problem with math forum

Thread Starter

THE_RB

Joined Feb 11, 2008
5,438
Hi, I have posted to threads normally in ohter areas of the forum, but there is a problem with the math forum specifically this thread;
http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=89101

when I try to post a response to a question someone has asked me it jumps to a Captcha entry form and tells me to turn cookies on etc, and the page warns of a virus or hack. In short, it won't let me post a reply normally.

Can you please check this, as someone may have hacked the math forum or that thread. :)
 

Georacer

Joined Nov 25, 2009
5,182
I managed to quick-reply and quote-reply just now. Check it out.

I can report the problem to the administration but it would be faster if we could find a workaround.
For now I propose that you mount the post elsewhere and I move it to the right place. If the problem persists, we will investigate further.

Thank you for reporting this.
 

Thread Starter

THE_RB

Joined Feb 11, 2008
5,438
Hi again, nope, it is still refusing to let me post.

Maybe someone is being a smartass because they did not like my input in that thread? :)

Here's the screen result (attached) after I hit reply;
 

Attachments

studiot

Joined Nov 9, 2007
4,998
Well I, for one, am sorry if you can't post.

Does the problem apply to only one particular thread or is it general?

Hopefully Georacer can get it fixed soon.

:)
 

Georacer

Joined Nov 25, 2009
5,182
I have said this before and sadly I'll have to say it again:

bertus, Bill and I are moderators. In all forum softwares out there, a moderator is simply a superuser. He can move posts around, rename them, sticky them, edit them, ban users and mark them as spammers. Very little beyond that.

We cannot look at the database or software log files, we cannot write or edit scripts for the forum, we cannot uninstall mods from the forum software. All this is an administrator's job.

We always forward your technical requests to the administrators, via a dedicated sub-forum in the Moderators' Forum (hidden). We are not informed if those reports are acknowledged or fixed.

Honestly, this is all truth and nothing but the truth. The moderators do what they can, but what they can do isn't enough for problems like this.

Thank you for your understanding.
 

studiot

Joined Nov 9, 2007
4,998
Honestly, this is all truth and nothing but the truth. The moderators do what they can, but what they can do isn't enough for problems like this.
if we could find a workaround.
For now I propose that you mount the post elsewhere and I move it to the right place.
Georacer you have done more than that. You are too modest.
 

Thread Starter

THE_RB

Joined Feb 11, 2008
5,438
Seems funny it only occurs in that one thread while the rest of the forum seems to work normally for me? I've never seen that Capcha error page before.

I'll PM my post to Georacer for the moment.

(edit) Actually I won't. Any attempt to send a PM comes up with the same error page. :(

(2nd edit) It won't let me post or start a thread in the math forum. My front page is shown in the screenshot below (see icons).

It looks like someone has hacked a little "ban" of the math forum for me...
 

Attachments

Last edited:

Georacer

Joined Nov 25, 2009
5,182
The grayed out icon means that there are no unread (by you) discussions/posts in that forum, not that you have limited accessibility to it.

I'm more worried about your inability to send PMs. Please produce a bit of documentation on this so I can file a service report.

For the time being, I guess you'll have to place your answer here.
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,976
Hi again, nope, it is still refusing to let me post.

Maybe someone is being a smartass because they did not like my input in that thread? :)

Here's the screen result (attached) after I hit reply;
I got that same screen a few days ago. I was trying to post a detailed response and was afraid I was going to lose it while dealing with the Captcha. But I didn't. I filled in the Captcha (and included a note pointing out the limited utility of such things) and it promptly submitted and accepted the post. I haven't been bothered by another one since (yet).

I have no idea what they are keying off of to decide when to intercept a post and require you meet this challenge. Good luck figuring it out.
 

Thread Starter

THE_RB

Joined Feb 11, 2008
5,438
The grayed out icon means that there are no unread (by you) discussions/posts in that forum, not that you have limited accessibility to it.
Thanks, I was not sure about that greyed icon and had never noticed it before. :)

It did seem an unusual coincidence that the entire forums had worked fine right up to the point where I sparked some lively debate in that one thread, and then directly after that, that same thread stopped working. A coincidence in both location AND timing? I suppose that's possible.

I'm more worried about your inability to send PMs. Please produce a bit of documentation on this so I can file a service report.

For the time being, I guess you'll have to place your answer here.
What would you like me to do re the PMs? I run the same old browser and operating system that I have used here for some time, and PM's have worked for me in the past. However I do always run with javascript, cookies and flash turned off (but this has not caused problems in the past).

Here's a current list of what fails to work (ie fail=capcha form);
* replying in that math forum thread
* posting a new thread in math forum
* trying to PM you from your user page
* trying to PM you from my messages page (typing in your username)

Re posting in the math thread there was nothing I was saying that was important enough to get assistance to post it! I was just enjoying a lively "infinity" discussion as I always do and trying to steer the discussion away from a pure math perspective towards a real-world discussion since the original question came from a more real-world oriented problem about irresistable voltages vs immovable short circuits which I think some people might have missed.

Anyway, I'm a bit busy at the moment so don't sweat it. I'm not. :)
 

Georacer

Joined Nov 25, 2009
5,182
I think it's a bit stretched to expect the forum to work right without javascript and cookies enabled. You may have done it for all that time somehow, but the first thing I would try if I were you would be to enable those two options.

You can always use an incognito window if you don't want preferences and data to be stored in your machine.
 

Thread Starter

THE_RB

Joined Feb 11, 2008
5,438
Thanks guys i think I just cracked it (with help from WBahn's words, here);
I have no idea what they are keying off of to decide when to intercept a post and require you meet this challenge.
I often have lots of threads open and for longer replies compose in a text editor (to avoid timeouts while I'm cooking/foruming/TV etc), and I was cut/pasting in a large block of text into the reply box.

Since this has not caused any issues in the past, I'm assuming this particular block of text was over X characters, and its size triggered some type of forum safety feature to stop spammers cut/pasting large spams?

It's likely the same thing occurred to WBahn when he got the capcha screen too.

I noticed a few people have said lately they composed a large reply but the forum ate it etc, so that might be the same issue too (although they did not get the capcha screen displayed, due to different cookie/java settings?).

It's also likely the same thing happened on the PMs as they included the same quantity of text.

Just shows, you can't post "infinitely" long posts... here in the real world. ;)

My apologies to everyone concerned, and thanks for your help. :)

(edit) Also thanks Studiot, i just got your PM no problem.
 

bertus

Joined Apr 5, 2008
22,270
Hello,

As far as I know the limit is at 5000 characters.
This is including the characters needed for links and tags.
Also there is a limit of 6 attachments in one post.

Bertus
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,976
Hello,

As far as I know the limit is at 5000 characters.
This is including the characters needed for links and tags.
Also there is a limit of 6 attachments in one post.

Bertus
The limit is 10,000 characters.

If you exceed it it will give you a message to that effect, tell you how many characters you presently have, and take you back to the post editor so that you can work at trimming it down. You can go through as many attempts to submit as it takes.
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,976
Thanks guys i think I just cracked it (with help from WBahn's words, here);

I often have lots of threads open and for longer replies compose in a text editor (to avoid timeouts while I'm cooking/foruming/TV etc), and I was cut/pasting in a large block of text into the reply box.

Since this has not caused any issues in the past, I'm assuming this particular block of text was over X characters, and its size triggered some type of forum safety feature to stop spammers cut/pasting large spams?

It's likely the same thing occurred to WBahn when he got the capcha screen too.
Nope, that wasn't my issue. It happened pretty mundane length post and I've post longer was both a bit prior and a bit later. I'm guessing it had to do with a session cookie expiring that hadn't been refreshed.
 
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