Blank MeFi June 22, 2009 4:16 PM Subscribe
So, ever since I applied the 3.0 software update to my iPhone, I've run into this problem where occasionally pages (AskMe, MetaTalk, and MeFi proper) load blank...
I've re-produced it on two different iPhones - one a 3G with 3.0 and one a 3GS with 3.0. The page seems to render correctly - the right color, the header, so on, so forth, but where there should be content instead there's just.. nothing. I'd say it probably happens 10% - 15% of the time.
If I reload the page, it comes up just fine.
Has anyone else experienced this? Should I just use the mobile version of Metafilter and shut the fuck up? Probably.
I've re-produced it on two different iPhones - one a 3G with 3.0 and one a 3GS with 3.0. The page seems to render correctly - the right color, the header, so on, so forth, but where there should be content instead there's just.. nothing. I'd say it probably happens 10% - 15% of the time.
If I reload the page, it comes up just fine.
Has anyone else experienced this? Should I just use the mobile version of Metafilter and shut the fuck up? Probably.
The front page or individual posts? I've seen this happen in Safari on the front pages where the browser mishandles the CSS and puts all the posts below the sidebar, which leaves a big blank space.
posted by smackfu at 4:22 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by smackfu at 4:22 PM on June 22, 2009
Ok, I'm not going to say that's not happening to me, Ian A.T... It's possibly I'm just not noticing that the content is down there.
posted by kbanas at 4:22 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by kbanas at 4:22 PM on June 22, 2009
This sounds like the Safari 4.0 bug that we patched up last week. It must be happening with new version of Safari on the iPhone and we can probably apply the same fix. Checking now...
posted by pb (staff) at 4:22 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by pb (staff) at 4:22 PM on June 22, 2009
I'm experiencing Ian A.T.'s situation. iPhone 3G 3.0. It happens every time I switch to landscape view from portrait.
posted by SeizeTheDay at 4:22 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by SeizeTheDay at 4:22 PM on June 22, 2009
I've only experienced it on the front page, or, um, only remember it happening on the front page.
posted by kbanas at 4:23 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by kbanas at 4:23 PM on June 22, 2009
It's happened to me with the Ask Mefi main page. I had to restart Safari to get it to load properly -- just hitting "refresh" didn't work.
posted by olinerd at 4:32 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by olinerd at 4:32 PM on June 22, 2009
Same here. Content is being pushed down. And I remember the same thing happening on Safari 4 beta.
posted by dhruva at 4:44 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by dhruva at 4:44 PM on June 22, 2009
ok, spotted the sidebar problem switching between landscape/portrait and fixed it up. You might need to clear the cache on your iPhone browser ("Settings" icon -> Safari -> Clear Cache) to see the latest version of the site. I'm testing on a 3G/OS 3. Sadly, no new iPhone here.
posted by pb (staff) at 5:01 PM on June 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by pb (staff) at 5:01 PM on June 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
Eh, I have a first gen iTouch with 3.0 on it and don't have the blank page problem.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:04 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:04 PM on June 22, 2009
iPhone 3G running 3.0 and I've had no issues reading MeFi with it.
posted by Effigy2000 at 5:17 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by Effigy2000 at 5:17 PM on June 22, 2009
This sounds like the Safari 4.0 bug that we patched up last week.
And I thought that just magically fixed itself...
posted by smackfu at 5:54 PM on June 22, 2009
And I thought that just magically fixed itself...
posted by smackfu at 5:54 PM on June 22, 2009
How come I never read any questions about reading metafilter on a Black Berry? They must be better or something.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:24 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by cjorgensen at 6:24 PM on June 22, 2009
Sadly, no new iPhone here.
posted by pb
Probably need get Matt to spring for one for you, so you can check for bugs and such.
posted by marxchivist at 6:39 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by pb
Probably need get Matt to spring for one for you, so you can check for bugs and such.
posted by marxchivist at 6:39 PM on June 22, 2009
I am here at home and my my Microsoft software is workin JUST FINE
posted by longsleeves at 7:41 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by longsleeves at 7:41 PM on June 22, 2009
Same here, iPod touch, 3.0, content starts way down the page.
posted by fourcheesemac at 7:49 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by fourcheesemac at 7:49 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by not_on_display at 7:51 PM on June 22, 2009 [4 favorites]
fourcheesemac, did you try clearing out your cache? And does the content start way down the page on MeFi, Ask, MetaTalk, or any of the other sites? Sorry, thought this one was fixed up and I'm just trying narrow down where the problem is.
posted by pb (staff) at 8:19 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by pb (staff) at 8:19 PM on June 22, 2009
oh, I bet Safari on iPod touch has a different User-Agent string. If someone with an iPod touch running the new 3.0 OS could visit this page and send me the browser string, we can get this fixed up.
posted by pb (staff) at 8:22 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by pb (staff) at 8:22 PM on June 22, 2009
Thanks for sending that rtha, but no luck on that User-Agent front. Looks like there's something about the iPod Touch that's different yet from the iPhone. Could someone with the iPod Touch let me know where the content-down-the-page thing is happening for you? (MeFi, Ask, MeTa front pages?) And which MeFi theme you're using (default or plain)? Thanks.
posted by pb (staff) at 9:45 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by pb (staff) at 9:45 PM on June 22, 2009
Just to say, iPhone OG here, and while I was having the display problem when rotating the phone, I'm not anymore. Thanks for fixing it PB!
posted by gofargogo at 9:47 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by gofargogo at 9:47 PM on June 22, 2009
iPod Touch, OS 3.0, and I see it - intermittently - on askme and mefi. I don't think I've noticed it on meTa, so far. Default theme.
Good to know we're...special. not really
posted by rtha at 10:11 PM on June 22, 2009
Good to know we're...special. not really
posted by rtha at 10:11 PM on June 22, 2009
I got this bug all weekend on an iPhone gs, but it's looking good now.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:19 PM on June 22, 2009
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:19 PM on June 22, 2009
The bug that I've experienced is that the content of the main page is pushed down below the sidebar, and the space beside the sidebar is just blank. If I scroll down below the sidebar, there's the entire content. It doesn't happen all the time, maybe 50%? I haven't really been keeping track.
This happens to me occasionally in Google Chrome.
posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 5:48 AM on June 23, 2009
This happens to me occasionally in Google Chrome.
posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 5:48 AM on June 23, 2009
(PC browser, not an iThing)
posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 5:49 AM on June 23, 2009
posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 5:49 AM on June 23, 2009
Thanks pb!
Now when I read Metafilter while I poop, it shall be error free.
posted by kbanas at 7:14 AM on June 23, 2009
Now when I read Metafilter while I poop, it shall be error free.
posted by kbanas at 7:14 AM on June 23, 2009
The 'items appear below' the sidebar thing is still happening for me in Safari 4.0.1 Mac about 2-3 in 10 times I go to the front page. I haven't seen it happen on my iPhone 3G with OS 3 in a while.
posted by birdherder at 11:03 AM on June 23, 2009
posted by birdherder at 11:03 AM on June 23, 2009
Thanks for fixing this.
first MeTa comment w/ new iPhone!! Ha ha ha ha ha suck it haterz
posted by BitterOldPunk at 2:29 PM on June 23, 2009
first MeTa comment w/ new iPhone!! Ha ha ha ha ha suck it haterz
posted by BitterOldPunk at 2:29 PM on June 23, 2009
Now when I read Metafilter while I poop, it shall be error free.
Did you try clearing your cache?
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:51 PM on June 23, 2009
Did you try clearing your cache?
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:51 PM on June 23, 2009
pb - I don't think it's fully fixed. I still get it sometimes, which is to say I don't know why it's not happening all the time or not at all. iphone 3gs, os 3.0
posted by krautland at 4:41 AM on June 24, 2009
posted by krautland at 4:41 AM on June 24, 2009
yeah, this is a tough one to debug now since I can't reproduce it at all. krautland, if you happen to spot this problem on a page other than the MeFi or Ask front pages please let me know. But I'm stumped for the moment.
Yesterday Matt and I were trying out some different ways to lay out the front page with CSS that would work without the browser-specific tricks so we might have to keep experimenting there.
posted by pb (staff) at 10:29 AM on June 24, 2009
Yesterday Matt and I were trying out some different ways to lay out the front page with CSS that would work without the browser-specific tricks so we might have to keep experimenting there.
posted by pb (staff) at 10:29 AM on June 24, 2009
Definitely not fully fixed. Haven't gotten it on my iphone(3G) in a while, but it just showed up on my laptop in Chrome. And then went away under reload.
posted by nat at 8:26 PM on June 24, 2009
posted by nat at 8:26 PM on June 24, 2009
no biggie. perhaps displaying a note for iphone users that the content might be further down might work as a temporary relief?
posted by krautland at 1:20 AM on June 25, 2009
posted by krautland at 1:20 AM on June 25, 2009
If the problem only happens once every five (or ten?) page loads a note will just add more confusion than help. If someone doesn't see what they expect, a quick reload (or portrait/landscape shift) should take care of it and I think that's pretty normal behavior. So I don't want to add more noise to the page for every iPhone user.
I pushed the "fix" out to all browsers now, so Chrome should be looking better. But I know there are still intermittent problems on the iPhone/iPod.
posted by pb (staff) at 6:05 AM on June 25, 2009
I pushed the "fix" out to all browsers now, so Chrome should be looking better. But I know there are still intermittent problems on the iPhone/iPod.
posted by pb (staff) at 6:05 AM on June 25, 2009
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posted by Ian A.T. at 4:21 PM on June 22, 2009 [1 favorite]