Every few words, when I am typing replies in this Forum, I am tapping away and nothing is printing. Could this be a bug your end? Or, is it more likely this end?

I don't experience this problem any where else.

• RE: Typing replies in this Forum,Ben_Chiu, 08:08z, 06-30-02
  • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,jonahbird, 17:21z, 06-30-02
    • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,Ben_Chiu, 22:16z, 06-30-02
      • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,jonahbird, 05:09z, 07-01-02
        • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,Ben_Chiu, 06:06z, 07-01-02
        • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,James, 20:03z, 07-01-02
          • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,jonahbird, 04:36z, 07-02-02
            • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,Ben_Chiu, 05:36z, 07-02-02
              • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,jonahbird, 18:39z, 07-02-02
                • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,AlanParkinson, 20:31z, 07-02-02
                  • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,Ben_Chiu, 20:49z, 07-02-02
                    • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,jonahbird, 22:57z, 07-02-02
                      • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,Ben_Chiu, 23:23z, 07-02-02
                        • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,jonahbird, 05:59z, 07-03-02
                          • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,AlanParkinson, 22:59z, 07-03-02
                            • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,jonahbird, 17:11z, 07-04-02
                          • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,JohnSDavison, 22:54z, 07-05-02
                            • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,jonahbird, 21:27z, 07-06-02
                  • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,jonahbird, 22:43z, 07-02-02
                    • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,AlanParkinson, 23:00z, 07-03-02
              • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,Ben_Chiu, 07:47z, 07-03-02
                • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,jonahbird, 19:44z, 07-03-02
                  • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,Ben_Chiu, 20:45z, 07-03-02
                    • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,vgbaron, 16:39z, 07-04-02
                      • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,Ben_Chiu, 18:01z, 07-04-02
              • RE: Typing replies in this Forum,Emile, 06:29z, 07-04-02

Greetings Frank:

> Every few words, when I am typing replies in this Forum, I am tapping
> away and nothing is printing. Could this be a bug your end? Or, is it
> more likely this end?

I assume you're doing this online. You're the first to report such a problem. I would venture to guess that the problem is on your end. Typing in to the message box could be done while offline, so you're really not connecting to our server until you click the submit button. Which browser are you using?

Unless you're experiencing a hardware problem where your keyboard isn't sending keystrokes or something else is stealing focus from the message board page browser window I'm at a loss. However, I think since you're accessing through your web browser, that's probably the first place to look.

> I don't experience this problem any where else.

Rgr. We're not doing anything unusual on the message board. It's straight html and Perl scripts. Very curious...

Ben

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Thanks, Ben, for that immediate reply.

>>I assume you're doing this online<< Yes

>>Which browser are you using?<< How stupid is this response? - I don't know!

I haven't consiously chosen a browser. Hence my answer. The problem has occurred 4 times so far whilst typing this brief reply.

I will do some checking this end and let you know what I discover.

Best regards
Frank

Greetings Frank:

> >>I assume you're doing this online<< Yes

You know, because you're VPC Crew, you're entitled to a free copy of the VPC OLR.

> >>Which browser are you using?<< How stupid is this response? - I don't
> know!

You can see which browser you're using by clicking Help from the browser's menu bar. Let us know.

> I haven't consiously chosen a browser. Hence my answer. The problem has
> occurred 4 times so far whilst typing this brief reply.
>
> I will do some checking this end and let you know what I discover.

Rgr. Standing by...

Ben

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Hi Ben

>>You know, because you're VPC Crew, you're entitled to a free copy of the VPC OLR<<
Yes, I do. The only reason I haven't downloaded that is that I am now on AOL's all inclusive charge so I don't have to worry about how long I am on line.

>>Help from the browser's menu<< Where's that?

Sorry to be so dense.

Frank

Greetings Frank:

> Yes, I do. The only reason I haven't downloaded that is that I am now on
> AOL's all inclusive charge so I don't have to worry about how long I am
> on line.

There are many advantages to the OLR even if you're on broadband. Actually I think there are more of us (and I'm a very new member of the broadband club) that use the OLR than those that are on dialups.

Regardless, it sounds like you're on AOL. You're probably using the AOL browser if you can't find the Help menu listing. Try opening Internet Explorer (Start: Programs: and scroll down until you find it) and accessing the message board and let us know if you still have problems.

Please keep us posted.

Ben

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Hi Frank,

AOL - shame on ya

Are you using a cordless keyboard?

Regards,

James (CONman) Anderson

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Hi James

>>AOL - shame on ya<< I know. As Lou Costello used to say - " I'm a bad bad boy "

>>Are you using a cordless keyboard?<< No.

I have noticed that before the link stops some interference occurs but I can't yet see what it might be. It appears to be Zone Alarm, but I do not get this problem anywhere else.

Best regards
Frank

Greetings Frank:

>I have noticed that before the link stops some
>interference occurs but I can't yet see what it might be.
>It appears to be Zone Alarm,

Perhaps Emile can jump in here and shed some light on this. He uses Zone Alarm.

>but I do not get this problem anywhere else.

But we doing things here that haven't even been thought of yet anywhere else.

A simple test would be to turn off Zone alarm and see if that changes anything. I think you'll be safe for the few minutes that it may take to test it. However, I have a hard time believing that Zone Alarm could be the culprit, but you never know...

Ben

Hi Ben

>>A simple test would be to turn off Zone alarm <<

A good idea. I've just tried that and it froze again so it's not Zone Alarm.

What next I wonder? Download the OLR and forget about this little mystery. I'd rather solve it first.

As I type I hear a click just before it stops. Is that a clue?

Frank

Hi Frank,

> As I type I hear a click just before it stops. Is that a clue?

It could be. I'm sure Ben will be better able to offer a suggestion, but it suggests to me that the window you're typing into is losing the focus. One of the other windows in the web view of the forum repeatedly generates a click on my system, and then starts a 60 second count down. It could well be that that window is getting focus and stealing the key presses you type.

The OLR is definitely worth trying, even if you have to satisfy your desire to solve the mystery.

Alan

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> > As I type I hear a click just before it stops. Is that a clue?
>
> It could be. I'm sure Ben will be better able to offer a suggestion, but
> it suggests to me that the window you're typing into is losing the
> focus. One of the other windows in the web view of the forum repeatedly
> generates a click on my system, and then starts a 60 second count down.
> It could well be that that window is getting focus and stealing the key
> presses you type.

OK, that sounds like ACARS, our instant messenger window. Perhaps your AOL browser is not setup to allow pop-ups or Javascript windows, so it's stealing focus from the main window. Try using Internet Explorer and see if you still get the same problem. We need to isolate the problem as being an AOL problem or a general TCP/IP connection problem.

Thanks!

Ben

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Registered to: Ben Chiu
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Hi Ben

I know you prefer that we leave the ACARS on, but to test your suggestion I have turned it off for the purpose of this reply.

Guess what? This is the first message I've typed for some time that hasn't 'lost focus' (Thank you, Alan) and I have been able to get to the end without interruption.

The mystery is solved.

Many thanks
Frank

Greetings Frank:

> I know you prefer that we leave the ACARS on, but to test your
> suggestion I have turned it off for the purpose of this reply.
>
> Guess what? This is the first message I've typed for some time that
> hasn't 'lost focus' (Thank you, Alan) and I have been able to get to the
> end without interruption.
>
> The mystery is solved.

Well, not really. The question is now, why does ACARS steal focus from your browser on your system and not anyone else's?

Just FYI, we have a new version of ACARS in development that's a stand alone application ala ICQ and AOL messenger (as opposed to the web-based solution we're currently using). The new version won't need to refresh every 60 seconds, it'll sit in your systray and will only popup if you receive a message (if you set it to do that). It's already in the works. In the mean time, thanks for putting up with the current version.

Ben

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Registered to: Ben Chiu
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Hi Ben

>>why does ACARS steal focus from your browser on your system and not anyone else's?<<

Perhaps nobody else types on line the way I do.

Your mention of 60 second intervals further confirms that ACARS is the culprit. The click occurs every 65 seconds (approx) whilst I'm online. It happens when I am just reading messages too. The effect then is to stop the scroll button on my mouse from working.

Could you get someone else to try to recreate this effect? I've never been in a class of 'one' before

Frank

Hi Frank,

Glad to be able to point you in the right direction - doesn't happen often!

> I've never
> been in a class of 'one' before

Guarantees you always come top of the class.

Alan

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Hi Alan

>>Guarantees you always come top of the class<<

Yes, but it also guarantees that you will come bottom

Regards
Frank

Hi Frank,
FYI - I've been having this problem too. I'm also an AOL user, so perhaps the AOL software has something to do with it.
Regards....John

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Hi John

Thanks for that. You could well be right. Because of what they did to our old forum simmers generally are anti AOL, so you and I may be in a very short list of simmers using AOL.

I don't know how you solved your problem but minimizing ACARS certainly does the trick. Ah! I've just noticed you are using the OLR so that is no doubt your solution.

Best regards
Frank

Hi Alan

>>it suggests to me that the window you're typing into is losing the focus<<

That makes sense, but what window and how do I stop it?

Best regards
Frank

Hi Frank,

> That makes sense, but what window and how do I stop it?

Hey, you got a diagnosis, you want a cure as well?

As Ben says, ACARS is the window, and it seems you've already been able to stop it, albeit temporarily.
Except for very occasional attempts at online flying (difficult with my peculiar setup), I now almost never use the web to access the forum, so I'm beginning to loose touch with that view of things. This OLR really is excellent.

Alan

**** VPC OffLine Reader Version 1.0.0.0 ****
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**** OLR.PL Build 1.73 ****

Greetings Frank:

> >>why does ACARS steal focus from your browser on your system and not
> anyone else's?<<
>
> Perhaps nobody else types on line the way I do.

Well, you can see from the taglines those who are replying online. My other reply to your regarding Zone Alarm was done online and I didn't have a problem.

> Could you get someone else to try to recreate this effect? I've never
> been in a class of 'one' before

OK, anyone else have a problem with ACARS stealing focus from your browser window?

Ben

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Registered to: Ben Chiu
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Hi Ben

I'm trying something I should have thought of before. I have minimized the ACARS and although I have heard one click so far this message has not frozen.

I'm a very slow 'pick and peck' typist and I just heard another click and there was no interruption. The solution to what was probably a non-problem is as easy as that.

As a self taught computer user I've no doubt been missing something that is basic knowledge to most people.

Sorry to have taken so much message space on this, and thank you for your help. I've been deliberately longwinded in this reply to give it a good test. Lost count of the clicks, but all's well.

Regards
Frank

Greetings Frank:

> I'm trying something I should have thought of before. I have minimized
> the ACARS and although I have heard one click so far this message has
> not frozen.

Interesting. Still doesn't explain why it steals focus when it's restored. Something isn't right there. I have ACARS open/restored state most of the time and have never experienced it stealing focus.

> I'm a very slow 'pick and peck' typist and I just heard another
> click and there was no interruption. The solution to what was probably a
> non-problem is as easy as that.

Rgr. Will store the "solution" away for future reference.

> As a self taught computer user I've no doubt been missing something that
> is basic knowledge to most people.
>
> Sorry to have taken so much message space on this, and thank you for
> your help.

Only too happy to help. This Forum is all about solutions, so as long as we have a solution in the end, there's no wasted space.

> I've been deliberately longwinded in this reply to give it a
> good test. Lost count of the clicks, but all's well.

Very good! Thanks, Frank!

Ben

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>
> Interesting. Still doesn't explain why it steals focus when it's
> restored. Something isn't right there. I have ACARS open/restored state
> most of the time and have never experienced it stealing focus.

Ben -

If the ACARS window is being redrawn it will gain focus. When minimized, the OnPaint message is not sent so it won't get focus. I would guess that, if you type fast enough to have characters in the buffer when ACARS gains focus that the process of outputting the buffered characters would restore focus to the edit control. It would be MUCH more noticeable for a "hunt 'n pecker" like Frank 'cause he would have to tab back or click in the edit to regain focus.

Anyhow, it will be a non problem soon <g>.

Vic

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Greetings Vic:

> If the ACARS window is being redrawn it will gain focus.

I don't think that seems to be the case, Vic. If it were, all windows like VPC Chat would also lose focus if you just sit there doing nothing. I'm sure that I've kept the cursor in the input box for several minutes at a time and it's never moved from the input box.

> When minimized,
> the OnPaint message is not sent so it won't get focus. I would guess
> that, if you type fast enough to have characters in the buffer when
> ACARS gains focus that the process of outputting the buffered characters
> would restore focus to the edit control. It would be MUCH more
> noticeable for a "hunt 'n pecker" like Frank 'cause he would have to tab
> back or click in the edit to regain focus.
>
> Anyhow, it will be a non problem soon <g>.

Rgr that!

Ben

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Hello Guys,
I do not have that problem with Zone Alarm
Regards
Emile
EBBR