Thought I would respond since I also am a Mac user. I haven't posted much in the last few weeks but I am on GW lurking everyday. :) I have not had any problems so far. I can also pull up my clippings without issue. Could it originate with your service provider?

I've had the same issues using Safari, but no issues using Firefox on my PC, so I resorted to downloading Firefox to my Mac so I could get on here.
I've sent a note to the admins. No response, but I don't know if they respond to those sorts of emails or not...

owls4me, I don't think it is Comcast. I suppose it is possible. Once the 'Bad URL' error message appears, no GW page loads. It's not happened with any other site.

Rob, I use Safari. Once I discovered how to delete cookies, it is just annoying and takes time to find and delete the cookie. Hopefully the administrator will look into the problem! I may need to use Firefox. Building the bookmarks is a hassle, though.

cotehele, I have Comcast and I've had no problems, so I don't think it's Comcast. Most likely it has something to do with your browser setup. I also use Firefox with no problems. But, I'm on a "PC", not an Apple machine.

[Firefox has the added benefit of "Adblock Plus"...I don't see any of the GW ads!]

Firefox will import all of your bookmarks from Safari automatically, so it's super easy. It took less than 2 minutes to download, install and get back on the kitchen forum... :-)

Bookmarks are not really important though, because I only use Firefox if I'm visiting GW, so I set the kitchen forums as my homepage when I open the browser!

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.mozilla.com

I am using Firefox! With luck, that will take care of the problem. Thanks Buehl & Rob.

cotehele... I'm a MAC user too and was having problems with Safari so I'm now exclusively use Firefox without difficulty. HOpe it works for you too!

Yes, I've had the same problem cotehele. It seems to be something with the log-in cookie, because everything is fine as long as I don't turn on the Save my information on this computer setting.

DH loves Firefox so I've already got it on this computer. Buehl, if I get 'adblock plus' I am going to switch to Firefox for GW like rob p.
cotehele, hope this works for you.

Yes, I'm a Mac user and I get it too when I use Safari. It's been doing this for the last three days. I can switch to Firefox and it's fine. It's frustrating because I prefer Safari. The message I get says:

Bad Request

Your browser sent a request that this server could not understand.
Size of a request header field exceeds server limit.
Cookie: and then the code goes on forever.

yep, it has to be a problem with safari. i am a newly converted mac user too. i can also run windows on my mac using fusion software. i just hate running windows at all anymore and only do it when i have to, which is right now to be able to use this forum. hopefully it will be fixed soon for us mac and safari users. i even downloaded the new safari beta version, but its still having problems.

Also on a Mac using Safari - noted the same issues - If I clear the cache of gardenweb stuff, it works fine for a while. On Firefox it works just fine. I know we didn't update Safari recently, so maybe it's a Gardenweb issue.

Helene

Thank you, Buehl!!! This is great, on Firefox with no ads. DH is impressed too.

I've been wondering about GW problems lately because I've been kicked off the browser,totally sometimes when trying to access a post. I didn't have any problem while the little red "trouble" messages were showing at the top. This week has been awful. I use a PC with Explorer (unfortunately). I can't seem to get Firefox to work, even when I turn off the firewalls. I keep getting messages that my firewalls won't let me proceed.

I've also read here about the ads, an the little green lines. So far, I haven't seen any at all. I thought it was because of all the firewall protection I have. A computer geek loaded Avasti on my machine, and since then I haven't had ANY pop-ups, or little green anythings.

Could all of this just be a ligering problem with GW? I wish it would go away. I always have to reboot when it happens.

Thanks!

Me, too, the last 3 days. I also am using Mac/Safari, have been for over a year and I'm here ALL the time with no problem until now. I can pull up Firefox browser and get on GardenWeb, but I'd rather not. It's a tiny bit better today on Safari, but I have had to empty my cache/cookies and reset Safari a couple times to get rid of the problem. I also emailed GardenWeb about it, haven't heard anything. Thanks for bringing this up.

I really hope they can put it back like before.

Surely it can't have anything to do with the fact that iVillage is owned by (ms)NBC, can it?

;-)

I'm on Mac with Safari and have been having the same bad request probs. Keep having to reset Safari.

ivilliage is owned by NBC and microsoft owns them? well, that says it all. Microsoft has been getting its behind kicked lately by apple. i for one was a die hard windows/PC person for all my years having a computer. i just finally had it and made the switch in november. i have not looked back since. its funny how apple makes all of everything they make such as the iphone, software, etc.. work on a pc, but nothing that microsoft makes will work on a mac. my son has a microsoft zune and we had to install the fusion on his new macbook pro to be able to use his zune and get it synced. when he had his PC and an ipod, he never had an issue using those two together. microsoft is really turning out to be a sore loser. i see everyone with mac's now, even on tv shows, movies, etc... i love my macbook pro, thats for sure.

I have Comcast, and a Mac using Safari. I had to reset Safari to be able to get back on. Grrrr..Guess I'll use Firefox..I thought it was just my computer..

DH uses Firefox for financial websites. He said the encryption is better than Safari. Firefox seems faster than Safari, too. When anyone is curious enough to try Safari on GW, please let us know when the problem is fixed. For now I'll stick to Firefox.

Since there are so many of us using Mac, anyone found a good home design program? I am still using my old PC and Chief Architect program.

There is adblock for Safari, incidentally, and it works very well. I've been using it ever since driven to it by those horrible ads here that creep down over half the page and prevent you from going anywhere till they're done.

Here is a link that might be useful: safari ad-block

Wah, now I am having problems on my Mac, too. I've been on this site for a year and a half with no issues, and started getting the bad URL message today. Might be a way to break my GW habit-- boy, DH will be happy.

Nice to know I can get my fix with Firefox. Meanwhile, I'm bumping this in the hopes that GW will fix the problem.

Had problems on my Mac using Safari. Switched to Firefox. Bookmarks are moved to Firefox automatically upon installation.

Maybe it's just me, but everything is working fine on my Mac and Safari.
And I'm don't have to disable cookies or anything.
I hope it's fixed. I emailed GardenWeb twice, no reply.

i just tried to use safari again. i had to reset it all, and had a post to this thread. when i went to submit, i got the bad url again. its not working for me. i'm not liking firefox as much as safari either. i had high hopes after reading your post too. this sucks.

See the link below for a thread on the computer help forum on the same topic. I am having the same problem. You will see there that I may have isolated the single cookie that is bad, s_pers, and all you have to do is delete that cookie when you get the error and you will be in business again. Go to preferences - security - show cookies - search for s_pers - select it and hit the delete button.

I haven't figured out how often the cookie needs to be cleared; the problem is over time it gets bigger and bigger and then causes the error. Hopefully they will fix this bug soon, I have switched to Firefox for now.

Scott

Here is a link that might be useful: link

I "Reset Safari" two days ago and have had no problems since.

To do this, click on "Safari" at the top of your screen, go down to "Reset Safari" and then hit the "Reset" button.

So far so good...

Of course I had to re-enter login info for all the forums I visit...

So within minutes of posting the above reply, GW parked Safari again.
I used Scotfsmith's method and immediately got back on. (Thanks!)
I'll let you know how long it lasts...

Wow, scottfsmith. That cookie deletion seems to have done the trick. Thank you, thank you!

The cookie is easy to find because it is so big. It is a PIA to keep deleting, especially when I am in a hurry and just want to take a quick look.

i'm using a beta 4 version of safari. i think it is more sensitive to this than my previous version. i'm trying it again though. here goes.

sorry for posting again right after my last post, but i want to see if it goes through again. i miss safari.

Count me in with problems - Mac, Safari, Comcast. I am just glad I am not the only one. I have been getting in through Firefox because I didn't want to lose all my automatic log ins on forums.

>The cookie is easy to find because it is so big.

You can also just search for "gardenweb" in the search box at the upper right of the cookie window and hit delete all. It doesn't seem to make any difference, as long as you get that one cookie.

If you type s_pers in the upper-right box you will get just that cookie.

Scott

I am having problems too. Mac/safari.
I cleaned up cookies yesterday and all was fine until today. I had to clean again. Boy that's frustrating. But at least now I know it's not just me. I sure hope the problem gets fixed.

I'm so glad I finally checked out this thread! My Mac has been fine but my husband's has been giving me this exact problem. I just tried scottfsmith's suggesting of deleting the s_pers cookie and it looks like it's working again.
Thank you!

mine has been working now for a day with no problems. i did however turn on private browsing. i dont know if this is helping too or not. it does not collect cookies or info on site i go to. i always have to enter passwords or login where ever i go, that a pain, but garden web has not failed on me yet. knock on wood.

I got this today, but I don't know how to send a screen shot of the error message. Anyone else?

From: tamara.amey@nbcuni.com
You are receiving this email because you have reported problems accessing GardenWeb. We are still trying to isolate and solve this issue, but need more information from you. Please provide the following:

1. A screenshot of the page you receive when accessing the site.
2. The type of computer you are using.
3. The type and version of the browser you are using.
4. Anything else you feel might be helpful.

If you wrote in to report this for a friend, please forward this email to them.

Any questions, please feel free to contact me!

Best wishes,

Tamara Amey tamara.amey@nbcuni.com
GardenWeb Community Manager

Mac or PC?

If PC...

1. Click on the screen you want a shot of

2. Press and hold down the "Alt" key, then press the "Print Screen" key (usually on the top right of the keyboard)

3. Next, open a new document in one of the following: MS PowerPoint, Paint Shop, MS Word

4. Paste the the screen shot into the new document (Edit --> Paste)

5. Save the document
   >

Open your email client
Create a new message and attach the document you just created and saved. Address the email to Tamara (tamara.amey@nbcuni.com). Add the other information she requested to the body of the email.
Send the message.

If Mac...I don't know as I don't use a Mac.

the pond. If you want to send the entire screen press command+shift+3. You'll see the screenshot appear on your desktop and you can use Preview to save it as a jpg, then just attach that to an email.

If you only want part of the screen, press command+shift+4 and drag over the area you want to capture.

I can get mine going but about every 2 days I have to go into the security and delete all the gardenweb cookies. It is a total pain in the butt. It must be a mac users problem and it just started a couple of weeks ago. I have had my mac for a year and a gardenweb user the whole time, no problem until lately.

I also got the above email but I think they fixed the problem now. I have had no errors in the last 24 hours.

Scott

> I think they fixed the problem now.

Nuh uh. Just happened to me again.

Hmm, yes same here. Maybe they recently un-fixed their fix :-) I sent Tamara an email.

Scott

Thanks, Scott. I really don't know computers that well. I use a Mac, too.

I'm a Mac user and I've been a member since Jan. For the past 2 weeks I've been having the problems with the Error message etc. like you listed above. At first I thought it was GW having tech difficulties so I just waited it out. But then I was visiting a friend who has Windows and I got on so I realized the site was up. I called Apple Tech and they told me how to go into Preferences and then reset Safari but it's a pain. I've had to do it twice now.

I'm thinking it must be a problem with GW's site and I hope they fix it.

i have not had problems for about a week now. i am using the new beta version of safari.

Version 4 Public Beta (5528.16

anyone else download this yet besides me?