Phantom Pages
 

Will you please do something about the phantom pages plaguing this site?

Agreed, all those extra seconds realising that there isn't any next page all add up to enough time that could be used for better purposes.


SHJ

Also agree.

It really is a dismal performance that has been going on for far too long.

I don't seem to have this problem. What do phantom pages look like? (I know that seems a silly question but since you have asked to have something done about them, I assume they must be visible to some people).

Sunnyjohn if you are following a thread you will regularly be using 'last page' or 'go to last post'. If you are then told that you are on the second to last page, the natural reaction is to look at the last one, but that just returns you to the first post on the one you are already on.

This can be mildly irritating (me) or absolutely infuriating (others not so laid-back)

Sunnyjohn.

On the Sir Jimmy Saville thread, there are 69 pages, but if you click on 69, you end up back on 68,

That happened to me a couple of times with the ex.....:uhoh:


SHJ

68 was generally described as "you eat me, and I'll owe you one." :eek:

@Lonewolf: :D :D :D

Ahhhh, so the mods might well be wholiganly responsible, ghostly forms they resemble here sometimes...?! :uhoh: :)

Nope. I am told that the "fix" is for IB to run a scheduled task to correct the database, and nothing to do with deleted posts.

However, IB is probably only just getting in to work, so we'll have to wait to see what they can do.

Thanks Wholi, couldn't ask for more.

Repeated complaints by others though appear to have had little effect so I won't be holding my breathe,

And the advert for a Pilot's Atlas is too big, I imagine, because when it pops up, all the thread titles get smaller (or at least for me they do).

I thought a pilot's atlas was called a navigator anyway.

The Phantom Page syndrome is an inbuilt problem with the vBulletin forum programme, and it requires a regular database cleanup to correct it.
The webmaster has to be on the ball, when it starts to happen.
I'm not sure that it requires screaming in 28pt bold, though - I always thought Lon More had a pretty good sense of humour.
It must have deserted him for one frustrating moment. Computers that constantly say 'no', can do that to you. :)

The Bristow pictures thread currently has 2 ghost pages and has had at least one for a long while now.

Thanks SSK and uffington. I just assumed it was a vagary of Pprune but it doesn't seem to worry me. Should I be worried about that?

Alternatively you may be on the penultimate page and notice that another page number is shown but assume that it is a phantom, only to find after you posted that it did actually exist and you have used the last letters of the wrong word to start your excruciatingly funny next word. :{

I use to enjoy finding hidden pages on web sites (nothing on here) best entertainment was entering page numbers (non screen display page numbers) on the old BBC ceefax. Found some interesting ones where the Gov/BBC updated any security threats as to BBC broadcasting studios, and a page for UK updates to the security services. Bet the Russians never sussed that.

Alas it's all BBC red button now. If I don't post again in a few days:{

Response received:

So it seems that probably the most effective way to deal with the phantom pages is to post something, as you have been doing, and live with it.