WHY?

DorsetBoy · Jun 14, 2007, 16:32:26

3 Times so far today when I have tried to log in to Idnetters forum I have been presented with a download box for the Groan smiley

Is someone playing silly b's in the backroom?

Rik · Jun 14, 2007, 16:36:00

Not that I know of, Dorset. I haven't been into the admin centre today, neither has Adam.

I've moved this to help. Any chance of a screenshot?

DorsetBoy · Jun 14, 2007, 17:32:07

Ran CCleaner,and rebooted machine and this time it has not shown.

Will post a screen shot if it comes up again.Just seems very odd as I have never opened or downloaded this file.

Rik · Jun 14, 2007, 17:37:36

Odd indeed, Dorset. I've just check with Opera from here, but no sign of the problem. Me confused.

DorsetBoy · Jun 15, 2007, 16:45:48

Same problem again..................tried to login,long pause and this comes up.

Rik · Jun 15, 2007, 16:50:24

I really can't explain it, Dorset. No-one else has reported a problem and I can't replicate it in any of the three browsers. I'll ask Adam to take a look and see if he has any ideas.

Inactive · Jun 15, 2007, 17:02:28

Quote from: DorsetBoy on Jun 15, 2007, 16:45:48
Same problem again..................tried to login,long pause and this comes up.

Just a thought DB, why log out at all?, I leave mine logged in all of the time.

DorsetBoy · Jun 15, 2007, 17:09:15

Quote from: Inactive on Jun 15, 2007, 17:02:28
Just a thought DB, why log out at all?, I leave mine logged in all of the time.

1) Browser cache and cookies get wiped at system shutdown.

2) I switch operating system and the forum logs you out if the cookies are killed.

3) Security.

4) The Groan Smiley should not have anything to do with the log in script.

Inactive · Jun 15, 2007, 17:11:03

Fair enough..

Adam · Jun 16, 2007, 11:45:23

The groan smiley isn't part of any login script, nor should we even have a groan.gif on the server. I'll take a look and try to find out the cause of the problem; and I'll also investigate how groan.gif managed to get on the server.

DorsetBoy · Jun 16, 2007, 13:32:25

The same happened at 13.22hrs today,this time I was reading the Comedy Corner ,clicked the Opera Wand to log in and "Groan Gif" download comes up again.

RobMc · Jun 16, 2007, 14:12:06

This might not be relevant but the following link will attempt to download the groan.gif smiley...

http://www.idnetters.co.uk/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2638.0;attach=1015

Why this should get triggered when DB logs in is beyond me.

Rob.

DorsetBoy · Jun 16, 2007, 14:50:45

Quote from: RobMc on Jun 16, 2007, 14:12:06
This might not be relevant but the following link will attempt to download the groan.gif smiley...

http://www.idnetters.co.uk/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2638.0;attach=1015

Why this should get triggered when DB logs in is beyond me.

Rob.

Don't know Rob,just tried to log in to view that link and there it is again.Press cancel,go back to wand and no problem.

The main thing is that I have never used that smiley,not opened or downloaded it

and I have cleared cache,cookies and run CCleaner at shutdown .

Adam · Jun 16, 2007, 19:17:26

I've removed the attachment; although I've yet to find out why it was being served at login. Let me know if your problems persist.

DorsetBoy · Jun 16, 2007, 19:35:09

Quote from: Adam on Jun 16, 2007, 19:17:26
I've removed the attachment; although I've yet to find out why it was being served at login. Let me know if your problems persist.

Well it appears to have stopped popping up when I log in now.

The only problem I see now is all the posts where the smiley was used are somewhat out of context as the smiley is no longer present.

Adam · Jun 17, 2007, 09:04:32

As it was an attachment it could only of been used in the post it was uploaded in; so the damage is limited to one post.

Rik · Jun 17, 2007, 10:16:48

Had you seen Lance's workaround, to save people uploading the file every time it's used, Adam. The post is here if not.

Could that technique have set this issue off in some way?

Lance · Jun 17, 2007, 12:04:47

I wondered that, but then I can't work out how linking to the picture using that method is any different to linking to a picture on an external server, or even a smiley!

It's a strange one this!

Rik · Jun 17, 2007, 13:03:50

Indeed, Lance, and why is it only affecting Dorset?

Thinking further, the one image which would be downloaded at login time would be a user's avatar. Could that have something to do with what is happening?

DorsetBoy · Jun 17, 2007, 15:53:43

Quote from: Rik on Jun 17, 2007, 13:03:50
Indeed, Lance, and why is it only affecting Dorset?

Thinking further, the one image which would be downloaded at login time would be a user's avatar. Could that have something to do with what is happening?

Well the avatar is a Gif image..........but the download, although of a Gif is a different thing altogether.

But

(not that I can prove it now the attachment is gone) I think I may have found something which could have been involved.

Having looked at logins at dozens of sites using Opera and the "Wand" I noticed that on this machine only(out of four) there was frequently a noticable delay from clicking the Wand to the login completing.

So having spent some time looking at the software present on each PC, I found that one application was present on the "problem" machine that is not on the others.

The culprit appears to be SpyBot Seach and Destroy. In the immunization section they now have a protection against Opera plugins,remove that and the delay in login is gone.

I replicated this by installing Spybot on the other PC's,and with the Opera protection there was the delay.
[Always hated SpyBot anyway so it is now gone permanently,I only had it downloaded to prove to a friend that it missed a lot that others see straight off.]

So,can't prove that is the problem or how the login script can call up a Gif download but that is the only thing I can find causing an odd behaviour.

Rik · Jun 17, 2007, 16:00:26

Quote from: DorsetBoy on Jun 17, 2007, 15:53:43
Well the avatar is a Gif image..........but the download, although of a Gif is a different thing altogether.

Agreed, Dorset, but (and I'm speculating as I haven't seen the login script) I wonder if the script makes a call for the avatar GIF and was somehow getting re-directed to the groan?

QuoteThe culprit appears to be SpyBot Seach and Destroy. In the immunization section they now have a protection against Opera plugins,remove that and the delay in login is gone.

It would make sense to me that something was happening which was local to that machine, and you may have traced it. Could it be that Spybot had got a reference to groan.gif in it somewhere, and was involved in the download call? Like you, I don't like it and don't have it on any of my machines.

DorsetBoy · Jun 17, 2007, 17:39:31

Quote from: Adam on Jun 17, 2007, 09:04:32
As it was an attachment it could only of been used in the post it was uploaded in; so the damage is limited to one post.

Sorry Adam,but the smiley has been used quite extensively and there are now a good number of posts that have been affected.

I would like you to put the attachment back as it was if possible,1) It will repair the posts and 2)It would mean I can prove/disprove my suspicions as to the cause of the problem.

Adam · Jun 17, 2007, 19:52:02

An image host like imageshack.us should be used for image hosting; attachments are not intended to be used for hosting images. Nonetheless, the attachment removal cannot be reversed.

DorsetBoy · Jun 18, 2007, 17:06:01

Back to the drawing board!!

17.01Hrs 18/06 tried to log in and ............Download dialog box for groan.gif!!!

Getting a bit fed up with this now.

Rik · Jun 18, 2007, 17:08:44

Is it the same on all your machines, Dorset, or is it affecting just the one?