# How do I stop the machine from eating my posts?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-the-machine-from-eating-my-posts/208604>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [October 20, 2003, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-the-machine-from-eating-my-posts/208604 "2003-10-20T23:32:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-the-machine-from-eating-my-posts/208604/1 "2003-10-20T23:32:32Z")

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Sometimes, when I write a post and hit “Submit Reply,” the next thing I see is “This page cannot be displayed” or “Cannot find server.” Quite often, in fact. Then I usually hit the back-button on my browser, and my post is still there, waiting to be submitted; all I have to do is try again. But sometimes, when I hit the back-button, I see another “This page cannot be displayed”; and if I hit the back-button again, it takes me to the forum directory, and if I call up the thread again, the post will be gone. How can I prevent this? (Apart from saving every single post to a Word file or something before I hit “Submit Reply.”)

Another thing – when the above situation comes up, and I am able to save the post, when I hit “Submit Reply” it turns out that my post appears twice in the thread – that is, apparently the post was submitted despited what I saw on my screen. Sometimes, but not always. Sometimes the post was NOT submitted and I have to do it again. But how can I be sure? And how can I keep from double-posting? It always looks embarassing.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-the-machine-from-eating-my-posts/208604/2 "2003-10-21T01:08:18Z")

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> [@](#):
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> Sometimes the post was NOT submitted and I have to do it again. But how can I be sure? And how can I keep from double-posting?

There’re a few ways. You can click “preview”, or you can open up the thread in a new window. And then, if your post is already there, _don’t re-submit_, and you won’t double-post. But you knew that.

The post-eating I’m not familiar with, but I suspect it’s browser-specific. No version of Netscape has ever done that to me.

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-the-machine-from-eating-my-posts/208604/3 "2003-10-21T14:46:08Z")

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I just copy the URL, open a new window, paste the URL to it then I can see if the post went through. About 75% it has. Then I can close BOTH windows.

I do not use that backbutton idea because it can affect form posting data sometimes on some forums I use.