Becky Posted October 30, 2003 Posted October 30, 2003 Since about a week ago when I couldn't access the forum, I haven't been able to see images or avatars uploaded to the hhplace servers All I can see is little white boxes with a tiny red cross in the middle of it. When I copy the link and open a new web page then I get " you are forbidden to access these servers" or words to that effect!! What's going on!!!?? So many shoes & boots to buy in so little time!!
jo Posted October 30, 2003 Posted October 30, 2003 See this: http://www.hhplace.org/hhboard/viewtopic.php?t=2254 which also points to: http://www.hhplace.org/hhboard/viewtopic.php?t=2219 and http://www.hhplace.org/hhboard/viewtopic.php?t=2213 and http://www.hhplace.org/hhboard/viewtopic.php?t=823 .
Becky Posted October 30, 2003 Author Posted October 30, 2003 Well, those links are as clear as mud!! All I know is that who ever has been messing about with the servers, has totally made a mess of my viewing pleasure!! Not a happy bunny So many shoes & boots to buy in so little time!!
jo Posted October 30, 2003 Posted October 30, 2003 It was a very necessary move to block hotlinking to the images site from places other than this forum. In order for you to see those images, with the new server settings, the image server needs to know that you are accessing the image as a part of reading a thread on this forum, rather than a link posted somewhere else. In order to do that, your browser sends some information called a "Referrer" to the image server. Make sure, in your web browser options, that you have not turned that setting off. No referrer = No images.
Firefox Posted October 30, 2003 Posted October 30, 2003 One way you can improve things is check your security settings as Jo says. Here is how you do it: On the tools...internet options menu (if using internet explorer) you should find a a security tab. Click on the trusted sites icon and then the button saying "sites" next to the trusted sites. "add" http://hhplace.org and http://65.160.96.70/hhplace/ to the list, and make sure the security setting for the trusted sites zone is set to "low" on the preceeding box. (click on the custom level button and set the pulldown menu to low) This should enable all the necessary referrers and cookies to be sent. If you are using mozilla, netscape or another browser, no doubt people familiar with your browser can give you instructions.
Ionic Posted October 31, 2003 Posted October 31, 2003 The same thing happened to me Becky and I cured it by permitting the 'Referrer' commands on my cookie/pop up manager which I had blocked for privacy reasons. Try Firefox's suggestions first because I am using a fairly obscure utility that won't apply to you. The site which stores the images has to know they are being called for from here - hhplace.org - and not elsewhere. This restriction began on Monday. Hope you get your images back soon /I /I
JeffM Posted October 31, 2003 Posted October 31, 2003 Hi Becky I was wondering if you had any success with FireFox's/ Ionic's instructions. I have followed them but with out any success at all. In fact I was not allowed to submit the http prefix but had to use https. When I clicked "add" it then made my hhplace.org into *hhplace.org so maybe this is the problem for me. I should add that I have made no changes to my security levels at any time on my computer so how it could have changed by itself I dont know. To any body I still need some help on this. Thanks in advance Jeff
Becky Posted October 31, 2003 Author Posted October 31, 2003 Thanks for the info / advice Firefox and Jo, but I think I'll leave my settings as they are - default. If Microsoft had wanted me to view images via this 'referrer' toggle then it would already be set to yes. I don't understand why it was done, but obviously it was for a good reason. All I know is that I can view images on other forums except this one. Disappointing, but there you go So many shoes & boots to buy in so little time!!
jo Posted November 1, 2003 Posted November 1, 2003 >> I don't understand why it was done, but obviously it was for a good reason. << The reason is explained in the other posts, linked to, above. In short, people have been uplading images to http://65.160.96.70/hhplace/ and then posting the links to those images in many different forums. The person who owns the image server at http://65.160.96.70/hhplace/ set it up so that people could upload images and paste the links into threads in this forum http://www.hhplace.org/hhboard/ and only this forum. The amount of images downloaded from the image server has now exceeded the monthly allowance, and the owner is forced to either pay more money for a greater allowance, or deny access to the freeloaders on the other forums. The latter option was chosen, and the images are only sent if your web-browser now identifies, in its request, that you are looking at a thread on this site http://www.hhplace.org/hhboard/ when the image is requested. That information is called a referrer. Sending a referrer is a commonplace thing on the internet, and not something to get worried about. Until your web-browser sends the referrer information with the image request you won't see any images. >> If Microsoft had wanted me to view images via this 'referrer' toggle then it would already be set to yes. << I would not trust what Microsoft says any further than I could throw a copy of a Windows XP CDROM. In fact, very much less than that.
Becky Posted November 1, 2003 Author Posted November 1, 2003 Thanks for taking the time to explain all that Jo, it's made things 110% clearer - honest. Found the comment about Microsoft funny Becks. So many shoes & boots to buy in so little time!!
Firefox Posted November 1, 2003 Posted November 1, 2003 The default Microsoft setting for the trusted sites zone is "low" anyway JeffM pm'd me about the problems and the cause is definitely the picture sever settings. The reason people can see my avatar or Becky's is that these images are not hosted on http://65.160.96.70/hhplace/ but other servers. The banner to Jenny's site in my sig is from http://65.160.96.70/hhplace/ so if you can see my avatar and not the banner in the sig, the problem is that the picture server is not picking up correctly that you want to download images into pages at hhplace.org. How to fix that other than by what I've said I don't know. You could try PM'ing Jeff(NL) or BpalmaTV and see if they can help.
jo Posted November 1, 2003 Posted November 1, 2003 Yes, it is the image server that requires your web-browser to pass the referrer information. This is a browser setting. Either change the settings for the referrer, or download a better web-browser like Mozilla, for example. The information and fixes posted by Ionic and Firefox are correct; there is no other alternative.
WarrenB Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 I'm still working on this. I can't see the images and I've been trying to follow the directions. If I copy/paste the image location in a new window, I get an access denied message. I've put the numbered site and named site into my 'trusted site' location. Am I the only one? DO I need an anonymous login? Your heeling partner, Warren Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, I'm from the Earth.Now wearing HH Penny Loafers full time.
JeffM Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 Hi Jo You seem to be the person who knows most about the problem both Warren and I are having. I have done as suggested by Firefox I don’t know how many times now and still it doesn’t work for me. Your suggestion that the problem lies with my browser seems a bit over the top to me. Are you telling me that most members by far use another browser other than Microsoft’s? I would be surprised at that even though I know that MS doesn’t have the best reputation. Also it seems strange to me that the owner of the site in question would use a method that requires every one to change browsers with out telling them they have to change. To be honest though all your stating of the facts in what the problem is doesn’t mean a thing to me as a computer illiterate. What I need is a fix not an explanation that doesn’t tell me what to do. And as said above I have tried Firefox’s remedy with no effect. I can see that this may sound offensive but I assure you it is not intended to offend you or any others. Telling me how a spectrophotometer works doesn’t give the knowledge to fix it. So telling me why the board had to be changed doesn’t tell me how to fix my problem. According to FF I have to change the security settings of my browser from the default to “low”. I have done this and each time I type in the http://hhplace.org and click “add” it adds http://*.hhplace.org instead. I don’t know if this is right or wrong but I have tried it maybe ten times and it always does the same thing. The other http://65.160.96.70/hhplace/ remains as is. The other thing is when I changed the security levels to low the only one that stays at low is “trusted sites” the others revert back to the default settings. So maybe this is my problem but still I need some one who knows to tell me that and how to over come it. Thanks and regards Jeff
jo Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 Only images that appear directly within message threads in this forum and which actually appear as images (not clickable links to images) will work from the http://65.160.96.70/hhplace/ image server now, as reading a thread here is the only action that can tell the image server that you are accessing the image from information posted at http://www.hhplace.org/hhboard/ . Opening the image in a new window, or typing in the image URL into the address bar, or clicking a link with the image URL in it will not work -- because none of those things can ever signal to the http://65.160.96.70/hhplace/ image server that you are here at http://www.hhplace.org/hhboard/ when you are doing it. >> I type in the http://hhplace.org and click “add” it adds http://*.hhplace.org instead. << That is correct. The * is a wildcard entry meaning that any part of hhplace.org is OK to access it, like www.hhplace.org and forums.hhplace.org and pages.hhplace.org (and any others if the site had multiple subdomains as in my example), without you having to type every single one in. >> the only one that stays at low is “trusted sites” the others revert back to the default settings. << Yep, so you want to make sure that http://*.hhplace.org/ is in your list of trusted sites. You don't want low security for all sites, just for this one. If you see a box to tick to enable referrer information to be sent, then tick it. If all else fails, then get a copy of Mozilla as a web browser. It is far easier to drive than any Bill Gates monstrosity.
Firefox Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 Internet Explorer takes 93+% of the market eg http://www.nedstatbasic.net/s?tab=1&link=5&id=2618242 I'm not saying it's the best browser but on compatibility grounds you shouldn't use anything else unless you are interested in computing/website design/ or the way browsers work. If you are desparate to get an image fix, then sourcing/installing Mozilla or Opera may be a solution, but it would seem a long winded way. You shouldn't have all security settings to low, only for the trusted sites one and try to add hhplace/pic server to that one as Jo says. If that doesn't work, you are unlucky. There is probably some technical solution but finding it may be tricky. IE5/6 although popular are full of bug and holes. They are also expected to work with a variety of OS/hardware, and it may be that some setting n your system has got altered by some software you installed or some change made inadvertently while web surfing. Example: my machine at work stopped me from viewing the source code of web pages no matter how many system settings I changed or even if I updated the browser or the OS. The only way around that is a complete system re-install or some complete techead that knows this was a registery bug with version 5.0658 and it's a "simple" matter of altering this or that advanced setting (which if you get wrong will cause windoze to crash every time you boot it up). It's a shame Bpalmatv had to alter his set up. If it's not broke, don't fix it, but then his actions were caused by our users abusing his server, so we can't blame him.
jo Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 >> but then his actions were caused by our users abusing his server, so we can't blame him. << Technically, he changed it because of abuse by people on other forums, and other websites, not from people here.
JeffM Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 Yeah, Eureka and Hooray! To Firefox and Jo a big hand of appreciation. I have fixed it. The problem for me was having McAfee Internet Security suite installed which includes VirusScan. When I turned it off all came back as it should be. When I turned it back on it stayed as it should be. The next test will be the coming days to see if I have to turn it off each time to visit hhplace. or Thanks guys, very much. If my arm was long enough I would buy you both a beer. Jeff
WarrenB Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 It's my firewall too. I've got Norton Personal Firewall. I'll have to do some research, unless anyone else has the answer. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, I'm from the Earth.Now wearing HH Penny Loafers full time.
jo Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 I am beginning to really hate Norton Security and Internet products for non-intuitive programs and wierd ways of working. I love their Anti-Virus stuff and would not use anything else (McAfee is junk), but the Norton Firewall stuff really is the pits. Right! That's you two sorted out, but what about Becky who started this thread?
JeffM Posted November 7, 2003 Posted November 7, 2003 Hi Warren All I did was open my McAfee Internet security and it has a button that says it is running. Under that is has highlighted sript that says "Stop Internet security" I clicked on this and hey presto every thing worked. When I went back to internet security i clicked again on the highlighted script that said "Start Internet security" and I am back working ok. I have no idea if Nortons can be turned off or not. Hi Jo Strange that you think McAfee VirusScan is junk. I used to use Cybermedia but they were bought out by Network Associates along with McAfee. So now I use them. But in a recent magazine I read comparing 20 different anti virus programs McAfee rated number 2 or 3 while Nortons was down about 8, so when I had the opportunatey to upgrade to a later version I stuck with what I know and had a good write up. The number 1 only got it because it was cheaper. regards Jeff Jeff
Firefox Posted November 7, 2003 Posted November 7, 2003 I'm glad to see you got sorted out Jeff. It was a case of another conflicting application. I use AVG from http://www.grisoft.com It's a free version, but it has cleaned out a variety of trojans from my system and also cleared up a problem we had at work with word macro mental virus. I think Bpalma's server detail was only listed on this forum, so anyone who had the informaton is 99% likely a user of this board who later abused the service
TallSwede Posted November 7, 2003 Posted November 7, 2003 -Well, I prefer to have the "referrer" tag cancelled out. -So it seems that I will have to live without most of the pictures posted here from now on... -The life if full of choices to be made... Regards, TallSwede
Ionic Posted November 8, 2003 Posted November 8, 2003 -Well, I prefer to have the "referrer" tag cancelled out. -So it seems that I will have to live without most of the pictures posted here from now on... I don't like to be tracked as I surf from the site to site either, so also usually have referrer commands blocked. But it is easy to check the box on my 'CookieCop' when I want to look in at the pix on the Favourite Shoes Picture Forum, I don't have a problem with that even if it is a mild nuissance. /I /I
Becky Posted November 8, 2003 Author Posted November 8, 2003 Right! That's you two sorted out, but what about Becky who started this thread? I'm afraid to say that I won't be visiting here as much as I used to - the viewing pleasure has deminished somewhat, and I'm not going to tamper with my browser or firewall settings. No other forum that I visit has the situation that you guys have done, I just can't believe that you've made it so awkward for someone to view images. If someone new visits here then they'll just think its crap - and they'd be right!! If this is progress then I'd rather stay in the past So many shoes & boots to buy in so little time!!
Bubba136 Posted November 9, 2003 Posted November 9, 2003 Aw, Becks. First the chat now the main event. What ever will we do with out you? However, I can't help you because I'm as computer illiterate as some of the rest here. Perhaps someone can come to your assistance. I hope you rethink your decision to leave. Being mentally comfortable in your own mind is the key to wearing heels in public.
JeffM Posted November 9, 2003 Posted November 9, 2003 Dear Beck I too had the problem you have. As you may have read i solved mine by turning my Security suite off. I have found that I have to do this each time I want to view pics on this board. The thing for me is that when I have finished I turn my computer off and next time I boot the security suite fires up automatically. The reminder that I get that tells me I should turn it off is the first page of hhplace where there is "The Highheel Meeting Place" logo along side Freestyle. If this logo is not showing then I wont see any pics. Any way I too hope you reconsider. You have made considerable and worth while contributions to all the members. It would be a pity to see you stop. And think about all that you would be missing out on not to mention what we, the members would be missing out on if you disappeared. Blackmail is allowed under some circumstances isnt it? regards Jeff
PJ Posted November 9, 2003 Posted November 9, 2003 I am using McAfee Security Center online services. My McAfee Firewall is set to "tight security", the second highest setting. In Internet Explorer, I have the security setting for the internet zone set to Custom where I have unsigned and unsafe Active X controls disabled. All cookies are enabled. And yet I can view all the images and avatars here in this forum. click .... click .... click .... The sensual sound of stiletto heels on a hard surface.
PJ Posted November 9, 2003 Posted November 9, 2003 ...If Microsoft had wanted me to view images via this 'referrer' toggle then it would already be set to yes... With that kind of argument, if Microsoft had wanted you to always be set to the default setting, it would not have made this feature a toggle. click .... click .... click .... The sensual sound of stiletto heels on a hard surface.
Firefox Posted November 9, 2003 Posted November 9, 2003 Perhaps someone can come to your assistance. We have explained at some length to Becky how she can probably sort it and she has chosen to ignore it. That's her choice. She also associates the problem with the forum admin which, if she cares to read and digest the thread again, she should realise is not the case.
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