to replace it or you shut down your computer.

Karen

Just saw this post. This may be a 'dead' issue now, but just wanted to add that I do most of my DG'ing in Firefox running on a Mac Book Pro. Upon getting the red indication that someone posted while I was typing, I, too, usually just go ahead and 'send' my post and then go back and read the new post afterward; however, I have occasionally clicked on the red link to see the new post 1st and did not loose my post while doing so. Still, as I have blown my posts away many times (my error), if I have a large post, I try to remember to copy it 1st, just in case something goes wrong.

I'm glad to hear that Firefox works the same way on Mac as on Windows. Unlike with IE, when I am posting and using Firefox I can type a post, go to review, then hit the back button, look at photos on the thread, and all the while my unsent post is still there at the bottom of the thread. It did not get erased when I used the back button as it would have with IE.

Karen