Why do I get these 404 responses on WW?

[flyerguy]

Why is happening to me on WW:

1. I click to read any message thread, either via the front page or from an email notification link.
2. Get prompted to log in and do so.
3. Am redirected to Edward Mvnch the Scream "404 file not found".

Something wrong with the redirector?

[edited by: tedster at 4:16 pm (utc) on Feb. 5, 2007]
[edit reason] move post [/edit]

[Brett_Tabke]

Thanks, we will check. Last we knew it was working fine.

[flyerguy]

Cool, FYI I generally use Firefox 2.0.

[pocket calculator]

I have seen this problem for a long time.

It seems that at some point you changed the url structure (so it's /google_adsense/ instead of /forum89/ for example), but the login redirect goes to the old forum89 URL after login. So you always get a 404.

[Tastatura]

Happening to me as well (for a while) on both FF 1.5.0.9 and IE 6. Workaround : make sure to log in prior to hitting any bookmarks of WebmasterWorld pages and annoying 404 will not show up

[Brett_Tabke]

Tell me exactly how you are doing it. I can not recreate aproblem with mozilla, opera, or firefox.

I think it must be a cache setting. You guys are caching a redirect that is mark uncacheable.

[flyerguy]

Just got an email notification in my inbox about your new post in this thread.

I clicked the link, and it brings me to a WW login prompt. Login, and then get a 'Sometimes a 404 is just a 404' message.

Slightly different than the 'scream' 404 I get when I just visit the site directly and try to access some threads.

I must purge my browser caches 20 times a day for dev purposes, I don't think i have anything weird saved in there.

[Brett_Tabke]

send me the link in stickymail.

Thanks
brett

[Tastatura]

Hi BT,
there are slight differences in site behavior if cache is cleared or not. I mostly see this if at home I bookmark thread at some popular online bookmark services, and then try to access that thread from work comp. I did quick thest at home with cookies and cache cleared, and then with just cookies cleared (cache left in place). This might be consequence of fairly recent URL structure change at WebmasterWorld as well as recent change regarding first page view as guest - since I don't know behind the scenes mechanics how WebmasterWorld operates I don't want to comment on that so here are just "raw" results of the test)This is what I did:

Cashe cleared, no cookie

go to [webmasterworld.com...] - can read page (not logged in and shows Guest and my IP)

I wanted to go to the page 2 of the thread - if you hoover mouse over "2" lik following URL is displayed at the bottom of the browser:
[webmasterworld.com...]

So I clicked on page "2" link and was taken to login page with this URL in address bar:
[webmasterworld.com...]

[note the difference in URLs between when mouse was hoovering over URL and redirect URL (after ...status=google.&url= ]

I logged in and got 404 page with following URL [webmasterworld.com...]

It's 404 page with following text:
Some times a 404 is just a 404...3:dv4
Go home...

So I clicked "Go Home" link and was taken to WebmasterWorld home with "home page threads on it". Since thread I am testing with is on the home page I clicked on it, got to first page of thread (as expected) and then clicked on the page 2 (link "2")
and got there (URL for page 2 is [webmasterworld.com...]

Then I left WebmasterWorld site, cleared cookie (but left cashe as is)

I again pasted the
[webmasterworld.com...]

into address bar and got to the first page of the thread (as Guest and my IP visable). Remeber cashe is intact...so I hit refresh (F5) and got presented with login page
.I looged in and got 404 with following URL visable:
[webmasterworld.com...]

and page text:

ACK! 404 File was not found.

Resources:
Webmaster World, Search Engine World :Site Search Engine
Main Webmaster World index page here:Webmaster World

1

[not related to this test but...note that on this 404 page for Site Search you are referencing SEW, however redirect doesn't take you to SEW or WebmasterWorld search page but rather to Pubcon main page [pubcon.com...] not sure if this is intentional or just consequence of RIP SEW redirect]

HTH

ps. BT, now that I (might ) have your attention, I sent you a PM regarding subscription to the supporters forum....)