Do your programmers have any suggestions for users to change local settings or is it a problem at Kalmbach's end?

The problem of the main portions of the screen coming up blank been much worse during the last week of December for me using the latest version of Firefox. The banner and the frame with right hand side ads loads but the page content is blank. It happens something like 1/3 to 1/2 of the time in all 3 forums.  I had to press refresh 3 times to get the reply screen to load yesterday.

Apparently the problem of having to refresh every time you select a thread or hit reply has gone away for some members but not for me. It still gets me in all 3 forums, with the latest version of Firefox on 4 different computers with a T1 at work, DSL at  home and with wireless and T1 networks in hotels. It eats up 1/3 to 1/2 of the time I spend on the forum, cutting into my willingness to scan all the sections.

If it is a local setting I'd love to understand which setting I can change to reduce the problem. If it is the Community Server forum software it's a serious bug. If they can't fix it maybe Kalmbach should negotiate a refund.

Last month I  tried working in the forums with Internet Explorer 6.026 on a T1 connection.

I did NOT have to refresh pages but I did get some very long pauses with just a blue background, then another long pause  in a reply while it DL'd the buttons and graphics each time. The forum seemed much slower with IE than with Firefox... but maybe the same time if I counted the time needed to refresh? The T1 at work should be faster than the DSL at home.

The problem of having to log into each forum is another annoying "feature" that continues. Since I access the forums from several computers with different connections it may be a cookie issue. In my case the upper right hand message says Welcome Russ Nobbs so the system recognizes me. However, I have to log out and log in again to post or see "my discussions," This happens when I move from one forum to another and when  come direct to a forum. It's very inconsistent. I DO have cookies enabled.

Others have posted details of the problems they have that may give the techs some clues. See
http://cs.beadandbutton.com/bnbcs/forums/t/2706.aspx?PageIndex=4
http://cs.beadandbutton.com/bnbcs/forums/t/2706.aspx?PageIndex=3

I hope all this information will give some hints to the Kalmbach on line techs. It's an issue that is hurting your forum members and, in the long run, your revenue stream from ads on your sites.

it is still a problem for me too, but I am resigned to just hitting the button twice and I get the info. I wish it would be fixed but it's livable. 

Russ, did you go to Internet Settings in Control Panel and make sure that the page is refreshing automatically?  I have a Vista machine with Firefox and thankfully don't have the same issue you report. I have problems with Thunderbird. GRRRR.

 

 Good suggestion, Trysch!  It was set to automatically so I changed it to every time the page is loaded. I'll see if that makes a difference. I did not have to refresh to reply to this.

I trust you are reporting your Thunderbird problems? Mozilla is still developing that program so they would be very interested in your issues. 

I'm still getting the blank page. Yes, I can hit Refresh and wait for it to reappear, but it definitely detracts from the board experience. It's a bug I've only seen at this board.

 Unfortunately, I haven't received any word on this. I'm sending this new thread to our online department for review. Thank you to everyone who has offered information about their browser and internet connection.

 The manager of our online department made a post regarding this topic at the Bead&Button Forum. You can find the thread here: http://cs.beadandbutton.com/bnbcs/forums/t/5422.aspx

 Thanks, Katie,

I am providing Wade with details on the issue as it occurs. This morning I need to refresh nearly every time I open a thread or reply to one in either B&B or AJ.

Hi Katie. For what it's worth, the blank page bug seems to have disappeared during the past couple of days (knock on wood!). As I've said before, I use the latest version of Firefox 2.0.0.11 on both XP and OS X.

I appreciate whatever's been done at the board's end to resolve this issue. 

 Please disregard my above post. It's back.

It happened to me several times right now, at 8:59 a.m. eastern time. i was trying to look at the "question about juried show application" thread, on the "Help to the editor of Art JEwelry and got the blank page like 3 times... so frustrating!

Hi, the blank page thing is happening again over at Polymer Clay. 

 Hi, Linelle,

Did it just start happening again today? Was it only while you were in the polymer clay section? Any additional info you can give us is apprecaited.

Thanks!