weird question about browser refresh (specific to OotS forum pages)

[arimareiji]

Probably something specific to Firefox, the ungodly number of tabs I usually keep open, or something similar...

but does anyone have an idea why recently it seems like the toolbar for a forum window often displays "X" indefinitely where the refresh icon "⟳" usually goes? I can still refresh by right-clicking the tab and choosing "Reload tab", it's just weird and slightly more cumbersome.

Edit: Clarifying title in light of increasing certitude

[Rawhide]

This doesn't seem like a bored/sight issue. Moved!

[arimareiji]

This doesn't seem like a bored/sight issue. Moved!

Thank you for helping me realize I should have been clearer: It only happens on this forum / site.

[Batcathat]

I have what sounds like exactly the same issue, tabs with the forum open frequently (but not always) basically seem to load perpetually. I too use Firefox with a ton of open tabs, so the OP suggestion about that having something to do with the problem might be accurate.

[snowblizz]

I'm getting it right now in FF with 5 tabs open. Wouldn't call that a massive amount.

Edit: testing if it goes after posting.

Seems like not.

Had it go back to normal for awhile. Was thinking it was interfering with another site am logged into as it went when I closed that tab, but doesn't seem to be that.

[arimareiji]

I have what sounds like exactly the same issue, tabs with the forum open frequently (but not always) basically seem to load perpetually. I too use Firefox with a ton of open tabs, so the OP suggestion about that having something to do with the problem might be accurate.

I'm getting it right now in FF with 5 tabs open. Wouldn't call that a massive amount.

Edit: testing if it goes after posting.

Seems like not.

Had it go back to normal for awhile. Was thinking it was interfering with another site am logged into as it went when I closed that tab, but doesn't seem to be that.

Thank you both, I was thinking it might just be me. (^_^)

snowblizz: If that number of tabs is even mid-level, the number of tabs I keep open (both before and after this started happening) would be epic verging on joining a pantheon. (^_~)


Edit: I don't know if this is useful, but I noticed the following just now. If I click on a link on an index page (such as https://forums.giantitp.com/forumdisplay.php?22-The-Order-of-the-Stick) then later return back to it,, it seems like this happens. But it doesn't happen if I hit reload before the page finishes coming up (which doesn't actually reload it), and then hit reload again (which does).

[Batcathat]

I just noticed that I don't have this issue on my work computer, despite still using Firefox with an ungodly amount of tabs open, so it seems that's not the sole cause of the problem, at least.

[snowblizz]

For the record am using FF v 88.0 and Adblock Plus. Though the latter is not activated on GITP.

[Yourt19]

I sometimes get the same thing, but it goes away after 30 seconds.

[arimareiji]

I sometimes get the same thing, but it goes away after 30 seconds.

I can only guess it's because the page takes a long time to load, which can definitely happen.

At least in my case, the network goes idle (i.e. it's no longer loading) and it stays that way indefinitely.

Unless I do the fix described above: Visit another page on the forum, then go back, but hit reload in time. It won't actually reload the first time, but after that the reload icon stays good ("⟳") and will work... well, unless I visit another page on the forum, then go back but don't hit the first reload in time.

If I don't hit the first reload in time, it goes back to "X" and stays that way (unless I fix it again).

[Devils_Advocate]

recently it seems like the toolbar for a forum window often displays "X" indefinitely where the refresh icon "⟳" usually goes? I can still refresh by right-clicking the tab and choosing "Reload tab", it's just weird and slightly more cumbersome.

am using FF v 88.0 and Adblock Plus.
Same to both. Looks like Firefox was last updated on April 19; I'm pretty sure that it's something with the current version.

[Astral Avenger]

I also use firefox and often have between 5 and 25 tabs open while on this forum and I have not noticed this behavior. (firefox version 88.0, only add-on is AdBlock).

A common source of loading issues with this forum is people's avatars, since they're hosted on other sites and loaded/called (I'm not a web developer...) when a page is loaded. If you notice the "x" behavior again, try to keep track of who's avatar is on the page (especially if it isn't loaded).

The "x" instead of the refresh button indicates that something is still trying to load on the page.


@v

I can imagine that being possible, but it would be pretty messed up... as noted, it stays in that state indefinitely.

Edit: Also, the first place I noticed it was on the index page for the Order of the Stick section. Afaik no one's avatar loads there.

Well, since no avatars should be loaded on the index page, this is the first time I can remember where a loading issue isn't caused by avatars or impending server problems (hopefully no impending server problems anyway).

[arimareiji]

I also use firefox and often have between 5 and 25 tabs open while on this forum and I have not noticed this behavior. (firefox version 88.0, only add-on is AdBlock).

A common source of loading issues with this forum is people's avatars, since they're hosted on other sites and loaded/called (I'm not a web developer...) when a page is loaded. If you notice the "x" behavior again, try to keep track of who's avatar is on the page (especially if it isn't loaded).

The "x" instead of the refresh button indicates that something is still trying to load on the page.

I can imagine that being possible, but it would be pretty messed up... as noted, it stays in that state indefinitely.

Edit: Also, the first place I noticed it was on the index page for the Order of the Stick section. Afaik no one's avatar loads there.

[KillianHawkeye]

I'm using Firefox 88.0 and I easily have over a hundred tabs open across four different browser windows at all times (yes, I'm one of THOSE people), and I just want to say I've not been having this problem at all.

[arimareiji]

It sounds like tabs aren't the issue. I wonder if there are any commonalities among people whose Firefox does hack up a hairball on these forums... (^_~)°

I wonder if type of computer is relevant.

Computers that have this issue: arimareiji (using a decrepit Mac), Batcathat (home?), snowblizz, Devils_Advocate (who raises a good point about the recent Firefarks update)

Computers that don't: Batcathat (work), Astral Avenger, KillianHawkeye


I have what sounds like exactly the same issue, tabs with the forum open frequently (but not always) basically seem to load perpetually.

I'm getting it right now in FF...

Edit: testing if it goes after posting.

Seems like not.

Had it go back to normal for awhile. Was thinking it was interfering with another site am logged into as it went when I closed that tab, but doesn't seem to be that.

I just noticed that I don't have this issue on my work computer

Unless I do the fix described above: Visit another page on the forum, then go back, but hit reload in time. It won't actually reload the first time, but after that the reload icon stays good ("⟳") and will work... well, unless I visit another page on the forum, then go back but don't hit the first reload in time.

If I don't hit the first reload in time, it goes back to "X" and stays that way (unless I fix it again)

Same to both. Looks like Firefox was last updated on April 19; I'm pretty sure that it's something with the current version.

I also use firefox... I have not noticed this behavior.

I'm using Firefox 88.0... I just want to say I've not been having this problem at all.

[Devils_Advocate]

So, it seems that this phenomenon is accompanied by the text in the bottom left corner of the window that tells what the browser is doing. Both that and the "X" eventually go away. I've seen "Transferring data from cdn.syndication.twimg.com..." and "Read platform.twitter.com". Which suggests that images from Rich's Twitter are being loaded in the sidebar, but all of them seem to be there already even while the loading text remains up. Curiouser and curiouser.

[arimareiji]

So, it seems that this phenomenon is accompanied by the text in the bottom left corner of the window that tells what the browser is doing. Both that and the "X" eventually go away. I've seen "Transferring data from cdn.syndication.twimg.com..." and "Read platform.twitter.com". Which suggests that images from Rich's Twitter are being loaded in the sidebar, but all of them seem to be there already even while the loading text remains up. Curiouser and curiouser.

Further weird tidbits: Loading the forum index page https://forums.giantitp.com/forumdisplay.php?22-The-Order-of-the-Stick from scratch, or using "reopen closed tab" to restore it, both lead to a page with "X" in place of the reload button. Unless you use a modification of the tip I mentioned earlier, hitting stop while it's reloading after clicking on a specific page and then going back to the index.

More generally, it appears the only way to get the page with a working reload button is "Hit stop before it finishes loading"... and even then, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

And unless an actual expert on such matters can weigh in on the specific actual cause, it does in fact seem likely that this behavior is limited to pages from the forum.

(I can't definitely assert this, since I'm neither an expert nor have I tested every webpage in the world.)


Edit: Addendum, the seed of which came from Devils_Advocate's observation: It appears you can keep the reload button active if you hit stop after the page loads most of the content, but before it tries to load what DA picked up on. Once it does that, it appears there's nothing you can do to make the reload button work other than force-loading the page and stopping it as described.