SMC Discussion Areas

I'm still experiencing some "blank topics" when I try to view them...
Is anyone else still experiencing this phenomenon from time to time...?

I think it may have to do with some people may be viewing/posting in the Discussion Areas outside of the main site. They may be using a direct link to the Discussion Areas instead of accessing from the main menu link...

Can anyone verify if they are using the Discussion Areas outside of the main site...?
The URL will look like this if you are accessing the Discussion Areas directly:
http://soda-machines.com/discussions/ (http://soda-machines.com/discussions/)

Instead of the proper access:
http://soda-machines.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=29 (http://soda-machines.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=29)

Jim,
I can think of two threads I'm still having problems with,
 In Other coin-op., My Wurlitzer 2600, I can read page 3, but pages 1 and 2 come up blank. 
In General Chit Chat, The Chicago show recap thread.
I do know I  read the threads, the blank page never occurs on an unread thread.
I use Firefox 3.xx at home, but the same threads are blank if I try to read them with IE 6 at work, so it doesn't seem  browser or machine specific.

 I always hit the main url first, (http://soda-machines.com/) then   access the discussion boards from the Discussion link on the main index section

Hope this is some help

Through the link you posted above, the first post I hit after that was blank.

I always try to use the main site for the forums, but when I hit a problem, I resort to a different entrance and don't have trouble..

I got the blank page this morning.
Posted on the thread "Classified Ads new rule needed" -
Came back and tried to read the subsequent posts and get a blank page.
It seems to me that it happens when a thread expands to page 2.

happened to me today, posted up date on air reel and now page is blank

so when the blank pages occur, it's to a thread the reader previously posted in.  I can see reqad the  air reel thread, and  want ad discussion thread, but I haven't posted a comment in either.  i do know the Wurly 2600 thread and the chicago show thread I posted in and can't see...

Yet I posted in this thread and it is still there for me!

I just clicked on Pat P.'s post on the thread "Classified Ads new rule needed" -
I could read his post, but page 1 is blank for me still.

On a good day I can read 60% of the posts. The rest come up with banner ads and that is it. Some posts will be visible for awhile and then be gone. Does not seem to be related to the post going to page two here. Can't see any trend. Some posts can't see from the get-go others disappear later.  Very strange.

Would somebody be so kind as to PM me the replies to "Hey Dave, Happy Birthday". I started the thread and never could see any of the responses. Thanks!

Jim, Understand this is huge drain on your time and thanks for all you do!!
Nothing is ever perfect :-)
Creighton

I have not had this problem  :Oo:.

I guess I am lucky too!  Have not run into this problem--knock on wood!  :darn:

 :drinking: Tim :drinking:

Again I can see the post on page 2, but I click on "1" and it is BLANK.

Just a web developer type question for you all...what version browser are you using if you are having issues?

I use both Firefox 3.0 and IE7, and all of the posts appear ok, I've never had blank topics.

You can find out by going to the top of the page Help->About Internet Explorer.

I have IE 6 at work, and Firefox 3 at home
And it doesn't occur on every thread, but once it does, I can't see the previous pages, nor does it happen, at least to me on single page threads.
The same threads are also unavailable on both  machines, so I don't think it's a broweser issue.

I use IE7 and have it happen every so often

I logged out,  andaccessing the discussion boards as guest, could read the threads that were blank ...

Well, I just posted in the 'What's on your wishlist' thread and it went blank!
Did it go to page 2?

Nope, it's still a single page thread...
I'm still at a loss on this blank topic issue...

I've been sick the last few days, but this has given me a little quiet time to research a major upgrade to SMC that would enable me to re-establish the connectivity between the main site system, Joomla and our Forum software, Simple Machines Forum which would fix this issue... I need to research some more to ensure ALL the current features at SMC are compatible within this upgrade... This will take some time as I have to look at the Classified Ads, the SMC Directory, Events Calendar, Photo Gallery, and plenty of other little features visible and not so visible...

same here, I use IE 7 and Google Chrome and have never experienced this issue.

I upgraded to IE8 - still have blank issues here and there, but something new has happened.

On the Topic 'I am going to say it, if nobody else will. Watch what you post!!!'
I can see page 1 & 4, but 2 & 3 are blank...weird!
I'm not complaining Jim, just trying to help out in my meager way by letting you know of various circumstances in the hopes it might help you crack the code!

It has happened to me a few times recently.  It only seems to happen on threads that I have replied to though.

I have noticed that the SMC Gold Sponsors area is BLANK for me sometimes too.
Mainly on the Discussion Areas page.

The 'Vendo 44 Vend Mechanism' topic went blank for me, so I cannot read anything. So PM me if it is something asked of me.

Tom,

I just checked to see who posted after you in the hopes of gaining any new info on this issue...
Only two members posted, cokemachinesandmore and vendo39, since you where able to review this post. It went blank on me as well...
My time is being spread thinly, but I would like to get SMC upgraded to the newest version, but still have to research all the functionality I currently have incorporated into the Site and make sure this will ALL be available after the upgrade...

I have not forget about this issue...

Thanks ! ! !

Jim -
I, as everyone else I'm sure, greatly appreciate the time and effort you spend on the site. And we all know that you have other obligations just as we do and I also know the issue is on your mind. I did not post it here to complain, but only did so because I didn't know where else to post my predicament in order to alert coke machinesandmore and vendo 39 that I could not read their posts. I could have started a new post, but that seemed redundant.
Thanks again for everything!

Tom,

I know you're not complaining!
I thank you for posting this because I look to see what has changed since your last view of the topic...
I then checked to see that both members are in both database tables for our Discussion Areas and the Main System...
I'm still trying to see what may be causing this... I was hoping that perhaps one of them was not present in one of the db tables; this would give me something to go on for trouble shooting... But, this was not the case...

PM sent with additional info...

Ironically,  page 2 of this thread comes up blank.
If I log out of both the main site, and the discussion boards, I can view all topics ( well except the areas that require to be logged in) that come up blank logged in.

Once the blankiness hits, it follows  different machines, and different browsers ( Forefox 3, IE 6 and IE 7)

Hope this is some help

 I can't see the first two pages of this thread.  I can only see page 3!  :oh:

Is there any update on this? I am still finding blank pages on threads.

No real solution has presented itself...
I'm still in the process of ensuring ALL the add-ons I have implemented on the current SMC Site can be upgraded when I migrate to a new version of Joomla, our main website system... And as time permits, I will continue to check off those add-ons that I can upgrade; those that do not meet the new system specs, I'll have to look into another solution for that particular add-on...