incorrect online/away status

slatemond · Post by **slatemond** » Wed Jun 19, 2002 8:43 pm

Thought I posted this here - my bad.

Around the 10th, I downloaded the latest AIM+ (2.2.1/Build 65), and a few days prior, had dowloaded the latest AIM full release (4.8.2790).

While I've been online, last night was the first that I really sat and was around the computer. I've noticed abnormalities.

Example: A friend came online. It looked as if he was active. I clicked on "get info" and it showed he was actually online for over an hour and idle for thirty-some minutes.

This sort of behavior occured all day. If I log off, then log back on things appear as they should.

If I remove the name from my list, wait a moment, then reinsert it, things appear as they should.

Further, I can right click to see what the persons status actually is, or can open a blank "get info" window to see if an apparently offline buddy is actually online.

I've run scandisc, virus, defrag, cleanup, all the usual. Nothing appears abnormal.

Short of fully removing both programs and starting from scratch (on my lowly dial-up), are there any suggestions?

XP pro,
Pentium 4 1.6ghz
768 RAM
(AIM specs above)

defiance · Post by **defiance** » Wed Jun 19, 2002 10:33 pm

AIM + Version : 2.2.1 Build 65
AIM Version : 4.8.2790
Pentium 4 2.0 Ghz
Windows XP Home Edition
568 MB RAM

I have the same problem, mostly people not seeing me as online and me not seeing people being away or idle. Peoples alerts for me do not work and they cannot see I am online...

Thanks in advance.

Post by **Big-O Mark** » Wed Jun 19, 2002 11:09 pm

I've experienced this every once in awhile, now and before I was using AIM+. This is some sort of AIM server problem where everything isn't being updated properly. Usually everything will work fine if I sign off and then sign back on ... my AIM will receive the latest online/idle/etc. info and it will also send that information out for everyone else to see.

Because this is not an AIM+ issue, I'm going to move this thread over to the AIM Misc. forum.

zingZACH · Post by **zingZACH** » Thu Jun 20, 2002 10:51 am

have the same problem but me or my sister will be shown as offline when i am not. and my buddies cant see me as online either...... plus, away and idle doesnt work either

slatemond · Post by **slatemond** » Thu Jun 20, 2002 1:15 pm

So, anyone from Big-O have any further suggestions then? Uninstall and reinstall everything? Deal with incorrect buddy lists until it works the kinks out? On my knees here kids!

Post by **Big-O Ryan** » Thu Jun 20, 2002 1:35 pm

OK folks, this issue has been posted no less than 8 times in the last 24 hours. Obviously, there is some sort of problem (unless you're all the same, hyper person

).

Seriously, this sort of thing happens now and again with AIM, for everybody.

slatemond, thank you for posting a detailed report of your problem. Here's some other information that might help lead to an understanding of the problem: how long have you had this problem? does it happen ALL the time, or just sometimes? run AIM (without AIM+), do you still experience this problem(running AIM without AIM+ is the same as having never installed AIM+, it has no "lasting" or "persistent" effects when it isn't running, at all)? are you behind a firewall? do you use AOL? is AOL your ISP, or can you try running AIM without AOL?

This is almost certainly either a network issue, or an AIM server issue, and the fact that several people have started to have this problem at exactly the same time seems to further support that idea.

Try the experiements I listed above (to answer those questions), and let us know what you find.

slatemond · Post by **slatemond** » Thu Jun 20, 2002 3:24 pm

Thanks for your response man - here's your answers.

First, *NO* I'm not the same hyper person. Though I am a hyper person. I'm just not anyone else. Only me. If that makes sense. ~wicked grin~

"how long have you had this problem?"

Since late Tuesday, June 18, continues to this point in time. (Though I signed off a while ago. Too damn frustrating.)

"does it happen ALL the time, or just sometimes?"

Pretty much all the time - or - as much as I'm aware and am able to take the time and fiddle about, trying to see who really is or really isn't online/active/away/idle/a donkey, etc. As I said earlier, I am able to repeatedly duplicate the anomaly within my computer / network.

"run AIM (without AIM+), do you still experience this problem(running AIM without AIM+ is the same as having never installed AIM+, it has no "lasting" or "persistent" effects when it isn't running, at all)?"

Okay, you answered my next question with that. Running AIM without AIM+ brings about the same results. (I wasn't sure if some trace remains of AIM+ would have stuck to the actual AIM program - even when using the "base" program.)

"are you behind a firewall?"

Yes and no. My home is my "working" office, and we have a bunch of computers networked up. I am the admin type setter-of-things-up person though, and one of the first things I did when discovering this was to get out from behind the firewall. No change.

"do you use AOL?"

God no.

"is AOL your ISP, or can you try running AIM without AOL?"

God no, and ditto on that again. (Three's a charm.)

"This is almost certainly either a network issue, or an AIM server issue, and the fact that several people have started to have this problem at exactly the same time seems to further support that idea."

And now I'm understanding that more and more as I read (here) what other people are saying, and now know a few folks on my list who have this same difficulty.

I feel bad for you guys - you're actually respond to people who use your product - when this isn't your fault! The first thing I did was holler at AIM/AOL, and golly....I never heard a word from them.

Unfortunately, I don't expect to - and it's too bad. It makes me wanna drop AIM altogether and be a Trillian user.

But thanks for taking the time to talk back to us though, putting out a program that reminds me of the old school early "Ad-Free" AIM, and for allowing people in my situation the place to "vent" when it really isn't a problem with stuff on your end.

slater.

tomjones · Post by **tomjones** » Fri Jun 21, 2002 3:28 am

Hi guys,

Just to let you know, it isn't AIM+ that is causing this problem. It must be AIM servers. I have another computer which never had AIM+ installed on it and it still has the problem. It seems that this problem started on the 18th. I have a few friends that have the same problem also. I definitely know that this is not a networking issue because the other computer I use is not on a network and uses dialup for an isp. I surely hope that AIM/AOL fixes this problem soon because it is starting to get kinda annoying. I think we should all contact AIM and bug them to fix this issue as soon as possible. ANNOYING!!! Anyways, also just want to tell the Big-O Software programmers that they are doing a good job. Keep It Up!!!! Also, thanks for taking out the spyware, I really hate spyware.

Your very loyal supporter,
tomjones (this is an alias if you haven't noticed)

THANKS GUYS!!

tomjones · Post by **tomjones** » Fri Jun 21, 2002 4:48 am

Okay Guys,

After posting the message up on this thread, I tried and tested this problem using an old AIM screenname that I haven't used for a while and this is what happened. I signed on, everything was running perfectly, and then I put up an away message and I saw my own screenname light up with the away message icon next to it. I was thinking, "OK, it definitely isn't AIM+ because this screenname works fine." I signed off, used my other screen name which had this problem, and then signed off again and relogged in using the one which had no related issues. I sign on thinking that this screen name is not affected, "lo and behold" the problem suddenly appeared on this screen name also. Now, I really don't know if AIM is trying to track down AIM+ users and cause problems for us or there may be something else behind this odd occurence. I will do some more testing and see what happens. If someone has an answer as to what may be going on or have something to add to this, please let me know or the rest of us know because this is really starting to bug me.

Annoyed AIM User (But AIM+ is still the best),
tomjones

killcrap · Post by **killcrap** » Sat Jun 22, 2002 12:25 am

im having this problem, too i hope some one fixes it soon on aol and aim+ which ever is causing the trouble. im running a fresh install of winxp pro, and installed aim first and had the same problems, so its gots to be aol servers!

Like A Fat Girl In A Dodgeball Game, Im Out

Post by **Big-O Mark** » Sat Jun 22, 2002 12:40 am

It's definitely a problem with AIM and not AIM+, because AIM+ in no way affects the AIM servers that send out and receive online, away, idle, etc. information.

I've always noticed this happening to me every now and again throughout the years I have used AIM. I'm not really noticing it myself right now, but something is definitely up with the AIM servers because so many people are pointing it out now as opposed to a few weeks ago when there was no mention of this problem.

tomjones · Post by **tomjones** » Sat Jun 22, 2002 3:24 am

Hi Again,

I finally confirmed that it is indeed AIM servers problem. I think Mark is definately correct. One of my friends have this problem and started asking me about it and this is when I knew that it had nothing to do with AIM+ because he has never heard of the software. This concludes that AIM is the one with the problems not AIM+ and they should fix it immediately. I think everyone should just email AIM/AOL and ask them what is going on here. Once again, thanks for making AIM+ guys, you're the best.

Happy AIM+ User,
tomjones

Matt65455 · Post by **Matt65455** » Sat Jun 22, 2002 11:57 am

This has been happening a lot recently. You guys are right, it is AIM that is doing it.
It never happened personally to me, but it happened to some of my friends, so I started testing it to see what was causing it.

It appears that certain screennames are affected by this "bug". And so far, It almost always happens to them.
It happened to two of my friends, and I first tried to see if it was related to the software they ran. They both had completly different things for everything, and neither run AIM+ so It couldnt be that.

If use other screen names, it runs fine. And it is not the computer, because I signed on to one of my friends screennames that was affected by this "bug" using a clone of AIM (with AIM+) and it still occured even though mine was working fine. They were online, but I couldnt see them online.

Things I have found out about this problem:
1. It effects certain screennames, and it seems random to who. Not related registration dates....
2. If the person signs on. People who are online before them, wont see them sign online. But people who sign on after them, usually can see that they are online.
3. If you use an away message, when you come back, the symbol wont go away, but if you use "Get info" the away message will be gone.

I hope AIM finds a fix to this problem soon, because it can be annoying. And I hope this Info helps people.

teresa · Post by **teresa** » Sun Jun 23, 2002 12:18 pm

i just sent aol a bug report about this problem. i doubt they will actually listen to me. so everyone send them a bug report, maybe they will realize that this is a bigger problem than it seems to be. =p

killcrap · Post by **killcrap** » Sun Jun 23, 2002 1:33 pm

ok im reporting this bug also

Big-O Software

incorrect online/away status

incorrect online/away status

I have seen this happen also.

same problem

Who is online