What causes double posts?

Sohcahtoa · Trick Member Joined: 24 Jan 2002 Location: Portland, OR

Is it a bug in the phpBB2 code? A browser malfunction (Which would explain why I've never double posted, I normally use Firefox, but I'm on my mom's computer which only has IE)? An accidental double-click on the submit button?
_________________

IguanaGrrl · Staff Member Joined: 17 Jan 2002 Location: Sacramento, CA

95 times out of 100, it's from an accidental double click on the submit button, often completely unintentionally. Sometimes what will happen is a person will post, the page will error out, but will still create the post. That person then believes that their post did not go through because of the error, so they'll repost, causing an unintentional double post.

Others are just because of the impatient ones who can't wait for the posting completed page to load.

_________________

Otla · Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 3:19 pm Post subject:

I've also found that it occurs when you post, then press back, and then the Posty thing pops back up, and viola you have another post.
_________________

J Dogg · Administrator Joined: 16 Jan 2002 Location: Sunnyvale, CA

As IG said, it is caused by the user clicking submit twice. Either by clicking it once, hitting an error, then clicking it again... or by accidentally double clicking, or by clicking, then going back, then clicking again... but every time it's due to mutiple clicking.
_________________

MPB3.Radio · Trick Member Joined: 05 Dec 2002 Location: P-Town

To clarify, it's not clicking the button itself twice , but invoking the request (by clicking the button) twice. If you click it twice in one request, nothing will happen. This only occurs if you hit back and submit the post again.

1: User clicks reply link (GET request made to the server).
2: User clicks submit button (POST request made to the server).
3: Whoops! a typo! Clicks back button to return to form.
-or-
3: hey nothing is happening! Same result -- back button is clicked.
4: User clicks submit button (POST request made to the server -- again).
5: Oh craps, double post!

Usually if flood control is on, phpBB will halt out into an error message, but a lot of times the server is bogged and the flood interval is long past.