xmarks forums problem?

[Mike1]

Ardchoille, the next time it happens, copy the properties on the image for me, and post them along with a screen shot, if you would be so kind.

The rank badge image you were seeing is in an /images/clip/ folder, whereas the Quick Reply icon is in an /images/buttons/ folder.

Please place the post in the Tech Questions forum, where I'm not having to sift through an entire thread to try to sort what might be happening.

Abax, if you will please post a screen shot of an incorrect image and its properties in that same forum, perhaps we can sort this out.

(And I am assuming you both take the time to clear your cache every couple of days. Right?)

I've managed to narrow an image display issue on one of my own forums to a difference in ISP's, so I'm going to need some proof this issue is server-side.

Just for the record, I am in and out of 75+ forums in a week's time and I have never seen this issue on any of them, at any time.

If everyone will take a moment to hear me out on something. When a member has a problem, we take it very seriously. If we have a server-side issue, we want to get it corrected as soon as humanly possible. The only way additional posts are any help is if others are posting evidence and details of the same problem. If you are having the problem, then by all means, provide us with the details so we can get it handled. If you're not having the problem, you are already relaying that information to me by not posting.

I use Firefox at home and IE at work and haven't encountered any issuse other than the draconic filter policies at work.

The "draconic [sic] filter policies"?? I don't know if that was a typo or intentional, but our spam filter now has a new title - Ladies and gentlemen, I present Puff, the draconic spam filter.

[ardchoille]

Ardchoille, the next time it happens, copy the properties on the image for me, and post them along with a screen shot, if you would be so kind.

The rank badge image you were seeing is in an /images/clip/ folder, whereas the Quick Reply icon is in an /images/buttons/ folder.

Please place the post in the Tech Questions forum, where I'm not having to sift through an entire thread to try to sort what might be happening.

Abax, if you will please post a screen shot of an incorrect image and its properties in that same forum, perhaps we can sort this out.

(And I am assuming you both take the time to clear your cache every couple of days. Right?)

I've managed to narrow an image display issue on one of my own forums to a difference in ISP's, so I'm going to need some proof this issue is server-side.

Just for the record, I am in and out of 75+ forums in a week's time and I have never seen this issue on any of them, at any time.

If everyone will take a moment to hear me out on something. When a member has a problem, we take it very seriously. If we have a server-side issue, we want to get it corrected as soon as humanly possible. The only way additional posts are any help is if others are posting evidence and details of the same problem. If you are having the problem, then by all means, provide us with the details so we can get it handled. If you're not having the problem, you are already relaying that information to me by not posting.


The "draconic [sic] filter policies"?? I don't know if that was a typo or intentional, but our spam filter now has a new title - Ladies and gentlemen, I present Puff, the draconic spam filter.

I'll do that next time I see a problem.. thanks

[emolas]

The "draconic [sic] filter policies"?? I don't know if that was a typo or intentional, but our spam filter now has a new title - Ladies and gentlemen, I present Puff, the draconic spam filter.

Oops, I meant draconian.

XMTS is one of the few non-work sites I am able to access without seeing the dreaded "WARNING, THIS SITE IS IN VIOLATION OF THE COMPANY INFORMATION USE AND SECURITY POLICIES" page. Even then, I can't see half the pictures on the forum because they are hosted at "unacceptable" websites (like facebook and myspace). But, such is life. That which cannot be changed, must be endured. I just make a note to check those threads out from home.

[Abax]

Abax, if you will please post a screen shot of an incorrect image and its properties in that same forum, perhaps we can sort this out.

Wilco.

And I am assuming you both take the time to clear your cache every couple of days. Right?

I have my browser configured to empty temp files on close under IE7 | Internet Options | Advanced | Security. A [CTRL] [F5] refresh should also replace any mis-named images in the cache, but it often just results in different incorrect images being displayed (and a regular [F5] gleans this result too).

I have no illusions that IE6 and IE7 are bug-free, but I wonder how they could be messing up something so simple as displaying the right image with the right file name in the right location. Hearing reports of other browsers not experiencing these problems makes me think it's the interaction of the browser and the server that produces the bad result.

Abax

[ardchoille]

I have my browser configured to delete everything when I exit it.. I keep nothing between sessions.

[ardchoille]

Well, it happened again today and I took screenshots. Someone's avatar is mixed in with the emoticons. It seems that people's avatars get mixed in with various other images. Aren't the avatar's in a separate directory?

Screenshot of problem:


Screenshot of image properties:


I also sent this info to Mike1

[Mike1]

I'll do some checking and see what I can learn. Thanks for providing the screen shots.

[Mike1]

I've reported similar problems in the past. I run Windows XP Pro on 3 different machines with IE6 and IE7. All 3 machines will display XMarks with errors involving images quite often.

OK, here are some ideas that have been tossed onto the table.

Abax, you're seeing this on three different boxes, so I have several questions for you.

Are all three using the same ISP?
Are all three running behind the same firewall on your end?
What firewall/s are you using? If multiple, please identify as Machine X/Browser X/Firewall X
Are all three running the same anti-spyware script/s?
What anti-spyware script/s are you using?
Are you blocking JavaScript?
If you see a bad image, what result does a hard refresh (Ctrl-F5) produce?

Ardchoille, I have some questions for you, as well.

As I recall, you said you were allowing JavaScript, correct?
What firewall are you running behind?
What anti-spyware script/s are you running?
If you see a bad image, what result does a hard refresh (Ctrl-F5) produce?

Is anyone else experiencing this same problem? If so, please chime in here with Browser/Firewall/Anti-Spyware descriptions and let me know if you have JavaScript enabled on your box.

Please remember, your non-participation in this thread will indicate you are not experiencing this problem.

[ardchoille]

Ardchoille, I have some questions for you, as well.

As I recall, you said you were allowing JavaScript, correct?
What firewall are you running behind?
What anti-spyware script/s are you running?
If you see a bad image, what result does a hard refresh (Ctrl-F5) produce?

Is anyone else experiencing this same problem? If so, please chime in here with Browser/Firewall/Anti-Spyware descriptions and let me know if you have JavaScript enabled on your box.

Please remember, your non-participation in this thread will indicate you are not experiencing this problem.

Yes, I allow javascript from xmarks.com, actually I don't block anything from xmarks.
I use Linux, there are no world-facing services in Ubuntu, nor open ports, so we don't need a firewall.
There are no active viruses or spyware for Linux so we don't need those apps.
A hard refresh sometimes produces the same image, sometimes corrects the problem.

[Mike1]

How about your ISP? Do they firewall at that level?

You have narrowed down every other possibility to just this one.

The only way we can prove that theory wrong is for you to either A) log your computer in via another ISP, or B) allow me access to your account to see if I can recreate the issue on my own computer.

I've talked this one over with techs at Jelsoft (the company that sells the vB software) and also with a third party that has written several add-ons for vB software. In every instance, we come down to the same common possibilities -

1. Browser settings
2. Security settings
3. ISP
4. Browser cache
5. Firewall
6. Anti-Spyware and/or ad blockers

In your case, we can clearly rule out nos. 1,2,4,5 & 6, leaving only your ISP as a possible suspect.

I display a logo for one of my affiliate advertisers on my own sites. If I use the computer at my work office, the logo does not display. Everything is identical about that computer and the one in my home office - same browsers with the same configurations, same local firewalls with the same configurations, etc. The only difference between the two installations is the ISP. I can examine the page source code from the office box and see the lines calling the logo, but it will not display.

If you are interested in my testing it further, I can change your account password to allow myself access to your account. Once we are finished with the testing, you can change the password back to whatever you want to use. Or you can take your box to a friend's home and log in via that ISP to perform your own testing. Barring that, we will have to simply assume the ISP is the culprit and consider the matter closed.