31 replies to this topic

[Porsche718]

I thought I'd start a separate topic during this time - depending on how long it takes to fix.

 

I have found a workaround.

 

Go to a post that should have a photo in the post.

 

Right click and select from the bottom of the menu "inspect element".

 

Two boxes will open on the right of the screen.

 

In the top box select "Sources" and left-click.

 

There will be a list (about 10 - 12) of sources used to assemble that post.

 

One will be the picture hosting app (eg - i.postimg.cc). Left click and a list of photos will appear.

 

Left-click on each (it will be letter numeric format).

 

Another link will appear immediately below quoting photo tag given by the poster.

 

Left-click and the photo will appear in preview.

 

Right-click on the photo, select "open image in new tab" and "voila" you have your photo!

 

Sounds complicated - but not really

[Ray Bell]

Workarounds are always fun...

 

I've been clicking on 'quote' for any post I wanted to see the pics, they're visible in the posting panel. Then click < and they appear in the thread.

[kayemod]

A week or so ago, all the pics disappeared from the TNF posts on my screen, nothing else affected. I did nothing, and a day or two later, everything was restored, how's that for a workaround?

[Porsche718]

Workarounds are always fun...

 

I've been clicking on 'quote' for any post I wanted to see the pics, they're visible in the posting panel. Then click < and they appear in the thread.

 

I tried that. Pics do come up in "quote" panel but are all squashed together.

 

However if you then right-click and select open in new tab" you get the full picture. So that is quicker than the method I posted.

 

Thanks Ray.

[GreenMachine]

A week or so ago, all the pics disappeared from the TNF posts on my screen, nothing else affected. I did nothing, and a day or two later, everything was restored, how's that for a workaround?

 

That's my sort of workaround.

[Vitesse2]

Changing to the Autosport Mobile theme seems to work for most people - including me.

 

Bottom left of your screen, select 'change theme' and switch to 'Autosport mobile'.

[Ray Bell]

How do you do that, Speedy?

 

There's a grey panel covers up whatever's down there...

[Ray Bell]

Ahh... with patience a little 'x' turns up to get rid of it.

[Lee Nicolle]

29/5 no pics

[Porsche718]

Pics do come up in "quote" panel but are all squashed together.

 

However if you then right-click on the photo and select open in new tab" you get the full picture.

 

Lee, 

 

I know it's annoying but the above seems the quickest "workaround" to view the images.

 

Steve W

[TerryS]

Lee, 

 

I know it's annoying but the above seems the quickest "workaround" to view the images.

 

Steve W

 

Why?

[Porsche718]

?

[jbbugatti]

This problem is extremely frustrating.

I find it surprising, to say the least, that it has not been fixed, more than a week after it was first highlighted.

Such a problem greatly impacts members’ (customers’) enjoyment of the Autosport Forums.

 

Do the Administrators not see it as a priority to escalate this problem and get it fixed?

Or, more likely, sadly, do they simply have no influence over priorities at the ‘New’ Autosport?

Edited by jbbugatti, 30 May 2023 - 07:08.

[Ray Bell]

It seems, from the thread in Website Feedback, that they are getting short shrift from the 'developer'...

 

If you go to the thread there... https://forums.autos...2#entry10266472 ...you'll set that a member has today advised them exactly what the problem is and how to fix it.

 

I'm sure the whole business is having an impact on members as you've described. I'm also sure that if it goes on much longer there will be people who leave and don't come back.

 

The 'developer' needs to be taken to task.

[GreenMachine]

This problem is extremely frustrating.

I find it surprising, to say the least, that it has not been fixed, more than a week after it was first highlighted.

Such a problem greatly impacts members’ (customers’) enjoyment of the Autosport Forums.

 

Do the Administrators not see it as a priority to escalate this problem and get if fixed?

Or, more likely sadly, do they simply have no influence over priorities at the ‘New’ Autosport?

 

^^ This.

 

Not interested in workarounds, I pay good money for problems to be avoided (hello testing?), or fixed quickly.

 

This is not the first time Autosport has dropped the ball with the forums.  Someone is sleeping on the job. 

[jbbugatti]

Further to my previous post….

 

Surely, by now, we deserve to be given a specific update from the two administrators of THIS forum, Tim Murray and Vitesse2, as to what specific actions they have taken to resolve this serious issue, and, in the event that there has been no response to them from the ‘developers’ what action they have then taken to escalate the resolution of this problem.

 

It is simply not good enough to expect forum users (customers) to indulge in some complicated workaround in order to be able to see a photograph.

 

And yes, I am fully aware that there is a separate thread on this subject in the overall Website Feedback forum.

But it is TNF which concerns me here.

 

I am in no doubt that if this issue is not resolved this forum, TNF, will DIE.

 

Just two examples :-

- Mark Bissett has recently posted a photo in the Paul England RIP thread - I cannot see it.

- Track Maps - ozpata’s wonderful track diagrams are no longer visible. In which case his wonderful thread is dead…

 

Over to you, gentlemen……

[Michael Ferner]

 

I am in no doubt that if this issue is not resolved this forum, TNF, will DIE.

 

 

Oh, I think that happened already. Nobody's interested in 'customer problems' here, they all just look the other way...

[Vitesse2]

Tim and I have no control over this as it's an issue with the server, which is the responsibility of the staff and/or contractors employed by Autosport and/or Motorsport.com. As you will have seen in the Feedback thread, Risil has been in communication with our contact at Autosport - there would be no point in more than one person chasing it up.

 

FWIW, the main Autosport site is now hosted on a server in the United States - presumably the same one as Motorsport.com - whereas the forum is hosted on one in the Republic of Ireland. As we do not have a direct contact with the developer we have no idea where he/she is located. It is perhaps also worth noting that many businesses in the United States are closed over the Memorial Day weekend - and that yesterday was a bank holiday in the UK.

 

The second fix posted by Primo in the Feedback thread yesterday will restore the ability to view pictures.

 

https://forums.autos...2#entry10270546

 

There is minimal risk in 'trusting' one site on your browser - and once the expired certificate, which is the root of the issue, is renewed, the problem will no longer exist. Primo has also posted an 'unfix', which it would probably be advisable to do once the certificate is renewed.

[GreenMachine]

Thanks Vitesse 

[Sterzo]

I for one am immensely grateful to Autosport for supporting a forum which is more likely to cost than to profit them, at a time when internet forums elsewhere are withering away. Also to the moderators, who do a tricky and time consuming job, for zero reward. Equally, I'm full of admiration for Kevin Turner and his colleagues (and bosses) who have turned Autosport back into the great magazine it used to be, when it looked almost certain to founder a couple of years go. Yes, we occasionally wait for a glitch to be fixed - a small price to pay.

 

[Porsche718]

Well said, Sterzo.

[John Ginger]

Thank you Sterzo, you’ve hit the nail on the head for me too

[Catalina Park]

I'm using Chrome and have not had any problems viewing images.
I tried using Microsoft Edge and the images didn't show till I used the simple workaround posted by Vitesse2.

Now if i can just get some help to change my username.

Edited by Catalina Park, 31 May 2023 - 10:31.

[Charlieman]

Temporarily putting on my former (conscientious) systems administrator hat, I'll ask a few questions from the user perspective and provide some candid potential answers which the PR people would never give you.

 

Q: What went wrong?

A1: If I knew what would go wrong, it wouldn't have happened.

A2: I inherited a system containing unexploded bombs and one of them just went off. 

A3: The author of this system was run over by a bus last Tuesday and I'm trying to determine how it works.

 

Q: How long will it take to fix?

A1: Given my limited understanding of what went wrong, expected time of fix is somewhere between ten minutes and eternity.

A2: Without actually knowing what went wrong, I can provide a solution at systems level which works in a different way, assuming that somebody gives me permission and I have no interruptions for eight hours.

A3: There's a woman who is on holiday in Hawaii who could fix this if we knew how to get hold of her.

 

Forum users reasonably expect certainty that somebody cares that a problem is being addressed and that appropriate maintenance is provided. I'm sure that PR people would put a bit of spin on both factors and reword my answers more diplomatically. No doubt you will all have experience of less diligent system administrators. 

[jbbugatti]

Tim and I have no control over this as it's an issue with the server, which is the responsibility of the staff and/or contractors employed by Autosport and/or Motorsport.com. As you will have seen in the Feedback thread, Risil has been in communication with our contact at Autosport - there would be no point in more than one person chasing it up.

 

FWIW, the main Autosport site is now hosted on a server in the United States - presumably the same one as Motorsport.com - whereas the forum is hosted on one in the Republic of Ireland. As we do not have a direct contact with the developer we have no idea where he/she is located. It is perhaps also worth noting that many businesses in the United States are closed over the Memorial Day weekend - and that yesterday was a bank holiday in the UK.

 

The second fix posted by Primo in the Feedback thread yesterday will restore the ability to view pictures.

 

https://forums.autos...2#entry10270546

 

There is minimal risk in 'trusting' one site on your browser - and once the expired certificate, which is the root of the issue, is renewed, the problem will no longer exist. Primo has also posted an 'unfix', which it would probably be advisable to do once the certificate is renewed.

Thank you.

[marksixman]

Q: What went wrong?

A1: If I knew what would go wrong, it wouldn't have happened.

A2: I inherited a system containing unexploded bombs and one of them just went off. 

A3: The author of this system was run over by a bus last Tuesday and I'm trying to determine how it works.

 

Q: How long will it take to fix?

A1: Given my limited understanding of what went wrong, expected time of fix is somewhere between ten minutes and eternity.

A2: Without actually knowing what went wrong, I can provide a solution at systems level which works in a different way, assuming that somebody gives me permission and I have no interruptions for eight hours.

A3: There's a woman who is on holiday in Hawaii who could fix this if we knew how to get hold of her.

 

Charlieman, when are you standing for Parliament ? You should have no problem. Until  the enquiry, of course !!

Edited by marksixman, 31 May 2023 - 17:29.

[Vitesse2]

This has now been permanently fixed and the expired certificate renewed. Apologies for the delay, but we are informed that there were legitimate reasons why it took so long.

 

And before you ask - no - we are not going into the details! Just say 'thank you'!

[grandevitesse]

Just say 'thank you'!

Such impressive customer service skills!
Amazing…..

[D-Type]

THANK YOU!     

I know the problem was not of your making and that the solution was outwith your control and all you can do is pressurize until someone does the necessary.

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

Many thanks, Speedy2.

[Sterzo]

And thank you to the hidden person or people who negotiated unknown hindrances and glitches to put this right.

[jcbc3]

Our situation in the words of Blanche: