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It’s hard to believe a site run by and for programmers is so buggy! The layout is random (as mentioned in an earlier post, regards how messages are displayed), and sometimes the content is nicely centred on a full width page, and other times it’s full-width; sometimes the left menu (on discussion board pages) is its proper width, at others it’s squeezed into half an inch. The site is barely usable half the time.
Maybe you should call some experts in.... 
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You must be looking at your screen through the bottom of a coke bottle. This is one of the best laid out and maintained sites on the internet. 47,000+ people online now are more than happy with it.
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I guess I must be imagining it all then.
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Rather than just posting a rant try explaining clearly exactly what the problem is. When does it happen, what browser (and version) are you using, is this on a PC, mac, tablet, phone etc? Get some screenshots and send them direct to Chris and he will take any action necessary.
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Well, I did describe the issues, in this post and an earlier one. I suppose I didn't go into too much detail as I assumed I can't be the only one affected... maybe I'll try and get some screenshots in due course, but seems as though not all styles are being loaded, and/or user settings (cookies?) on all occasions. Mostly on IE11 on a PC.
(And please, please, don't tell me not to use IE, or you will really unleash a rant!)
Anyway, as I say, perhaps I'll try and collate a more detailed report...
Ta.
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A_Griffin wrote: Well, I did describe the issues
It was more a set of accusations that the administrators here did not know the first thing about creating a website (read your original message again). As I said, if you have a problem then create a properly detailed description so the issue can be addressed. And lastly, it seems strange that of all the people who are on this site every day, you are the only one to have this problem.
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Yes, it does seem strange.. and OK, I apologise for sounding ratty - frustration does that.. coming to use the site and finding it pretty much unusable... maybe it was down to the lousy broadband connection I was on until last week (finally got upgraded last week!) disrupting page downloads, as it does seem better this week. (Mind you, I can't be the only one on lousy b/b, and it has been only this site I've experienced this kind of thing on.) Well, we'll see....
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A_Griffin wrote: seems as though not all styles are being loaded
Ad-blocker? Corporate firewall? There are plenty of ways for the site to get borked down-stream from anything the hamsters have control over. 
But from your original post, it sounds more like an issue with your cookies. Either they've grown too large, or there's a corrupt value, or something else is interfering with them.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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No ad-blockers and only the default W10 (and router) home firewall - so nothing special. But yes, as I've replied to Richard M. (with due apology) O accept it's probably down to something my end... lousy broadband, maybe and yes, perhaps I should clear all my cookies and start over..
Ta.
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Screenshot? Browser(s)? All computers or just the one?
"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson
"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons
"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - James D. Miles
modified 25-Sep-17 11:37am.
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There are two issues I experience, mostly using IE11 on a PC, though I’ve also had them using Firefox. I keep myself logged in via a permanent cookie.
The first is regards the “Layout” dropdown at the head of message boards – options being “Normal, Open Topics, Open All, Thread View.” I prefer “Normal”, but somehow this is often not remembered, and discussions open in some other option – “Open All” seems to be the usual.
The other issue is that while normally pages render within an overall width that has a max value – something like a CSS setting: max-width: 1060px; sometimes I will open a page full width on my monitor (1920px) and rather than being constrained to 1060px the page is displayed right across the 1920px – with no left or right margin.
I guess I could get screenshots but really, I think the descriptions are clear enough - aren't they?
I have until recently been on a lousy ADSL broadband, but recently upgraded finally to fibre. Things are, I think, slightly better, though I have still experienced both issues since.
It seems as though not all resources (style sheets, cookies) are being read or downloaded correctly, somehow, on all occasions. Or perhaps they come down too late after the page has rendered. I dunno.
I have my IE settings to avoid caching as much as possible. There is a setting under Tools / Internet Options / Browsing history - Settings / Temporary Internet files to “Check for newer versions of stored pages” which I set to “Every time I visit a web page” rather than the default “Automatically”.
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A_Griffin wrote: “Open All” seems to be the usua
Is this happening always or only when you visit a page from a search result? One thing we do is force open all messages if you're coming from a search result in order to allow you to scan messages that may contain the keyword you were looking for. Previously readers would search, hit a page, then be puzzled they couldn't see the word they searched for. So we tried to make it clearer.
A_Griffin wrote: The other issue is that while normally pages render within an overall width that has a max value
This is handled by the fixed|fluid links at the bottom of each page.
It should default to fixed. If you specifically set it to fluid then you'll get full page.
My only quick suggestion would be to try clearing cookies on whatever browser you see non-expected behaviour and then let me know if it happens again.
Do you share that browser with anyone else who might be visiting CodeProject?
cheers
Chris Maunder
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Quote: Is this happening always or only when you visit a page from a search result?
Neither! It happens not always but often when I first open the site. Once I reset the drop down and refresh it seems to keep the settings.
Re the page layout width issue, this is just random on each and every page visit! Well, usually it's "fixed", but quite often it will suddenly decide to open "fluid" all by itself.
I have cleared the cache numerous times, and no - no one else touches this computer (on pain of death!)
Thanks for replying...
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There was a potential issue with the forum settings that should no longer be an issue. That being said we've 'fixed' it before and it occasionally rears its head. The code itself is beyond simple: Load preferences (if none, use defaults), save preferences when something changes. The opportunities for something not to work are essentially nil.
And yet...
The fixed width / fluid width issue is, I'm suspecting, related. I just had the issue present itself a few minutes ago (after over a year of not seeing it) so I'm digging in again.
For the record there's a fixed/fluid layout option in the footer of every page.
cheers
Chris Maunder
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I just read this and I have exactly the same problems. It does not matter on which computer I log in, my settings change seemingly randomly with almost every click.
Also, several times I did not get any notifications about responses to my posts or any reputation points for posting. This has come and gone several times and both errors always occur together.
Chris Maunder wrote: The code itself is beyond simple: Load preferences (if none, use defaults), save preferences when something changes. The opportunities for something not to work are essentially nil.
Nil? Only if we assume that those functions work perfectly as they should. Is it really impossible that I get someone else's preferences? Or can it be that sometimes other's settings are somehow stored under my id and cause a seemingly random change when I refresh the page? No chance that strange things happen when some value unexpectedly becomes null? No missing 'else', causing side effects?
I know that this kind of bug is hard to catch. Why don't you add some logging in those two functions and document what happens when my id shows up. I will endure the changing layout for a day and not correct them. Perhaps we will then see what they think they are doing. And if not, we can still log more until we finally get a hint to what's going on. It would also be interesting if there are logged entries when I'm not posting or looking at pages.
Remember, it's not Voodoo. Software is that stuff where we can logically explain why it can't possibly work.
Edit: It has not happened a single time sinc I posted this. Perhaps it is Voodoo hafter all and I must post here to keep my settings for a while. Let's see how long it will last.
I am endeavoring, ma'am, to construct a mnemonic memory circuit using stone knives and bearskins.
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CodeWraith wrote: Software is that stuff where we can logically explain why it can't possibly work
Absolutely - and that's why all software is bug-free, right? 
With regards to your specific issues:
- every browser you use, almost every click? Can you list which browsers you've seen the issue on?
- any ad blockers? As browser extensions, OS level blocking, firewall blocking?
- "Same problem": does that mean forums expanded / collapsed, or the page width going from fixed to fluid? Are the pages, apart from the layout, looking OK otherwise?
cheers
Chris Maunder
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Today it's really quiet. It has not happened a singly time since I wrote that post. I'm starting to believe in Voodoo. Or it's the 'Vorführeffekt', similar to a Heisenbug which only pops up when you least want it, but never when you try to observe it.
It happens independently of the computer I use:
- Desktop at home, Win 7
- Desktop at work, Win 10
- My notebook, Win 7
On all three computers this did not happen with my old CP account. I have not installed any new browsers or extensions, but it all started when I registered the new account I am now using. Indeed, today is the first time my settings have been stable for more than a few minutes. I wish I knew why.
Chris Maunder wrote: every browser you use, almost every click? Can you list which browsers you've seen the issue on?
Mostly Firefox on all three computers, sometimes IE or Edge, depending on the Windows version.
Chris Maunder wrote: - any ad blockers? As browser extensions, OS level blocking, firewall blocking?
Nothing except the default installations.
Chris Maunder wrote: "Same problem": does that mean forums expanded / collapsed, or the page width going from fixed to fluid? Are the pages, apart from the layout, looking OK otherwise?
Exactly like the OP wrote: The layout, spacing and posts per page change randomly, as well as the flow or fixed layout. At every click another combination is possible with no apparent pattern. Today it's quiet, but I'm not sure how long the peace will last. Otherwise the pages look as usual.
Edit: Now it has happened again! The remarkable stable period is over. Suddently I only get 25 posts per page, instead of 50.
Edit: Good morning. Logged in briefly from home, nothing happened. Arrived at work and was greeted with fluid page layout and compact spacing. Posts per page are back to 50.
I am endeavoring, ma'am, to construct a mnemonic memory circuit using stone knives and bearskins.
modified 5-Oct-17 4:15am.
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When are you gonna give high-value users the ability to post images in the forums?
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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Can I trust you to be good?
What about the Soapbox?
cheers
Chris Maunder
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High-rep long-time users should be able to be trusted, I would think.
Maybe the soapbox should be excluded from image posting.
Implementing dimension and physical size restrictions, as well as number of images for a given message would be reasonable (and expected).
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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I still remember that sad night 15+ years ago when the Johnny Bravo image in my signature stopped working right after you added a check for div backgrounds. 
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I just wanted to mention that the reason being able to post images would be nice is that I wanted to post some teaser screen shots from an article series I'm in the middle of writing. Nothing nefarious.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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We all trust you completely, John. You're as pure as the driven snow
cheers
Chris Maunder
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F*ckin A.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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And BTW, I'm probably one of the most trustworthy users you have (and that thought should probably scare the crap outa you).
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-
When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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