Technicals problems and issues

Michael

Posts: 87Quote

1:53am January 20th, 2004

Hi all!
I hope this thread helps us all with technical problems... I think that it's best here in the FAQ section, so I have included the first few problems that were already discussed in the general forum section.

Michael:

Sway:
Very interesting! Michael could you tell me please (LOL - ok ok, tell it the webmaster please) which browser you use? I used the preview here and everything was fine!?

Browser is MSIE5.5 on W2kSP4, but I don't think that this is the problem. U R using PHP, and that is processed on the server.
At the moment, I am logged in (of course, how else could I write this) and the language is German. Now, I click on "Vorschau" button and see what happens...

...nothing, OK, trying it again... it works alright. Ah, I got it: I changed it by myself, by having opened more than one Browser on your site. While I was writing my first post, I watched other areas on the site at the same time. There I switched to English, and then every reloaded page will be in English as well... and that is logical again

One mystery solved, another here: I was on your site at about 17h today, and my connection (despite DSL) was very slow (or was it your web space provider?). The pages were loading slowly and the fonts were gray instead of light blue. Strange, isn't it?

Now my connection is fine again and everything works... Perhaps we should open some thread for technical problems, or may I by myself? *wondering*

Norman:

Michael:
One mystery solved, another here: I was on your site at about 17h today, and my connection (despite DSL) was very slow (or was it your web space provider?). The pages were loading slowly and the fonts were gray instead of light blue. Strange, isn't it?

Now my connection is fine again and everything works... Perhaps we should open some thread for technical problems, or may I by myself? *wondering*

Great you could solve the problem! In fact if the browser can use cookies this site works with it now and the language option is stored there!
The speed problem is an other thing. One reason to chance the style of this site was to make it smaller and faster as before. And really I could save some kbytes for transfer. But the main problem is the provider (strato) who redirect unique-artwork.de to the (really fast!) server. Problem is the server for redirection is very slow... I think we have to search for an other provider again!!!

So that's it up for now, and I hope that there won't be so much problems that we have to use this thread excessively...

Michael

Michael

Posts: 87Quote

1:00pm January 28th, 2004

Hi Norman!
Here are some more probs with the site: Clicking on "Persönliches" leads one to that area where to chose "Journal", "Hintergrundbilder" and "Fan-Art".

The Journal works fine, but wallpaper.php and fanart.php display the forum page - not forum.php, but the content obviously.

Perhaps you're just working on that

Greetz
Michael

Norman Richter

Posts: 101Quote

7:50pm January 29th, 2004

You are right... I'm working on it

At the moment there aren't no wallpapers or fanarts uploaded.

The wrong redirect is really my fault! I will solve this at weekend.
thanks!
Norman

Michael

Posts: 87Quote

3:45am February 02nd, 2004

Hi Norman!
I made up a new thread in the discussion section, named underworld movie. My opening post (ms=2 t=5 page=1 edit=48) should show an image of the movie poster, but it's not shown as if it's not available. On a site on my own webserver, the same link to that pic works fine - do you limit size, or what is the problem?

Thanx and greetz
Michael

Norman Richter

Posts: 101Quote

6:58am February 02nd, 2004

Quote Michael at February 2, 2004, 9:45 am

Bad news for everyone...

I tried different ways to see this picture but it seems that there is no way to see this picture if it's redirected from unique-artwork.de. I believe it's a referer problem.

(Some servers don't allow a redirection from an other server as the it's own. There is no limitation of filesize or dimesion. It's really a simply of html.)

Some tries later: Finally I think it's the redirect problem because the pictures of pete are shown. If you type in the address of the image directly into you browser everything works fine and you can see the image of the trailer. If you go back to your forum entry you can see image. (it's simply loaded from cache for the actual browser session.)

I'm still working on the possibility to add a picture to post... stay tuned.
Norman

Pete
Posts: 72Quote

1:31pm February 10th, 2004

There is a minor error in the Wallpaper section. While the 640x480 picture is available correctly, the other dimension seam to be linked to the the next higher dimension. 800 -> 1024. So the last one is not available and just shows an error page.
Propably that is just a little linking mistake.

Sincerely yours,
Pete

Norman Richter
Posts: 101Quote

7:49pm February 10th, 2004

Thank you for telling me this really small bug. Everything is fine now!
Norman

Michael
Posts: 87Quote

4:13am February 16th, 2004

Hi Norman[1]!
Another idea, if not realized yet: I accidently closed my browser, so I should be automatically logged out after some time.

I don't know how you manage logon, and I don't think that there is a great potential for misuse, but I think it's worth having such security, isn't it.

Greetz
Michael

[1] This place ("Technical problems and issues") might also be called "Norman's place" hope you like the tons of work that we bring up to you

Norman Richter
Posts: 101Quote

2:58pm February 16th, 2004

Really cool! I love your suggestions to improve this site. :)

To ensure login everybody gets an unique session id which is stored in a cookie (or if your browser does not support cookies it will be hold in the url). If you close your browser before logging out the session id stays alive for one hour. Revisiting Sway site within this hour will "reset" the time and you will stay logged in.
In fact this cookie is encrypted so I believe that this session-handling is secure ... I guess

Thanks for your thoughts about our security!
Norman

Michael
Posts: 87Quote

3:37pm February 17th, 2004

Quote Norman at February 16, 2004, 8:58 pm

Really cool! I love your suggestions to improve this site. :)

Thankz! So I will keep on doing...

Thanks for your thoughts about our security!

I think that this a topic worth thinking about - I believe that so few webmasters take that aspect seriously...
In this case, by the way, it's all fine: The cookie really is encrypted, and the session really is over when you wait for an hour[1]!

Another thing: Please look at my second (and probably last) post in the funny things section. The annotation 1 at the bottom has some parentheses, but the closing parenthesis is parsed as a smiley like this one:
When I click to edit the text, there are the right characters: the second upper (so closing) quotation mark and the closing parenthesis, as here: ") but it looks like a smiley, as you can see...[2] Irritating is the fact that the quotation mark stays, and that the smiley does not take it away, but the parenthesis!

Do you store the quotation marks as two single quotation marks? Or does JavaScript recognize them as two single quotation marks? What's about the coding? These could be an explanation...

HTH
Michael

[1]No, I'm not that freaky to test it intentionally. I noticed the cookie through browser notification, and my session logged out because I talked to much to a friend on phone...

[2]I edited this post after Norman solved the problem (see following post): Now you really can see the qutoation marks and the closing parenthesis, so anyone reading this now should not bother that the sentences above are contradicting to what you see...

Norman Richter
Posts: 101Quote

7:35pm February 17th, 2004

LOL - cool thing. Say what you want but you really help with your posts. If some other situations bring up some problem - simply write them down.
Ok, I solved the smilie problem! It was a "simple" (I only write that - I don't mean that really lol) question when I parse the posts for something to "interprete". Your " (quotes) are (correct for html) replaced as a ". Your following ) and my following "smilie parsing" replaced thatinto a smilie... :)
But I found a way to work around...Finally I ask myself where was the part in front of your smilie. Kidnapped????
Any way it works well now!
Thanks
Norman

Michael
Posts: 87Quote

3:48am March 02nd, 2004

Hi Norman!
Another problem has appeared: I can't post in the discussion forum under topic "general discussion". Both the send and the preview button do not work, nothing happens when I click on them...

In this case, I have no idea what could be wrong... but it would be fine if you could have a look at this, because I would like to post something there.

Greetz
Michael

PS: Here, and in the galleries discussion, it works fine ?!? (and some others in the same forum, too, but I haven't tested all)

Michael
Posts: 87Quote

1:40pm March 07th, 2004

Hi Norman!
I don't know how far you alrady have worked on my last problem, but I found something out: I can preview short messages, but long ones won't come up. Is there a limitation of characters?

Greetz
Michael

Norman Richter
Posts: 101Quote

1:19pm March 10th, 2004

That was really a hard challenge but I found the problem now!
If it's interesting for you the problem was because I send at the moment the information in the
It will need a short time because I'm also working on the "attach an image to a post" wish.
Well, for so far you could split your posts!
Thanks
Norman

Michael
Posts: 87Quote

2:59pm March 10th, 2004

Quote Norman at March 10, 2004, 7:19 pm

That was really a hard challenge but I found the problem now!

The GET is limited... unconsciously, I knew that... But, you know, when you need some piece of information, it's not there...

It's great that we now know what the problem is. But I believe that there's no workaround so that you can keep on using GET. Using HTML FORM brings me to the use of the POST method, and here size doesn't matter. But you can't combine them... Argh, my head again, I thought I knew the answer to this problen, but I can't find it

Please post your solution when you solved the problem! Either will I, if I get this ******* piece of information out of my head

Greetz
Michael

Norman Richter
Posts: 101Quote

6:29am March 13th, 2004

Well I think I found the solution for the problem! Every post will be sent with the POST-argument (it's also needed for uploading an attachment; with POST sent entries have nearly unlimited size - as I think!) till now. To manage preview and send button an other script makes the important work. After this work the user is redirected next site. The user don't noticed that!
I think this is a clean way and I also think most forums working similar. By the way you have now the chance to add an image as an attachment. I only hope everything works fine!
so far
Norman

Michael
Posts: 87Quote

4:45am March 17th, 2004

Hi Norman!
Another topic: I just found your "Impressum" (engl. imprint or masthead, but I'm not sure if it's the right term for a website) and I wonder if a mail address is sufficient. I know that private sites don't need an Impressum, so it should be OK here. But because of the content, which is only for adults, more might be needed. If you know more about that, please tell me.

I remember an article (c't 15-2002: Wasserdichtes Webimpressum, Heise Verlag) where this topic is discussed widely. They also give a link to a site where you can make an Impressum online and where more information is given - maybe it's interesting for you: http://www.digi-info.de.

So far
Michael

Norman Richter
Posts: 101Quote

1:27pm March 18th, 2004

You are absolutely right! Simply a mail address is not enougth for the German law. I finshed the impressum late but it well done now!
In the past I read different notions about this topic. The important point is: It's necessary to have an impressum at your side when it's a comercial site, has a guestbook, forum, journal or whatever where visitors can read expressions of personal opinions or can write such one. It's not allowed to use an impressum as image, in flash, javascript because visitors using lynx or another text based browser (especially surfing at Sway's site!!!) couldn't read the impressum.
If you ever plan to start an personal homepage please think about my hint: Never register your home page in Germany! To understand my point please look here: abmahnungswelle.de
so far
Norman