I need your help. Yes, you!

[DzM]

Do you use Medusa frequently? Have you noticed a periodic (or frequent) problem with graphics used in the pages (icons, background graphics, whatever) not displaying? Have you noticed the forum page being layed out really crappy - lots of text, few images at all?

Yes? Neat! Pleased to be answering these questions:

1) Approximately when did you notice this behavior starting?
2) What browser and operating system are you using?
3) What is your ISP (who connects you to the Intertubes)?
4) If you just bonk on "Reload" do the missing graphics show up?
5) Do you know what traceroute is? Yes? Great! Can you show me your traceroute output?

Thanks!

[Doktor Avalanche]

I haven't seen any problem with the graphics, but the background behind the text (as opposed to the mottled background behind everything else) sometimes only shows on the bottom posting, and when scrolling up or down, continues to show only on the bottom one (whichever that is). Does that make sense?

1.) Noticed after the new software (or whatever created the new design) was introduced. This is only sometimes, and hasn't happend to me lately.

2.) I've seen it on my 2 home PCs and I'm using IE7 on each (ducking to avoid the debris thrown my way). I did have a Mac @ work and didn't see that at all with Safari.

3.) ISP is Comcast broadband.

4.) No.

5.) Egads - many, many hops:

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\tracert http://www.pogues.com

Tracing route to pogues.com [66.124.151.76]over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 5 ms 2 ms 2 ms 192.168.1.1
2 11 ms 11 ms 10 ms (omitted by Dr. A - privacy 'n such)
3 10 ms 10 ms 10 ms ge-1-20-ur01.howardcounty.md.bad.comcast.net [68.87.131.89]
4 8 ms 9 ms 9 ms te-9-3-ar01.howardcounty.md.bad.comcast.net [68.87.129.37]
5 12 ms 9 ms 11 ms po-10-ar02.whitemarsh.md.bad.comcast.net [68.87.129.34]
6 15 ms 15 ms 12 ms pos-0-7-0-0-cr01.philadelphia.pa.ibone.comcast.net [68.86.85.13]
7 17 ms 18 ms 17 ms COMCAST-IP.edge1.NewYork2.Level3.net [4.71.186.14]
8 16 ms 15 ms 15 ms xe-11-1-0.edge1.NewYork2.Level3.net [4.71.186.13]
9 23 ms 16 ms 18 ms vlan79.csw2.NewYork1.Level3.net [4.68.16.126]
10 25 ms 16 ms 18 ms ae-71-71.ebr1.NewYork1.Level3.net [4.69.134.69]
11 20 ms 19 ms 18 ms ae-2.ebr1.Newark1.Level3.net [4.69.132.98]
12 16 ms 19 ms 16 ms ae-14-51.car4.Newark1.Level3.net [4.68.99.8]
13 17 ms 16 ms 17 ms ex1-tg2-0.eqnwnj.sbcglobal.net [151.164.89.249]
14 18 ms 16 ms 16 ms 70.245.63.207
15 18 ms 17 ms 17 ms bb1-p14-0.nycmny.sbcglobal.net [151.164.41.247]
16 17 ms 16 ms 17 ms core1-p4-0.crnyny.sbcglobal.net [151.164.240.34]
17 29 ms 30 ms 30 ms 151.164.95.250
18 30 ms 29 ms 29 ms 151.164.94.80
19 62 ms 46 ms 46 ms core1-p3-0.crchil.sbcglobal.net [151.164.188.181]
20 47 ms 45 ms 45 ms core2.p12-0.crchil.sbcglobal.net [151.164.40.201]
21 55 ms 55 ms 56 ms 151.164.94.202
22 95 ms 94 ms 94 ms core1-p3-0.crdnco.sbcglobal.net [151.164.188.33]
23 94 ms 94 ms 95 ms core1-p13-0.crsfca.sbcglobal.net [151.164.94.73]
24 95 ms 95 ms 94 ms core1-p3-0.crscca.sbcglobal.net [151.164.242.85]
25 95 ms 95 ms 95 ms bb2-p2-0.sntcca.sbcglobal.net [151.164.93.58]
26 95 ms 95 ms 95 ms dist1-vlan42.sntcca.sbcglobal.net [64.161.1.147]
27 98 ms 94 ms 94 ms rback14-g1-0.sntcca.sbcglobal.net [63.203.35.83]
28 105 ms 104 ms 136 ms adsl-66-122-38-118.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net [66.122.38.118]
29 136 ms 105 ms 104 ms dzm.com [66.124.151.76]

Trace complete.

[DzM]

I haven't seen any problem with the graphics, but the background behind the text (as opposed to the mottled background behind everything else) sometimes only shows on the bottom posting, and when scrolling up or down, continues to show only on the bottom one (whichever that is). Does that make sense?

Thanks Docktor, but that's a different problem. That seems to be an artifact of MSIE sucking. (Well, OK, not entirely sucking, exactly, but being inconsistent with how it deals with modern Cascading Style Sheet, or CSS, instructions.) This problem that you see may, one day, get fixed as I slowly revisit the CSS for the fora, or Microsoft pushes an MSIE7 update that makes it suck less.

Anyone else? I'm trying to chase down a transient problem where some requests to the server fail inexplicably, and I _think_ it has to do with the routers of the up-stream service provider. I need more evidence about where it fails from so that I can be appropriately grumpy at my service provider.

[Jon]

1) Approximately when did you notice this behavior starting?
2) What browser and operating system are you using?
3) What is your ISP (who connects you to the Intertubes)?
4) If you just bonk on "Reload" do the missing graphics show up?
5) Do you know what traceroute is? Yes? Great! Can you show me your traceroute output?

1. Not happening
2. FireFox 2.0.0.13 XPSP2
3. Corporate Firewall fed using Cable & Wireless & EzNet.
4. as 1
5. behind firewall.

[Doktor Avalanche]

I haven't seen any problem with the graphics, but the background behind the text (as opposed to the mottled background behind everything else) sometimes only shows on the bottom posting, and when scrolling up or down, continues to show only on the bottom one (whichever that is). Does that make sense?

Thanks Docktor, but that's a different problem. That seems to be an artifact of MSIE sucking. (Well, OK, not entirely sucking, exactly, but being inconsistent with how it deals with modern Cascading Style Sheet, or CSS, instructions.) This problem that you see may, one day, get fixed as I slowly revisit the CSS for the fora, or Microsoft pushes an MSIE7 update that makes it suck less.

Arrrgggh - it's doing it again.

[barbinberkeley]

Hi Dz. I've been using this forum several times a week since I joined last month, and have had no problems whatsoever. I use Mozilla Firefox, and Yahoo as my internet provider. I hope this helps. One thing I never, ever use is Internet Explorer, as it makes my computer wig out completely.

[lesh]

Do you mean this kind of wonky?



If so:

1. This was the first occurrence.
2. Camino & OSX 10.4.8
3. Cox Cable
4. Yes, but it took >30 seconds to refresh properly.
5. Traceroute? Never run one before, but easy enough to figure out how.

traceroute to pogues.com (66.124.151.76), 64 hops max, 40 byte packets
1 10.0.1.1 (10.0.1.1) 6.272 ms 4.919 ms 0.953 ms
2 10.2.64.1 (10.2.64.1) 23.188 ms 13.307 ms 7.382 ms
3 skngsysc01-gex0102000.ri.ri.cox.net (68.9.8.29) 8.665 ms 10.468 ms 14.892 ms
4 ip68-9-7-5.ri.ri.cox.net (68.9.7.5) 23.756 ms 10.332 ms 10.628 ms
5 provdsrj01-ge500.0.rd.ri.cox.net (68.9.14.113) 17.831 ms 13.471 ms provdsrj02-ge600.0.rd.ri.cox.net (68.9.14.109) 15.987 ms
6 ashbbrj02-as0.0.r2.as.cox.net (68.1.1.232) 22.198 ms 22.620 ms 20.123 ms
7 151.164.92.241 (151.164.92.241) 104.446 ms 104.015 ms 101.673 ms
8 70.245.63.181 (70.245.63.181) 229.045 ms 109.526 ms 194.864 ms
9 dist1-vlan40.sntc01.pbi.net (63.203.51.3) 102.182 ms 103.054 ms 103.822 ms
10 rback14-g1-0.sntcca.sbcglobal.net (63.203.35.83) 100.973 ms 101.387 ms 104.010 ms
11 66-124-151-73.technicalwizardry.com (66.124.151.73) 111.776 ms 110.950 ms 113.137 ms

[DzM]

That is precisely the kind of wonky.

When you say it took thirty second to refresh properly, does that mean you bonked the reload button or that you just waited and, as if by magic, it suddenly looked normal?

[lesh]

The former - I clicked the reload button and the site displayed normally after the brief wait.

[DzM]

Danke!