Error Message When Connecting To Forum

[UKJASE]

Quite often, when reading the morning / evening newsletter email from ThaiVisa, i will click on a story so i can read more, and i will get this error message

[404 error] If you're seeing this error after install, check this thread on our forum for the fix: https://sendy.co/forum/discussion/5/404-error-after-install/p1

i can hit f5 to refresh many times, but the error will remain

does anyone else get this problem, or is the problem with my browser / pc ?

[RichCor]

The emailed newsletter from "Thaivisa.com News Editor" contains specially formatted links that need to be resolved by the ThaiVisa server "sendy" plugin to retrieve the current active forum link.

It's possible that something is 'editing' the links embedded in your email before read it. To check, try using the "View Web Version" link, located at the very bottom of the email, and see if the html version of the newsletter gives you the same error for the same links. If the html version links work but the emailed version gives an error then take a look at this past support post for a deeper explanation:

Is it just me or...

Started by brucegoniners, 2015-01-22 16:23

[UKJASE]

The emailed newsletter from "Thaivisa.com News Editor" contains specially formatted links that need to be resolved by the ThaiVisa server "sendy" plugin to retrieve the current active forum link.

It's possible that something is 'editing' the links embedded in your email before read it. To check, try using the "View Web Version" link, located at the very bottom of the email, and see if the html version of the newsletter gives you the same error for the same links. If the html version links work but the emailed version gives an error then take a look at this past support post for a deeper explanation:

Is it just me or...

Started by brucegoniners, 2015-01-22 16:23

the message gets sent to my hotmail account, and is read through my firefox browser through the outlook window

i wonder if outlook is messing with the links

but as i say, only say 10% of the links will not show, the rest are fine

this is not a new occurrence though, and the error has been showing for months

[UKJASE]

sorry my mistake..... the mail gets sent to my gmail and i read it through the online gmail interface, via firefox

[RichCor]

sorry my mistake..... the mail gets sent to my gmail and i read it through the online gmail interface, via firefox

OK. So the next time you find a named link that doesn't work in the email version, look for the same named link in the html version (using View Web Version link at bottom of email). That should tell you if something is messing with your email links (if the html version works).

Though I would find it odd that the web version of gmail would contain corrupted links (unless you're running some strange browser extensions).

[UKJASE]

Hi RichCor

i have just had that error appear again mate

it was on this evening's newsletter - titled "Japanese man arrested for drug, gun possession in Thailand;"

the link that did not work was the advert for the teak house at the bottom

i tested it over a ten minute period, or so, but still got the same error

[404 error] If you're seeing this error after install, check this thread on our forum for the fix: https://sendy.co/forum/discussion/5/404-error-after-install/p1

i then went to the html version, and the link worked well

so it seems that my firefox / gmail interface is for some reason messing up the links

or it may be something else on my PC, but as i said, i get this for about 1 in 10 links i click, but it has only been over the last few months, and not before

[RichCor]

OK. So the web version of the list is working.

As I wrote previously, the links in the newsletter don't point directly to the articles or forums topics, but are 'tokens' that first need to be 'resolved' by the ThaiVisa server so the actual article/topic can be accurately served. Something is giving you garbled/broken token URL links and the ThaiVisa server can't work with them, hence the error.

So when it happens again, try refreshing your gmail display of your newsletter and see if the re-request gives you the same bad data link (gmail link doesn't work, html version does work).

If the email version link worked after a refresh that would indicate a packet data error occurred and the link (or links) were corrupted during transmission from the gmail server to your browser, it happens. Could even be a naughty browser extension.

If it always stays broken, in the same way (same exact non-functional token link after multiple refreshes), then it's more likely 'something' garbled or edited the link on the way to your email box. (Though still could be a naughty browser extension or anti-virus filter).

At least you know the html version will work for you.

[UKJASE]

this is the link it is trying to get to RichCor

http://newsletter.thaivisa.com/l/HB4vB18kVLiuLIMhdlDbhA%20/ijPk4WJEII6ehj6qhslAxg/6tGY39qFO6UWt4RNGcYU1Q

after refreshing the googlemail page, the link is now

http://newsletter.thaivisa.com/l/HB4vB18kVLiuLIMhdlDbhA%20/ijPk4WJEII6ehj6qhslAxg/6tGY39qFO6UWt4RNGcYU1Q

looks just the same to me

each time i get the same error mate

i dont have any firefox extensions enabled

ok.................... i have just clicked on the picture part of the link, and that resolved and took me to the target page

i then moused over the text part of the link, and noticed that there is one slight difference in the intended link target. the picture one is fine, but the text part, there is a space inserted , just after the "bhA" part of the link. you can see it in the link above, represented by the %20

bit weird mate..... any ideas what is adding the space there?

[RichCor]

http://newsletter.thaivisa.com/l/HB4vB18kVLiuLIMhdlDbhA%20/ijPk4WJEII6ehj6qhslAxg/6tGY39qFO6UWt4RNGcYU1Q

For whatever reason, an html/javascript space character (%20) is being inserted into the link (and NOT inserted into into the Image link. Weird).

When the space (%20) is removed the link gets resolved by ThaiVisa into:

http://property.thaivisa.com/property-item/traditional-thai-teak-house-for-sale-in-chiang-mai/?utm_source=newsletter-20151025-1010&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=property

Don't know what to say. Your gmail connection should be https (encrypted, secure). It may be that 'something' is intercepting the encrypted text and 'correcting' or editing it, or the email is being revised before it reaches you. A test to see which could be done using a completely different computer on a different ISP/Network so see if the same error persists. If it doesn't then it's a network transport issue, if it does then the link was corrupted while in transit to your email account.

[UKJASE]

hey RichCor - how are you mate?

I received this evening's newsletter, and the top news item gave me the error similar to yesterday

the error is

[404 error] If you're seeing this error after install, check this thread on our forum for the fix: https://sendy.co/forum/discussion/5/404-error-after-install/p1

and here is the link it tries to resolve to

http://newsletter.thaivisa.com/l/HB4vB18kVLiuLIMhdlDbhA/Czlf%20763BjAkuqUM4mtm2F2Bg/TLMfI7WtVqy6AY5bQ1k892xw

on inspection of the link, i noticed there was a space after Czlf, and it is only when i copy and paste it to here, that the %20 character appears (this is probably what happened yesterday too)

i then did what you suggested, and fired up my laptop. again it is running firefox. i opened the googlemail interface, and clicked upon the "Help! Overstay SInce 2 Years" link, and i got the exact same error, and upon examing the link the space is present in the same position

so it seems other googlemail users will be getting this error too

[RichCor]

Using gmail webmail I get the same tokenized newsletter link (minor variation due to user differences but the last 44 characters are exactly the same) but mine doesn't arrive with the extra 'space' character added in.

The issue is something unique to you, or at least your collection of ISP/Device/App used to read your email. (I know other ThaiVisa members experience similar errors).

-What happens if you open your gmail using a different browser?

-Can you access the same email using an android or apple smartphone? Do they give you the same broken link effect (error)?

Just trying to isolate where the error occurs. If all the scenarios show the modified link then the insertion likely happens before it arrives in your email box. If only some devices show the error but others don't looking at the same email link then the issue is possibly occurring in transit to you (eg: then more likely a specific ISP/Device/App related).

I've always found it 'odd' that it's usually a 'space' that's been added.

Could be something to do with MTU packet sizes being too large, the oversized packet being broken up into two packets and then reassembled at the other end with the odd added 'space'.

Odd, because it's not supposed to happen.

[UKJASE]

ok RichCor

i have opened the newsletter in gmail again, but this time viewing through IE

i get the same error mate

here is the link it tries to reach

http://newsletter.thaivisa.com/l/HB4vB18kVLiuLIMhdlDbhA/Czlf%20763BjAkuqUM4mtm2F2Bg/TLMfI7WtVqy6AY5bQ1k892xw

again the space / %20 is in the same position as it was with firefox

i then opened the newsletter on my Asus phone, using firefox, and the same error again mate..... with the space in the same position within the link

i wonder if any other users can check for you. i am on 3BB by the way, if that makes a difference, and use Microsoft Security as an anti virus

[RichCor]

This leads me to believe the 'error' is being introduced prior to being delivered to your email account.

So... logical progression:

ThaiVisa forum software generates a quasi-personalized html newsletter for each individual subscriber.

It's possible the custom software that 'writes' the individual customized email is inserting the 'space' character.

Problem here is that in your second example the 'space' (%20) character was introduced in the middle of a common token code ("/Czlf 763BjAkuqUM4mtm2F2Bg/"), and it doesn't make any sense for the custom app to error out in the middle of writing this single variable. Everybody got this token for that particular story/topic/thread. Very odd to happen here.

The customized email is then sent to a 'provider' to be delivered, carried along through various SMTP servers and routers until it ultimately arrives in your inbox.

It's possible the extra characters could be introduced at the email is transmitted along the the way.

Still, very strange to be occurring at all.

So, not saying this couldn't be a ThaiVisa issue. It's definitely being generated somewhere, and most likely somewhere before it even hits your email account.

[UKJASE]

look at this one RichCor

the space is created right at the beginning of the link, just after the .com just about

http://newsletter.thaivisa.com/l%20/HB4vB18kVLiuLIMhdlDbhA/76J4kiMXXstIEBRrcXtdsQ/rj8qxskfSBarHy86xX892NaA

again, the picture link of the Prayuth article had no space inserted, but the textual link did

keep on it Sherlock

[RichCor]

Yea, that time the rogue 'space' was inserted in the directory tree of the link. Curioser and curiouser.

Broken emailed links used to occur a lot in the mid '90s when email was strictly text-based and sent in-the-clear. Some of the email apps/clients used back then didn't like the long unbroken strings of text and would insert characters. No reason to see it occurring today as most systems can handle email body content ...it's not like any of these links look like code-injection attempts that require filters or escape characters.

Also, I have yet to have any of my ThaiVisa newsletter emails affected like this ( though I must admit I only click one or two links of any given newsletter email sent to me, so I'm not the best person to use as an link integrity tester).

[UKJASE]

did u try the Prayuth article that i mentioned Rich? top of this morning's email....

have you got a gmail account you can test it through?

[RichCor]

Just reviewed all the links in the most recent ThaiVisay newsletters I've received and they're all correct. All received on my gmail account (though my account is a google business account so uses a different set of servers).

I wonder if there are any other delivery similarities with other ThaiVisa newsletter users who are receiving adulterated links.

[UKJASE]

hey Rich mate,

an error in this evening's newsletter, leaving a space in the url, is the one that leads here

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/867226-starting-all-over-again-in-thailand-what-would-you-do-different/

near the top of the newsletter

can u try it in your googlemail and see if you get the same

[RichCor]

Just verified my copy of the ThaiVisa newsletter received at 1:21 PM. No link errors.

This is a difficult one to diagnose since there's no points available to intercept the message to see if it's an origination, delivery, or destination mechanism error.

[Djaotchou]

I have the same problem, almost everyday, at least one link does not work and I have the 404 error message, both on my Android Phone (EMail-Google Chrome) and PC (Thunderbird-Google Chrome). Yesterday it was this one: Phuket monorail plans speed up http://newsletter.thaivisa.com/l/VznxitHzM0vtmBjB9%20QcRsA/pIBRsGFb8MmTbaIEzXCXlQ/4yJTWtgwrB69qBesGJM7jg

[RichCor]

I think it interesting that so far it's always a 'space' (html '%20') that's been inserted. Leads me to believe this is not a random 'noise' issue garbling transmission, but a programmatic error in play.

[UKJASE]

I have the same problem, almost everyday, at least one link does not work and I have the 404 error message, both on my Android Phone (EMail-Google Chrome) and PC (Thunderbird-Google Chrome). Yesterday it was this one: Phuket monorail plans speed up http://newsletter.thaivisa.com/l/VznxitHzM0vtmBjB9%20QcRsA/pIBRsGFb8MmTbaIEzXCXlQ/4yJTWtgwrB69qBesGJM7jg

with the link you quote Djaot, you can see there is a space after the B9, in the middle of the link

http://newsletter.thaivisa.com/l/VznxitHzM0vtmBjB9%20QcRsA/pIBRsGFb8MmTbaIEzXCXlQ/4yJTWtgwrB69qBesGJM7jg

so if you click on it with your mouse, and delete the space, and hit return, it fixes the link and allows you to view the article

At least this way you dont miss out on reading something that interested you

[UKJASE]

the top link in yestrday's newsletter, re the photo competition was busted for me Rich

bit weird

[Maestro]

That link opens without a problem on my computer (Windows 7, Chrome)

I wonder if it will help if we look at how you get and read your email. You mentioned "the message gets sent to my hotmail account, and is read through my firefox browser through the outlook window"

With "outlook window', do you mean that you read the email online, after logging into your hotmail account on this webpage?

[UKJASE]

sorry Maestro. i made a mistake, and the email is sent to my gmail account, and read through the gmail interface, which i view in firefox, on windows 7

it is the randomness of where the space is placed within the url that i dont understand

[Maestro]

The weirdest thing of all is that nobody else seems to experience the same problem.

I'm also reading my mail on the Google Mail site, clicking on several links in each newsletter, but more often than not on a mobile device, ie phone or tablet.

I plan to use the PC for it more frequently now and pay attention to whether a link does not open the way it should.

[RichCor]

The issue has been mentioned in the support forum before.

Though, if I may paraphrase what you've stated, "The weirdest thing of all is that nobody else seems to experience the same problem [currently]."

The only members reporting ThaiVisa Newsletter link-corruption issue now are

UKJASE, who found a space (%20) ASCII/html character embedded in random links, and

Djaotchou, who reported a line-feed space (%0A%20) ASCII/html characters embedded in a link

[UKJASE]

it appears on my desktop and my laptop, in both firefox and IE, plus i get the same error when using my phone.

always it will be certain links within the newsletter, and none of those specific links will display properly on any device, and the rogue space character will appear in the exact same position in each instance