# Blank posts in the Brownback GD thread **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 22, 2007, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blank-posts-in-the-brownback-gd-thread/388907 "2007-01-22T01:21:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blank-posts-in-the-brownback-gd-thread/388907/1 "2007-01-22T01:21:36Z")
[Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=404844), posts 33, 35, and 36. There’s stuff in the text box when I post, but the post is blank. An attempt to edit shows up as another blank post, but the reason for editing appears. I even closed the thread and reopened it, re-posted, and it _still_ happened. I’m kinda relieved I can post here. Believe me, I’m not doing this intentionally. I’ve got no idea what’s going on. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blank-posts-in-the-brownback-gd-thread/388907/2 "2007-01-22T01:29:24Z")
Even weirder, when I click on Reply to one of those blank posts, the entire post is there in the quote tags, like normal. So the post _is_ there, even if you can’t see it. Bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blank-posts-in-the-brownback-gd-thread/388907/3 "2007-01-22T02:06:34Z")
I edited your post, which I could see in its entirety in the edit window. I added a carriage return and a period to the end, and hit save changes. It didn’t work, obviously. This is very weird. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blank-posts-in-the-brownback-gd-thread/388907/4 "2007-01-22T02:27:22Z")
I solved it, but I can’t explain it. There was an extra open quote tag in post #33. I can’t imagine why that would make the entire post invisible. The extra tag was between “election.” and “Besides” in the original quote from John Mace. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blank-posts-in-the-brownback-gd-thread/388907/5 "2007-01-22T02:32:26Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] I solved it, but I can’t explain it. There was an extra open quote tag in post #33. I can’t imagine why that would make the entire post invisible. The extra tag was between “election.” and “Besides” in the original quote from John Mace. [/QUOTE] Can you try to recreate the effect by replacing the extra open quote tag? Just for scientific curiosity, of course… ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blank-posts-in-the-brownback-gd-thread/388907/6 "2007-01-22T02:35:53Z")
[QUOTE=IvoryTowerDenizen] Can you try to recreate the effect by replacing the extra open quote tag? > [@](#): > > Just for scientific curiosity, of course… Sure, I’ll try it here. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blank-posts-in-the-brownback-gd-thread/388907/7 "2007-01-22T02:38:13Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] Sure, I’ll try it here. [/QUOTE] Inserting one into the middle of your quote didn’t do it. It produced the expected result of hosed coding. After messing with **RT** ’s post for some time, I’m kind of afraid to touch it again. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blank-posts-in-the-brownback-gd-thread/388907/8 "2007-01-22T02:39:04Z")
The same thing happened to me in **Liberal** ’s “Poll” thread, only with my own post. I quoted my self, removed the tags, and posted it again. Also, **Nawth Chucka** has a thread where the OP is blank. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blank-posts-in-the-brownback-gd-thread/388907/9 "2007-01-22T03:40:43Z")
[QUOTE=saoirse] Also, **Nawth Chucka** has a thread where the OP is blank. [/QUOTE] Thanks for mentioning that, **saiorse**. I don’t think my [earlier thread on that](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=405026) got noticed. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blank-posts-in-the-brownback-gd-thread/388907/10 "2007-01-22T03:42:07Z")
That one’s okay now, I see. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blank-posts-in-the-brownback-gd-thread/388907/11 "2007-01-22T12:30:28Z")
I had the same problem last night with **Nawth Chucka’s** thread. After going into it a third time, I was able to see the OP and 2 replies. GT ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blank-posts-in-the-brownback-gd-thread/388907/12 "2007-01-22T13:29:48Z")
Weird. I’ll let Jerry know. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blank-posts-in-the-brownback-gd-thread/388907/13 "2007-01-22T14:03:00Z")
Thanks, **Frank** , **Q.E.D.** , and anyone else who tried to unravel this mystery!