# Odd board message

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-board-message/53144>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [February 5, 2001, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-board-message/53144 "2001-02-05T01:39:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-board-message/53144/1 "2001-02-05T01:39:28Z")

</div>

What does this mean

> [@](#):
>
> Parse error: parse error, expecting `STRING' or `‘{’’ or `’$’’ in global.php on line 52

It’s been coming up when I accessed the board this evening.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-board-message/53144/2 "2001-02-05T02:13:49Z")

</div>

If you can read this thread, the problem has been solved.

We don’t know what it was, really. Well, maybe one of the tech guys does. It is fixed now, so I suppose that’s all that matters for now.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-board-message/53144/3 "2001-02-05T02:31:23Z")

</div>

So it is written, so it is done.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-board-message/53144/4 "2001-02-05T05:58:23Z")

</div>

Well, a parse error is when the parser cannot parse the file in question. The global.php file is one of the important ones in this site. It contains a computer program that tells the server how to generate an html document (a web page) from the database of posts and stuff. The parser is the first step in decoding this document. That is where it is determined whether the php file actually follows the correct grammar rules. Apparently, some little bit of text got dropped from global.php at some point. The techs probably just reloaded a backup copy of the file.

Just in case you really cared.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-board-message/53144/5 "2001-02-05T16:34:48Z")

</div>

I got this same message yesterday. But when I clicked on one of the moderator names to email them to let them know, the same parse message was diplayed.

If there was any reason for having a MAILTO: tag on the board for the moderators, instead of a link for their profile page, this is it.

Otherwise one cannot email the moderators to let them know something is happening with the board.