Warning: disappearing messages

Subject: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 06:17 PM

I have received a few personal messages lately from people who have posted long, profound, inspiring messages - only to have them disappear. I've had that happen to me, too, and I don't know why. Besides, it seems to happen only to the things that I write that are extraordinarily intelligent and well-written. The crappy messages I write, never fail to post. Seems to be happening more now than it used to, and I don't know why. It could be that the message contained a word that Jeff has put on the "prohibited" list to prevent threads for online gambling and porn.

I've learned to save big posts before I submit. If I just highlight and CTRL-C (copy) my words to my clipboard, I can re-post immediately if it doesn't "take."

If this happens to you, all I can say is, try it again - but save it first this time.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 06:19 PM

It happened to Moses and the Commandments too, Joe. ; > )

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: skipy
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 06:21 PM

Interesting! how come you just got a message on with the word "porn"
Skipy, just playing - naughty bitch that I am.

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Sorcha
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 06:22 PM

If I do one of those, I do it in Word, and save....

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Jeri
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 06:25 PM

It's happened to me. Later, I noticed that someone else had posted to the same thread at the same time, so maybe it's one of those conflicting process thingies.

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 06:37 PM

Sometimes it's rejected if you type the word

poker
or Texas hold'em

...but that depends if Jeff has blocking switched on or off.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: nutty
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 06:41 PM

I have been known to preview my message (particularly if I am checking a link) and then forget to press the 'submit message' button.
Obviously when I go back to the Forum everything has disappeared.

Like Joe, I've learned to 'save' first.

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 06:49 PM

Just a tip, if you've got a screen-ful or more to copy & paste, "Ctrl+A" highlights it all for you prior to "Ctrl+C" to copy.
Saves dragging the cursor about.

CHEERS
Nigel

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Rasener
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 07:02 PM

I have just had one that I know I posted but it didn't arrive. Fortunately is was only short, so not a problem.

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: skipy
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 07:13 PM

Joe, don't go there! Max blocking things, where will that lead?
Think you know what / who I meam.
Ho Ho Ho, playful agian.
Skipy

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 07:20 PM

I had one 'not go' earlier....but I just hit 'back', copy the message and re-post... (Opera specifically does NOT delete the text in the box when I post...as long as I don't close the browser, I can go back thru all my posts...all day long)

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 07:29 PM

I haven't seen these spam things but if it's necessary to have posts to "dissapear" by "bad words", would it be possible to do it on some sort score basis, to reduce the number of genuine posts getting hit?

eg a simple one could be a post must contain say 3 "bad words" before it is considered as spam?

poker online casino gambling win money...

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 07:37 PM

Out of interest, a quick seach for "spam probability" turned up this page

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: open mike
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 08:00 PM

i had a post disappear today.
of course it contained brilliant
ideas, inspired solutions and
the answer to all the problems
in the universe. So now what
do we do? oh well, back to the
drawing board.

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: BuckMulligan
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 08:02 PM

I'll bet Shambles swiped 'em. (Couldn't resist)

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Slag
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 11:39 PM

So that's what happened to it! Sorry, newbie that I am, I accused Mudcat of censorship (see thread on deletions & etc.). Open Mike, "42"!!!

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: GUEST, Topsie
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 06:53 AM

I've had them disappear when someone else posted at the same time. I have this image of two messages speeding through cyber space and each trying to shove the other out of the way so as to be the one to get there first, as if only one can be the winner (bit like sperms).

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: GUEST,Sheila
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 08:25 AM

Nigel, thanks for this great tip! Any more? Sheila

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: The Shambles
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 09:26 AM

When it happens to happen to my posts (as it often now seems to) - it is a form of imposed censorship often undertaken by anonymous fellow posters and referred to and defended as 'silent deletion'.

Recently I was trying to post a link (to another thread) and tried 7 times to get it stick. Only to find out some time later - that some anonymous fellow poster with an edit button was deleting it (with no indication given of this) as fast as I tried to submit it.

How was I to know this was the case or if there was a technical fault?

However, and of course (unlike the rest of our forum) the current Chief of the Mudcat Editing Team's posts will not be subject to this 'silent deletion'. Even when setting the example of posting abusive personal attacks on their fellow posters, calling them names and inciting other to follow suit. So if his posts fail to appear - he will know that there must be some other reason.........Hence this thread.

Again, unlike the rest of our forum with a missing post - who will have no idea why - unless they post and ask........................Some may not do this and will just assume their post has been judged unsuitable and censored and may just never bother to try again.

To address this - perhaps it would be a good idea in future - when any form of imposed censorship has been judged to be necessary - some indication can be given and a (very brief) reason provided?

Then - should a post not appear and there is no editing comment in its place - posters will know that there is a technical problem and can report this - safe in the knowledge that their post has not been subject to anonymous 'silent deletion'?

Can anyone think of any good reason why this suggested solution to this problem would not work and should not be implemented?

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 09:30 AM

From when I first started here, some of my posted messages would not take - but often I used to get an error screen then.

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: manitas_at_work
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 09:33 AM

It may work but nobody wants to implement it. Continued whinging about it is not nearly as effective as actually twisting the moderators arms until they do it. They won't do it, it's as simple as that.

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 09:59 AM

To address this - perhaps it would be a good idea in future - when any form of imposed censorship has been judged to be necessary - some indication can be given and a (very brief) reason provided?

The problem is that the system is not posting messages it should be apparently a) because they are getting caught up in aome form of spam filter and b) because of problems with simultaneous posts.

It seems to me to make more sence to try to address the problems than to give a message to effectively let people know thier post has gone but was not a subject of the system problems (and potentialy create a new problem of people debating every occurence of a deltetion in the process).

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Jeri
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 10:26 AM

I've gotten that message about deadlocked procedures before, but the more recent message disappearances looked like they've gone, but weren't there when I checked.

I don't know what Jeff has going for anti-spam, but the only problems I've seen associated with that have been the 'poker' block and people not able to put their e-mail addresses in the 'from' block. I tend to save really long messages in a notepad file, and copy others so I can paste them somewhere if the submitting process doesn't work.

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: JennyO
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 10:28 AM

I had this happen with a particular post a few days ago - nothing remarkable about the post - it was a couple of paragraphs long and not controversial. It previewed okay but each time I tried to post, it didn't take, and I was taken back to the forum page which was the same as it was before I tried to post. Each time I hit the back button, my post was still there waiting, so I was able to keep trying. I tried 3 or 4 times without success.

I use Firefox, and I always have Mudcat open in 2 or more tabs, so I switched to Mudcat on another tab, opened up the thread, copied and pasted my post into the second one, previewed it, submitted it, and bingo - it went straight away. I've had this happen on the odd other occasion too. Some sort of technical problem I'd say, but a strange one.

Unlike some people, it doesn't even occur to me to wonder if my posts might be being censored. Maybe it's because I don't feel driven to say things that might invite censorship ;-)

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: The Shambles
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 11:07 AM

http://www.mudcat.org/detail.cfm?messages__Message_ID=1786151

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 11:34 AM

I post a lot (in the music section) and sometimes quite long posts containing lyrics. Very rarely have I found that a message of mine didn't "take" and I have always believed it was because I (as nutty described) failed to click the "submit" button one last time after using the "preview" feature.

Also, there seems to be a limit to the number of times you can click "preview." If you have done it too many times, then the final "submit" (without preview) doesn't work, but I think you get an error message. (The error message is in computer jargon that won't make any sense if you're not a programmer.) I never figured out what the limit is. You can get around it by using your browser's "back" button every time you decide your previewed message isn't good enough. In other words, instead of correcting your message in the box below the previewed text, go back to the previous screen and correct it there. That way you can continue previewing and revising your message as many times as you like.

I nearly always compose my messages first in Word and then copy-paste. That helps prevent several kinds of screw-ups.

Use Ctrl-A to select all; Ctrl-C to copy, Ctrl-V to paste.

If your paste is meant to replace bad text in the text box, then it's a good idea to do another select-all before you paste.

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: The Shambles
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 12:35 PM

Maybe it's because I don't feel driven to say things that might invite censorship ;-)

Many of us may be under that impression...... Perhaps many of us are wrong?

Deleted posts & closed threads

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Bert
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 12:48 PM

It can happen when you lose the connection while you are typing your long message. Then when you hit submit you lose the damned thing.

Shambles, as you have been assured that nobody is deleting your posts, then you are quite in order to log it as an error every time it happens.

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: manitas_at_work
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 12:49 PM

Or perhaps just the one.

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: JennyO
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 12:54 PM

Perhaps many of us are wrong?

Hmm. Perhaps not so many. Perhaps only one. Now I wonder who that could be?

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: JennyO
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 01:12 PM

It can happen when you lose the connection while you are typing your long message. Then when you hit submit you lose the damned thing.

Bert, I think it's unlikely that that was the cause the last time it happened to me. My message wasn't particularly long and didn't take me very long to type. It didn't disappear either - it was still there for me to try again several times. Mind you, I have had it happen where it got totally lost too. This might be a bit hard to track down it seems, but it's happened to a few people lately, so it's an interesting little mystery - and I do love a good mystery ;-)

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Bert
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 03:28 PM

JennyO,

sometimes your browser can keep the message even if the connection is lost.

Or a message could possibly get lost in some router between here and Mudcatville.

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 03:34 PM

The "back" button trick doesn't work for me with Firefox - I go back to a blank "reply" box. But highlighting and CTRL-C does the trick for me. Then I can just CTRL-V paste it back into the reply box.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Mr Happy
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 09:57 PM

PORN.

PORN.

MORE PORN.


SEXY PRAWN!

PORN!

POOR'UN

PAWNN

CORNPONE!

CORN PORN!

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Mr Happy
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 09:59 PM

Nope!

orl me prawn messigis still there!

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 10:04 PM

I've had that happen now and then. A few days ago I was trying to post some short message, and I don't recall that it was very controversial, but it would NOT go through! I tried and tried and tried....maybe 10 times. No go.

I went away for a while and did something else, came back and tried again...and it went through. Hmmm.

No question about it, save your longer posts before you hit "submit message".

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 12 Aug 06 - 02:18 AM

I've just assumed that all my problems with postings are because my local 'phone company has decided that everybody should switch to DSL and they're trying to "dissuade" those of us still on dialup to make the change.

Downloads that used to run 7 - 9 KB/sec now average 2.5 - 4.5 KB/sec.
Connection drops are about twice as frequent.
....
(The list gets pretty long.)

I used to occasionally get the error message when posting to mudcat (and to a couple of other places):

"The server has experienced a packet collision. Your packet lost and has been discarded. Please resend."

't always gave me something to smile about, at least, whether it was accurate or not.

Now all I get is "404 Error" - which is usually incorrect, inaccurate, and of no help at all, but it's a canned message on your own machine so it's the default that you get when the rest of the world doesn't care about informing you what they've f****d up.

John

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 12 Aug 06 - 06:24 AM

404 is an HTTP Status code sent by the server to tell the client a URL can not be found.

I think is't possible the IE "This page can not be displayed" message may at times be mistaken for a 404.

IMO, Firefox's "Server Not Found", etc. message you get if you have lost your connectsion or the server can not be found (eg. misstyped domain part of URL, server is down so can not respond) is clearer.

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 12 Aug 06 - 06:38 AM

Also, As 404 is an error detected by the server, the server can send other information with it (this is usually it's own built in default but that can normally be overridden). Other processing is also possible server side when a 404 is encountered.

Eg at folkinfo, I attempt to convert old asp URLs to the new php ones before reporting a 404 error if the page still can't be found.

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: The Shambles
Date: 12 Aug 06 - 11:40 AM

It may work but nobody wants to implement it. Continued whinging about it is not nearly as effective as actually twisting the moderators arms until they do it. They won't do it, it's as simple as that.

If it may work - there is only one way to find out.

Should the fact that (some of) our 'moderators' may not want to do it - be a factor at all - let alone the deciding one?

I suggest there are others willing to be replace our current moderators' - who would be prepared to do it?

Or is it generally accepted that our current 'moderators' are now the most important consideration and our forum now exists for their benefit?

Surely our 'moderators' only exist to benefit our forum and not the other way round?

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Peace
Date: 12 Aug 06 - 10:34 PM

Shambles, how the heck are ya?

Subject: RE: Warning: disappearing messages
From: Ebbie
Date: 13 Aug 06 - 12:00 PM

Well enough to sit up and take nourishment but still sick.