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Blocked from the forum

  1. #1
    Forum Expert Tony Valko's Avatar
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    Blocked from the forum

    For whatever reason, I was blocked from connecting to the forum starting on Monday, December 30 2013 at about 8:00 PM (U.S. EST).

    I was composing a reply to a post and when I hit the Post Reply button I got a strange message something to the effect: Forbidden, you must be logged in to post...

    I thought that was strange since I was already logged in. So I tried it again with the same result. I tried to navigate to other pages on the site and my browser (IE9) would just time-out and return the message: This page can't be displayed. So, I left the site for the night.

    Tried connecting to the site several times on Tuesday, December 31 2013 but still got the same message: This page can't be displayed.

    Ok, WTH is going on here?

    I did a Google search and found a site that will test ping another site to see if that site is online or is offline.

    http://www.isitdownrightnow.com

    Pretty cool. Never knew anything like that existed.

    Ok, that site reported that ExcelForum.com was online. So, that meant that I either had a connection problem or that I was banned or blocked from the site.

    I was able to connect to every other site I tried so I figured it wasn't a browser problem or an ISP problem so that meant it had to be either that I was banned from the site or blocked from the site for whatever reason.

    I couldn't think of any reason why I would have been banned so it must be that I was being blocked from the site for whatever reason.

    I remember reading a post somewhere on the site pertaining to being unable to connect to the site with instructions on how to get help from the site admin.

    So, if this ever happens to you do this...

    See if the site is online:

    http://www.isitdownrightnow.com/excelforum.com.html

    If the site is online but you still can't connect, send an email message to the site admin:

    [email protected]

    Let them know that you can't access the site and give them your IP address.

    You can get your IP address by going here:

    http://www.whatismyip.com/

    Biff
    Microsoft MVP Excel
    Keep It Simple Stupid

    Let's Go Pens. We Want The Cup.

  2. #2
    Administrator FDibbins's Avatar
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    Great suggestions Tony, thank you. What was the problem, after all that?
    1. Use code tags for VBA. [code] Your Code [/code] (or use the # button)
    2. If your question is resolved, mark it SOLVED using the thread tools
    3. Click on the star if you think someone helped you

    Regards
    Ford

  3. #3
    Forum Expert Tony Valko's Avatar
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    Don't know.

    I got a reply back from the site admin saying that I should be able to connect once again. No explanation was given.

  4. #4
    Administrator FDibbins's Avatar
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    I have had that a few times, seems my IP somehow got caught up in a bulk block for some reason or other. I gave them my IP and was able to get back on

  5. #5
    Forum Guru xladept's Avatar
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    I had a problem with IE and my Trend the other day - Trend wouldn't let me open an e-mail notification from the forum - but other e-mails were OK!???
    If I've helped you, please consider adding to my reputation - just click on the liitle star at the left.

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    You can't do one thing. XLAdept

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~aka Orrin

  6. #6
    Forum Contributor arlu1201's Avatar
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    Tony,

    Your IP was blocked at the firewall. So i asked it to be released.
    If I have helped, Don't forget to add to my reputation (click on the star below the post)
    Don't forget to mark threads as "Solved" (Thread Tools->Mark thread as Solved)
    Use code tags when posting your VBA code: [code] Your code here [/code]

  7. #7
    Forum Expert shg's Avatar
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    Been a bad boy, Tony?
    Entia non sunt multiplicanda sine necessitate

  8. #8
    Forum Expert Pepe Le Mokko's Avatar
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    So, if this happens again, the commands
    Please Login or Register  to view this content.
    followed by
    Please Login or Register  to view this content.
    should help?

  9. #9
    Forum Contributor arlu1201's Avatar
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    No Pepe. Tony had to be released at the firewall. The ipconfig will not release him from the firewall block. Its only to reset your internet.

  10. #10
    Forum Expert Tony Valko's Avatar
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    Quote Originally Posted by arlu1201 View Post
    Tony,

    Your IP was blocked at the firewall. So i asked it to be released.
    Ok, thank you!

    Related question...

    When we email the admin does that message get routed to you and Jerry or does it go to someone "behind the scenes" (the tech team) or possibly the site host?

  11. #11
    Forum Contributor arlu1201's Avatar
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    It doesnt come as an email to Jerry or me but goes to the tech team. The lead then forwards them to me wherever it needs my action.

  12. #12
    Forum Expert Tony Valko's Avatar
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    Thank you!

  13. #13
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    Hi there,
    I have the same issue, been trying to post in the VBA help forum asking about a complex question and I keep getting just a blank tab after I hit submit (or even preview) and then if I hit refresh nothing. I'll potter around for a few mins, hit refresh again, blank screen of nothing then I get the google chrome warning that the page is unavailable do I want to read a cache of the site.
    If there are rules about what you can & can't post depending on your member or post level that would be great!
    (ie amount of links, amount of code, etc).
    I don't know why I can't post in the VBA section but I can in welcome, and in here.
    But yes the IP block is .... prohibitive.
    Win8/Off 2010 | Skill Lvl: Please be kind

  14. #14
    Administrator FDibbins's Avatar
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    @ mrsk, there are no rules/restrictions, other than being a member, on what you can post or where you can post (except the Commercial Services Forum - that is restricted to guru's and above).

    I will post a test post in the VBA forum to see is I have the same problem

    Edit: Nope, I was able to post with no problems.

    Ar you able to post in other forums, and can you read threads in the VBA forum?
    Last edited by FDibbins; 01-12-2014 at 02:13 AM.

  15. #15
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    Hi there FDibbins,
    Just tried posting in both the VBA forums and creating a new post in the commercial forums (I donated), and I still just end up with a blank page or a time out. The page goes from 'compose' to http://www.excelforum.com/newthread....stthread&f=171 and then does nothing.

    When in the Commercial Services forum I don't see other threads (I believe that's to be the case), and I am using the "Create new Thread" from there.

    So weird

  16. #16
    Forum Contributor arlu1201's Avatar
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    Can you please try posting the content of your thread here? Sometimes if there are some links or even some text which is prohibited on the site, it doesnt allow you to post on the forum.

  17. #17
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    Re: Blocked from the forum

    Thank you Arlu, I stripped out the URLs that were in my script (they were pointing to the origins of my code) and now it has posted. Perhaps a note in the forum rules that if a post isn't 'posting' to check for URLs?
    I should've done it being a forum regular (not here, in general) however I'd seen links in other posts Thanks for your patience!

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