[lynch]

Ever since the 06/07-8 updates I been experiencing a problem with pages returning blank.The titles at the top appear okay but there is no text.This happens every time I use the Back button to return to a previous page and randomly when I move about the site.Has anyone else experienced this?
I use Mozilla as my browser and Linux as my OS.
TIA lynch

[amthmi]

As of yesterday I can't view this site with netscape anymore.
Just the title at the top appears.
IE works fine tho....but I'm still a diehard netscape user.
Can this be addressed for those of us not using IE.

[lynch]

Same here:Mozilla is a no-go(On Linux or XP Pro which I'm using to edit this post).It renders the page completely with IE.
Crap
It's happpening at another site I lurk at.
http://www.linuxquestions.org/index.php
They say it has to do with the Microsoft banner ads thanking JTECH and HKLB,etc.They're removing the ads.
Hope this can be fixed.
lynch

[hewee]

Site works good with Netscape 7 for me.

Have the ads turned off.

Random has been slower after the ads were turn back on and the changes were made here.

[hewee]

In Netscape go to your session History and see what you have. Mine is set to 50.

[brendandonhu]

It could have something to do with the ad lynch mentioned.
Because that ad detects the browser/version
and does a different thing if you are running
A browser less than version 4
Netscape on a Mac
Netscape not on Mac
Internet Explorer

[TechGuy]

Make sure you don't have Javascript turned off or anything unusual... I'll try it out on my linux box at work Monday and see if I can track anything down.

However, if you're having problems using the back button (which would be commanded by your browser anyway) -- DON'T! Just use the navigation bar at the top of the page (for example, HelpOnThe.Net > TSG Forums > Community > Site Comments & Suggestions > Blank Pages Here).

[ChuckG]

I had the same problem with Netscape 7.02. I downloaded and installed an ad remover.

Problem solved.

The ads on this site are really starting to get annoying......and I'm sure I'm not the Lone Ranger when it comes to these ads.

[TechGuy]

Compared to other sites on the Internet, we have it easy. Two banners and few text links are nothing. If you don't like it, donate and have them removed. If you don't want to donate, find a site with no ads and see how long they can afford to keep running.

Sorry for being rude, but I'm just sick of all of the whining over a few pixels.

Nothing personal, Chuck. Honestly. That response is only concerning the ads in general. If there is a specific issue with an advertisement that isn't coded properly for particular versions of particular browsers in particular operating systems, that needs to be addressed (as discussed in this thread) separately...

[ChuckG]

Everyone understands the need for ads to pay the bills, TechGuy. It's that right margin ad that is annoying people.

VirtualDr learned the hard way what happens when you place ads in the right column. Many of the VDr people are here now because of those right margin ads. Not all of them, but many of them. If you go over there, you'll notice those ads are now gone.

You're now telling people to go if they don't like it. That's what VDr did. And now they have no traffic.

I'd suggest you start listening to your customers and stop getting defensive.

[TechGuy]

Chuck, your response was more patient and mature than my own -- thanks for that!

We need the new advertisers on the right to pay the bills, but only the section at the top ("Sponsors") is needed. I'm not against placing it somewhere else, if it makes sense...

I wish I could come up with some reasonably fast HTML code (parsed with PHP) that could allow for only the first 1 or 2 posts to have a bar next to them, and the remaining posts to go the entire way over. Unfortunately, my mind hasn't come up with an ingenious was of doing this efficiently just yet. Even so, there will be plenty of people still complaining.

However, reducing the message block across by those 130 pixels barely makes a difference in reality. It's not as if each post is any more than a line longer due to that. In that respect, it's kind of nice having them on the site (rather than at top, where it would require downward scrolling)...

Blah, it's just that I'm so sick of arguing over such a stupid topic. Of all things to complain about, why 130 pixels of real estate that is hardly utilized? Just an extra line in a post, if that. Anyway, one thing we do here is listen to people -- that's how we got the redesign, added the percent, brought back the post count, added the spell check, and much more... We need those links. I can't budge on that. Where should they be, or how can we make them better?

*phew*

[brendandonhu]

I think that the right hand column is the best place.
If it was on the left, it would feel weird reading only the right side of the screen, and if it was on the top, you would have to scroll down a bit to get to the thread, if it was on the bottom, no one would click them.

[TechGuy]

Those were my thoughts, Brendan... There are probably creative solutions to it, too. Some sites put ads within content (look at an article on msn.com)... We could put it just below the first post. But, I think that would be much more intrusive than just having some links on the right! For as many people hate them, though, perhaps one of them have a better idea!!

[brendandonhu]

I have a creative idea!
Not sure how practical it would be though.
You could have advertisers bid on keywords.
You could use the swearword filter to search for keywords in every post, and have them replaced with a link to the advertiser.
However it would be a problem for ad-free users. Would ad free users view the page with no sponsored links, or would their posts not have sponsored links in them, or both?

Example:
You should download a firewall.

Becomes:
You should download a firewall (Sponsored Link).

[TechGuy]

That is indeed a creative idea! As with the right ad bar, I wouldn't have non-ad people see it. I always like giving people that option.

But, I don't know how pratical it is -- remember, people don't like change to begin with. Even so, there are specific problems: we'd have to get some sponsors interested, some wouldn't want such links to take over their personal posts, and it might confuse new users...

BUT, that said, it's VERY creative!! I think you have the right mind for this game.