Opera 12.17 - Problems with sites

[mtax]

mtax last edited by

Hey. I'm using Opera 12.17 for long time. It was working well, but from some time it has problems with popular sites - Youtube and Facebook. I often watch videos on Youtube and almost everytime I open page on youtube Opera freezes for few seconds, while video is still going for that time - It's really annoying. Also Opera gets problems with Facebook. I don't use this site, but sometimes I'd like to read Fb comments on sites other than fb, but Opera doesn't load it.

So, is there a way to help this? Please don't tell me to download Opera 2X, because this copy of chrome is laughable.

[blackbird71]

blackbird71 last edited by

Websites are constantly "fiddling" with their code to try to get distinctive visual or "feature" effects for users. However, different browser families will respond to various coding techniques differently - or not at all. So sites frequently also code differently for different visiting browsers. But coding costs... so sites tend to code specifically only for the most-used browser families, and detect the visiting browser brand by "sniffing" its user-agent-string as it pings the site. Then the site either directs the recognized browser to the appropriate code segments, blocks the browser completely from the site (to avoid user complaints that certain features "don't work"), or simply lets it flounder around with code that won't work right

Opera is not a "major" browser market-share company, and old Opera versions represent even less share of the browser universe. Hence sites (which are constantly tweaking their code) are increasingly ignoring old Opera versions... a situation that will only become more common over time. Some sites, to be sure, use mostly plain-vanilla coding that will work with the most ancient/obscure of browsers. But the "hottest" sites compete for popularity by continually trying new visual/feature coding techniques to attract users, and that means using techniques that simply won't work (or the site coders refuse the expense of testing) with old browsers.

About all you can try to do is spoof the user-agent-string of the browser to imitate that of a more modern version to prevent a site from blocking the real browser. Old Opera versions contain some hard-coded settings options to spoof its UA string, but those options themselves are now becoming obsolete and are not working to the degree they used to. This forces the user to either edit the UA option strings in the core Opera files or use external UA-spoofing software to include a more-modern spoofed UA string. Unfortunately, some sites increasingly use JavaScript analysis to further sniff browsers, and this is much more difficult to spoof. And even if spoofing gets one into a 'blocked' site, there's no guarantee the site code will function correctly for the actual browser. So a point is quickly reached where a user begins to wonder how much it's all worth to keep trying to maintain an old browser version in the face of a changing world.

[A Former User]

A Former User last edited by

For one, Black and dear poster, I keep maintaining my Op.11 - as a side-kick browser.
I have three of them browsers in use - for slightly diverse purposes.
I guess it'll end to an extent with myself migrating to another OS or (and) another machine. Though for now, I do.

So, mtax, you can keep using your most revered (old) Opera, but not for certain sites. Even I'd say, not for general browsing at all.
No harm for now in keeping using your browser for mailing, and some limited number of sites that are compatible and trusted. For other purposes you'll have to employ (an)other browser(s) - those that are currently updated.

[Deleted User]

Deleted User last edited by

So a point is quickly reached where a user begins to wonder how much it's all worth to keep trying to maintain an old browser version in the face of a changing world.

And therein lies the crux of the matter. The situation is not going to get better (i.e. Opera is not going to further develop or update if you will older Presto versions). So time is definitely against users of the older Opera. If a user must use the older version, he should at least keep a copy of the newer version on his computer to keep abreast of how its feature-set are changing so that he is at least familiar with the new browser.

[A Former User]

A Former User last edited by

What if such a user doesn't need another, particular browser?
Out of the name?
Well, I'll get any one and rename its desktop icon to "Opera", if it'll make you happy*:)*

[Deleted User]

Deleted User last edited by

Tell me, joshl, do you EVER post anything of substance? You pride yourself on being a student of languages and in particular of the English language, but the truth is that much of what you post is relatively meaningless banter. My post makes sense. Yours does not.

PS: I'm perfectly happy, joshl. Don't presume to suggest that you hold the key to my happiness by some action of yours.

[A Former User]

A Former User last edited by

...do you EVER post anything of substance?

Just did.