topic Re: forums in Community Chat

forums

willomenia — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 13:02:53 GMT

I had to get out of chrome went to a different browser with no issues. so maybe change your browser for forums?

Re: forums

SilleeMee — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 13:22:04 GMT

Changing from Chrome browser to Edge did not help. That's on my Windows desktop.

When I use my Chromebook there are no problems with this forum. So strange I think.

Re: forums

bmorechick — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 13:33:57 GMT

I had to go by way of the dodo bird to chime in on this but the forums have been like this for me since maybe this past Tues/Wed. In my mind, I'm thinking there's a big issue and I can't help but wonder if this is the end of them. I'm no computer tech by a long shot, but this is the age of tech and I find it hard to understand why it can't be fixed.

Re: forums

chrystaltree — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 14:05:49 GMT

@bmorechick wrote:
I had to go by way of the dodo bird to chime in on this but the forums have been like this for me since maybe this past Tues/Wed. In my mind, I'm thinking there's a big issue and I can't help but wonder if this is the end of them. I'm no computer tech by a long shot, but this is the age of tech and I find it hard to understand why it can't be fixed.

Whatever the issue is, it isn't preventing anyone from using this board. Posters need only change browsers. This board is practically dead. Very little content is posted and it's just from a handful of us regulars. The FACEBOOK group is where people go to post. Whatever is going on is not affecting sales. It's not affecting Qvc.com or any of the TV programming. I don't know if it is a QVC problem but assuming it is, they'll fix it when they get around to it. Their IT department has real problems to deal with. There's no plot because this doesn't mean anything to QVC, they can take it down whenever they want.

Re: forums

Reever — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 14:09:52 GMT

@chrystaltree wrote:
@bmorechick wrote:
I had to go by way of the dodo bird to chime in on this but the forums have been like this for me since maybe this past Tues/Wed. In my mind, I'm thinking there's a big issue and I can't help but wonder if this is the end of them. I'm no computer tech by a long shot, but this is the age of tech and I find it hard to understand why it can't be fixed.

Whatever the issue is, it isn't preventing anyone from using this board. Posters need only change browsers. This board is practically dead. Very little content is posted and it's just from a handful of us regulars. The FACEBOOK group is where people go to post. Whatever is going on is not affecting sales. It's not affecting Qvc.com or any of the TV programming. I don't know if it is a QVC problem but assuming it is, they'll fix it when they get around to it. Their IT department has real problems to deal with. There's no plot because this doesn't mean anything to QVC, they can take it down whenever they want.

Have to wonder if it was Russian hackers. The Russians have been attacking websites for years now. I would not be surprised at all if they did this and QVC's tech team is at a loss to correct it. The geopolitical world is very scary right now.

Re: forums

gardenman — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 14:11:04 GMT

@bmorechick wrote:
I had to go by way of the dodo bird to chime in on this but the forums have been like this for me since maybe this past Tues/Wed. In my mind, I'm thinking there's a big issue and I can't help but wonder if this is the end of them. I'm no computer tech by a long shot, but this is the age of tech and I find it hard to understand why it can't be fixed.

The problem will likely be easy to fix once they figure out what exactly it is. It could be a problem with the software being used by QVC. It could be that their server farms are updating their server software and that's causing the glitch. They could have added new hardware that's causing the conflict. It could be an updated piece of user software that has affected their software in some manner. There's no apparent common cause on the user side. It's not affecting just one browser or one operating system. It seems to be spreading which implies that as they update other servers with either their own software or the server software the problem grows. (Or as consumers' software updates the problem spreads.)

IT pros almost always assume the problem is a PICNIC (problem in chair, not computer) issue and they're dealing with stupid users. "All you have to do is clear your cache, reinstall the operating system, turn your computer upside down, and shake it for thirty minutes and it should be fine. You already did that, and it didn't work? Try shaking the computer for an hour." This is clearly not a PICNIC problem and seems to be spreading.

Whenever there's a hardware or software change, some people will have issues. There are people out there still using Windows 95 and every combination of hardware/software you can imagine. Some people will always have an issue whenever anything changes. There is a tipping point though and we're well over the tipping point here. This is affecting a whole lot of people, so it's not an isolated issue.

No browser is immune. No operating system is immune. It seems to be a regional issue with certain parts of the country having more issues than others. And it seems to be spreading. I'm guessing they were still hoping it was an isolated problem and decided to update additional servers to see if the problem spread. It did. Now they have to figure out what the issue is.

It could be the server software was updated and that update is causing the trouble. If so, they have to either roll back the update or wait for their server OS to be patched. It could be a new server was installed/rented/bought and the hardware has issues with their software. They could have updated their software and not found the bug until it went into wider use.

There are many options for what the problem could be and how to fix it. They just have to figure out the cause first, then the fix. It's clearly not a user/PICNIC problem. There's something else going on here. Something that we can't fix on the outside.

If they haven't changed anything and the problem just popped up out of the blue, then it could have been caused by an update in some people's antivirus software or other software that's affecting QVC's software. There are times you sit there with your old stuff running just like it always did and suddenly a change someone else made to a computer's registry makes your software go wonky. That could be the issue.

When you try to solve a problem like this you look for commonality. Are all the problems coming from one server? Are all of the problems coming from one operating system? Are all of the problems coming from one version of our software? Are all of the problems somehow related to one another? Did we change software? Did we change hardware? Were there OS updates that caused the issue? (Unlikely since this affects both MACs and PCs.)

They know there's a problem. They just need to figure out the cause and find a fix. Finding a commonality helps a lot in finding the fix. Is it only affecting people using Norton antivirus? McAfee? Something else? There are a lot of possible variables and sorting through them to find the solution is what takes time. Something changed. And it changed in a bad way. What was it? How do we fix it? (And possibly more important. How much will it cost to fix it?) There is no problem that can't be fixed. It all comes down to cost.

Re: forums

Johnnyeager — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 14:13:11 GMT

The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming!

Re: forums

stevieb — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 16:00:37 GMT

Actually @chrystaltree, you're wrong about merely changing browsers. Clearly, I can get in and can use the forums but the hoops I have to jump through to do so are ludicrous, as is the website management here, just as it has been since its inception. I did try another browser and the experience was even worse. Moreover, there is no reason one should be forced to migrate from their browser of choice simply to accommodate an embarrassingly ineffective web presence. You're right, however, that these forums are a low priority for QVC and my personal opinion is that if they aren't going to timely address issues related to them, then they might just as well take them down instead of offering the half-baked mess we currently have. Those who want to go to Facebook have already done so. Many of us have chosen not to. Oh, and yes. this is QVC's problem. When hosts of users indicate a problem only on this site, then it ceases to be credible that it's anything else and suggesting a change of browser or clearing of history on the user end as solutions are nothing more than deflection.

Re: forums

Kachina624 — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 14:27:20 GMT

I'm using Chrome and have had no problem at all. This problem seems to be random and arbitrary. Too bad the mods can't tell us what, if anything, is going on.

Re: forums

stevieb — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 14:29:00 GMT

As for this being a Russian hack, don't give them any ideas... This is their own ineptitude pure and simple... As for providing any information or updates, do they ever...?

Re: forums

Shelbelle — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 14:34:23 GMT

I use Chrome here, a nightmare, Chrome at my office, no issues.

Re: forums

gertrudecloset — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 14:37:07 GMT

It definitely is not "random." I have not been able to see the forum pages in their proper state for about 4 days now. It is not "intermittent" for me either. When it got this way it has stayed this way for me. I don't know about Regional either. I'm in the Northeast. I've read where some folks are nowhere near me who are having the same problem. That's not regional.

This website will in fact lose sales from the people who shop here and also come to post here. I would not shop here unless the entire website was up and running accordingly. That's just me. I'm sure I'm not alone in my thinking either.

I can't quote anyone now if I wanted to quote you in my response. My notifications are all missing. This happens too often. This happens to people when it doesn't affect me. It is affecting me this time, but that does not mean it's not an ongoing problem because it is. I just happened to be affected this time around.

Website hacking is problematic around the world, not just here in the states. When things like this happen it does give me pause for concern....

Ohh, today I can go back and edit my post. I couldn't do that before.

Re: forums

fthunt — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 14:47:10 GMT

Q is working on some improvements - my recent Review of a product was so much better. Removed questions like - - - - - who would you recommend this product for (babysitter - friend - mom) even when you write you hated the product & gave it ONE star (minimum)

Re: forums

Kachina624 — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 15:07:17 GMT

@gertrudecloset If the problem is spotty around the entire US without pattern, it's random. Look up the definition of random.

Re: forums

chrystaltree — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 15:14:42 GMT

Those low down dirty Russians! Messing with our beloved boards. I assume someone hS notified the State Department....lol

Re: forums

gertrudecloset — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 15:19:50 GMT

I get it @Kachina624 . I was thinking more along the lines of it happening to people randomly. Like one day you're fine the next day you're not. Then the next day you're fine and two days later you're not again. The way I defined "random" for this discussion is accurate as well. I do see what you're talking about though. I can and do agree with you on that as well.

I have been all messed up for three to four days straight (in other words), consistently (not by random or not intermittently).

Thanks....

Re: forums

stevieb — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 15:21:36 GMT

@fthunt wrote:
Q is working on some improvements - my recent Review of a product was so much better. Removed questions like - - - - - who would you recommend this product for (babysitter - friend - mom) even when you write you hated the product & gave it ONE star (minimum)

Other dumb questions too - yea

That's nice, but they should be able to make changes to part of the site without crashing another part, and, as far as it goes, if I had to do without one or the other, I can personally live without the reviews, preferring more seamless access to the forums... Besides, it seems they're always working on alleged 'improvements' but the site rarely seems improved..

Re: forums

gertrudecloset — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 15:26:29 GMT

We don't even know if this is affecting their international sites do we? We're making assumptions that it's only us everytime something goes awry with this website. Hmmmm....If it's not other international sites for Qurate, then why not? If it's just us in the States, I wonder why? Lots we don't know. Much of this is guessing and trying to come up with answers.

It's all in the knowing. I'm usually ok when things go awry as long as I know why!

Re: forums

Marceil — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 15:36:22 GMT

One is already here. I live in Russia, Ohio. Seriously! 😃

Re: forums

goldensrbest — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 15:37:04 GMT

First time to post since tuesday, but it is not fixed ,had to go through ,what i can not explain.