Message Center dropping messages

[+Babberly]

Since the Message Center was implemented, I have noticed the occasional gap in a conversation: i.e. requests not replied to, references to statements or messages that were never received. I normally chalked this up to human error or curmudgeonliness and ignored it. However, I recently received a message from a fellow cacher that was undeniably a continuation of a previous message that was never received, leading me to conclude that the Message Center is dropping messages, possibly on a routine basis.

 

In other words, messages that were sent are disappearing into the ether, never to be seen again.

[Moun10Bike]

We have not seen any previous reports of this. Are you saying that messages are missing from the Message Center itself, or that you have not received email notification of all messages? If the latter, note that you will only receive email notification of messages if you have that notification turned on in your settings and if it's been more than 30 minutes since you last viewed the conversation in the MC or received email notification of it. (We are currently working on changing this behavior so that you can opt in to receive all email notifications.) If the former, are you using the website or intro app versions of the MC?

[+seandynamite]

I'll echo Moun10Bike's comments and say we will put in a bug to check and see if there is anything weird going on. I would suspect that if there is, it may be in the display of the messages (in other words, they're probably in the database but not displaying properly). In any event, we will definitely look at it. In addition to the platform questions he asked above, can you also provide what browser and version you are using to access MC (if this is on web)?

[+niraD]

Could this also be related to the problem with unread threads being pushed off the top-20 list by other threads, so you have to hide the threads in the top-20 list before you can even see the hidden unread threads?

[+Babberly]

The actual message is missing, not the notification. No notification was received either. What I have at this point is a message that refers to a previous message sent, but the previous message is AWOL. It displays identically on all systems and platforms, which are:

 

(1) A brand-spankin' new iMac running OS X Yosemite 10.10.4, using Google Chrome Ver 44.0.2403.130 (64-bit) to access the Geocaching.com website;

(2) An ancient iPad running iOS 8.4, using Safari (unknown current version, automatic update) to access the Geocaching.com website;

(3) Just for kicks, I loaded and ran the Intro to Geocaching app on my iPhone 4S and went to the Message Center, looks the same; and

(4) The sender's system (unknown, I will ask).

 

I have been looking into this further, it appears that the missing message that I have been able to identify is missing from both the "sender" & "receiver" (me) Message Centers, both displays are identical. As such, I cannot rule out human error or an interface glitch; for example, I've noticed that when using the Message Center on an iPad without an external physical keyboard, the selected thread sometimes randomly changes when the on-screen keyboard pops up to create a new message hogging half the screen and causing general obscurement of what's going on, creating a high potential for sending messages to the wrong people, so we're (sender & me) looking into if something like that might have happened.

 

There isn't enough traffic in my Message Center (I'm a surly fellow and so have few friends) for it to be the "pushed off top-20" problem described by niraD - and the thread is there, only one (or more) messages are missing.

 

--Babberly/gw

Edited August 22, 2015 by Babberly

[+seandynamite]

So much great info! Thanks so much - we'll take a look and see if we find any weirdness happening. I agree that since it's not showing in either person's Message Centers, there is always the chance they disconnected or there was a service glitch that interrupted them sending the message. Either way, we'll start looking at it!

[+Babberly]

The sender also noted that they frequently see cases where the thread selected is different from the thread displayed, and this often results in the reply to the thread being sent to the wrong recipient. They are using Windows 8 (not certain on the browser) and occasionally an iPad 2 Air w/Safari, accessing the Message Center through Geocaching.com.

 

We never did find the missing message, so it doesn't appear to have been sent to the wrong person, it just disappeared somehow.

 

Incidentally, I have received quite a few messages intended for other people, making me thing that there is some sort of systemic problem with the interface; but only from certain users, making me think that it may be platform or browser dependent (such as the iPad thread-switching thing). It may be something that is out of your control, unfortunately, a lot of iOS things, like how the keyboard pushes stuff around, may be nailed down.

 

-- Babberly/gw

[+Happy Landins]

I get an email notiication that there is a message, but when I click the message centre, link the message centre opens, but no meggages are showing. At the top right the envlope says I have over 90 messages,.

 

It doesn't always happen - sometimes I do see the messages, but it has happened a lot recently. I've tried two different browsers - Chrome and Firefox.

[+barefootjeff]

I'm now seeing a disconnect between the Message Centre web interface and the app. I received a message on both and replied on the website, but my reply didn't appear on the app, even after waiting about 20 minutes or so. I then logged out of the app and logged back in again, only to have it tell me I don't have any messages at all!

 

I'd better start breeding some carrier pigeons.

[+barefootjeff]

I'm now seeing a disconnect between the Message Centre web interface and the app. I received a message on both and replied on the website, but my reply didn't appear on the app, even after waiting about 20 minutes or so. I then logged out of the app and logged back in again, only to have it tell me I don't have any messages at all!

I noticed this morning that the app is now showing all my message history, including the troublesome one that I sent from the website on Sunday which didn't show up on the app here and which the recipient couldn't see. Not saying it's fixed, but the signs are at least hopeful.

[+palmetto]

Greasemonkey on/off has no effect. Windows machine, Firefox 47.0.1

 

I have no email notification of a message from Aug 22. I see no warning icon of it on my public or private profile.

The Message center warning does appear on all other GC.com pages I've opened - just not the two pages I use most:

geocaching.com/my/default.aspx

geocaching.com/profile/

 

Had I not opened the PQ page, I'd not have seen it.

 

OOPS, edited to add that the message content may be the issue, many lines of:

noreferral'target='_blank'class='external-link'>2.gif' rel'=nofollow noopener

 

crashes my browser, and shuts down the message center

 

There may be really nothing to see here beyond mangled a message

 

With regard to the email notification, at under 24 hours, I'm prepared to blame my ISP, or the message itself, though as far as I can see, everything else Geocaching.com related is coming through PDQ.

Edited August 23, 2016 by palmetto