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Incomplete posts

B

Blue Velvet

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Jul 4, 2004
21,929
265
Quite often, I see new threads where there might be one word like 'I' or just now, 'hey'.

What is happening when that occurs? Just curious 'cos it's never happened to me. Browser problem? User error... forum error?
 
M

michaelrjohnson

macrumors 68020
Aug 9, 2000
2,180
5
53132
dietcokevanilla said:
Classic PEBCAK.

(Problem exists between chair and keyboard)
Click to expand...
I LOVE that acronym! :)

Applespider said:
People start typing, hit tab for some reason and then hit return to create a new line but since the tab means focus is now on 'Submit', the result is that the form gets sent before they intended for it to submit.
Click to expand...
This is probably the best explanation. It happens to me all the time in web forms, but I always catch it before I hit return.

---
JSW - Sorry about that, they were in the same post in my mind, but I didn't actually merge them. Again, sorry.
 
bousozoku

bousozoku

Moderator emeritus
Jun 25, 2002
15,728
1,899
Lard
I suggest a year's worth of training before allowing new people to post.

This should also cut down on the current volume since all members would be required to submit to the training until they can pass a rigorous, timed test.

In addition, a comprehension test should be given to see if members actually read all of the posts before posting a reply of their own.

I believe there is another matter, but I can't think of it now.
 
WildCowboy

WildCowboy

Administrator/Editor
Staff member
Jan 20, 2005
18,390
2,829
My term of choice is Operator Headspace Error...I like the technical feeling it gives.
 
Doctor Q

Doctor Q

Administrator
Staff member
Sep 19, 2002
39,795
7,537
Los Angeles
I know a forum member who felt very stupid when this happened to him. And he's sitting in my chair right now! I learned my lesson since then and avoid hitting the wrong key when I'm starting a thread.

There was a change in one verison of vBulletin, which we were never able to identify, that made the return-key problem start happening frequently when people create threads. It still happens to people regularly.

Until/unless we find something to do about it, please report the premature posts you notice. The moderators routinely remove them (along with the snide remarks some people post) rather than Wasteland them to avoid embarrassing the poster, who almost always gets his or her thread created properly after another try or two.
 
WildCowboy

WildCowboy

Administrator/Editor
Staff member
Jan 20, 2005
18,390
2,829
Doctor Q said:
Until/unless we find something to do about it, please report the premature posts you notice. The moderators routinely remove them (along with the snide remarks some people post) rather than Wasteland them to avoid embarrassing the poster, who almost always gets his or her thread created properly after another try or two.
Click to expand...

Good suggestion, Q. I usually try to wait a few minutes before reporting incomplete posts in case the poster is editing the post instead of just starting anew.
 
Doctor Q

Doctor Q

Administrator
Staff member
Sep 19, 2002
39,795
7,537
Los Angeles
WildCowboy said:
Good suggestion, Q. I usually try to wait a few minutes before reporting incomplete posts in case the poster is editing the post instead of just starting anew.
Click to expand...
Thanks for being so considerate about it.

I still don't know why this problem started being a problem, but I managed to track down when. It was February 2006.
 
L

Lau

Guest
Doctor Q said:
Thanks for being so considerate about it.

I still don't know why this problem started being a problem, but I managed to track down when. It was February 2006.
Click to expand...

How do you know? I'm intrigued now.
 
Doctor Q

Doctor Q

Administrator
Staff member
Sep 19, 2002
39,795
7,537
Los Angeles
Lau said:
How do you know?
Click to expand...
Because I found a question I wrote to the other "staff" about it. The appearance of the problem didn't seem to coincide with an update to the forum software, which left me unsure whether it really started happening on one particular day, or whether that was just when we started to notice it.
 
L

Lau

Guest
Doctor Q said:
Because I found a question I wrote to the other "staff" about it.
Click to expand...

I see. All tucked away in the secret caverns then. :D

Thanks for clarifying it, Doctor Q. :)
 
P

PlaceofDis

macrumors Core
Jan 6, 2004
19,241
6
its irritating, but yeah usually after a few minutes the thread has been editied and the intended content is present.
 
mad jew

mad jew

Moderator emeritus
Apr 3, 2004
32,191
9
Adelaide, Australia
COMMAND-CONTROL-S submits the reply in a new tab for me in Safari (a new window if preferences are set as such). I've accidentally submitted this way before. :eek:
 
tobefirst ⚽️

tobefirst ⚽️

macrumors 601
Jan 24, 2005
4,612
2,335
St. Louis, MO
mad jew said:
COMMAND-CONTROL-S submits the reply in a new tab for me in Safari (a new window if preferences are set as such). I've accidentally submitted this way before. :eek:
Click to expand...
OooooOOooOoh! Keyboard shortcut! I wonder if this works in Firefox as well.

EDIT: It submits, but not in a new tab. I love it anyway! Me loves the keyboard! I don't know why I didn't think about Control-S...I use Control-B and Control-I. :)
 
hayduke

hayduke

macrumors 65816
Mar 8, 2005
1,177
2
is a state of mind.
Applespider said:
People start typing, hit tab for some reason and then hit return to create a new line but since the tab means focus is now on 'Submit', the result is that the form gets sent before they intended for it to submit.
Click to expand...

This is exactly right. I've done this numerous times and have had to then go back and edit my partial posty. In some apps tabs are white spaces, in others they move from field to field. I don't think there is a reasonable way to resolve it, but I know that this is at least part of the problem.
 
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