???

Why is your first post on this thread just a blank?

Didn't you type anything?

 

It's not blank: . Seems like there's something seriously wrong with the forum software or the server hosting it.

 

I'll check with roytour/Loz and then Admin re this

 

Thanks.

Btw the problem may lie with the forum software being _seriously_ outdated. The version label at the bottom of the page states it's "IP.Board 3.1.4", which was released about 7 years ago! Obviously tons of bugs and vulnerabilities have been fixed in IP Board since then, and honestly I'm surprised, that the site hasn't been yet taken down and fully deleted / defaced by some script kiddie or virus. It must be running with tons of unfixed security vulnerabilities that are well-known by now.

Also, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one affected by the problem of disappearing posts, but maybe others aren't aware of the issue, as it might not be obvious to them. That said I've seen multiple posts over the last few weeks complaining about the site appearing weird. So something is definitely not going well here.

 

My post has just re-surfaced:

https://www.browserstack.com/screenshots/8cf1a2defd92e83bf6712b0bb717de3a5a3d8529/win10_chrome_50.0.png

This was the very same page/topic just a few hours ago, when my post was still missing:

https://www.browserstack.com/screenshots/8f815fb49b95f78dc347a6e7896a3ee4e3ebe14a/win10_chrome_50.0.png

I'm wondering whether this happens somehow "automatically", or because of some moderator restoring the post or otherwise taking action to rectify the situation.

Anyway, it's really annoying that posts are just disappearing, and are discouraging me - and possibly others - from participation. Because obviously nobody wants to spend 10-15 minutes (or more) researching and composing a post, just to see it "swallowed" by the site somehow, and who knows what happening to it.

 

I'll resynscronise each ot the forum and see if it stabilises it.
I have see this before when spam within threads is removed the the remaining have to renunber.

 

Well, if you look at the screenshots I've provided you can see, that even during the time when the posts are missing, there are no gaps between the index numbers of posts still visible in the topic. So, you can't even tell there have been more posts in between, because the post numbers keep increasing as if there would have not been any, besides them.

I don't know whether this helps pinpoint or fix the issue, but am telling just because you mentioned the renumbering thing.

Thanks anyway.

 

My experience of other forums is that such issues may relate to the specific combination of hardware/software at both user end and server ends.

If the rest of us, or most of us, don't have this issue it may indicate a conflict with Gnits hardware/software.

 

In this case we can definitely exclude this, as both the initial submission, and then also the disappearance and then the resurface of my posts have been confirmed to been observed by others. Ie. multiple persons have confirmed that they've seen my posts originally (so there can't be any problem with my submission), and then have both not seen and then seen my posts again - without any intervention on my part, and obviously using their own client-side equipment. I've also used an independent web service to create the screen shots linked in this topic to prove the existence of the anomaly. I've also observed the disappearance of posts created by others (in the previous instance).

All these facts make it painfully clear, that it can't be my equipment that's somehow interfering and causing the problem there. Instead it must be something that's shared by all users and posters, and is working in the background - so something on the server side. The only question remaining can be whether this is somehow an issue with the database, with the server hardware or with the forum software. The prime suspect should be the latter, because the bug seems to be an application-level issue, not some random hardware or database error.

I'm also pretty sure that others' posts might also be regularly subject of this anomaly - but others just might not pay as close attention to their previous posts as I do, and might not be aware of the same thing happening to those, too. Or they just chose not to complain about the issue.

Whatever the situation here, it's definitely something on the server side. And most likely the culprit is either IP.Board, or something added to it or operating on it. Like a spam filter or who knows what. Even though the former definitely do not have the habit to automatically re-publish posts previously held for moderation or filtered.

 

In all my years moderating on this forum YOU are the only person having this problem.

Please don't say this right after I've explained it for a second time, that
1. several others have just confirmed this being an issue they've also witnessed and experienced, first hand
2. I've supplied independent and undeniable visual proof of posts disappearing and then re-surfacing
.

The fact that the issue I'm describing here is actually happening is simply beyond doubt and discussion.

Try clearing your browser cache.

I've been a software developer of 30 years, have been doing web development for 20 years, and am currently running multiple discussion forum sites of my own, with a daily traffic higher than this site is getting likely in a month. So, please believe when I say, that anything you could recommend me to solve this issue 1. I've thought of and 2. tried. And that I've most likely more experience with how to identify and track down such problems, than all participants in this discussion all together.

Again, not trying to put blame on anyone here, just pointing out the obvious. I'm interested in a solution, for the benefit of all of us, not in pointing fingers who's to blame or been wrong here.

 

Others have not seen the exact same issue only reported that posts or topics have disappeared and that is because of a different issue around deleted spam posts where the whole topic has been accidentally deleted instead of just the spam post.

The only other thing we have seen is when the host has rolled back to a previous day but then we loose loads of new posts so is more obvious.

In any case there in not a lot we can do about it and life is too short to chase it about so I have nothing further to add.

 

One thing I have notified that is s major flaw in the software is new posts. It should really be termed new posts since midnight, the function would be better setup as most other forums - new posts since last login.

Who are the owners of the forum?

 

Who are the owners of the forum?

VerticalScope is a privately held corporation headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
We specialize in the acquisition and development of websites and online communities for the Automotive, Powersports, Power Equipment, Pets, Sports and Technology vertical markets.


VerticalScope is an integrated multi-platform media company. Our social networks and websites are vertically integrated roll-ups in high-consumer spending verticals. The resultant audience aggregation places many of our verticals within the Top 5 of ComScore Media Metrix for their respective category.

We leverage our deep in-house expertise in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Internet marketing, and traffic acquisition to build highly targeted, successful online communities and websites. Our arsenal of tools includes a significant portfolio of irreplaceable, generic domain names we have acquired over the past decade. These domains drive organic type-in traffic to our web properties resulting in hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts arriving at our network every month by means of direct navigation.


Through targeted acquisitions and development, VerticalScope has built a portfolio of more than 600+ websites with more than 25 million aggregate pages of content and more than 105 Million unique visitors per month - and growing.