FORUM DOWNTIME AND RESULTING ISSUES REPORTING

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Just got an e-mail notification of a new Private Message so it's working again at my end.

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

The security problem with my tablet was working with no problem last night but this morning it's reared its ugly head, unsafe web site again. Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, Android V 7. No problem with any other site.

David

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by David George 1 on 28/06/2022 07:17:57:

The security problem with my tablet was working with no problem last night but this morning it's reared its ugly head, unsafe web site again. Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, Android V 7. No problem with any other site.

David

Have you tried installing Firefox Mobile on the Galaxy and using that to browse the forum? In theory, because Firefox handles the certificates rather than relying on Android, and has been kept up to date it should work.

The symptoms fit a known combination of circumstances, whereby the client device fails if:

1. A website starts using a new certificate AND
2. The new certificate was issued by a new Certificate Authority, AND
3. The client device hasn't been upgraded to recognise Certificate Authorities created after the device was first sold, AND
4. The client device hasn't been upgraded to correctly check the validity of a new certificate by asking one of the Certificate Authorities it does trust. The way this check is done changed after Android 7 was released.

From the description, I think David's Galaxy gets the forum's new certificate and doesn't trust it because it doesn't recognise the new Authority. It then asks one of the Certificate Authorities it knows of to confirm the new boy is OK. The certificate is confirmed, and the Galaxy connects. So far so good.

Unfortunately, certificates are re-checked repeatedly during sessions, and one of these checks fails later on and Android drops the connection like a red-hot potato because it no longer trusts the website. I suspect, having been told the new certificate authority is OK, Android 7 isn't caching a copy of new certificate, and does the later check with a copy of the old one, which is now wrong. Might be fixed by a factory reset.

The reason the Galaxy appears to be working correctly with other websites is most of them don't meet the four AND conditions needed to trigger the fault – yet! The error isn't with the certificate itself, or a real security problem, its because the way certificates are managed has changed slightly, and Android 7 doesn't understand the new regime.

The website that explains this stuff recommends Firefox as a fix because it doesn't rely on Android 7 to get the security checks right. And because Firefox is kept to up to date, it should manage new certificates from a new authority without dropping the ball. I don't know for sure Firefox fixes the problem but surely worth trying.

In general always good to keep computers up to date. The rate of change is rapid and it doesn't take long for mismatches between old and new to appear, causing weird bugs.

Dave

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[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Very useful, thanks Dave.

Neil

[Anonymous]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 28/06/2022 13:21:35:

And because Firefox is kept to up to date …

And how! Firefox these days is little more than a frequent-release series of beta-test versions especially the Windows application (even the ESR is little better).

[Bill PudneyParticipant @billpudney37759]

I'm on the verge of giving up. Despite my subscription showing that it's current, I have not received any issues for a while, cannot see any digital issues. The forum seems to be in most "Myford" threads….time served, dust coated, pipe smoking old scrapers all saying the times at 1910 were perfect. I keep hoping that the magazine it will get better, but realistically it probably won't.

best wishes ….hopefuly

cheers

Bill

[Martyn DuncumbParticipant @martynduncumb88863]

You may all know this already but just to say I received an email this afternoon from Mortons with my Digital ID.

I have logged in and accessed Magazines and been able to look at the current issue of MEW without any problems. I also accessed a 2010 edition of MEW also with no problems. I have a print subscription.

It only seemed to go back as far as 2010 but I have not done a major investigation and assume that earlier editions will follow later.

Martyn

[Martyn DuncumbParticipant @martynduncumb88863]

I have just looked again and the available issues are back to March 2020 followed by three 2010 issues.

Hopefully they are working on restoring all the missing ones.

Martyn

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Bill Pudney on 28/06/2022 22:12:53:

I'm on the verge of giving up. Despite my subscription showing that it's current, I have not received any issues for a while, cannot see any digital issues. The forum seems to be in most "Myford" threads….time served, dust coated, pipe smoking old scrapers all saying the times at 1910 were perfect. I keep hoping that the magazine it will get better, but realistically it probably won't.

best wishes ….hopefuly

cheers

Bill

Hi Bill, you need that new subscriber number. " Find you Customer ID on either the carrier sheet that comes with your magazine or your renewal letter. "

Or please see THIS LINK.

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Martyn Duncumb on 29/06/2022 18:59:10:

I have just looked again and the available issues are back to March 2020 followed by three 2010 issues.

Hopefully they are working on restoring all the missing ones.

Martyn

Yes it is being worked on, it means generating LOTS of new issues but the new reader works about ten times faster than the old one and lets you customise and download PDFs at last!

Neil

[WearyParticipant @weary]

Neil,

your link in your message timed 20:32:40 next-but-one message above doesn't work (for me anyway). Gives all the usual headers etc., but where I would anticipate a thread it simply reads:

"Error

This page cannot be found"

I pursued it as I seemingly only receive (Model Engineer) magazines intermittently since the new owners have taken-over & would like to try and resolve it.

Regards,

Phil

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

The problem with the security seems to have disappeared. 🤞🏻 not had a problem since yesterday afternoon.

David

[dhendleyKeymaster @dhendley]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 29/06/2022 20:33:38:

Posted by Martyn Duncumb on 29/06/2022 18:59:10:

I have just looked again and the available issues are back to March 2020 followed by three 2010 issues.

Hopefully they are working on restoring all the missing ones.

Martyn

Yes it is being worked on, it means generating LOTS of new issues but the new reader works about ten times faster than the old one and lets you customise and download PDFs at last!

Neil

We are working on it! Hopefully there will be a lot more up this week. What's slowing us down is the old reader had issue file names as the issue number, the new one needs a date to display them in the correct order – it's a manual and slow process!

[dhendleyKeymaster @dhendley]

If you hit the archive button (top bar, 4th from right) on Workshop, you should now see many many more issues.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

"I also accessed a 2010 edition of MEW also with no problems. I have a print subscription."

Neil/Darren is there something wrong there Archive was for those with digital or print plus ?

[dhendleyKeymaster @dhendley]

Posted by JasonB on 30/06/2022 07:16:01:

"I also accessed a 2010 edition of MEW also with no problems. I have a print subscription."

Neil/Darren is there something wrong there Archive was for those with digital or print plus ?

Yes, there's not supposed to be access for print only. Leave it with me, I'll have a look

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Darren H on 30/06/2022 07:11:17:

If you hit the archive button (top bar, 4th from right) on Workshop …

.

Now, it would appear, labelled DIGITAL

Back-door swiftly closed and bolted ?

MichaelG.

[SteambuffParticipant @steambuff]

At the moment you can only pay for the “Digital” or “Print & Digital” subscriptions with a Credit/Debit card or Paypal, are there any plans to add the same Direct Debit options that the “Print” subscription has?

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

That's a vast improvement in archive access. Thanks. However, the link through the DIGITAL button doesn't work for me, it just takes me to the digital reader access page and when trying to log in, simply loops back to the same page. I have to access the back issues through the MAGAZINES button, as before. Not a problem, as long as you know about it.

I accessed issue one this way and noticed the "print" quality was still on the fuzzy side, so presumably the conversion of the copies to HTML has yet to be completed?

John

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by Darren H on 30/06/2022 07:11:17:

If you hit the archive button (top bar, 4th from right) on Workshop, you should now see many many more issues.

Thanks for that Darren. Much better. One minor comment: The filename given for a print to PDF is extremely long making it difficult to find. Can it be simplified a bit?

Russell

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Russell

If you follow what it says below the filename you can call it what you like and specify where it gets saves. The right click drop down actually says "save link as " on my W10 machine.

[dhendleyKeymaster @dhendley]

Posted by JasonB on 30/06/2022 13:03:09:

Russell

If you follow what it says below the filename you can call it what you like and specify where it gets saves. The right click drop down actually says "save link as " on my W10 machine.

Thanks Jason!

[dhendleyKeymaster @dhendley]

Posted by John Hinkley on 30/06/2022 08:08:07:

That's a vast improvement in archive access. Thanks. However, the link through the DIGITAL button doesn't work for me, it just takes me to the digital reader access page and when trying to log in, simply loops back to the same page. I have to access the back issues through the MAGAZINES button, as before. Not a problem, as long as you know about it.

I accessed issue one this way and noticed the "print" quality was still on the fuzzy side, so presumably the conversion of the copies to HTML has yet to be completed?

John

I'm not sure which link you are clicking John, can you do a screen grab or send the URL?

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

Darren,

I'll do that in a few minutes. Not easy to do on the ipad. Main pc busy building a youtube video!

John

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Clicking "digital" on the black bar works for me as does magazines. BUT they open up a separate login page and then when you log in opens the current issue in the viewer so you need to click the three bars top right to select archive. 

At the moment the  "digital" route takes me to ME only and "Magazines" gives me the option of ME or MEW

Previously the usual route was "magazines" then select ME or MEW and then that archive would open. I suspect as the archive is on classicmags and the forum on ME.co.uk there is the need for the second login.

Edited By JasonB on 30/06/2022 14:43:43

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