Praise Lost Post Frustration: How to Avoid Losing Your Work While Writing Online

[PatrickPowers]

So I spent much time writing my careful post. I spent so much time that evidently the system had logged me out, so it demanded I log in again. I did so, and was rewarded with a blank white screen. My email was lost.

I guess the lesson is to write the message in an editor and post it quickly, before the system gets bored with me and trashes my work.

 

[Borek]

Next time check if going back to the previous page in your browser doesn't help - most browsers remember the content of the edit fields in such situations.

I think you can also log in and tick "Remember me" box - you don't risk being logged out. It may be not an option if you are using a shared computer.

 

[cmb]

I seem to get that a lot on my internet connection (in this and other fora). [fora?]

You might note that if you hit 'new reply' you get a unique url. If you crash out, if you then browse back to that url then it will have preserved some of you text. Usually not all of it, though, it seems to depend when it did its last 'save'.

If you had typed text into the 'quick reply', then kiss your words goodbye!

(Before you hit 'send', do ctrl-a then ctrl-c each time, then you can always reprint your words with ctrl-v even hours later, so long as you've copied nothing further into the system's text buffer.)

 

[rhody]

Patrick,

I long ago learned to save PF posts in my Drafts email, I use google, gmail, that way where ever you go you have them. It takes a few seconds to select all, copy and paste into a Draft e-mail followed by Save. This approach works for me and is simple.

Rhody...

 

[Ryan_m_b]

Many a time I've been typing a long and detailed response when something (computer crash, alien invasion etc) would happen to loose it. Consequently I often copy my responses as I go and if they are quite long regularly copy them to a word doc.

 

[jtbell]

If a post is going to be more than a couple of paragraphs, has lots of equations, or I have to do some research while writing it, I write it in a simple text editor (TextEdit which all Macs have; equivalent in Windows would be Notepad, I think), save it into a file, then copy and paste into PF's message-composition window.

 

[Borek]

I don't remember using any additional editor - ever. And I don't remember losing any post as well. At least under Opera getting back works always.

Well, when the browser crashes it doesn't work. But it happens so rarely I don't care (and I don't think Opera is more stable than other browsers).

 

[nobahar]

I don't remember using any additional editor - ever. And I don't remember losing any post as well. At least under Opera getting back works always.

Well, when the browser crashes it doesn't work. But it happens so rarely I don't care (and I don't think Opera is more stable than other browsers).

How do you do this?
I am on Opera and I lose my posts. I have learned to write them, copy and then try to post. I then have to log in again and paste and then post.

 

[Borek]

I am just going back in history - and the content I entered is still in the edit field.

Edit: now that I think about it I realized there is a moment when the content can be still lost - quick post and edits are done without going to different url. But in my experience any serious post requires advanced editor and/or using preview - and in such case I don't remember losing anything.