posted on August 22, 2003 06:13:07 PM
Hi guys, trying to launch my first auction in a week or so. Looks like something has changed on the first page after clicking on ebay. Where there used to be a dropdown list of categories there is now just a blank box with a dotted line in it. Do I have to go down to the "look for a category" on ebays list each and everytime now to find a category. If so that sure is a step backward. It was so easy before. I don't see any other posts on this problem so perhaps it is just on my browser that this is showing up. I'm using WXP with plenty of memory. Please advise. Thanks, Steve
The problem is most likely related to recent changes that eBay made to their category map. Every time eBay updates their category map, we must also update the map on our site. This means that the first time a user visits the category page after an update, we must fetch the new map. Since the category map is fairly large, the time to fetch this page the first time after a category update is noticeably longer than normal, and this looks like a blank page.
Note that the update process can take several minutes. Please allow time for the map to update before exiting the page. After the map has been updated, time to access the category page should return to normal.
Unfortunately, there are certain ISPs or proxy networks that may time out when fetching this large page. We are working to add some visual feedback to this page to help show when the update is occurring, and when potential network problems are present that may prevent the transfer of the map data.
I just wanted to add that this also sounds like it could be a javascript error - make sure you have javascript enabled in your browser as javascript is used to display the categories.
We have also heard of random problems being caused by pop-up blockers and ISP accelerators, so please check for this as well.
posted on August 23, 2003 05:29:15 AM
Hi Diana and Christopher, first, to respond to Christopher, left the page up for over 1/2 hour and it never changed to show the dropdown list of categories. Diana, I'm embarrased to say that I have no idea if I have javascript enabled and have no idea how to check to see if it is. I'm just not computer literate enough to have that knowledge. If you could give some help on that I would appreciate it, although I believe that javascript is a very integral part of the internet experience, I have not had any other problems that I'm aware of regarding javascript. Re: pop up blockers I do have it enabled and that hasn't helped. Also whatever the other item you mentioned about an ISP was I'm not sure if I understood that as well. Although I'm very experienced with ebay and auctionwatch, I have never had the need to learn all these other things re computers. I look forward to hearing back from you. Will be returning to Europe in a few weeks and will be doing tons of listings from there. We were there for five months earlier this year and listed many mnay auctions. So would appreciate it if we can get this problem resolved before then. Thanks, Steve
posted on August 23, 2003 10:34:19 AM
Hi Diana, I just put javascript into search and it came up as being in my Adobe/Acrobat file as well as Netscape. So I guess that means it is enabled. Now, what else can we look for. I left the blank page up for an hour today and the category list never showed up. So Christophers idea also never worked. I see there is one other post relating to this. And she received the same answer that Christopher left for me. Do you know if she has resolved it yet and if so how? By the way to any one other than AW reading this post - is anyone else having the same problem? Please advise.Thanks, Steve
It is on your system, but we need to make sure you have it enabled. There is a pretty easy way to tell if it is on or not. If you get the category page to load at all, but all you see is lines when you click on the drop arrows, Java is either not enabled in your browser, or the browser simply is not working correctly.
What is your browser/version currently? Do you use Netscape? If so, do you know what version it is? When you have it open, go to the help menu at the top of the page and click, then click where it says 'about Netscape.' This will tell you the version.
Also, if you do use Netscape, try switching to Internet Explorer instead to see if you run into the same issue. (or vise versa if you are already using IE, but have Netscape available on your system.)
posted on August 23, 2003 12:13:30 PM
Hi Christopher, my Netscape version is 4.7 and I only use it for ebay emails as I was having problems with Outlook Express. Internet explorer is my nain browser. So, now what? Steve
posted on August 23, 2003 12:22:40 PM
Christopher, one other thought. I have recently added the netscape 4.7 instead of Outlook express and also recently added Instant Messaging. So after reading your emails I thought perhaps I created the problem myself. But my wife just told me that she had this same blank page with just the dotted lines instead of the category dropdown list over a week ago. That was before I added these new sites. And she said that when she went back in a few minutes later the dropdown list was there. This would hold true with your theory of waiting a bit before it will show up. But now I have waited over 1/2 hour and it still hasn't shown up. HELP!!! I just completed an auction and put it in save for awhile. If javascript wasn't working would I have been able to complete all the other steps in the auction? I'm afraid I don't understand exactly what javascript is or what it does. Thanks, Steve
If Internet Explorer is what you use for your internet, do that same thing where you go to help and then click on 'about internet explorer' and see what version you have.
If it has come up at times and not others, it is probably enabled already. Chances are you will simply need to reload your Internet Explorer software, or upgrade it.
posted on August 23, 2003 01:54:15 PM
also, I don't have any software for Internet explorer. It came already loaded on the laptop. If there is some software for it, then I shipped it to Europe with all the rest of the stuff. You didn't answer my question about the auction I just loaded and put in save. would I have been able to go through all the steps including selecting a category from ebays list without javascript. Please advise further. Thanks, Steve
posted on August 23, 2003 02:28:24 PM
Christopher, I just did a thorough scroll through all of the Microsoft Internet explorer site. It seems that I'm updated as far as I can go, IE6 is their top and there are no further things I can load to it. I have all the current updates etc. So, I'm at a loss here as to what to do next. I do know that having to go through the whole ebay list each time I need to select a category is kind of unacceptable. So, there must be an answer somewhere!. has the other user that had the same problem been able to resolve theirs? If so i would be interested to know how they did it. Sonya responded to their post. It was exactly the same problem.
Are you just seeing the long lines instead of the categories where the drop down arrows are?
That is what happens when Internet Explorer does not display the JavaScript correctly.
At the top of your browser window, click on 'tools' and then 'internet options.' From here, click on the 'security' tab. From here, click where it says 'custom level' - and in this next window that loads, look for 'Java Permissions' and check to see which is marked. Click next to where it says 'Meduim safety' - unless it already is, in which case try low, then click the OK button. You may get a popup asking if you are sure you want to change the zone, and click where it says 'yes.'
When done, click ok again to make sure everything has been saved, then try the category page again.
This will correct the issue if the browser is just set too high to run JavaScript correctly. If it still does not work correctly, we will need to look into other programs you may be running possibly blocking JavaScript from running on the page correctly, or re-installing the same version you have now.
posted on August 23, 2003 02:51:38 PM
Christopher, yes I'm just seeing the long dotted lines running left to right where the category dropdowns ususally are. I did what you said. It was set on high safety. I switched to Medium Safety,followed your instructions to the letter, but still no good. I went back to the ebay auction page and the same thing is still there. Shall I go back to High Safety. Am I creating other problems by switching to Medium Safety? Steve
posted on August 23, 2003 03:03:54 PM
Christopher, the last time that a problem post ran on this long, Tara picked up a phone and called me. Between us we worked out the problem and solved it. Perhaps that's what needs to be done here. One on One. What do you think? Steve
posted on August 23, 2003 03:11:48 PM
Hello Steve,
Meduim is fine, but if it did not work, just go back to that security tab you were originally at and set it at Low manually from here. Then go back to the listing page and try loading the category tree again.
If this works, we may want to just go in, set the general security tab at meduim again, but then go into the custom area and change the javascript specific section down to low.
If need be, we may have to schedule a time to call, however, we are running out of things to try and you have already tackled figuring out where you need to go to make these changes.
Outside of what I have mentioned above, if it still does not work, the next step is to visit www.download.com to download a new copy of the Internet Explorer 6 software, then run the install over the copy you have now.
posted on August 23, 2003 04:03:06 PM
Hi Christopher, I already tried the low setting. That didn't work either. I'll try your idea of reloading the IE software and see what happens. I just get nervous with things like this. Too often when I have downloaded something new it screws something else up. But I'll give it a shot. Back to you later. Thanks, steve
posted on August 23, 2003 04:14:30 PM
Christopher, I just went in to www.download.com - searched until I found IE6 and it mentions virtually every window possibility except XP. I remember earlier when I was looking at the Microsoft Internet explorer site that it said that none of these upgrades were available for XP. So, now I'm confused. Please look at the www.download.com site and tell me which one I should be downloading to override the IE6 that is currently on my computer. i won't go any further without more instuction from you. Thank you, Steve
posted on August 23, 2003 07:26:47 PM
OOOOOPS! Christopher, my apologies. I just saw the box with the dotted line in it and didn't go any further thinking it was just the same problem again. But out of curiosity I just tried clicking on it and lo and behold the categories jumped out. Again, thank you for all of your patience and help. once again AW comes through for us computer illiterate folks. Steve
posted on August 24, 2003 07:40:57 AM
Christopher, we are back to square one again. I just tried to list an auction this morning and the same stupid problem has jumped up again, As I said last night the categories showed up when I clicked on the box with the dotted line in it. This morning I click on it and more dotted lines in a drop down box show up but no categories. What could have gone wrong between last night and this morning? This is really getting very frustrating. Steve
posted on August 24, 2003 09:28:25 AM
Steve, you sent me an email asking if I had resolved my problem. Mine was just getting the ebay page to appear. Once I allowed the page several minutes to upload, as it was a new map of the site, my problem resolved and now everything is working and loading well. I have no idea why you're not getting a category list. I know the boxes appear blank and you have to click to on then to pick a category. GOOD LUCK!
Sorry to hear you are running into this issue again. Unfortunately, when you get the category box to load, but you just see those long lines, we are back to this being a JavaScript issue with your browser.
Did you end up reloading the software? If you did, check the security settings again to see if they can be lowered. Of course if you havent done so already, restart your browser/machine and make sure to exit out of any and all other programs in case there is a conflict.
posted on August 24, 2003 06:36:24 PM
Hi Christopher, something weird is happening. As I said last night after reloading the IE6 software the categories came up. This morning they were gone again. So I started fooling around with the Java permission in Internet Options. Here's the deal - as long as I make a change either up to high safety, medium safety or down to low safety the categories will show up. The box with the dotted line in it becomes wider and when I click the categories are there. But as soon as I leave AW and go elsewhere the categories are gone when I log back into AW. Is this weird or what. With a change in any direction I can get the categories to show up. But they disappear when I leave AW. What are your thoughts on that. I even tried to reload IE6 again, but the computer won't let me - says that I have already reloaded with the top possibilities. Steve
posted on August 24, 2003 07:14:30 PM
Christopher, just to add to the above- I neglected to mention that after I change the Java permission settings in any direction and click on OK and then after it asks me "are you sure you want to change this setting" and I click Yes -and then OK again, then the box is still small with the dotted line in it. But it is when I click on "continue" is when it changes to a wider box and the categories show up. I then have tried shutting down and rebooting, but it's back to the small box and no categories again. Steve
Neither of these boxes are checked. I'm probably just grasping at straws here but does this mean anything? Should either of these boxed be checked or do they have nothing to do with ny problem? Steve
