Quick Reply Box

[ssullivan]

The quick reply box is great. I use it 100% of the time. However, it has an issue:

I'm on Beacon WiFi, which loves to log me out randomly and terminate my session. Not usually a problem... I simply open another window, log back in and pick up where I left off on whatever website I'm on.

The trouble with the quick reply box is that when my session is closed through a drop in my internet connection, all data entered into the quick reply box is lost. I just spent 15 mins putting together a helpful response for the new 2 Bros members, and POOF... it's gone.

Here are the steps to re-create the issue:

1) Type up a quick reply
2) Terminate your internet connection
3) Hit "save quick reply"
4) See the screen alerting you that your browser can't find cruisersforum.com
5) Hit the back button to go back to where you were to try and submit the quick reply again (once your internet connection is functional again)
6) Scream in horror as your 15mins of typing is no longer in the quick reply box and you have to type it all over again.

This is basically what happens.

[Sunspot Baby]

If I am composing a long answer, even using the quick reply box, I draft it in Word, then copy and paste. Easier to edit in Word and would avoid the lost work.

George

[ssullivan]

Yes, I agree with the work around, George. I do something similar in that I compose it in the quick reply box, the *usually* copy it into my clipboard buffer before hitting "post quick reply." Once in a while, I forget this workaround and I'm out all the typing.

The board's software has a little bug in it, or possibly the underlying open source engine does. Anyone know why this happens?

[Alan Wheeler]

It happens in all reply boxes Sean. Can be very frustrating. There are many times I too have typed out long arduose replies and had them lost and haven't bothered to re-type. Hmmmm, maybe that's a blessing to you guys,;-) By the way, you only have to hit a wrong button and have the page change and when you hit "back", it's gone.
I maybe worng, but I don't think it is a bug as such, but the way the software operates. Whether the software can be changed or not Andy would know the answer to that. Not sure if he is around at the mo.

[ssullivan]

Right... possibly not a "bug", per se. However, it's a bad implementation of a dialog box. I suspect it's possibly a "feature" of PHP? Maybe?

[coot]

The behaviour you are describing is taking place entirely within your computer. It has nothing to do with PHP, a scripting language that runs on the server, or anything else running on the server.

b.t.w. It does not happen at all on my computer. I am guessing that you are using Internet Explorer on Microsoft Windows. I am using Firefox on Linux. Firefox is also available for Windows, so you could switch browsers if the problem is IE. If the problem is caused by Windows, you're pretty much screwed.

At this point in typing this message, I tried what you described.

What I see is:

1,2) type up reply, drop internet connection
3) hit "Post Quick Reply" (I guess that is what you meant, since the word "save" does not occur anywhere on the page I am looking at)
4) under the button, a message appears to the effect of "posting quick reply - please wait"
5) bring network back up
6) wait for it to time out
7) get bored with waiting, click "Go Advanced". (I would hit the stop button, but the Javascript program is doing something, so the browser doesn't think it is loading a page.)
8) finish posting there

I didn't lose anything.

Sean, I have the exact same problem, with the exact same cause. Control C is the only answer I have come across. I copy every post before I hit "Post Quick Reply", then, when the stupid DNS page comes up, I can just go back and paste it. Once in awhile, I forget to copy the text. I usually just give up in discust, and go do someting else for awhile.

[ssullivan]

Interesting, Kai... Beacon as well?

Coot: I am not so sure it's entirely in my computer. I run Firefox (latest version) on OSX.3.9, which is a distribution of FreeBSD with a GUI called Aqua layered over it. A-la Mac OSX.

If anything, my OS and browser support more standards than MS products do, as much of what I'm running is open source.

Maybe I'll do some investigating and find out why this annoying behavior happens.

In the mean time... I sure hope Beacon stops sucking out. It just times out after like 30 secons of inactivity.

Actually, I use Stagecoach Wireless. A small upstart here on the Central Coast, but great customer service. Unfortunately, it is the nature of the beast to have WiFi cut out, as it is affected so much by so many different sources. The worst offender in our case is the unreliable DSL line that feeds the network. People running radar in the harbor have been reported to have caused interference, other WiFi services, and personal wireless networks if they get on a channel too close to ours will interfere... You get the idea. It's a hell of allot better than dial up.

[coot]

Originally Posted by ssullivan

Coot: I am not so sure it's entirely in my computer. I run Firefox (latest version) on OSX.3.9, which is a distribution of FreeBSD with a GUI called Aqua layered over it. A-la Mac OSX.

If anything, my OS and browser support more standards than MS products do, as much of what I'm running is open source.

Awsome - since I quit working, I rarely encounter anybody who has even heard of BSD. I used to use NetBSD, but I have Linux now. (In a way, it's just like Windows -- it's so popular because everybody uses it because it is so popular...)

In any case, PHP only runs on the server, so it can't be doing much to your computer when the network is disconnected. Some pages on this site use a lot of Javascript, which could be screwing things up, but that would still leave me wondering why it works ok for me and now you.

Do you have to use a web page to log in to your ISP? Some wifi systems run your web browser traffic through a proxy that checks authentication. If you aren't logged in, any web page will look like the login screen, then the login screen is replaced by the real web page after you log in.

What happens if you change your step 5 to "hit the back key BEFORE bringing the network up again"?

[ssullivan]

Hey Mark (Coot):

Cool! I used to run Linux back in 99 or so... can't remember the flavor of the day back then. I do remember a lot of partitioning and manual "jimmying" to get things going though. I'm sure they have better installers now.

You're right about PHP. I have been away from software development for a few years now, so I'm not up on every thing. I'm an old C++ guy, so I never got to go out and see so many other languages, especially web types. Now that you mention Javascript, I think you might be on to something. I have all kinds of strange JavaScript behavior on this system, so that's probably it. I also have the web page you mention while logging into this ISP over 802.11b.

I'll just live with the minor trouble this causes for now. Copying it to the clipboard is a reasonably simple workaround.

I've been pretty busy lately trying to scrounge up some contract work (C++ related). It's how I plan to be able to keep our boat, so I'm really seaching high and low. Trouble is... after 9/11, I decided to get out of the "rat race." Hence, I'm a dinasour from 2001 who really only has C/C++ experience. Any idea on what kind demand there is out there these days for this skill set? I'm an old sciene/machine vision/NASA/C++/C application developer.

Sorry about the thread drift there. Just figured I'd ask you since I could tell by your post that you are "in the know."

[coot]

Originally Posted by ssullivan

I've been pretty busy lately trying to scrounge up some contract work (C++ related). It's how I plan to be able to keep our boat, so I'm really seaching high and low. Trouble is... after 9/11, I decided to get out of the "rat race." Hence, I'm a dinasour from 2001 who really only has C/C++ experience. Any idea on what kind demand there is out there these days for this skill set? I'm an old sciene/machine vision/NASA/C++/C application developer.

Well, I've been out of it for just under 2 years too. I've been starting to look at what is available, but not seriously yet.

I thought of a bunch of general things to say about contract work, but if you have dealt with NASA much, you probably know it all.

I haven't noticed much computer work available right now, except for DOD contractors trying to poach each other's employees-with-active-clearances. There was some fad-driven stuff last time I looked, but I didn't pay much attention because there are too many active fads right now to bother learning about all of them.

Still, C/C++ haven't been completely replaced the way people think COBOL was. Read all the job ads, even the one- and two-liners.

One thing that comes to mind: If you don't mind working in Bethesda (north of Washington DC, just inside the beltway, Maryland side) you might look at the National Institutes of Health. They were still looking for people last time I looked. Of course, it would be full time, working through a body shop. Look on nih.gov or nlm.nih.gov.

Another thing: Bill Gates recently told congress that they should raise the number of H1B visas granted each year, because he can't hire enough people to do all the work he has. Windows is a pretty alien environment if you've done most of your programming for Unix, an RTOS, or on bare metal. Still, it might be worth looking in to.

My optimistic comment is this: The last several jobs, it has always looked unpromising when I started looking, yet often one of those odd little "this doesn't look promising but I'll send a resume anyway" seems to work out.

I hope it goes well. I'd like to hear how it works out.