22 replies to this topic

[m brooksy]

Is anyone else really struggling to access any of the threads since the forum has been updated?

Some times it works fine and then others I can't click on even one link without it crashing. Everything else on my computer seems to be working fine so I don't think its that.

[saints10coach]

No problems myself. Is anybody else experiencing this.

[BOLTON ROUGHYED]

Yes mate...It's terrible

Seems to take an age to load up sometimes, and for me I have to scroll down the page for ten minutes to get to the replies. Then when I do get to them they have one word per line...It's shocking

Can't see me using it for much longer if it doesn't improve.

[SINGE]

Is anyone else really struggling to access any of the threads since the forum has been updated?

Some times it works fine and then others I can't click on even one link without it crashing. Everything else on my computer seems to be working fine so I don't think its that.

Yes lots, on my laptop it has huge gaps, and crashes/freezes everytime
OK on here at work and Crome though.
So I think it is Vista, just for a change.

[SINGE]

Yes mate...It's terrible

Seems to take an age to load up sometimes, and for me I have to scroll down the page for ten minutes to get to the replies. Then when I do get to them they have one word per line...It's shocking

Can't see me using it for much longer if it doesn't improve.

Yes same for me

[SINGE]

Yes mate...It's terrible

Seems to take an age to load up sometimes, and for me I have to scroll down the page for ten minutes to get to the replies. Then when I do get to them they have one word per line...It's shocking

Can't see me using it for much longer if it doesn't improve.

I used Chrome ( you can download, put a short cut and just log in via that) and I put my latest status thoughts half way down on the right hadn side, at least they will know there are prioblems
http://www.totalrl.com/forums/

[rugbyman1]

I agree, it's difficult to use at the moment.

[winedrinkerme]

problems all the time when it eventually loads up can only get 1 message and all the rest of the page is blank hope its sorted soon

[RAFLE]

I'm having the same problems and I'm on xp
acres of space between posts and lots of blank buttons and missing forums

but it's ok on my Vista laptop

Edited by RAFLE, 24 January 2011 - 07:58 PM.

[OldhamGal]

I'm not having any problems!

[saints10coach]

I have linked this thread to John Drakes thread, on which he has asked for problems to be reported.

[donquixote]

not having any problems and since I have vista its not that!

[Steve the Roughyed]

No problems here. I am using Google Chrome as the browser. I haven't tried it in IE or Firefox.

[consistent]

Fine on IE

[SINGE]

Fine on IE

which one?!

[saints10coach]

Here is John Drake's reply

Re the various problems reported with accessing the site in web browsers. Please include the brand and version number of the browser you are having difficulty viewing the site in (eg, Internet Explorer 7.0, Firefox 3.1, Safari, Chrome etc etc) as it will help to work out what is causing the problem. The new forum appears to be working ok for most people, which suggests a few localised browser-based issues, but without knowing the browser brand and version number, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack trying to resolve these issues for you.

Also, please try (purely for reference purposes) accessing the forum in a different browser to the one you're having the problem with, to see if the same problem occurs in both. If it works ok in one, but not the other, again it helps to isolate the problem and come up with a fix.

In a lot of cases, logging out of the forum, emptying your web browser cache/Temp Internet Files folder, closing and restarting the browser and logging back in will cure some basic access problems.

It's also worth checking you've got the latest version of whichever browser it is you're using, usually easily downloadable from the relevant vendor website. New fangled applications like this forum rarely work well in ageing browsers, but that's usually a reason to update your browser, not downgrade the website you're looking at. After all, you can't watch colour programmes on a black and white telly.

For info, right now I'm using Internet Explorer 8 and it's all working fine. It's also working in Firefox 3.6, Google Chrome 8, Safari 5 and Opera 11.

If you're using one of these already and having problems let me know. If you're using an earlier version of any of these, please download the latest version first and see if that helps.

Thanks

[SINGE]

Here is John Drake's reply

Re the various problems reported with accessing the site in web browsers. Please include the brand and version number of the browser you are having difficulty viewing the site in (eg, Internet Explorer 7.0, Firefox 3.1, Safari, Chrome etc etc) as it will help to work out what is causing the problem. The new forum appears to be working ok for most people, which suggests a few localised browser-based issues, but without knowing the browser brand and version number, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack trying to resolve these issues for you.

Also, please try (purely for reference purposes) accessing the forum in a different browser to the one you're having the problem with, to see if the same problem occurs in both. If it works ok in one, but not the other, again it helps to isolate the problem and come up with a fix.

In a lot of cases, logging out of the forum, emptying your web browser cache/Temp Internet Files folder, closing and restarting the browser and logging back in will cure some basic access problems.

It's also worth checking you've got the latest version of whichever browser it is you're using, usually easily downloadable from the relevant vendor website. New fangled applications like this forum rarely work well in ageing browsers, but that's usually a reason to update your browser, not downgrade the website you're looking at. After all, you can't watch colour programmes on a black and white telly.

For info, right now I'm using Internet Explorer 8 and it's all working fine. It's also working in Firefox 3.6, Google Chrome 8, Safari 5 and Opera 11.

If you're using one of these already and having problems let me know. If you're using an earlier version of any of these, please download the latest version first and see if that helps.

Thanks

Cheers for that s10c
I will do the emptying cache suggestion, as the favourites bar shortcut did not work either. It was ie8 though.
but it works in ie8 on other pc's so I will try cache suggestion first.

Edited by SINGE, 25 January 2011 - 09:44 AM.

[m brooksy]

Fixed now using Google Chrome. Thanks for the advice everyone.

[Tom Coates]

The decision to revamp the forum wasn't taken lightly, and it certainly isn't a case of changing it for change's sake.

Calls for the company to upgrade the website were becoming increasingly more difficult to ignore so a significant investment of time and money has been made to enhance the forum experience for users. There are a few kinks left to iron out and the inevitable snags that come with a project this big are being worked on. John, who carried out the work to update the site in his spare time, was up until 4am last night addressing issues reported by users.

The most noticeable difference is the 'new look'. The forum width has been increased to make better use of the space on a computer screen, and we've added a collapsible sidebar to the portal page (click the 'X' to get rid of it).

What might not be immediately apparent is the changes that have been made 'under the hood', many of which were urgently needed. The software that generates the forums has been upgraded to the latest version. The site is now less vulnerable to attacks from hackers, meaning data entered by users when they signed up (like email addresses) are much safer than they were before. The update also guards against server crashes, which can take the whole site offline and result in posts going missing.

The old forum engine, which did a good job for us, had been in place for almost eight years and was becoming increasingly open to attacks from hackers, and more susceptible to server crashes. Remember, prevention is usually cheaper than the cure.

Another advantage the new forum has over the old one is that it is optimised for access from iPhones and other mobile devices. If you have an iPhone, a Blackberry or any other mobile phone with a web browser, type totalrl.com/forums into your phone's browser to give it a try.

Also in the new update is the facility to connect your Facebook and/or Twitter account to the forum. This opens up the message board to thousands more people and allows current users to update their facebook/forum status from one place. You can now also approve and disapprove of posts by clicking the + and - buttons beneath each entry (similar to 'like' on facebook). A running tally is kept for each user, which makes life a lot more difficult for trolls (people who post with the sole intention of provoking a reaction from others).

...and that's only scratching the surface.

John Drake (the webmaster) and myself are still working through all the features and you can expect new things to be added over the coming weeks. You will see a gradually greater presence of the forums on Facebook, including the ability to make posts without leaving the site, and a few other surprises on this website designed to enhance the forum experience.

Fundamentally though, nothing will change. Users start threads and reply to messages the same way they always have, under the same user name and with the same password. The Facebook/Twitter functionality may not be for everyone, and that's fine. It's optional, and nothing that the old forum had has been taken away or replaced.

Yes, the new look may take a bit of getting used to but the least you can do is give it a try for a few weeks first. I'm sure you'll learn to accept it in time!

Those of you experiencing problems should email either myself at the address below or John (john.drake@totalrl.com). Please include details of the operating system (Windows XP, Mac OS etc) and the name of the browser (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome etc) you are using. This will help us pinpoint where the issues are. I recommend installing Google Chrome as your browser (click here).

Thanks.

[RAFLE]

The decision to revamp the forum wasn't taken lightly, and it certainly isn't a case of changing it for change's sake.

Calls for the company to upgrade the website were becoming increasingly more difficult to ignore so a significant investment of time and money has been made to enhance the forum experience for users. There are a few kinks left to iron out and the inevitable snags that come with a project this big are being worked on. John, who carried out the work to update the site in his spare time, was up until 4am last night addressing issues reported by users.

The most noticeable difference is the 'new look'. The forum width has been increased to make better use of the space on a computer screen, and we've added a collapsible sidebar to the portal page (click the 'X' to get rid of it).

What might not be immediately apparent is the changes that have been made 'under the hood', many of which were urgently needed. The software that generates the forums has been upgraded to the latest version. The site is now less vulnerable to attacks from hackers, meaning data entered by users when they signed up (like email addresses) are much safer than they were before. The update also guards against server crashes, which can take the whole site offline and result in posts going missing.

The old forum engine, which did a good job for us, had been in place for almost eight years and was becoming increasingly open to attacks from hackers, and more susceptible to server crashes. Remember, prevention is usually cheaper than the cure.

Another advantage the new forum has over the old one is that it is optimised for access from iPhones and other mobile devices. If you have an iPhone, a Blackberry or any other mobile phone with a web browser, type totalrl.com/forums into your phone's browser to give it a try.

Also in the new update is the facility to connect your Facebook and/or Twitter account to the forum. This opens up the message board to thousands more people and allows current users to update their facebook/forum status from one place. You can now also approve and disapprove of posts by clicking the + and - buttons beneath each entry (similar to 'like' on facebook). A running tally is kept for each user, which makes life a lot more difficult for trolls (people who post with the sole intention of provoking a reaction from others).

...and that's only scratching the surface.

John Drake (the webmaster) and myself are still working through all the features and you can expect new things to be added over the coming weeks. You will see a gradually greater presence of the forums on Facebook, including the ability to make posts without leaving the site, and a few other surprises on this website designed to enhance the forum experience.

Fundamentally though, nothing will change. Users start threads and reply to messages the same way they always have, under the same user name and with the same password. The Facebook/Twitter functionality may not be for everyone, and that's fine. It's optional, and nothing that the old forum had has been taken away or replaced.

Yes, the new look may take a bit of getting used to but the least you can do is give it a try for a few weeks first. I'm sure you'll learn to accept it in time!

Those of you experiencing problems should email either myself at the address below or John (john.drake@totalrl.com). Please include details of the operating system (Windows XP, Mac OS etc) and the name of the browser (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome etc) you are using. This will help us pinpoint where the issues are. I recommend installing Google Chrome as your browser (click here).

Thanks.

Everything fine now since swapping IE8 to Opera 11


Many thanks