# What happened to this website?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-this-website/540891>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 27, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-this-website/540891 "2010-05-27T00:22:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 13\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-this-website/540891/1 "2010-05-27T00:22:25Z")

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There is a website that I used to visit called “Tropical Forum” it is part of a large network of websites called Garden Web dedicated to all kinds of plants.

Some of the sites in the network appear normal, but some are not and only have text like the text below when you click on them.

Is it my computer or is it some of the network’s sites are down. Its been months since I was able to log on to this site.

When I click, this is a sample of all I get. The text goes on much longer.

TTP/1.1 200 OK  
Set-Cookie: pagect=3; path=/; [domain=.gardenweb.com](http://domain=.gardenweb.com); expires=Thu, 27 May 2010 17:12:40 GMT  
Expires: Thu, 27 May 2010 00:32:40 GMT  
Window-target: \_top  
Set-Cookie: visitor=243001266351823N73D14756xx; path=/; [domain=.gardenweb.com](http://domain=.gardenweb.com); expires=Fri, 27 May 2011 00:12:40 GMT  
Content-type: text/html

\<HTML\>\<head\>  
\<script language=“JavaScript”\>\<!-- Hiding  
var bName = navigator.appName;  
var bVer = parseInt(navigator.appVersion);  
if ( (bName == “Netscape” && bVer \>= 3) || (bName == “Microsoft Internet Explorer” && bVer \>= 4 ) ){  
if (parent.frames[1]){  
parent.location.href = self.location.href;  
}  
}  
// –\>

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-this-website/540891/2 "2010-05-27T00:26:15Z")

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Might need the rest of the page source. The link would be even more useful. Also, if this is practical for you, download Wireshark and get a packet trace.

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**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-this-website/540891/3 "2010-05-27T00:35:40Z")

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The whole page source is way too long to post.

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**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-this-website/540891/4 "2010-05-27T00:40:53Z")

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I think it’s [this maybe](http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/tropical/)?

Do you have any add-ons on your browser? If so, try disabling them all and see if the site works.

Also, what page are you on where you go to “click on” the Tropicals forum? Are you coming from a bookmark? A Google search? The GardenWeb forums homepage?

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**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-this-website/540891/5 "2010-05-27T00:49:08Z")

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> [@ZipperJJ](#):
>
> I think it’s [this maybe](http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/tropical/)?

If this is it, works for me. Try going to the page in your browser and then force a deep refresh with this key combination - \<CTRL\>\<F5\> (assuming a Windows machine).

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**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-this-website/540891/6 "2010-05-27T03:36:51Z")

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> [@ZipperJJ](#):
>
> I think it’s [this maybe](http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/tropical/)?
> 
> Yes, that’s it.
> 
> Do you have any add-ons on your browser? If so, try disabling them all and see if the site works.
> 
> Also, what page are you on where you go to “click on” the Tropicals forum? Are you coming from a bookmark? A Google search? The GardenWeb forums homepage?

I’ve tried with all 3, bookmark, google and the homepage, same result.

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**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-this-website/540891/7 "2010-05-27T03:38:33Z")

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> [@Duckster](#):
>
> If this is it, works for me. Try going to the page in your browser and then force a deep refresh with this key combination - \<CTRL\>\<F5\> (assuming a Windows machine).

Thanks, but it didn’t work.

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**Author:** ![Severian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@Severian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Severian)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-this-website/540891/8 "2010-05-27T04:15:05Z")

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Have you tried an alternate browser?

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**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-this-website/540891/9 "2010-05-27T17:30:42Z")

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Do you have javascript turned on? I assume you do.

It’s odd that you would see the markup language and not have the browser interpret it for you.

When I go to the site and hit View -\> Source I get

> [@](#):
>
> \<HTML\>\<head\>  
> \<script language=“JavaScript”\>\<!-- Hiding…

But I am not getting the first part. Try clearing out your cookies. Perhaps since the first part refers to cookies you have a bunch of corrupted cookies.

_Warning, if you clear all your cookies you may clear out some logins and such to websites. You won’t lose anything, you’d just have to re-enter your info_

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**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:** [May 27, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-this-website/540891/10 "2010-05-27T17:38:31Z")

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That is weird: you’re getting the HTTP information.

Which browser are you using? Have you tried reinstalling it? Or clearing your settings? If you’re using Firefox, have you tried creating and using a [new profile](http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Managing+profiles)?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-this-website/540891/11 "2010-05-27T22:37:45Z")

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> [@Severian](#):
>
> Have you tried an alternate browser?

Thank you!

The site comes up fine on Chrome, but not on Firefox which I normally use.

The strange thing is that 2 of the sites from the Garden Web network work normally on Firefox, but most don’t.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Severian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@Severian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Severian)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-this-website/540891/12 "2010-05-28T03:48:47Z")

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> [@Mangosteen](#):
>
> Thank you!
> 
> The site comes up fine on Chrome, but not on Firefox which I normally use.
> 
> The strange thing is that 2 of the sites from the Garden Web network work normally on Firefox, but most don’t.

I would bet your MIME types are hosed. Firefox is getting a file that it’s, for some reason, forgotten how to process, so it’s just displaying it as text. Removing and reinstalling the browser would probably be the easiest way to fix that.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-this-website/540891/13 "2010-05-28T04:14:33Z")

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Are you using NoScript?