# Double posts
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [December 16, 2019, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964 "2019-12-16T21:13:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@atimnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atimnie)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2019, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/1 "2019-12-16T21:13:03Z")
We already know the problems with 502/504 errors. When you get those errors after attempting to post, that often leads to double posting. Look in any forum here, you’ll find double posts because of this.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2019, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/2 "2019-12-16T21:42:44Z")
Report 'em and we’ll delete them.
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### Author:  [@atimnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atimnie)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2019, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/3 "2019-12-18T18:06:22Z")
And now I’m seeing triple posts from others. It’s not enough to say, report them, there is a problem with the boards, several problems, that need to be fixed, and saying report the problems is rather dismissive. Give us some indication that the problems are actually being addressed.
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2019, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/4 "2019-12-18T18:38:56Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> Report 'em and we’ll delete them.
Is it right to assume that all the mods are aware of how these issues affect double and triple postings and no one is going to get a warning for being a jerk if they find themselves posting the same thing three times in a thread.
I’ve usually just abandoned my posts when it times out into a 504 error, I had a triple post that eventually did get cleaned up, but don’t want to take another chance.
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### Author:  [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2019, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/5 "2019-12-18T18:50:14Z")
> [@atimnie](#):
>
> It’s not enough to say, report them, there is a problem with the boards, several problems, that need to be fixed
Everyone’s quite aware of that. Nobody here has the power to fix it.
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### Author:  [@atimnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atimnie)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2019, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/6 "2019-12-18T19:05:26Z")
There’s no tech people? No tech sites they can go to to find information on how to fix the problems? No other servers that don’t have these problems, or at least not as frequent as on this server? There are lots of ways to fix the problems, and I don’t think it’s asking too much for an indication that these problems and possible solutions are being taken seriously.
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### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2019, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/7 "2019-12-18T19:46:53Z")
> [@dalej42](#):
>
> Is it right to assume that all the mods are aware of how these issues affect double and triple postings and no one is going to get a warning for being a jerk if they find themselves posting the same thing three times in a thread.
I don’t think that’s a thing (the warning bit, I mean).
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2019, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/8 "2019-12-18T19:57:30Z")
> [@atimnie](#):
>
> There’s no tech people? No tech sites they can go to to find information on how to fix the problems? No other servers that don’t have these problems, or at least not as frequent as on this server? There are lots of ways to fix the problems, and I don’t think it’s asking too much for an indication that these problems and possible solutions are being taken seriously.
There are no tech people who post here. There are no tech people exclusively for this board. At most, all they can do is say they’ve forwarded the complaint to the tech people, who may or may not deem it to be something worth fixing.
There are specific errors in the default skin that haven’t been fixed, either–ones that actually cause issues with site functionality.
Things changed when Ed Zotti, the top admin of the boards, retired, and the Straight Dope property was not purchased along with the rest of the company. And, even before that, there was basically only one tech person who had to split his time between multiple jobs.
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### Author:  [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2019, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/9 "2019-12-18T20:08:37Z")
I have noticed that my posts always go through, even if I get an error. After I get the error I use the back button in my browser, which cached the response and auto-fills the text box so I don’t lose any work. (You should also be using a separate program if you are writing long posts)
Then I hit preview post, and scroll down to see if my post went through the first time. If it didn’t, I submit again.
~Max
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2019, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/10 "2019-12-18T20:28:04Z")
> [@Max\_S](#):
>
> I have noticed that my posts always go through, even if I get an error.
I’ve never double posted, because _I’m not permitted to double post_. If I get an error and resubmit a post, instead of a double post I get a screen that tells me “you’ve already posted this”.
Is this something that only happens with Safari users?
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### Author:  [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2019, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/11 "2019-12-18T21:02:41Z")
> [@atimnie](#):
>
> There’s no tech people? No tech sites they can go to to find information on how to fix the problems? No other servers that don’t have these problems, or at least not as frequent as on this server? There are lots of ways to fix the problems, and I don’t think it’s asking too much for an indication that these problems and possible solutions are being taken seriously.
The mods and admin are dedicated to this board. Above their level, this board is an afterthought.
So yes, you’re asking too much for the current state of affairs.
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### Author:  [@atimnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atimnie)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/12 "2019-12-18T21:24:13Z")
I don’t think I am. I am not getting any indication that they are taking this seriously, or at least not seriously enough. There are tech sites you can go to, other servers to use, Q&A sites to get advice. Is any of this being done? I don’t know, I would just like an indication that real solutions are being considered.
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### Author:  [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2019, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/13 "2019-12-18T22:05:47Z")
> [@atimnie](#):
>
> I don’t know, I would just like an indication that real solutions are being considered.
They probably aren’t being considered. Anyone reading your posts does not have the ability to fix the problems. They don’t have access to the software. They don’t have access to the servers. The people who _do_ have that access don’t read here and may not even know that we exist.
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### Author:  [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2019, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/14 "2019-12-18T22:15:01Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#):
>
> They probably aren’t being considered. Anyone reading your posts does not have the ability to fix the problems. They don’t have access to the software. They don’t have access to the servers. The people who _do_ have that access don’t read here and may not even know that we exist.
You could even say… that they are ignorant! ☹
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, **atimnie**!
You seem pretty active in Thread Games (and overall) so these issues are hitting you harder than others. I hope everything gets worked out soon.
~Max
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/15 "2019-12-18T23:32:53Z")
What **Max S.** said, several posts above.
Double posts occur when this happens:
a. You type a new post and click “Submit”
b. The board is balky just at that moment, and seems to be responding slowly.
c. Before you get one of those 500-type errors, you get impatient and click “Submit” again.
When this happens, it seems that your _first_ Submit does in fact get posted, and your _second_ Submit gets posted again, bypassing the board’s check for double posting.
If I get a delay in posting this, I’ll try that myself and we will see what happens.
ETA: Well, that post happened without delay, so no chance to double-post this post.
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### Author:  [@atimnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atimnie)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2019, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/16 "2019-12-18T23:49:43Z")
_The people who do have that access don’t read here and may not even know that we exist._
And the mods and admins can’t contact these people? They can’t let us know at least that much is being done?
_Before you get one of those 500-type errors, you get impatient and click “Submit” again._
How it works for me, running the Chrome derivative on Windows 8, I try to post, nothing happens for 10 - 15 seconds, I get the 50-4Q notice, reload, and I’m back to the submit page. I submit, and it’s a double post. But recently, I just reload the original page, and that usually works. Usually. Not all the time.
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### Author:  [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2019, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/17 "2019-12-18T23:57:46Z")
> [@atimnie](#):
>
> _The people who do have that access don’t read here and may not even know that we exist._
> And the mods and admins can’t contact these people? They can’t let us know at least that much is being done?
**TubaDiva** wrote in the other thread that she told the people “upstairs”.
> [@atimnie](#):
>
> _Before you get one of those 500-type errors, you get impatient and click “Submit” again._
> How it works for me, running the Chrome derivative on Windows 8, I try to post, nothing happens for 10 - 15 seconds, I get the 50-4Q notice, reload, and I’m back to the submit page. I submit, and it’s a double post. But recently, I just reload the original page, and that usually works. Usually. Not all the time.
Try hitting preview instead of submit the second time around. That way you can see whether your first attempt went through, because if you scroll down it shows the most recent posts under “Topic Review”.
If you reload the page you might lose what was written.
~Max
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### Author:  [@Deltree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deltree)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2019, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/18 "2019-12-19T02:44:40Z")
> [@atimnie](#):
>
> There’s no tech people? No tech sites they can go to to find information on how to fix the problems? No other servers that don’t have these problems, or at least not as frequent as on this server? There are lots of ways to fix the problems, and I don’t think it’s asking too much for an indication that these problems and possible solutions are being taken seriously.
Welcome to the ass-end of the internet. The corporate owners of this site do not care about it. It continues to exist because it’s part of a ‘brand’ that they want to keep. It continues to exist because it brings in more revenue than it costs (but apparently not by much). They do not care whether-or-not it keeps on working. It will cease to exist the instant that it ceases to pay for itself. Keeping it working without those errors costs more technician time than it’s worth to them, so it is not done, and will not be done. If that makes you go away, well, the revenue you bring in isn’t enough to pay for the techs to do anything about it, so it will not be done.
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2019, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/19 "2019-12-19T13:14:15Z")
> [@atimnie](#):
>
> And the mods and admins can’t contact these people? They can’t let us know at least that much is being done?
Moderators cannot directly contact our technical and server folks. I don’t even know who they are these days. Back in the day, I had direct access to Jerry, and later John, but even then I only contacted them directly for unusual situations. The normal procedure has always been that the moderators contact our admin (Ed previously, now TubaDiva), and they contact the tech folks and/or server folks.
TubaDiva also monitors the SDMB fairly closely, and she is usually pretty good about letting everyone know what she has done. You must have missed her posts about the various issues that we have had. She is letting you know that such things are being done.
The reality of the situation is that we aren’t getting the tech support that you and I would both like. I don’t have access to the financial side of things here, but the impression I get is that we barely pull in enough cash to keep the lights on. I seriously doubt that there is room in the budget to hire more technical support staff. Even in the best of times we never had full-time tech support here. Jerry and John both had numerous other responsibilities and were part-time here at best.
That said, while it often seems like our owners don’t give two hoots about us, things do occasionally get fixed, which gives me hope. People point to Sultanstheme as proof that our owners aren’t doing anything, but the truth of the matter is that while the theme still has bugs in it, some bugs have been fixed. We haven’t been completely abandoned.
Even at our best, we will never be a huge cash cow for our owners, so expecting top-notch technical support is not a realistic goal. Our owners are a media company. Newspapers are on the decline. Message boards like ours are on the decline. We’re still here, so we are doing better than most.
We’re doing what we can. Issues are being reported. At the moderation level we can’t fix the server side issues, but we can fix what we have access to. If you get a double post, just report it and we can delete the duplicate. We will do what we can to fix any other hiccups that occur.
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### Author:  [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2019, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-posts/844964/20 "2019-12-19T13:49:39Z")
I wonder why some users are having all these problems and I am having none of them. I am here every day, multiple times, and while things get a little slow sometimes, I don’t get error messages or double posts. I use Firefox sometimes and Chrome sometimes and Android sometimes. No trouble. One thing I never do is use my phone. So, is that the problem?
Another thing to remember is, this board exists mostly because we want it to. I for one hope it continues.
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