Netscape Problems (again)

[JGL]

I know that there have been many threads about netscape problems but I did not find this problem exactly. Several of my users are having the same problems with various versions of netscape 4.xx I have not installed any mods or made any changes other than cosmetic. I am not having any problems with IE. I know the solution is for users update to newer versions of netscape (which seem to be working fine) but many users seem attached to the 4.xx and I am afraid of turning away new users because they will have problems and not realize the solution. Anyway, here is what one user wrote which I believe describes the problem:


"I can login at site entry or at forum site, and I can view all posts, but cannot reply or start a new thread without a new login. Then, when I try to preview the posts, I am told to login again and when I do, it clears the post so I really can't post. When I start
a new thread, I am required to login again, but when I try to submit new post, I am told to register, and then, when I do, it says there is no verifiable thread..Also, although logged in, I still cannot access my profile, etc. --even with another login. "

Any assistance with this problem would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

John

[orca]

Did you enable cookies in netscape?

[Thomas P]

Weird, I use N 4.7x yet quite often and it works fine for me,
-Tom

[David Copeland]

This sounds like the member's User Profile has the "Browse Board With Cookies" turned off, as well as "Remember My Password".

----

[Dudley Bryan Jr]

Yes, I'm having this TOO!!!

I'm going to keep looking, but it looks like no one got to the bottom of this problem, because I just had a user report this, and I loaded up Netscape 4.76, and it is happening to me.

I'm using Windows 2000 (they were using Windows 98), using Netscape 4.76, and all the settings for browsing with cookies, etc, etc, are on. Its like Netscape just doesn't work for some reason... even though everything is set-up right.

Dudley Bryan Jr
Webmaster - Figma.com

http://forums.figma.com

[WebmasterAJ]

I too have this problem!

Any solution?

[Dudley Bryan Jr]

It amazing. With the response rate to this problem (minor though it is) it will NEVER get solved at this point. I've given up and killed support for cookies across sub-domains. That seemed to nip it for me.

I give up. I'm clear there's problem, and it isn't me... may be Netscape's issue though. Dunno if 6.0 has it, though I doubt it.

~ D.

[Steve Machol]

What do you have set for the Cookie Domain in your Admin CP? Try leaving this field blank if it isn't already.

[WizyWyg]

Also take into consideration that NS 4.XX has many problems ranging from Cookies to simple Java Script functions. It may not be your forum but just that the errors found in NS 4 is just too much that they have to upgrade.

Just offer them the link to ns 6.21 and be done with it. If they dont want to update, its their choice. However, only 5% of those who visit sites these days use anything lower than NS 6.

[Dudley Bryan Jr]

Leaving the "Cookie Domain" field blank was actually the "solution" I was mentioning. Why it is annoying, is that I have cookie information I want to persist over multiple sub-domains (like website theme).

So, in the example of MY messageboard, I'd set it to "figma.com", so that "www.figma.com" could access cookies set by "forums.figma.com". After the whole Netscape problem regarding this, I gave up and blanked it out.

I would like to think Netscape was the problem, but it was frustrating at the time to have no notes on this, and very little recourse but to limit the features I could persist for users. I generally don't use "Browser Usage Percentages" to determine who to screw when planning *NEW* features for my website (note: "NEW" features). All I need is one e-mail of someone having a hard time, who wasn't before, and it's enough to make me want to throw the feature in the garbage.

~ D.

[tubedogg]

The problem with planning around people who are still using NS4.x (and I really don't want to start a long drawn out discussion here, I just want to say this) is that for whatever reason they haven't upgraded in like 4 years. I mean seriously, if they can't go upgrade once in 4 years then they've got more problems than my site not looking perfect for them.

[Dudley Bryan Jr]

Originally posted by tubedogg
The problem with planning around people who are still using NS4.x (and I really don't want to start a long drawn out discussion here, I just want to say this) is that for whatever reason they haven't upgraded in like 4 years. I mean seriously, if they can't go upgrade once in 4 years then they've got more problems than my site not looking perfect for them.

True. Unforetunately, this was a functionality issue. While I wanted cross-subdomain cookie access for visual features... supporting this caused Netscape 4.x to NOT be able to login consistantly. Affectively the board became unusable. Also, back when this first reared its head (see the original message dates), Netscape 6.0 had some SERIOUS issues that I couldn't recommend it in good faith.

Now the only problem is that Netscape 6 has conveniently left out support for a number of Javascript layer tricks that IE and Netscape 4.x used. Can't win them all I guess!

~ D.

[WebmasterAJ]

So, what you are saying is that I should leave the cookies field blank and it will solve all the problems?

I don't use the cookie information for anything, just to save the login information and etc for the board, nothing else.

[WizyWyg]

Originally posted by Dudley Bryan Jr


True. Unforetunately, this was a functionality issue. While I wanted cross-subdomain cookie access for visual features... supporting this caused Netscape 4.x to NOT be able to login consistantly. Affectively the board became unusable. Also, back when this first reared its head (see the original message dates), Netscape 6.0 had some SERIOUS issues that I couldn't recommend it in good faith.

Now the only problem is that Netscape 6 has conveniently left out support for a number of Javascript layer tricks that IE and Netscape 4.x used. Can't win them all I guess!

~ D.

I suggest that you go over to netscape and re-read or download their newest version (6.2) as it addresses many java issues, including one VERY bad security risk that affected both Microsoft and Netscape because of Sun's fault.

But NS 6.2 handles cookies very well and I've never had any problems with it.

The only problem they cnat fix is a re-cacheing of roll over images which was broken from the get-go.

[Dudley Bryan Jr]

WizyWyg, I'm not interested in Netscape JAVA issues... only JavaSCRIPT issues as in "DHTML" and "Layers".

In general, I look for answers to what is happening, not reasons to ignore users, regardless of rationalizations. There'll always been decisions to make on whom to support. Each webmaster/company makes those decisions for themselves, as recommending an upgrade always brings other issues into play.

Figuring out what the problem IS will help make that easier and more coherent.

WebmasterAJ, yeah, leave it blank. You may need to do some work to clear the old cookie however before you can test it accurately.

That's it for me on this topic.

::: unsubscribe :::

~ D.