topic Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render in Community Site Feedback

Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

Townman — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 11:59:37 GMT

What browser and version number this was seen on: MS Edge 44.17763.1.0
The operating system: Win10 1809 Build 17763.379
A description of what is happening compared to what should be happening
When using MS Edge browser, on clicking REPY to a topic the REPLY screen loads, jumps up and down, draws a grid at the bottom of the screen jumps up and down more, removes the grid and is then fully ready for input. This takes 10-15 seconds during which time one might have started typing and what has been typed might or might not be there.
The steps needed to replicate the problem
Follow the above description
The URL where the problem occurs
Reply to any topic
A screenshot (if possible)
IIRC A commentated screen grab video was sent to @JonoH around 13th Nov 2018 along with a .har file reporting lots of errors
Any additional information
See comments here - https://community.plus.net/t5/Community-Site-Feedback/SIte-load-process-performance/m-p/1588054#M14839
Also note that the .har file shows page loads accessing services not required for the delivery of the forum service, such as Liveperson

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

JonoH — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 13:47:30 GMT

Thanks for the report, this has been raised under case 00195205.

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

JonoH — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 14:21:54 GMT

Our suppliers have been able to reproduce this on Firefox as well, this is occurring due to a Freemarker error.

I'll provide more information when it's available.

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

Townman — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 16:57:27 GMT

@JonoH

Thank you - clearly Lithium are more scared of you than they were of Jack - I believe he raised this months ago!

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

JonoH — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 11:48:24 GMT

The problem has been identified to be related to component "js-SubjectDisableJavascript". Our suppliers are now working on a fix to this issue.

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

Townman — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 08:39:45 GMT

@JonoH Has a "fix" for this been deployed? I am no longer seeing the reported problem … but as mentioned by @jab1 and others elsewhere... + The post options list (drop-down) does not display, but as a SU I see Jack's SU escalation link + Thanks does not work In post a reply + Quote does not work + Rich text options are not displayed + @tagging is not working There might be more!

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

Townman — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 08:43:48 GMT

@JonoH - also looking at the above formatting is broken … and if having typed a response and then looked at the HTML tag, all that was types is erased!!!

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

JonoH — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 08:47:40 GMT

I've not been advised of a fix yet, just that the problem has been identified and that a fix is being worked on. I'm nor sure what's caused today's issues but it's raised with our suppliers.

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

DS — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 10:08:00 GMT

"Has a "fix" for this been deployed?" I'd say it's the other bits broken causing the issue you reported to look like it's working. Take this reply for example, when I click reply, there is no cursor in the reply box, I have to click my mouse button in the box to be able to type a reply.

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

JonoH — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 10:13:33 GMT

No fix has been deployed according to our vendors, let's not speculate I'll give you the info when I get it from Khoros

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

Townman — Sat, 27 Apr 2019 02:54:22 GMT

I agree that we should not speculate, but in the same spirit of complain firmly when things are wrong, something has changed because it is now SIGNIFICANTLY better on MS Edge...

Less jumping around (there is still a little)
Much faster loading
No visibility of the grid being drawn

Thank you!!

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

JonoH — Mon, 13 May 2019 10:33:09 GMT

Apparently this issue is caused by a custom component added by Jack during his time here and so our suppliers need additional time to look into how to fix it.

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

Townman — Mon, 13 May 2019 10:44:54 GMT

... or Jack’s replacement needs to fix it?

This rings alarm bells. The nature of such tool kits is end users (in this case Plusnet) can customise the solution. I recall Liam citing such as a key decision influencer when choosing this technology over others.

Surely given the decision to customise the solution, it is not incumbent upon Plusnet to ensure it has, develops and maintains the skills required to support and maintain such customisations?

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

Anonymous — Mon, 13 May 2019 10:55:51 GMT

Not only does it ring alarm bells, it’s really really worrying that no one in an I.T. centric company like this has the skills needed to do this it actually beggars belief.

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

JonoH — Mon, 13 May 2019 11:15:20 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:it’s really really worrying that no one in an I.T. centric company like this has the skills needed to do this it actually beggars belief.

We do have people, and we can do it, however when there's an issue the first port of call is to get it diagnosed. Our supplier needs to do that as they're much more efficient at it, they've located the issue. We could, if we wanted task our development team to resolve it.. however as minor bug it's unlikely to be done as a priority and and our suppliers are happy to fix it themselves. It makes sense to me that we utilize this service and use our own developers on more pressing matters.

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

Anonymous — Mon, 13 May 2019 11:22:09 GMT

While you were replying @JonoH I was composing this:

OK I need to ask this. On your Careers page you are looking to recruit 6 Student / QA Engineers on Internships this then implies that the expertise needed to train these people exists within Plusnet so why are you needing to farm out Jack’s?

But your reply above (sort of) answers this, but for the long term is anyone willing to pick up the baton Jack dropped when he left?

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

JonoH — Mon, 13 May 2019 11:41:03 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
your reply above (sort of) answers this, but for the long term is anyone willing to pick up the baton Jack dropped when he left?

The honest answer is we've never had a specific Community developer, Jack spoiled us, he picked a lot of community stuff up in his own time as he enjoyed working with the technology and he's even won awards from Lithium for some of his work, suggestions and support offered to other devs on their own forum. We were extremely lucky to have him.

We have resources we can use for things that we need to fix and change, but nobody specifically tasked to the forum.

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

Townman — Mon, 13 May 2019 12:46:39 GMT

@JonoH

Thank you for the detailed follow-ups. This has been something of a discussion of principle … in this case mitigated by specific helpfulness from your supplier to do something outside of their normal protocols to resolve the issue.

However the suggestion that this fix (reported to be small) would not get done by Plusnet in a timely manner, due to either capacity or skill availability (or both) does not bode well. The fact that Jack did do much of the stuff which makes this toolset work, in his own time might be fact, but that does not justify not accepting that such contribution significantly supports the business and needs to be "forward" supported after he has left.

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

JonoH — Mon, 13 May 2019 13:37:24 GMT

The problem here @Townman is one of priorities, that this issue here causes a delay of up to 15 seconds for customers that use Edge or Firefox (still very usable). That only about 60% of our traffic comes from desktops and of those Edge (under 5% and Firefox (under 10%) combined make up under 15% of browsers, and that it works fine if you use another eg Chrome at over 65% it makes it very difficult to make the case that this needs fixing over another issue.

Re: Lithium issue: replying to a topic screen jumps around taking ages to render

Anonymous — Tue, 14 May 2019 09:12:55 GMT

I’ll stand corrected if I am wrong, but I’d be willing to bet that the majority of these 15% desktop users are in fact the main contributors to the site and are the source of the majority of the content.

Do you have any metrics to confirm or deny this @JonoH?

Your own figures show that the majority of traffic is from desktop implying that this is the favoured platform for the current user base (hence my assumption above) and 15% of this traffic uses either FF or Edge which is a lot. You also appear to imply that if you don’t use Chrome then tough on you, and we’ll get round to a fix if and when.