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Atkin admin >> Tech >> Restoration of the "Modify"
(Message started by: S J Birkill on Today at 15:18)

Title: Restoration of the "Modify"
Post by S J Birkill on Today at 15:18
Dear All,

I have this afternoon restored your time-limited ability to modify or delete your own postings. This has been out of action for a few weeks, due to a systematic discrepancy between the Web Server and System clocks on peteatkin.com's host computer in the USA.

Here's a brief description, for those who might be interested. The hosting service is based in Seattle, but the physical server lies further east. Historically the machine has run on Eastern time (UK minus 5 hours), but on or around January 24th this was apparently changed to Pacific time (UK minus 8 hours). This caused an error in the displayed 'page loaded' and 'message posted' times. Having established that the host believed its current times to be correct, I compensated by changing the time zone offset from 5 to 8 hours. All appeared well.

However since then I've had comments from two of our members that the ability to modify posts within 31 minutes of posting had disappeared. I looked further into this today and discovered that the Apache server time (as referenced by the Forum software) has a three-hour positive offset, i.e. it's still at the old UK - 5 hours, although the system clock (as used by the filing system) is on UK - 8. This meant that the actual time interval the Forum was granting for modifying a post was minus 149 minutes!

Certain that even MVs don't have that level of foresight, I have now extended the time-outs by that same 3 hours, thereby restoring the facility while retaining correct file times. Until Digital Forest makes another change, at least!

So, as of today you once again have what I thought you had when I advised Kevin (here (http://www.peteatkin.com/cgi-bin/mv/YaBB.cgi?board=Words;action=display;num=1201561904;start=7#7)), that is 31 minutes from posting to modify your own message. If you do so outside the first 6 minutes (of that 31), a 'last modified' tag will automatically be attached. Also, during that first 6 minutes you have the ability to remove completely your message.

I hope that's clear. Thanks to Naomi and Kevin for alerting me to the error, and Snoopy for pointing me to the most elegant resolution.

Steve



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