Bug in Forum code?

[subpopculture]

I couldn't find a "technical support" forum, so this one seemed like the most appropriate. In Safari 3, on Mac OS X 10.5, the PriceScope forums have a somewhat critical bug. You cannot successfully "Submit" new postings. The "Submit" button apparently does more than just submit the form it is in, and runs some JavaScript first. From Safari's JavaScript console, I have an error of:

Invalid regular expression: nothing to repeat: Line 146

Have I reported this in the right place?

Edit: It works in Firefox on Mac OS X 10.5, for what it's worth.

 

[Skippy123]

There isn't a tech support forum but if you look, there is button that says ? Msg Admin in the uper right and you can email them that way.

 

[CaptAubrey]

I have this problem sometimes. Quit and restart Safari, and it clears up. I don''t know what''s causing it.

 

[musey]

Date: 12/11/2007 12:12:47 PM
Author: CaptAubrey
I have this problem sometimes. Quit and restart Safari, and it clears up. I don't know what's causing it.

I believe that that was true in Jaguar, but not Leopard (the newest OS, 10.5). For me, there is zero response for clicking the "submit" button. Click. Nothing. This is precisely why I can't use PS on my iPhone, which is a bit of a bummer--but probably for the best!

Another problem I've noticed, with Firefox, is that if I type a long response, the submit button will cause it to think FOREVER and never actually submit. So whenever I'm typing for over a minute and a half, I have to copy the text, click the back button, click on reply again, then paste and submit. Otherwise it will sit there trying to "submit" for, literally, ever. So if anyone's noticed that my posts are hastily submitted then heavily edited, this is why

I wonder if this is the same code error, but manifested differently in different browsers.


P.S. Same problem with the "login" button. If a page has been fully loaded for too long, pushing the "login" button results only in endless "thinking" and no page change.

 

[elle]

Same here! I''ve been unable to post replies for the longest time from my macbook! Andre has patiently tried to help but i"ve given up and lurk mostly now!

 

[CaptAubrey]

Date: 12/11/2007 12:21:48 PM
Author: musey

I believe that that was true in Jaguar, but not Leopard (the newest OS, 10.5). For me, there is zero response for clicking the ''submit'' button. Click. Nothing. This is precisely why I can''t use PS on my iPhone, which is a bit of a bummer--but probably for the best!

I''m using 10.4.10, whichever update that is (kind of a Mac noob here...).

 

[musey]

Date: 12/11/2007 1:43:24 PM
Author: CaptAubrey

I'm using 10.4.10, whichever update that is (kind of a Mac noob here...).

When did you buy your computer? If it was before October 26, did you buy the new operating system when it came out? If not, then you're running Jaguar as opposed to Leopard (totally different operating systems--like Windows XP vs. Windows Vista).

I'm 99% sure that 10.4.10 is just an updated version of Jaguar, so you're not running the newest operating system, which is where safari won't PS (as it were-haha).

 

[snlee]

Check out this thread: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/i-am-unable-to-post-from-safari-preview-ok-but-not-post.72627/. Others are having issues too.

I contacted Andrey about not being able to post using Safari and he suggested using Firefox or Opera, like other PS'ers in the thread recommended. I use Opera on my MacBook and haven't had any issues.

 

[musey]

Date: 12/11/2007 2:06:58 PM
Author: snlee
Check out this thread: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/i-am-unable-to-post-from-safari-preview-ok-but-not-post.72627/. Others are having issues too.

I contacted Andrey about not being able to post using Safari and he suggested using Firefox or Opera, like other PS''ers in the thread recommended. I use Opera on my MacBook and haven''t had any issues.

Snlee, thanks for the Opera tip. The whole "thinking forever" in Firefox is really getting to me!

It''s so strange, because I don''t have problems with any other sites or forums than PS, and I have problems in two different browsers. Too weird!

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Has anyone contacted the people at MAC about this to see if they could do some kind of software patch? It''s going to be an issue for me because my computer at home recently bit the dust and I''ll be getting a new MAC soon. I also have to get a new cell phone by Feb. 18 because my old one is an analog phone, and the phone companies won''t support analog technology after Feb. 18. I had dediced to get an iphone, but if there are problems with Safari, I might get a palm treo or a blackberry or even a motorola q instead.

 

[musey]

Date: 12/11/2007 2:42:01 PM
Author: Madam Bijoux
Has anyone contacted the people at MAC about this to see if they could do some kind of software patch?

MB, the ONLY problems I've had either with my Mac or with my iPhone are on Pricescope. It might be an Ideal Science problem. I really doubt that Apple would have sufficient motivation to fix the problem on their end, and in my experience, problems like this are a coding issue on the website's end (in this case, IdealScience), not a coding issue on the browser/operating system end. Code performs differently on every different browser, so it's the responsibility of the coders of the website to allow for such discrepancies. Sort of like having a fact-checking department at a newspaper/magazine publishing company.

So even if Apple wanted to help, it's not their problem to fix.


ETA: The reason that there are often more problems on a MAC than a PC, if you're wondering, is that these coders most often "fact-check" (as it were) their code on PC browsers (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox for PC) and don't bother with MAC browsers. Why? Because more people use PCs than MACs. OR because they don't fact-check at all (FI works with one of these guys--OY

)

(Forgive the mini-rant, FI is an HTML manager so if he tells me about work, it's ALL about this very issue.)


If you're worried about PS-ing on your new MAC, just use Firefox and/or Opera. Firefox is free, if not both of them (I know nothing of Opera). As for the iPhone, there are many things it doesn't support (flash being one of them, Pricescope is still the browser not the phone itself). Make sure to check into all the things that are top priority for you before settling on an iPhone, because while it completely knocks the competition on its behind in some areas, it has limitations in others.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Thanks for the info, Musey. Maybe everything will be resolved by Feb 18.

 

[musey]

Date: 12/11/2007 3:42:16 PM
Author: Madam Bijoux
Thanks for the info, Musey. Maybe everything will be resolved by Feb 18.

That would be nice! I got my iPhone in early July, and there haven't been any fixes since then. Hopefully with the introduction of Leopard in October (and the more widespread problem--now it affects Safari users on MAC computers, not just iPhones users) Ideal Science will do something to fix this.

Perhaps Andrey wouldn't mind speaking to the Ideal Science people about this issue. Since it is affecting PSers, it certainly is affecting members of the other forums hosted by IS.

 

[scarleta]

I would just stick with Firefox , if you find a fix for Safari..please let us know..

 

[musey]

Date: 12/11/2007 7:59:34 PM
Author: scarleta
I would just stick with Firefox , if you find a fix for Safari..please let us know..

Yeah, that''s the best solution for the computer. I think I''m just SOL on the phone front

 

[snlee]

Opera is free too. I really like the speed dial function. At least there are other options for Mac users since PS isn''t compatible with Safari. It''s a bummer that you can''t go on PS with your iPhone though.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 12/11/2007 3:31:01 PM
Author: musey

Date: 12/11/2007 2:42:01 PM
Author: Madam Bijoux
Has anyone contacted the people at MAC about this to see if they could do some kind of software patch?

MB, the ONLY problems I've had either with my Mac or with my iPhone are on Pricescope. It might be an Ideal Science problem. I really doubt that Apple would have sufficient motivation to fix the problem on their end, and in my experience, problems like this are a coding issue on the website's end (in this case, IdealScience), not a coding issue on the browser/operating system end. Code performs differently on every different browser, so it's the responsibility of the coders of the website to allow for such discrepancies. Sort of like having a fact-checking department at a newspaper/magazine publishing company.

So even if Apple wanted to help, it's not their problem to fix.


ETA: The reason that there are often more problems on a MAC than a PC, if you're wondering, is that these coders most often 'fact-check' (as it were) their code on PC browsers (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox for PC) and don't bother with MAC browsers. Why? Because more people use PCs than MACs. OR because they don't fact-check at all (FI works with one of these guys--OY

)

(Forgive the mini-rant, FI is an HTML manager so if he tells me about work, it's ALL about this very issue.)


If you're worried about PS-ing on your new MAC, just use Firefox and/or Opera. Firefox is free, if not both of them (I know nothing of Opera). As for the iPhone, there are many things it doesn't support (flash being one of them, Pricescope is still the browser not the phone itself). Make sure to check into all the things that are top priority for you before settling on an iPhone, because while it completely knocks the competition on its behind in some areas, it has limitations in others.

actualy its much more complicated that that....

ie5 broke forms, website develpers worked around it and firefox and khtml(which safari is a version of) and opera wrote in the work around so they worked the right way and the IE5 way.
MS fixed it in IE7 so it works the right way and the IE5 way both.
Apple woked over the khtml code and removed the work around in the latest safari.
Websites still need to support ie6 which is still broke so the Website designers are stuck doing it the wrong way.
So in the end its Apples fault but it was orginaly MS fault for breaking forms in ie5 and not fixing it until IE7.....

Personaly I code to ww3 standards then break it as little as possible to get IE too work but too support ie6 the latest safari is out and IE6 still has a much larger market share.
There are still a lot of people running ie5 on windows 98 too.

 

[musey]

Tryin' to give the layman's version here, strm.

Regardless of the history, the point is that responsibility falls on Idealbb if anyone to fix problems, not Apple. They've got bigger fish to fry.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 12/12/2007 12:23:41 PM
Author: musey
Tryin' to give the layman's version here, strm.

Regardless of the history, the point is that responsibility falls on Idealbb if anyone to fix problems, not Apple. They've got bigger fish to fry.

nope idealdb can not fix it without shutting out ie6 users which there are more of than mac safari users.
Apple will have too be the one too fix it and they are the ones that broke their own browser compared to the last one by removing the work around.
No one owes Apple anything.

 

[musey]

Date: 12/12/2007 1:03:05 PM
Author: strmrdr

Date: 12/12/2007 12:23:41 PM
Author: musey

Tryin' to give the layman's version here, strm.

Regardless of the history, the point is that responsibility falls on Idealbb if anyone to fix problems, not Apple. They've got bigger fish to fry.

nope idealdb can not fix it without shutting out ie6 users which there are more of than mac safari users.

Apple will have too be the one too fix it and they are the ones that broke their own browser compared to the last one by removing the work around.

No one owes Apple anything.

That's why I said "if anyone."

*I* owe apple many thanks for my computer AND my phone

 

[LitigatorChick]

I don''t understand all the techno talk, but I know I have the same problem (can''t use Safari to post), but I can through Firefox. Simple solution!! Actually, I have the same issue using Citrix to work remotely, and my techno folks at work can''t seem to figure that out either. Being the computer savy gal that I am (he he), I used Firefox and presto, issue was resolved!!