# Some Posts Get "Lost In The Ether"? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 17, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178 "2009-10-17T23:54:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/1 "2009-10-17T23:54:23Z")
Or maybe there’s just a time-lag, but I have noticed that although some of my answers appear instantly, some never appear at all, which makes me think I have to re-write them. Thanks Q PS: I DO hit Submit ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/2 "2009-10-18T01:35:13Z")
The first thing to check, Quasi, is whether you’re hitting the Submit button. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/3 "2009-10-18T03:47:15Z")
Quasi? You might want to check whether or not you are clicking on the “Submit” button. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/4 "2009-10-18T15:05:25Z")
Now, now, let’s play nice … I lose one every month or so. The board’s database has been crashing fairly often these days and if your [submit] happens to coincide with a crash, your message may be lost. If you think it’s happening more often than that, the problem may be a flaky internet connection at your end. Having lost a few magnum opuses to one cause or another (and being blessed with a flaky internet connection), I’ve taken to grabbing my post onto the clipboard just before hitting submit. Just Ctrl-A, Ctrl-C and I’ve got it saved. Then [Submit] & wait for the page to come back. If something goes stupid & my post is lost, I just hit quick reply & Ctrl-V to re-create my entire post. Saves a lot of cursing. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/5 "2009-10-19T00:23:41Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Having lost a few magnum opuses to one cause or another (and being blessed with a flaky internet connection), I’ve taken to grabbing my post onto the clipboard just before hitting submit. Just Ctrl-A, Ctrl-C and I’ve got it saved. Not if your computer locks up or crashes (which mine does once or twice a month. I paste mine into Notepad and save it with the name “0”. Easy to save. Easy to recall if necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/6 "2009-10-19T04:29:54Z")
I think the notepad idea is a good one. You know something else that happens (and I know that I - well my fingers - are the culprit) is I’ll be writing merrily along and suddenly my finger will strike a key that makes the whole post disappear and I have to start all over. When it happens 80% of the way to the end, you would not want to be around me. My wife calls it “Hulking Out” (which I think she got from our son). I have tried searching for the post in history, but cannot find it there. Anyone know which button I hit and how to recover? Thanks Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/7 "2009-10-19T14:02:02Z")
Not sure, Quasi. But if you’re using IE8 and you hit “Ctrl+W” — say, when you meant to hit “Shift+W” — then your whole tab closes. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/8 "2009-10-19T15:42:55Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Not sure, Quasi. But if you’re using IE8 and you hit “Ctrl+W” — say, when you meant to hit “Shift+W” — then your whole tab closes. It does it in IE7 as well. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/9 "2009-10-19T15:54:44Z")
Hmmm. We’re still on 7. (Don’t trust 8 yet). Since I look at the screen when I type, I am not sure which fingers hit which keys, but don’t think it’s “Shift+W”. It happens at the bottom row… I’ll test it out today… just hit random keys. How about “Alt-Windows” keys? Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/10 "2009-10-19T17:29:33Z")
This won’t help any of you using IE, but if you’re running Firefox there is a “Save Text Area” extension that is handy for stuff like this. It’s even got an autosave feature. Check it out: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1046](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1046) ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/11 "2009-10-20T08:31:14Z")
I’ve posted this in your other thread, too. I think it is the space bar. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/12 "2009-10-21T02:39:09Z")
We prefer to refer to the Æther to prevent confusing it with Ethernet and to maintain the decorous Victorian ambience of our [del]hamster cage[/del] server room. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/13 "2009-10-21T11:37:21Z")
And sometimes posts emerge out of the vortex (try to find this one on the SDMB, which arrived in my inbox a couple of days ago): > [@](#): > > Dear Muffin, > > mark1969 uk has just replied to a thread you have subscribed to entitled - toilet rats - in the Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS) forum of Straight Dope Message Board. > > This thread is located at: > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=121063&goto=newpost](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=121063&goto=newpost) > > Here is the message that has just been posted: > > * * * > > there is a product which will stop rats from coming up the toilet and it really does work , i had the same problem sewer rats coming from the sewer into my home through the toilet i looked on the web and found a uk company called BMJ ENVIRONMENTAL BARRIERS there web site is [www.snakeratverminbarrier.com](http://www.snakeratverminbarrier.com) or they can be found on e-bay this product works and i have fitted them to all 3 toilets in my house and the problem has stopped , BMJ explained that there product is black to stop light penertration which light attracts them up the pipe since fitting, NO MORE RATS so i suggest that every one who is scared of rats or creepy things coming up there toilet fits this device its so easy and cheap its well worth it. > > * * * > > There may also be other replies, but you will not receive any more notifications until you visit the forum again. > > All the best, > Straight Dope Message Board > > ```auto > Unsubscription information: > > To unsubscribe from this thread, please visit this page: > http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/subscription.php?do=removesubscription&type=thread&subscriptionid=120032&auth=c32b92872e88ef9e9ed4702f784d0e2a > > To unsubscribe from ALL threads, please visit this page: > http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/subscription.php?do=viewsubscription&folderid=all > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/14 "2009-10-21T11:48:23Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > And sometimes posts emerge out of the vortex (try to find this one on the SDMB, which arrived in my inbox a couple of days ago): I had no trouble finding it. Of course, it was a spammer who posted it, and Marley flushed him and his reply. It’s currently hidden. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/15 "2009-10-21T13:11:14Z")
That makes you a voice from the ether. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/16 "2009-10-21T14:07:27Z")
Better a voice from the ether than a voice from the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/17 "2009-10-21T19:24:06Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Hmmm. We’re still on 7. (Don’t trust 8 yet). > > Thanks > > Q 8 is FAR superior. Trust me. 🙂 More secure. More everything. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/18 "2009-10-22T00:22:05Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Better a voice from the ether than a voice from the toilet. > **[Talking toilet orders men to sit down](http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-05/19/content_331890.htm)** > [@](#): > > A German inventor who developed a gadget that berates men if they try to use the toilet standing up has sold more than 1.6 million devices, his business manager said on Tuesday. > > German women fed up with a man with a poor aim can turn to the ghost-shaped gadget, which lurks under the toilet rim and, if the seat is lifted, declares in a stern female tone: > > “Hello, what are you up to then? Put the seat back down right away, you are definitely not to pee standing up … you will make a right mess…” ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/19 "2009-10-22T00:30:00Z")
Okay. Based on **Lib’s** recoomendation, we’ll be going to **8**. Just one thing: IE 8 is 64 bit, yes? For some reason, I cannot play WoW on anything but 32 (heretofore, I mean). If IE8 will work with WoW, then I’ll go for it, but if not, can my wife have 8 and I still have 7, since we’re now wirelessly connected? Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178/20 "2009-10-22T01:49:25Z")
> [@MrSquishy](#): > > This won’t help any of you using IE, but if you’re running Firefox there is a “Save Text Area” extension that is handy for stuff like this. It’s even got an autosave feature. Check it out: > > [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1046](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1046) I personally prefer [Lazarus Form Recovery](http://lazarus.interclue.com/), as it automatically saves, and can retrieve your post even after a full computer crash. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-posts-get-lost-in-the-ether/514178.md?page=2)