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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Post technical questions and issues here. Yes, the layout is slightly different!

Discussion in 'Communications' started by Grimby , Sep 2, 2012.

  1. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    I cannot open the last page of the Fanon thread at all. Once again, the last poster is earlybird obiwan.

    So, as weird as this assumption may be, could it be that something happens to a page when they're the last poster on it?
    http://boards.theforce.net/posts/52244483/ (from my notifications)

    http://boards.theforce.net/threads/...eapons-index-updated-15-march.50024318/page-6 (actual page URL)

    http://boards.theforce.net/threads/...pdated-15-march.50024318/page-6#post-52244483 (actual page URL with an anchor to their post)

    This does not seem to occur in other forums, this thread being an example:
    http://boards.theforce.net/threads/azureangel2´s-new-secret-garden.50003789/page-9#post-52238797
     
  2. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    I get 'problem loading page' errors on all those except the last one in Firefox. However, while the last one has quite a few images in posts on the linked page, I don't see it as particularly heavy in markup code.
    What I think might be happening, and it's just a guess, is that the server is timing out translating the markup code/HTML for display when it retrieves post records from the database. If there's too much it can't finish the job and your browser presents an error page.
     
    Ewok Poet likes this.
  3. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    Ewok Poet I PM-ed the fanfic mods about that.

    LAJ_FETT I'm beginning to doubt that this is a "too much markup" issue and here's why. On the one hand, the Fanon Thread has many other posts that have very, very heavy markup (for instance this one has everything: bold, italics, colours, fonts, links, spoiler tags, you name it) and they work just fine, whereas the post that caused page 6 to crash should have limited markup (meaning some bold and italics and two links only). On the other hand, as EP noted, the url leading to that post is kinda weird as it doesn't redirect to include the threads details and, if you check the user's profile page, it appears as a *triple* post, all of which have the same weird url (with a different post number of course.)

    Similarly, in the Prolific Writers' Index, I was able to access posts 1-10 and 21 on my tablet with a 10-posts-per-setting page, and all posts on that thread have exactly the same format, so I'm not sure what's wrong with posts 11-20 that we can't access them.

    I'll also add that in Fanfic we have several more threads that are choke full of markup (eg the OC Index or the Fanfic Index) and they all work fine for now.

    In any case I rescued as much content as I could from both threads on my tablet, so we always have the option of shutting down the threads and starting new ones, which is what I've been discussing with the mods. However, it would be nice to be sure that the issue isn't a glitch with the server or Xenforo or [insert technobabble here] before asking people to go to all the trouble of reposting their stuff.
     
    Ewok Poet likes this.
  4. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    If I go to that user's profile page, I can get the 'Recent Activity' tab to load fine, and I see what you mean about the triple post. I get errors trying to go to those posts though. However, if I go to the user's Postings tab, it just hangs there with 'Loading' and goes no further. The Fanfic Index loaded fine for me but the OC Index gave me a blank page first time and then loaded the second. There are a couple of posts there I'd consider heavy on markup - numbers 4 and 15. It could be that the length of the post is a factor as well - #15 is pretty long.
     
    Chyntuck and Ewok Poet like this.
  5. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    That happens to me all the time on all sorts of threads. I thought it had to do with my crappy internet connection. Should I keep track of that and mention the threads here from time to time?
     
  6. Dingo

    Dingo Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 23, 2001
    I doubt that this issue you are talking about with the Fan Fic threads is a "too many markups" issue, but rather that someone has done something wrong with a HTML markup that is causing the page crashes.

    Upon trying to load the relevant pages using the Tapatalk app on my iPhone, with the Fannon thread somewhere between post 61 and 75 something is killing it (TT at 20ppp can't load page 3, via Safari at 25ppp page 3 won't load). Considering Tapatalk strips a lot of the BB Code even if a post had a massive amount of it and the IIS was stalling when rendering the page, it would have been an issue when the post was initially made (unless it is on post 75 before the new page comes around and someone else posted immediately afterwards to get it to a 4th page before seeing the post). What is more likely is that someone has linked or embedded something that has either changed or contains some characters that the database uses in trying to parse a post and it is tripping over when rendering the page and creating a loop that it can't exit.

    The other possibility is that given the timing of events, I wouldn't be surprised if it is related to the same issue I posted about (since I find it odd that there is an issue with the FB login at all, and what I get is a blank page yet it seems to do the actual login process). There might be a glitch somewhere in the page rendering that is not dealing with something as it should be. Have there been any small updates or patches applied since around say Wednesday or someone tinkering with something in the page or style codings like the various javascripts or possibly the Google Analytics scripting? Because that would fit with it being something that only just started happening recently, and only affecting very specific posts.
     
  7. Mira_Jade

    Mira_Jade The (FavoriteTM) Fanfic Mod With the Cape star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2004
    I'm having the same problem with a few threads on the Non-Star Wars side of fanfiction - and the funny thing is that some of the pages that are having trouble loading are pages that have been loading with no problem for some time - http://boards.theforce.net/threads/the-silmarillion-this-taste-of-shadow-ficlets-and-drabbles-updated-3-11.50009080/]like[/url] the first page of my ficlet thread, which is over two years old now. It's a very recent problem - I loaded that page just fine only a week ago. For a lot of pages, recently, if you refresh the error message, they work on the second try, while some do not come up at all. Like Chyntuck, I too thought that was merely a side-effect of my internet.

    Some of the threads - like our http://boards.theforce.net/threads/2015-announcements-discussion-thread-share-your-thoughts.50027140/]2015[/url] Announcement Thread - are very few on the mark-up codes, and don't even have ten replies yet, but you still receive an error message with clicking on it. And that too is just a side-effect of the last few days. I'm not sure if this makes any difference, but the markup codes that are on those pages are bolds and italics and what not - maybe an indent code if you are getting fancy. I'm not sure how a line like that would crash the entire page - but then, that is the extent of my technical expertise, and I could very well be wrong. :p

    Anyway, it's an odd case, and we appreciate your help. :confused:
     
  8. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    Heh. I came here to see who was tagging me and this very page gave me an error message before I refreshed. And I can't open the two threads Mira_Jade mentioned at all.

    We love you LAJ_FETT [face_love]
     
    Mira_Jade likes this.
  9. Mira_Jade

    Mira_Jade The (FavoriteTM) Fanfic Mod With the Cape star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2004
    Love you so much, may I add. ;) [:D]
     
    NYCitygurl likes this.
  10. Dingo

    Dingo Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 23, 2001
    Just to correct something in my last post since I can't edit it: I meant page 4 in Tapatalk, not 3 (but that doesn't affect anything really except someone trying to replicate it).

    The only other time I've seen something remotely similar that wasn't the result of a coding/scripting issue was back when we were on SnowBoards. One night people were suddenly not able to access pages randomly (but it only affected some users and not everyone). The issue was that of the 5 database servers, 1 of them had a hard drive where the platters had literally shatter into a million pieces. So only when people were accessing that one server (controlled by the location of the user and the load sharing across the server farm) it couldn't create a page as there was no data able to be retrieved. Potentially in this case there could be a section of the board database server that is corrupted (either housing specific post data or the index to them) and so the data retrieval is falling over/timing out when looking for those specific posts/database lines.

    Or it could be that it's late at night here and I'm off on a wild flight of fancy.
     
  11. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    I can't access the Announcement thread linked above either - I just get a blank screen in Firefox.
     
  12. Harpua

    Harpua Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2005
    Okay... having pretty crazy issues loading pages. They take forever to load, or they don't load at all. Sometimes, once they finally do load, they load like this:

    [​IMG]

    or this

    \[​IMG]
     
  13. jcgoble3

    jcgoble3 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 7, 2010
    It took me six refreshes for this page to load. The technical issues thread is having technical issues! :eek:
     
    Force Smuggler likes this.
  14. Ramza

    Ramza Administrator Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2008
    The problem appears to have been resolved by a server reboot that took place about 20 minutes ago, but let us know if issues persist.
     
    pronker, jcgoble3 and Grimby like this.
  15. Grimby

    Grimby Technical Consultant & Former Head Admin star 7 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Apr 22, 2000
    Everyone please check again if you are still having the page load issues. A server reboot was just performed and I'm currently having no trouble on my end.

    EDIT: Ramza'd!
     
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  16. Harpua

    Harpua Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2005
    It's doing it again...

    [​IMG]
     
  17. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2011
    The search function is also down, at least for me.
     
  18. Dandelo

    Dandelo SW and Film Music Interview Host star 10 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Aug 25, 2014
    ^ me also :p
     
  19. Ramza

    Ramza Administrator Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2008
    We're getting a lot of Elasticsearch errors. If it keeps up we'll probably have to tinker with the server more.



    harpua I'm not seeing anything that should be responsible for those loading errors; have you tried resetting your cache and cookies?
     
  20. jcgoble3

    jcgoble3 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 7, 2010
    See? The majority of computer problems can be fixed by turning it off and turning it back on. :p
     
    pronker likes this.
  21. Harpua

    Harpua Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2005
    I just did, and it's still pretty wacky (a little better, but still pretty slow). This is the only site I experience this type of thing at, so I don't think it's on my end.
     
  22. Ramza

    Ramza Administrator Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2008
    Hm... is it possible your browser or an adblocker you're running may have updated recently? That's usually the other potential source of these sorts of issues.
     
  23. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    Still getting the Elasticsearch errors so I've emailed Grahame. It might be a little while before he's online though - East Coast US are still asleep.


    Edit - and Grahame has restarted Elasticsearch. So far so good!
     
    pronker likes this.
  24. Harpua

    Harpua Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2005
    I uninstalled and reinstalled Chrome before I made any posts in this thread, to see if the issues were due to my browser... nothing changed.
     
  25. Admiral Volshe

    Admiral Volshe Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    Are there set times for how often we're allowed to post/send private messages? I keep hitting a limit and the times vary wildly, from waiting 5 seconds to waiting 28 seconds to send a new post/message.