Update on WordPress problem using Opera browser

After posting about the problem I have been having accessing comments on WordPress [here], I decided to do some sleuthing online. I went from link to link until I finally found a forum talking about an unrelated issue some people were having with WordPress and Opera.

One of the possible solutions posted on this forum was to clear the Opera ‘error console’. Now despite having used Opera for years, this was the first I’d heard of an error console. Nonetheless, I went searching and finally found it. I was shocked to see masses of error messages. Taking a deep breath, I deleted them all. Then I logged into WordPress and clicked on the comment notifications icon…

BINGO! I now have comments again!

Before I do a quick walkthrough for others having the same problem, here is some background. Right from the word go, Opera has been notorious for sticking to the HTML and CSS standards. You’d think that would be a good thing, right? Well the reality is a wishy washy ‘yes and no’. The problem is that few sites are as compliant as Opera. This leads to errors, and apparently, the build up of errors within the error console can lead to snafus like the one that’s plagued me.

Okay, enough theory. If you use Opera and WordPress, and you are having problems with the way Opera displays WordPress, here is a possible solution :

1. Go to the Opera tool bar and click Tools/Advanced/Error Console [as shown below]

2. Click the first error message in the list and hold down the SHIFT key. Now click the last error message in the list. All the messages should now be highlighted.

3. Click the CLEAR button at the bottom of the page [as shown below]

And that’s it. I was wrong, there is one more small step. After clearing the error console, you will have to close Opera to get the changes to take effect. I discovered this today when I found my comments gone again. [4/2/2014]

Those of a nerdy nature might be interested to look at the error messages before deleting them. Most have to do with HTML or CSS issues. That said, I have been using WordPress and Opera together for a couple of years now, and this problem has only cropped up a couple of times. The first time, I just had to suffer until ‘something’ changed again and my comments returned. At least now I’m back in control of my apps. Unfortunately, until WordPress cleans up its code, this problem with Opera is likely to happen again. -sigh-

[Note : the problem did happen again, after just one day of use. Luckily clearing the error console and closing Opera did the trick].

Happy blogging,

Meeks

WordPress! What are you doing to me?

Dear WordPress Boffins,

I understand you have to maintain the system, and introduce new features etc, etc., but some of the unintended consequences are really annoying! Like not being able to look at my comments for three days.

Then this morning I pressed the comments notification icon, and lo and behold, my comments were back! I thought the problem, whatever it was, was fixed, but tonight at 8 pm it was back :

What you are looking at is a connection that never connects.

But wait, there’s more. Something similar happens with the quick post feature. I can create a new post without any problems, however when I try to save the draft, or preview the post, I get this :

You guessed it, the never-ending connection again.

By contrast, everything on the old dashboard works just fine.

Now comes the interesting part. I use the Opera browser, and it is very strict with html, so I thought I’d try my blog using IE, which I loathe. And lo, comments work again, which tells me there is something wrong with the WP code, because IE is notoriously slack.

I can’t believe you would optimize your code just for IE! Please do something to fix this situation because it’s becoming unbearable.

Yours most unhappily,

Meeks

How to stop Kaspersky Internet Security from slowing emails to a crawl

When I upgraded to Windows 7 a couple of weeks ago, I also upgraded to Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 [KIS for short].

KIS is a slightly more expensive, more beefed up version of the anti-virus software I’ve been using for years. I have no complaints about the application except that it literally takes 30 seconds or so to scan each incoming email. I can get up to a hundred emails a day. That makes the delay rather painful.

I tried to speed things up by getting rid of the heuristic scanning of emails. Fail.

Then I tried turning mail scanning off altogether. Fail.

In desperation I turned to Papa Google, and discovered that the KIS Anti-spam feature was the culprit! Could the answer really be that simple?

I turned anti-spam off and mail back on, and hey presto! My mail now downloads at the speed of light again. 😀

Before I continue, a word about anti-spam. I use Opera as both my browser and email client, and Opera has a very effective anti-spam function of its own – that I control. Every time I designate an email as spam, Opera ‘learns’ from my choice, and automatically adds that email address to its list of spam. Moreover, my web-host does some spam filtering before I ever download emails into Opera. I do not need Kaspersky’s overarching anti-spam function.

So, if you’re using Kaspersky Internet Security 2013, and you already have other ways of dealing with spam, then you can safely turn the KIS anti-spam function off as follows :

1. Find KIS on whichever Windows operating system you are using. [I can’t provide screenshots as Windows XP, 7 and 8 have very different user interfaces].

2. From the main KIS menu select Settings. [Top right hand corner].

3. On the left of the Settings menu, near the bottom, you will find the Anti-Spam option. Click on it.

4. Uncheck the Enable Anti-Spam box. Click on Apply, and then on OK. And that’s it. You’re done!

I hope this helps a few frustrated users out there. For the rest of you, apologies for another nerdy post, but my Corel Draw X6 has arrived, and I’m knee deep in geek at the moment. I do have a rather nice book review coming though, so stay tuned. 😀

cheers

Meeks