Dificulty Accessing Some Threads

[Mandycat]

     In recent days I have had a few instances where I could not access a new thread.  I got a 404 Error message instead.  The latest of these was today for Klondike's "We Can Stop Puppy Mills" thread.  Has anyone else had this problem?  Maybe Itchmo can look into it if it is not just my problem.  Thanks.

[Poco]

I just tried accessing that myself, and it went OK, but I haven't gotten that error on other threads.  Things were running slow recently for me, though.  (Today seems fine.)

I'm running IE7 as a browser.

[Mandycat]

Thanks, Klondike.  Maybe it is just me - I just tried again and got the Not Found and 404 Error message.    We'll see if anyone else is having a problem.  I think my IE is 6.

[JustMe]

I get an error message, too.  I'm also on IE6.

[MarySmith]

Worked fine for me - use FF latest update.

[catbird]

Was able to access Klondike's thread with 3 different browsers--IE7 at work, latest updates of Firefox and Safari at home.  Must be an IE6 issue?

Last year this happened with a thread I started too--some browsers could access it, others got the 404 error.  Never figured out exactly what the problem was; at that time I suspected that a quirk in IE didn't like something syntax-wise in the thread title.

edit--also just tried with IE for Macs 5.2 (I never use that browser and almost forgot I had it on this computer)--worked fine.

[Carol]

No problem for me except have no idea what version IE I have.

[menusux]

I put the link to the thread in browsershots.org's test site for different browsers at:

http://browsershots.org

http://browsershots.org/websites/774153/

The second link is to my request to check the thread link.  You can click it and then refresh to see how many of the 43 browsers have responded so far. The thumbnail shots of the browsers are clickable.  All that have come up thus far-various versions of Firefox, Safari, Netscape, and IE 5.5 and 6 are up now.  Page is only good for about 1/2 hour.

Every thumbnail I see shows "Page Not Found"--not one of the browsers can find the page--not even those running Linux.

If you want to try it yourself, just go to the first link and paste the thread link, be a bit patient and keep refreshing the page to see what comes up.

[lesliek]

I just tried & it opened fine for me. I'm on IE6.

[Poco]

I never heard of the browser test site, Menusux.  That is great!

It does look like a funny character is the problem.  Catbird reminded me that something like this happened with a post of mine where petslave couldn't read it.  It did turn out to be a character in the thread title.  I think it's that long dash.  I started another thread with a short dash.  (Mandy's version.)

You can experiment and see if the new thread works for you.  (I got the long dash by cutting and pasting.)

Leslie, did you open the Mandy version, or the older one?

[menusux]

I'm also on IE 6 and while I was getting "File Not Found", just as the test browsers did, I can open the thread normally now. 

[Poco]

Are you opening the 'Mandy's version' or the original one that still has the long dash in the title, Menusux? 

[menusux]

http://itchmoforums.com/law-and-politics-about-pets/yes-we-canstop-puppy-mills-mandys-version-t5549.0.html;msg75292#new

Works fine--Mandy's

http://itchmoforums.com/law-and-politics-about-pets/yes-we-cana??stop-puppy-mills-t5545.0.html

Still 404 Error--note the a and "??" in the link.

http://itchmoforums.com/law-and-politics-about-pets/yes-we-can--stop-puppy-mills-t5545.0.html

The unscrambling of your original thread link is the last one here.  That works fine also.

I think something happened when the board "interpreted" the new thread.  I had problems the other day when posting the USDA meat notification story.  The link was long and simply pasting it was cutting off some of the url.  Putting it into insert hyperlink did the trick to post it.

[Poco]

Glad you can get into the new thread.  It does sound like something odd happened.  (I'll try to remember that 'insert hyperlink' solution if I ever run into a long post problem.)

Since the new thread looks good, I'll delete the old and it will look like all this never happened. Whew. 

[Mandycat]

     Thanks to all for unraveling the mystery!    I can now open the new thread (Mandy's version) that Klondike posted.  The first one still shows Not Found.  Computers mystify me sometimes!!