Not much more to add - just did a long draft in this editor and by submitting it (klicking on blue button "publish"), the tab was closed and could only be reopened with a blank page by the browser. Perhaps session timeout or something?

Seems to be a common problem, because another poster had the same problem. so I was warned and copied it into a document. But still a general problem, as this could discourage others...

Maybe there is a technical solution. Or you guys could at least with minimum effort add a warning label right into the page with the open editor, for example in big/red:
"Please safe your draft also elsewhere before trying to publish it, as you could loose it by silent session timeout"
 

Every few months, someone posts what you have posted, warning the uninitiated. Thank you!

I have lost many drafts this way. I kind of like it. My posts, or lack thereof are subject to a little random intervention of fate, and sometimes I get the chance to see that I had become attached to the little string of words growing in the text box :-)

But, yes, if you are writing something big, it is better to paste it in from somewhere else. Be sure to use Advanced Reply when you do that, and look at the source (<> Source button) to make sure there are no unnecessary tags, tagging along from the external editor, which might mess up the formatting. 

Hello, nook nook, and welcome.

Yep, that truly sucks when it happens. If it concerns you, I suggest drafting DhO comments in a text editor, then copying and pasting them into the editor (don't use a word processing application, as that will cause even more problems). 

DhO is owned and managed by volunteers, from moderation to admins and programmers. The underlying technology is really an ERP system for e-commerce websites, so it's crazy complicated to change. As a result, we don't do that very often as it requires insane amounts of time.

I'm sorry I don't have a satisfying answer for you, nook nook, but we've all been suffering through DhO's foibles for almost two decades.

Chris M
DhO Moderator

So this is not a bug but a feature - kind of an "newbie test", that points them to their pointless striving in life and particularly towards enlightenment, although it is out of our control if anything will or will not happen (to the small part of what is really there of “us” after all fabrications)?
And to show that some of you are already that far out there, that they use it as an “am I still too attached to “my” bullshit” test?
; )

But seriously: Myself, I am not so much irritated, even got a heads up by lurking – I am just worried that this is quite an extra hurdle for new people, that might engage elsewhere …

So, it would be nice if you put my proposal on the IT wish list, because maybe not to change any structure or functionality of the architecture, but just add a line of the standard text in the descriptive text of the editor, might be quite feasible without much effort and trouble. But I am no IT guy.

Thanks in general for your engagement and in particular for the quick and kind replies with such pragmatic technical &amp; spiritual recommendations : )

Edit: I love the edit function ; )

Never use emojis and draft your messages in a simple text editor. 

​​​​​​​In time one learns to appreciate how janky the site is. 

It has a sort of broken magic to it. 

​​​​​​​Same stuff happened me when I was a newbie. Frustrating as hell. 

​​​​​​​The "pros" make good use of the edit function. 

Edit: if you've had the site open for an extended period of time like you've gone back to it several hours after you logged in and then type up a big complicated post sometimes the session will have expedited before you post it. So when you post the site no longer things youre online. 

​​​​​​​Draft up messages in text editor and don't copy emojis on from other platforms. For example Google docs or something. If you follow those rules you won't have any issues. The forum has a built in emoji thing and you can use those by typing in the emoji characters. But if you copy an emoji from your phone it will not post. 

This happens so much,I almost stopped posting. Or I keep them very short. Hope you see this

By the way, I forgot to mention the trick that I use for even short posts. Before hitting publish, I select all, cut, and paste back in (I don't just copy because sometimes copy doesn't work, and cut+paste has built-in quality control). Then, if it doesn't work when I hit publish, I have the text on the clipboard so I just try again. I had to do the try again part with a reply just now. It's pretty easy to make this a habit.  

Impermanence! 

No agency!