Why am I suddenly, randomly, getting a screen with a green circle and a

[niyad]

legend that reads, "verifying your browser"? It is not like I am just logging in, it happens when I am going from one post or forum to another. And it has just been happening the last two or three days.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Sigh. 20 questions time again. What browser? What OS?

It may be doing that because a new update is available. Have installed the latest version?

[niyad]

2. It is only happening on DU, not on any other site I am visiting.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Not that I can help you, but you could try giving the fundamental info

... before others ask for it.

And DU might be triggering it with some old or new feature other sites don't use.

Have you got your browser fully up to date?

What OS? What browser?

Have you restarted/rebooted your device/computer? You know, power cycle.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. You are not a computer expert? but you know you don't need to provide basic information?

You would be well advised to provide basic info to the experts like me, when we ask, because we know that these very basic things are important. I probably can't help you in this specific case, but I'm enough of a "computer expert" to make a living programming / software engineering and to know that others are likely to want to know the basics of your configuration.

Perhaps I have completely misjudged you and perhaps you are a hardware engineer and can put me to shame with what you know about computers. That might explain why you seem to think my questions are bogus.

[usonian]

5. IT'S CLOUDFLARE, I'LL BET.

There’s a “screen” called cloudflare that intercepts traffic to DU. It’s on purpose, as it prevents hack attacks (denial of service). Every now and then it loses its frickin mind and thinks you are a “bot”.

For what reason, I have no clue, as they are opaque to everyone except maybe themselves. If they said why they are questioning traffic, then the “bot” programmers would game that system.

I think the admins will back me up on this.

And if not, please clarify!!!

[niyad]

11. Thank you. That sounds about right.

[Deuxcents]

6. I have been unable to get this site on Google ever since Apple updated the last time to iPad

OS 17.2. I switched over to Duck Duck Go to log on and so far I’m good on that. I have no idea what happened as I did not change anything..just one night could not get on. The discussion, forms and all content is in very small print and lined up on the left side of the screen in a column. Hope my terminology is good enough as I’m not wizzo with this stuff.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. That happens occasionally, fixed by reloading the DU page

But it has nothing to do with the search engine that provides you the link to the page.

Nor does it have anything to do with whatever "service" you are using to save three seconds on the login. Once you are logged in, you are logged in, and the site runs independently of whoever is scooping up the login info and connecting the dots.

The "small print lined up on the left" is all the content without the CSS formatting. The CSS code is provided by other servers, typically, though sites sometimes write gobs of CSS themselves. The CSS is delivered independently, so it occasionally doesn't get applied.

In early days of DU, I used to get that about three times a day or more. EarlG made some tweaks. Now it happens to me about once a month.

[Deuxcents]

8. How do I reload the DU page?

If you mean to sign out and shut down my device, I’ve done that. I then went the www. To get in. Still don’t have the usual format. It’s frustrating but I’ll try it again but I tried a few times now. Could I be doing anything else?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Not sure on IOS, but there should be a button or menu item for it

There is also likely an accelerator key for it.

In Firefox, there is a little round circle icon chasing its tail that does it.

On Windows/Firefox, F5 reloads the page and ctrl-R seems to do the same.

"the usual format" (DU3) can be set on the My DU button, which offers you to click on Account Settings and that gets you options, including Visual Appearance where you can set Skinner mode for the classic layout.

You sign in/out of the site as a whole, but load or reload only a single page at a time, so those have very different meanings.

[Deuxcents]

10. I'll see if the DU button works. I can't sign in when I hit the sign it button so...

Thanks for your suggestions. Maybe you can help niyad with her questions