Content of first post in threads disappearing

[rant boss]

Version 3.6.8

First posts of threads frequently appear blank after a few days (in other words, the content is there for awhile, then suddenly disappears for good).

It doesn't happen in every thread, but in a decent amount of them. I'm using the Blaze skin -- but don't think that's a problem, because I use it on two different VBul forums, and only have the problem on one of the forums.

Has anyone had this problem, and if so, how did you solve it?

Thanks in advance for your reply.

[Dismounted]

How does it disappear? Does the whole first post's postbit just go kaput? Or does the text go missing?

Have you tried disabling your modifications?

[rant boss]

The text just disappears.

I've not tried disabling my modifications...there are so many

[Lynne]

So you end up with a blank post? Have you looked in the database to see if the post has actually disappeared in there? Have you looked in your error_logs to see if there is anything listed in there?

This is not default vbulletin behavior, so something is causing this to happen. Usually, when things go wrong, it is the result of a modification.

[valdet]

This is a sample thread, with the problem mentioned.

Postbit_legacy doesn't dissapear, its only the post that vanishes.
I've checked into DB too. The first post is missing from there as well.

http://www.nassaufdrant.com/forum/ro...8-a-14898.html

Can a reason behind this, be the format of title in each of these threads, as names of threads have: Place dd/mm/yy title format?

Also, I noticed that this occurs mostly when merging threads or posts. Sometimes it also happens when you edit your own post. Not only in that particular forum but on others as well.

Here is the content of my postbit_legacy if it helps:

<table id="post$post[postid]" class="tborder" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%" align="center">
<tr>
    <if condition="$show['announcement']">
        <td class="thead" style="font-weight:normal; border: $stylevar[cellspacing]px solid $stylevar[tborder_bgcolor]" colspan="2">
            <img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_statusicon]/post_$post[statusicon].gif" alt="$post[statustitle]" border="0" />
            <phrase 1="$post[startdate]" 2="$post[enddate]">$vbphrase[x_until_y]</phrase>
        </td>
    <else />
        <td class="thead" style="font-weight:normal; border: $stylevar[cellspacing]px solid $stylevar[tborder_bgcolor]; border-right: 0px" $post[scrolltothis]>        
            <!-- status icon and date -->
            <a name="post$post[postid]"><img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_statusicon]/post_$post[statusicon].gif" alt="$post[statustitle]" border="0" /></a>
            $post[postdate]<if condition="!$show['detailedtime']">, $post[posttime]</if>
            $post[firstnewinsert]
            <!-- / status icon and date -->                
        </td>
        <td class="thead" style="font-weight:normal; border: $stylevar[cellspacing]px solid $stylevar[tborder_bgcolor]; border-left: 0px" align="$stylevar[right]">
            &nbsp;
            <if condition="$show['postcount']">#<a href="showpost.php?$session[sessionurl]p=$post[postid]&amp;postcount=$post[postcount]" target="new" rel="nofollow" id="postcount$post[postid]" name="$post[postcount]"><strong>$post[postcount]</strong></a></if>
            <if condition="$show['inlinemod']">
                <input type="checkbox" name="plist[$postid]" id="plist_$postid" style="vertical-align:middle; padding:0px; margin:0px 0px 0px 5px" value="$post[checkbox_value]" />
            </if>
        </td>
    </if>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
    <td class="alt2" align="center" width="19.1%" style="border: $stylevar[cellspacing]px solid $stylevar[tborder_bgcolor]; border-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px">
            
            <div id="postmenu_$post[postid]">
                <if condition="$show['profile']">
                <a class="bigusername" href="member.php?$session[sessionurl]u=$post[userid]">$post[musername]</a>
                <script type="text/javascript"> vbmenu_register("postmenu_$post[postid]", true); </script>
                <else />
                $post[musername]
                </if>
            </div>
            
            <if condition="$post['usertitle']"><div class="smallfont">$post[usertitle]</div></if>
            <if condition="$post['rank']"><div class="smallfont">$post[rank]</div></if>
        
            <if condition="$show['avatar']">
                <div class="smallfont">
                    &nbsp;<br /><a href="member.php?$session[sessionurl]u=$post[userid]"><img src="$post[avatarurl]" alt="<phrase 1="$post[username]">$vbphrase[xs_avatar]</phrase> on $thread[title] - Nassau FD Rant" class="reflect" border="0" /></a>
                </div>
            </if>
            
            <div class="smallfont">
                &nbsp;<br />
                <if condition="$post['joindate']"><div class="pbitspacer"><div class="pbit" align="left"><strong>$vbphrase[join_date]:</strong> $post[joindate]</div></div></if>
                <if condition="$post['field2']"><div class="pbitspacer"><div class="pbit" align="left"><strong>$vbphrase[location_perm]:</strong> $post[field2]</div></div></if>
                <if condition="$post['age']"><div class="pbitspacer"><div class="pbit" align="left"><strong>$vbphrase[age]:</strong> $post[age]</div></div></if>
                <div class="pbitspacer"><div class="pbit" align="left">
                    <strong>$vbphrase[posts]:</strong><a class="smallfont" href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]do=finduser&u=$post[userid]"><strong>$post[posts]</strong></a>
                </div></div>
                <if condition="$show['infraction']"><div class="pbitspacer"><div class="pbit" align="left"><strong>$vbphrase[infractions]:</strong> $post[warnings]/$post[infractions] ($post[ipoints])</div></div></if>
                <if condition="$show['reputation']"><div class="pbitspacer"><div class="pbit" align="left"><if condition="$show['reppower']">$vbphrase[reppower]: <span id="reppower_$post[postid]_$post[userid]">$post[reppower]</span> </if><span id="repdisplay_$post[postid]_$post[userid]">$post[reputationdisplay]</span></div></div></if>
                <br />
                <div>$post[icqicon] $post[aimicon] $post[msnicon] $post[yahooicon] $post[skypeicon]</div>
            </div>                    
        
    </td>
    <if condition="$show['moderated']">
    <td class="alt2" id="td_post_$post[postid]" style="border-right: $stylevar[cellspacing]px solid $stylevar[tborder_bgcolor]">
    <else />
    <td class="alt1" id="td_post_$post[postid]" style="border-right: $stylevar[cellspacing]px solid $stylevar[tborder_bgcolor]">
    </if>
    
        <if condition="$show['messageicon'] OR $post['title']">
<!-- icon and title -->
<div class="smallfont">
<if condition="$show['messageicon']"><img class="inlineimg" src="$post[iconpath]" alt="$post[icontitle]" border="0" /></if>
<if condition="$post['title']"><strong>$post[title]</strong><else /><strong> $thread[title]</strong></if>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;<a href="#top" align="center" rel="nofollow" onclick="scroll(0,0); return false;"><b>Go to Top</b></a>
</div>
<hr size="1" style="color:$stylevar[tborder_bgcolor]" />
<!-- / icon and title -->
        </if>
        
        <!-- message -->
        <div id="post_message_$post[postid]">$post[message]</div>
        <!-- / message -->
<br />
<br />

        <if condition="$show['attachments']">
        <!-- attachments -->
            <div style="padding:$stylevar[cellpadding]px">
            
            <if condition="$show['thumbnailattachment']">
                <fieldset class="fieldset">
                    <legend>$vbphrase[attached_thumbnails]</legend>
                    <div style="padding:$stylevar[formspacer]px">
                    $post[thumbnailattachments]
                    </div>
                </fieldset>
            </if>
        
            <if condition="$show['imageattachment']">
                <fieldset class="fieldset">
                    <legend>$vbphrase[attached_images]</legend>
                    <div style="padding:$stylevar[formspacer]px">
                    $post[imageattachments]
                    </div>
                </fieldset>
            </if>
            
            <if condition="$show['imageattachmentlink']">
                <fieldset class="fieldset">
                    <legend>$vbphrase[attached_images]</legend>
                    <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0">
                    $post[imageattachmentlinks]
                    </table>
                    </fieldset>
            </if>
            
            <if condition="$show['otherattachment']">
                <fieldset class="fieldset">
                    <legend>$vbphrase[attached_files]</legend>
                    <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0">
                    $post[otherattachments]
                    </table>
                </fieldset>
            </if>
            
            <if condition="$show['moderatedattachment']">
                <fieldset class="fieldset">
                    <legend>$vbphrase[attachments_pending_approval]</legend>
                    <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0">
                    $post[moderatedattachments]
                    </table>
                </fieldset>        
            </if>
            
            </div>
        <!-- / attachments -->
        </if>
        
        <if condition="$post['signature'] AND $bbuserinfo[userid] != 0">
        <!-- sig -->
            <div>
                __________________<br />
                $post[signature]
            </div>
        <!-- / sig -->
        </if>
        
        <if condition="$show['postedited']">
        <!-- edit note -->
            <div class="smallfont">            <hr size="1" style="color:$stylevar[tborder_bgcolor]" />
                <em>
                <phrase 1="$post[edit_username]" 2="$post[edit_date]" 3="$post[edit_time]">$vbphrase[last_edited_by_x_on_y_at_z]</phrase>.
                <if condition="$post['edit_reason']">$vbphrase[reason]: $post[edit_reason]</if>
                </em>
            </div>
        <!-- / edit note -->
        </if>
    
    </td>
</tr>
<tr>
    <td class="alt2" align="center" style="border: $stylevar[cellspacing]px solid $stylevar[tborder_bgcolor]; border-top: 0px">
        $post[onlinestatus]
        <if condition="$show['reputationlink']">
            <span id="reputationmenu_$post[postid]"><a href="reputation.php?$session[sessionurl]p=$post[postid]" rel="nofollow" id="reputation_$post[postid]"><img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/reputation.gif" alt="<phrase 1="$post[username]">$vbphrase[add_to_xs_reputation]</phrase>" border="0" /></a></span>
            <if condition="$show['popups']"><script type="text/javascript"> vbrep_register("$post[postid]")</script></if>
        </if>                
        <if condition="$show['infractionlink']"><a href="infraction.php?$session[sessionurl]do=report&amp;p=$post[postid]" rel="nofollow"><img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/infraction.gif" alt="<phrase 1="$post[username]">$vbphrase[add_infraction_for_x]</phrase>" border="0" /></a></if>
        <if condition="$show['reportlink']"><a href="report.php?$session[sessionurl]p=$post[postid]" rel="nofollow"><img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/report.gif" alt="$vbphrase[report_bad_post]" border="0" /></a></if>
        $post[iplogged]
        &nbsp;
    </td>
    <if condition="$show['moderated']">
    <td class="alt2" align="$stylevar[right]" style="border: $stylevar[cellspacing]px solid $stylevar[tborder_bgcolor]; border-left: 0px; border-top: 0px">
    <else />
    <td class="alt1" align="$stylevar[right]" style="border: $stylevar[cellspacing]px solid $stylevar[tborder_bgcolor]; border-left: 0px; border-top: 0px">
    </if>
        <!-- controls -->
        <if condition="$post['editlink']">
            <img style="display: none" id="progress_$postid" src="$stylevar[imgdir_misc]/progress.gif" alt="$vbphrase[loading_editor_please_wait]" />
            <a href="$post[editlink]" name="vB::QuickEdit::$post[postid]"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/edit.gif" alt="$vbphrase[edit_delete_message]" border="0" /></a>
        </if>
        <if condition="$post['forwardlink']">
            <a href="$post[forwardlink]"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/forward.gif" alt="$vbphrase[forward_message]" border="0" /></a>
        </if>
        <if condition="$post['replylink']">
            <a href="$post[replylink]" rel="nofollow"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/<if condition="$post['forwardlink']">reply_small<else />quote</if>.gif" alt="$vbphrase[reply_with_quote]" border="0" /></a>
        </if>
        <if condition="$show['multiquote_post']">
            <a href="$post[replylink]" rel="nofollow" onclick="return false"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/multiquote_<if condition="$show['multiquote_selected']">on<else />off</if>.gif" alt="$vbphrase[multi_quote_this_message]" border="0" id="mq_$post[postid]" /></a>
        </if>
        <if condition="$show['quickreply'] AND !$show['threadedmode']">
            <a href="$post[replylink]" rel="nofollow" id="qr_$post[postid]" onclick="return false"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/quickreply.gif" alt="$vbphrase[quick_reply_to_this_message]" border="0" /></a>
        </if>
        <if condition="$show['moderated']">
            <img src="$stylevar[imgdir_misc]/moderated.gif" alt="$vbphrase[moderated_post]" border="0" />
        </if>
        <if condition="$show['deletedpost']">
            <img src="$stylevar[imgdir_misc]/trashcan.gif" alt="$vbphrase[deleted_post]" border="0" />
        </if>
        <if condition="$show['redcard']">
            <a href="infraction.php?$session[sessionurl]do=view&amp;p=$post[postid]"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/redcard.gif" alt="$vbphrase[received_infraction]" border="0" /></a>
        <else />
            <if condition="$show['yellowcard']">
                <a href="infraction.php?$session[sessionurl]do=view&amp;p=$post[postid]"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/yellowcard.gif" alt="$vbphrase[received_warning]" border="0" /></a>
        </if>
            </if>
        <!-- / controls -->
    </td>
</tr>
</table>

$postbit_advertisement
<!-- post $post[postid] popup menu -->
<div class="vbmenu_popup" id="postmenu_$post[postid]_menu" style="display:none">
    <table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" border="0">
    <tr>
        <td class="thead">$post[username]</td>
    </tr>
    <if condition="$show['profile']">
        <tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="member.php?$session[sessionurl]u=$post[userid]">$vbphrase[view_public_profile]</a></td></tr>
    </if>
    <if condition="$show['pmlink']">
        <tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="private.php?$session[sessionurl]do=newpm&amp;u=$post[userid]" rel="nofollow"><phrase 1="$post[username]">$vbphrase[send_private_message_to_x]</phrase></a></td></tr>
    </if>
$qpipm
    <if condition="$show['emaillink']">
        <tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="sendmessage.php?$session[sessionurl]do=mailmember&amp;u=$post[userid]" rel="nofollow"><phrase 1="$post[username]">$vbphrase[send_email_to_x]</phrase></a></td></tr>
    </if>
    <if condition="$show['homepage']">
        <tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="$post[homepage]"><phrase 1="$post[username]">$vbphrase[visit_xs_homepage]</phrase></a></td></tr>
    </if>
    <if condition="$show['search']">
        <tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="search.php?$session[sessionurl]do=finduser&amp;u=$post[userid]" rel="nofollow"><phrase 1="$post[username]">$vbphrase[find_more_posts_by_x]</phrase></a></td></tr>
    </if>
    <if condition="$post['userid'] AND $show['member']">
    <tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="profile.php?$session[sessionurl]do=addlist&amp;userlist=buddy&amp;u=$post[userid]"><phrase 1="$post[username]">$vbphrase[add_x_to_buddy_list]</phrase></a></td></tr>
    </if>
    </table>
</div>
<!-- / post $post[postid] popup menu -->

As you see, the part which contains the actual post, is not changed:

<!-- message -->
        <div id="post_message_$post[postid]">$post[message]</div>
        <!-- / message -->

[Lynne]

So postid 215664 is completely missing from the database - no row at all?

This would have nothing to do with the templates. If posts are suddenly missing, then there is someone/somescript that is deleting them from there.

If your moderators are merging threads or posts and using the little moderator drop-down on the bottom of the page, tell them to make sure to look at the number that shows up in the Go (x) button. If they clicked on a post in one thread, then went to another and clicked on a post or two in there and then used the drop-down to merge or delete or move, then the post they clicked on in the other thread will have this action taken against it also. Tell them to check that number!!! It tells how many posts/threads are being affected by the action.

[valdet]

Hi Lynne, this sample post's text is missing from the database. The row is there, only the pagetext field is empty.

Please see the screenshot I've made.

If your moderators are merging threads or posts and using the little moderator drop-down on the bottom of the page, tell them to make sure to look at the number that shows up in the Go (x) button. If they clicked on a post in one thread, then went to another and clicked on a post or two in there and then used the drop-down to merge or delete or move, then the post they clicked on in the other thread will have this action taken against it also. Tell them to check that number!!! It tells how many posts/threads are being affected by the action.

Thanks for this tip. I wasn't aware of such an action, I guess it all has to do with inline moderation, correct?

But what still puzzles me, is how could only a particular field (pagetext) be deleted, and only in few threads.

Missing post as I mentioned above, sometimes occur also when you edit your own post via Quick or Full Edit.


It probably has to do with what you've mentioned above.

[Lynne]

I would look through you modifications and see if any UPDATE the post table. Or, if any change the input field for the post message. Look at the page source of the edit page. Can you identify easily which posts that you would edit would suddenly turn blank? Is it only from using the Quick Edit or only from using Advanced Edit? Do you have a test site where this is also happening? I think you need to do some testing to figure out exactly when this is occuring. My guess is a modification is screwing up the page source for the form and thus the message text is not getting passed correctly when the update of the post table occurs.

[rant boss]

Val (my webmaster!), thanks for joining the conversation.

I can say for sure that in addition to what Val has described, this issue also happens in threads in which no merging or editing has been done, either by the mods or the posters themselves. It also happens in some threads that do not have slashes in the title (as you originally suspected was the problem, Val)...

I know this information doesn't make anything easier, but it is what's happening...

[valdet]

Lynne, I think you nailed it.

We have AME which parses URL from videos services into display windows.

Here is one plugin which has UPDATE attributes and it directly affects pagetext field from the post table

Hook Location is newpost_complete

require_once(DIR . '/includes/ame_bbcode.php');
$value = ame_prep_text($post['message']);
        if ($value == 1)
        {
                $vbulletin->db->query_write("UPDATE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "post SET pagetext ='" . $vbulletin->db->escape_string($post['message']) . "', ame_flag=1 WHERE postid=$post[postid]");
        }
        else if ($value == 2)
        {
                $vbulletin->db->query_write("UPDATE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "post SET ame_flag=2 WHERE postid=$post[postid]");
        }

I will try to identify if this is the real cause. I will surely report back, so others don't have these kinds of headaches.

Regards,
Val.