Hi,
I only joined on Xmas day, and am having some frustrating times.
I have done a search on this topic, but only two threads came up. The first was more about 'Saving' the Forum, but I looked at all the pages just in case, the second was 22 pages long and didn't also seem to be about my problem, so I gave up with this after several pages.
I have already clocked up over 100 posts, (some I had to edit because they exceeded the limit of characters!) so I am taking the Forum seriously, or I wouldn't otherwise waste anyone else's time in asking this.
The problem is that my ISP times me out automatically every two hours, presumably to make sure I haven't gone to sleep!
If, as has happened three times now, I am in the middle of a post or a reply to one, I always lose what I have already written, which can be hours of work for me as I am rather slow at typing.
I am using Windows 98SE, and although the screen I am on remains, and I can add to my comments in the window, as soon as I try to re-establish contact with the Forum, the wretched thing disappears.
After fervent searching, I can recover the screen, but the narrative has by this time gone for good.
The second time I had problems, I tried saving it before I was timed out (using save as to My Docs), but again when I recovered it, there was only the 'outline' and peripherals of the Forum page, but nothing of what I had written in the window.
Using software like Norton, and Go back, and Windows Search or Find (whatever it is called), I can access all of my folders and when I find anything with the correct reference, it is always merely the outline etc, but no wording of mine.
I am quite new to computers, and will try anything, but after wasting probably best part of a whole day now (in dribs and drabs) I have to accept that I am beaten with this one.
Please can anyone help me with this?
Regards,
P.S. on checking this, I seem to have got it in the wrong section, it was meant to be in "anything else". I am sorry, but although I am now in the 'edit' screen, I cannot readily see how you change this over and I don't want to lose another posting by being timed out again!
I only joined on Xmas day, and am having some frustrating times.
I have done a search on this topic, but only two threads came up. The first was more about 'Saving' the Forum, but I looked at all the pages just in case, the second was 22 pages long and didn't also seem to be about my problem, so I gave up with this after several pages.
I have already clocked up over 100 posts, (some I had to edit because they exceeded the limit of characters!) so I am taking the Forum seriously, or I wouldn't otherwise waste anyone else's time in asking this.
The problem is that my ISP times me out automatically every two hours, presumably to make sure I haven't gone to sleep!
If, as has happened three times now, I am in the middle of a post or a reply to one, I always lose what I have already written, which can be hours of work for me as I am rather slow at typing.
I am using Windows 98SE, and although the screen I am on remains, and I can add to my comments in the window, as soon as I try to re-establish contact with the Forum, the wretched thing disappears.
After fervent searching, I can recover the screen, but the narrative has by this time gone for good.
The second time I had problems, I tried saving it before I was timed out (using save as to My Docs), but again when I recovered it, there was only the 'outline' and peripherals of the Forum page, but nothing of what I had written in the window.
Using software like Norton, and Go back, and Windows Search or Find (whatever it is called), I can access all of my folders and when I find anything with the correct reference, it is always merely the outline etc, but no wording of mine.
I am quite new to computers, and will try anything, but after wasting probably best part of a whole day now (in dribs and drabs) I have to accept that I am beaten with this one.
Please can anyone help me with this?
Regards,
P.S. on checking this, I seem to have got it in the wrong section, it was meant to be in "anything else". I am sorry, but although I am now in the 'edit' screen, I cannot readily see how you change this over and I don't want to lose another posting by being timed out again!
I suggest using cut & paste:
CUT: From time to time, mark what you have written by dragging the mouse over the text, holding down the left key. Then press CTRL + INS. This copies the selected text to the clipboard.
PASTE: When you get disconnected, just reconnect, reload the page, place the cursor in the text window and press SHIFT + INS. You can also paste your text into a different window, for example an editor window. This way, you can save the text to your harddisk.
CUT: From time to time, mark what you have written by dragging the mouse over the text, holding down the left key. Then press CTRL + INS. This copies the selected text to the clipboard.
PASTE: When you get disconnected, just reconnect, reload the page, place the cursor in the text window and press SHIFT + INS. You can also paste your text into a different window, for example an editor window. This way, you can save the text to your harddisk.
You can solve this problem (if you don't solve the problem with your ISP), save your post even if it isn't finished yet. Start write at the bottom that you aren't finished so you don't get people to comment your half finished text.
If you get disconnected you can easily within 30 minutes edit again.
To the webmaster:
PLEASE MAKE THE EDITING TIME LONGER. One week had been OK but I settle for 24 hours.
If you get disconnected you can easily within 30 minutes edit again.
To the webmaster:
PLEASE MAKE THE EDITING TIME LONGER. One week had been OK but I settle for 24 hours. 
Thread moved!We are looking at the editing time for posts as part of the current overhaul, but the reason we don't want give too long is to prevent people posting abuse and then removing it again before we can take action.
FinishedIf you are doing a really complex or long post, you can write it in a text editor first, then cut and paste into the reply box
Thanks for all of the advice, and for redirecting my post to the right area.
This was my first " new thread" and having realised my ****-up, I really couldn't see how to correct it in the 'edit' screen.
I cannot take it up with my ISP as it is part of the 24/7 agreement with them that they always cut you off like this. You can immediately reconnect, though, but this was no help to me in this case.
I guess it is a device to prevent users from simply remaining connected to the net permanently, and maybe slowing things down unnecessarily for others.
I like the idea of setting posts up in another area as I am still so slow, presumably Wordpad would be OK as I have this, but does anyone know about whether I can transfer a post to say Wordpad for me to comment on or to quote from.
Would something like 'copy and paste' do this for me too?
I am a little nervous about screwing up someone else's post unwittingly by trying things out like this, until I am more knowledgeable on the computer side of things.
Many thanks to you all.
Regards
This was my first " new thread" and having realised my ****-up, I really couldn't see how to correct it in the 'edit' screen.
I cannot take it up with my ISP as it is part of the 24/7 agreement with them that they always cut you off like this. You can immediately reconnect, though, but this was no help to me in this case.
I guess it is a device to prevent users from simply remaining connected to the net permanently, and maybe slowing things down unnecessarily for others.
I like the idea of setting posts up in another area as I am still so slow, presumably Wordpad would be OK as I have this, but does anyone know about whether I can transfer a post to say Wordpad for me to comment on or to quote from.
Would something like 'copy and paste' do this for me too?
I am a little nervous about screwing up someone else's post unwittingly by trying things out like this, until I am more knowledgeable on the computer side of things.
Many thanks to you all.
Regards
Don't worry, you can't mess with anyone elses post
Copy and paste will work across 99% of programs, the only thing to beware of is that you might muck up some of the formatting codes,(in square brackets), but you should be ok.
You might want to read the FAQ, ( a button at the top of every page).
Copy and paste will work across 99% of programs, the only thing to beware of is that you might muck up some of the formatting codes,(in square brackets), but you should be ok.
You might want to read the FAQ, ( a button at the top of every page).
You could write up your whole post off line in say notepad taking as long as you need, and saving regularly, and when you are ready to post select edit. select all, copy which puts your text into Windows clipboard. Then go online and in the post window just put your cursor on the top line, select edit, then paste and your whole post which you did offline will be tranfered into the post window.
Hi,
Thanks, again for all of your help.
I am confident I will be able to sort my difficulties out satisfactorily now.
Prior to this, I couldn't understand why, even when I had successfully saved the screen, that the typed content had vanished, but this gives me several choices as to how I can overcome this.
I really am very grateful.
Kind Regards,
Thanks, again for all of your help.
I am confident I will be able to sort my difficulties out satisfactorily now.
Prior to this, I couldn't understand why, even when I had successfully saved the screen, that the typed content had vanished, but this gives me several choices as to how I can overcome this.
I really am very grateful.
Kind Regards,
Bob:
My good modem died a few weeks ago, so I am using this less-than-satisfactory modem right now. I get knocked off a lot as well.
When I hit the "Submit Reply" button and get the White Screen, this is what I do.
A) Minimize everything to get to the Desktop.
B) Reconnect.
C) Return to the White Screen.
D) Hit the Back button.
E) Use your cursor to put the entire text into blue, then press-and-hold Control and press "C". This will copy all your text.
F) Hit the "Submit Reply" button.
Normally, the post will appear. If it does not, then I go to Wordpad. As soon as Wordpad opens, I press-and-hold Control and press "V". Now the entire test appears in Wordpad. The post is saved.
After that, I simply go to the original thread I was in, and commence a new reply. As soon as the blank screen appears, I press-and-hold Control, press "V", and the post is up there. Then I press "Submit Reply".
PS: If your posts take the better part of a day to write, you definitely should get into the habit of first writing them in Wordpad or a word processor, and saving the text regularly. Those posts are too valuable to trust to an interruptable online setup. Develop the habit of finishing them first in Wordpad or Word, then transfer.
My good modem died a few weeks ago, so I am using this less-than-satisfactory modem right now. I get knocked off a lot as well.
When I hit the "Submit Reply" button and get the White Screen, this is what I do.
A) Minimize everything to get to the Desktop.
B) Reconnect.
C) Return to the White Screen.
D) Hit the Back button.
E) Use your cursor to put the entire text into blue, then press-and-hold Control and press "C". This will copy all your text.
F) Hit the "Submit Reply" button.
Normally, the post will appear. If it does not, then I go to Wordpad. As soon as Wordpad opens, I press-and-hold Control and press "V". Now the entire test appears in Wordpad. The post is saved.
After that, I simply go to the original thread I was in, and commence a new reply. As soon as the blank screen appears, I press-and-hold Control, press "V", and the post is up there. Then I press "Submit Reply".
PS: If your posts take the better part of a day to write, you definitely should get into the habit of first writing them in Wordpad or a word processor, and saving the text regularly. Those posts are too valuable to trust to an interruptable online setup. Develop the habit of finishing them first in Wordpad or Word, then transfer.
That's certainly the best way of going about it short of simply writing everything in the text editor to start with but that's just too much of a pain for me...Thanks, Kelticwizard, this has given me even more choices as to how I can overcome these difficulties.
I do tend to write quite a lot at any one time, I do try to be comprehensive and absolutely accurate and fair in what I say, and frequently it requires referring back to other posters' comments.
Accordingly, it often takes me more than an hour or so to be satisfied with what I have written, and these suggestions of setting out my comments elsewhere, initially, appear to be the way for me to go, until I become more adept with my keyboard.
The "best part of a day" I mentioned was actually the total time I had spent in trying to find my own way around these problems, and by mentioning that I wanted to indicate that I was not being lazy (like some posts I have seen!) and simply expecting my hand to be held at the first opportunity.
Anyway, your combined and very helpfull responses have made me realise just what a benefit it is in having become a member of the Forum, and I hope in return that what I have tried to pass on in my own posts has been similarly useful to some of the other members.
Regards,
I do tend to write quite a lot at any one time, I do try to be comprehensive and absolutely accurate and fair in what I say, and frequently it requires referring back to other posters' comments.
Accordingly, it often takes me more than an hour or so to be satisfied with what I have written, and these suggestions of setting out my comments elsewhere, initially, appear to be the way for me to go, until I become more adept with my keyboard.
The "best part of a day" I mentioned was actually the total time I had spent in trying to find my own way around these problems, and by mentioning that I wanted to indicate that I was not being lazy (like some posts I have seen!) and simply expecting my hand to be held at the first opportunity.
Anyway, your combined and very helpfull responses have made me realise just what a benefit it is in having become a member of the Forum, and I hope in return that what I have tried to pass on in my own posts has been similarly useful to some of the other members.
Regards,
Hi Everyone,
I put your kind advice to the test this morning, when, as usual, after about an hour or so of typing a response, I got the big heave-ho from my ISP!
I used a combination of your suggestions by using the mouse to highlight the text and then the clipboard for 'saving' it. After re-connecting, I got the text back in the window straight away, as you suggested, and nothing could have been easier.
I chose this method rather than the possible initially setting it up elsewhere, like in Wordpad, as I though it would be easier to arrange for quotes from other peoples' posts, and it enables easy reference back to the thread to see again what has already been said.
In total, including nearly a day spent in trying vainly to discover a method to recover previous 'lost posts' and in having to retype several long ones, I must have wasted at least two whole days before your help, so I really am most grateful.
It has made my day!
Regards,
I put your kind advice to the test this morning, when, as usual, after about an hour or so of typing a response, I got the big heave-ho from my ISP!
I used a combination of your suggestions by using the mouse to highlight the text and then the clipboard for 'saving' it. After re-connecting, I got the text back in the window straight away, as you suggested, and nothing could have been easier.
I chose this method rather than the possible initially setting it up elsewhere, like in Wordpad, as I though it would be easier to arrange for quotes from other peoples' posts, and it enables easy reference back to the thread to see again what has already been said.
In total, including nearly a day spent in trying vainly to discover a method to recover previous 'lost posts' and in having to retype several long ones, I must have wasted at least two whole days before your help, so I really am most grateful.
It has made my day!
Regards,
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