CNN Website Problem

[bstock]

CNN recently changed the format of their website. On the right-hand side of the page, they have these drop-downs called Newspulse, Local Weather & News, Sports, and Markets. If you use Internet Explorer (I've tried with v6 and v7), the initial display shows Newspulse dropped down. If you click on any of the other drop-downs, Newspulse goes up and the one you clicked on drops down. However, on Firefox (either 3.5.4 or 3.5.5 - I've tried both), the initial display shows nothing dropped down, but, worse, you can't get any of them to drop down. Clicking on any of the four does nothing. This happens to me at work and at home.

I've reported the problem to Mozilla (as a "broken web site") and to CNN.

Any ideas?

TIA.

[Alan Baxter]

CNN recently changed the format of their website. On the right-hand side of the page, they have these drop-downs called Newspulse, Local Weather & News, Sports, and Markets. If you use Internet Explorer (I've tried with v6 and v7), the initial display shows Newspulse dropped down. If you click on any of the other drop-downs, Newspulse goes up and the one you clicked on drops down.

I see this behavior in IE8 too. http://www.cnn.com/ works the same for me using Fx 3.5.5 as it does in IE8. Default theme, no extensions.

However, on Firefox (either 3.5.4 or 3.5.5 - I've tried both), the initial display shows nothing dropped down, but, worse, you can't get any of them to drop down. Clicking on any of the four does nothing. This happens to me at work and at home.

My Fx 3.5.5 does not have this problem. It sounds like your problem might be caused by an extension. Does the problem persist using Firefox -safe-mode?

[bstock]

I've tried FF safe mode, and it makes no difference.

[Alan Baxter]

Clear your cache then.
Tools > Options > Advanced > Network > Clear Now

[bstock]

Clear your cache then.
Tools > Options > Advanced > Network > Clear Now

I've tried that, too.

[Alan Baxter]

Create a new profile.
Profile_issues

[Grumpus]

The problem is in page not Firefox. It may be the encoding if you have your system set to Unicode instead of the iso-8859-1
I tried the page with and without cookies and javascript. The page did not load properly either time. Usuall I have no real issue except for offsite images.
There's also a load of commercial ads and ad cookies. CNN needs a new page editer software.

W3C validator found this
Result: 56 Errors, 32 warning(s)
Address:
Modified: (undefined)
Server: Apache
Size: 20151
Content-Type: text/html
Encoding: iso-8859-1
Doctype: HTML 4.01 Transitional
Root Element: HTML

[Alan Baxter]

Thank you for your input, Grumpus. I'm getting identical, fully functional renderings of http://www.cnn.com/ in Fx 3.5.5 using a new profile and IE8. It also works if I change the Character Encoding to Unicode. bstock and I are both on Windows XP. Could the difference for you be a Linux thing?

[bstock]

I don't see the point of trying a new profile. How is that different from safe mode? As for trying Unicode, I'm willing to do that, but there are many different Unicode selections - which one?

Grumpus: CNN's newest format is awful. I don't know why they changed it except under the American marketing theory that new must mean improved. I don't see most of the ads because I use Adblock Plus. I selectively accept/reject cookies, so most of the ad-related cookies are already rejected. Frankly, I'm not sure why I even use CNN's website anymore because, over the years, it just keeps getting worse and worse. Habit, I suppose.

[Alan Baxter]

I don't see the point of trying a new profile. How is that different from safe mode?

A new profile uses the default preferences, toolbars, and controls. It's part of the standard diagnostic because it helps narrow down the problem. The cnn site works for me in a new profile. We can't figure out what your problem is if you don't try it out. It takes less than a minute.

Frankly, I'm not sure why I even use CNN's website anymore because, over the years, it just keeps getting worse and worse. Habit, I suppose.

I'm not sure either. I only visit it to help people who are having problems there.

[Grumpus]

The only thing which did not load properly for me were the offsite images and some of the page metrics indicated by the W3C errors and warnings.
The list on the right also did not function with javascript on or off and cookies on or off, this could be due to the blocking of a pop up which may have had some form of request attached.
The list on the right (Newspulse, Local Weather & News, Sports, and Markets) did not function at all and "properties" indicated nothing in the way of a link for the list which may have required the pop up as a qualifier.
There also seemed to be a loop established when the pop up was blocked and a page reload warning.
It's the page, the person who set it up should put it in the Validator and fix some things, it was pretty bad.
Probably why only IE can open it.

[Alan Baxter]

I also tested with popups allowed. Everything works fine in Fx 3.5.5 regardless of whether the popup is blocked. The one I got was just an Orbitz ad.

[bstock]

OK, Alan, you shamed me into it. I hate to say it, CNN works properly with a new profile. So, how do I figure out what is in my normal profile that prevents CNN's website from working?

[Alan Baxter]

Take a look at the suggestions in http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diag ... ile_issues
I'd probably start by seeing if it's a cookie problem. Temporarily remove all your cookies by renaming cookies.sqlite in your regular profile.

[bstock]

Take a look at the suggestions in http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diag ... ile_issues
I'd probably start by seeing if it's a cookie problem. Temporarily remove all your cookies by renaming cookies.sqlite in your regular profile.

I renamed the cookies file, and CNN still has a problem.

What would you suggest I try next among the many suggestions on the profile issues web page?