So the blank post problem has not been completely resolved, but there is a work around.

When you are filling out a post form like I am doing right now, right under the box you are typing in, is the word Markup and a drop down that says using UBB Code, or html, or both. If you always select both, the problem does not happen.

This has something to do with hidden embedded code in certain charters like quotation marks, and others. So for anyone that has experienced this, before you hit the submit button, select your entire post, copy it, and hit submit. If it does not post, create a new reply post, paste into it your copied original, roll the mark up window to UBB and html as the selection, and submit again. It will fix the problem that caused the blank post because it will not reject the post for some hidden character in the HTML, it only rejects these hidden code characters in UBB code.

In the Markup section my only option in the drop down is "using UBBCode", so no option to select "both".

I searched my Profile section for an HTML option and didn't see one anywhere.

In the Post Options section (which is below the Markup section), it states "HTML is disabled" and "UBBCode is enabled".

I've been one of those having this problem, which happens sometimes, but not all the time. I really appreciate your efforts on solving this problem and for keeping us informed.

OK, so as an admin perhaps my options are different that a non admins choices. Would someone else who is not an admin look at their markup options below the copy box and tell me what their drop down menu says.

Brian mine is the same as Susan's.
Just a drop down box but the only option to select is "using UBBCode"
Actually under quick reply it says
"HTML is disabled UBBCode is enabled "

Gabe,
Switch to Full Reply Screen -- what you see is a little different, but I still only have one drop down option.

so we know for sure what is causing the problem - it is bits of unnecessary code in a message that you cannot see. The code which the board works on is UBB code, which appears to be very sensitive to random characters in it. HTML mostly ignores them. MS Word is notorious for lots of useless blind code in the documents you create in it.

So now we are trying to figure out with the people that own the board software and license it to us, why in this new version of the software this has started happening. When I had a post that would not appear yesterday in UBB code, I sent it to Chester for him to look at. In the email you can choose to look at the source code as one of the selections, and there it was - four characters before a quotation mark that were gibberish to the UBB code. I though that choosing the HTMLand UBB together drop down which I have in my screen, was going to be a simple work around till they got this sorted out, (it solves the problem) but if regular members cannot get that in their drop downs it's not the solution.

Hi Brian,

I responded about this in another post but am replying again to maybe help move this along a bit smoother.

Originally, reports were coming in that members were using Word to create their posts, then cutting and pasting into the message box here in the forum software. This was causing the problem you describe --- random, invisible characters being inserted along with the visible text.

Often times you can paste the clipped Word content into Notepad (Windows) then copy and paste from there into the form. Doing this strips nearly all the embedded, hidden code but Notepad lets a small set of invisible characters to slip through and cause the same issue.

As you have discovered by being able to view the raw HTML code (remember, we can not see that feature as members)those pesky characters are present.

The proper solution lies within the UBB forum software as you are discovering. What you want to do is to look into the filtering and editing post functions. In there lies the rules and filters that allow/disallow, pass/strip each character and code to be inserted into the message box.

Your tech folks know where the best support forum is for this specific software to obtain the fix. As you mention the problem started after a software upgrade, so this is the first place to investigate.

We see in the Markup drop down only the using UBBCode option. This should likely default to HTML mode only. There is decision point if you want to optionally allow UBBCode, which I suspect is all HTML plus options for special UBB features.

A couple months ago, I had a very similar issue with a client using another similar piece of software and similar scenario. Recent core software upgrade and copy/paste from one software to another got lost along the way. In this instance, there was a new default setting in the admin section that was different than the older release.

You are on the homestretch, most of the effort is figuring what exactly is going on; the fix is usually easier if you stay off the bleeding edge of upgrades as someone will have fallen into and patched the hole.

good luck, don

Well, a little bit of progress. You all should be able to select UBB and HTML in your screens now. Also we have found a commonality in the blank posts that we can identify. Parenthesis and box quote marks, both introduce an offending bit of code into the system. But if you copy you post so that you have it trapped, and find that it docent post, go back to the screen, paste you copy into it change your mark up to ebb and html and we have a work around until the developer fixes the bug.

Ubboy... now I need a computer science degree AND a medical degree on this site. That tears it: I'm going back to chiseling letters into stone tablets.

Looking at all the blank posts the common theme is the single quote. I won't bore you with the details but it seems that is the culprit.

If you see a blank post please send me a link. Post ID will work and I will correct the quote issue.