I posted a reply to a forum, but I don't remember which one.

I made a stupid reply to a post last night and I’d like to edit it or follow it up with something more appropriate, especially since the OP is a newbie asking a simple question, and I don’t want to scare her away or think that she’s not going to get decent help. She wanted to know how to tell if her Caps Lock was on or off on her Dell running Win10. I told her that my Dell laptop had a light in the Caps Lock key. Dumb! Obviously she had a model that did not have a light.

Since I couldn’t sleep anyway, I found out how to get a "Caps Lock On" warning displayed on the screen.

So what’s my problem? I don’t remember what forum I was in — it was probably a Win10 forum because I was working on some stuff for my daughter. I got nowhere searching for "Caps Lock", my sign-in name, and other stuff.

I know I’ve seen what might be called an Activity Log in macOS that pretty much records everything the machine is doing — so my first question is: Where is it?

I assume it’s searchable, and I’m hoping that — IF I knew what I was doing — I could find unique byte-strings that would flag major steps in the log that would indicate a trail of what it was doing, and with any luck, bring me close to some useful information, like a filename — anything — that would lead me to the forum. Can anybody give me a list of these flags and what they identify?

Another question: Am I off my rocker trying to make any sense out of the log? Is there a better way to find that forum?

Homeless. Any contribution would be appreciated.

Click on your name in any post you have made, then select "View Forum Posts" to see your posts. I looked and didn't see any post from you yesterday. IF you did post yesterday, the database is mucked up and finding your post is going to be tough. Are you sure it was here?

Hey Bud...Happy New Year. According to your post history...your last post before today was 12 days ago (12/29/17).

- Nick

"Not here Bud".

Am I sure it was here? Maybe I was too wordy and you didn't read the whole thing. I'm used to that. I'm the IT guru for my ex and my daughter, and if I have to tell them something I have to keep it in one small paragraph or they won't read it. :-(

That's my whole problem. I DON'T remember what forum I was in. I have the vague feeling that it was some non-standard rogue forum or something.

No comment on my log pursuit though, eh?

BudVitoff said:

Am I sure it was here? Maybe I was too wordy and you didn't read the whole thing. I'm used to that. I'm the IT guru for my ex and my daughter, and if I have to tell them something I have to keep it in one small paragraph or they won't read it. :-(

Click to expand...

Sorry Bud...but you've used this argumentative response style multiple times (aka...it's not me...it's the rest of the world). Lol

The most important part of the post you made that started this thread is this:

BudVitoff said:

I made a stupid reply to a post last night...

Click to expand...

You DID NOT make a post on Mac-Forums.com last night! If you made a post last night...it was not here (had to be somewhere else). Last time you posted on Mac-Forums.com (before today)...was 12 days ago...plain & simple.

- Nick

BudVitoff said:

I made a stupid reply to a post last night and I’d like to edit it or follow it up with something more appropriate, especially since the OP is a newbie asking a simple question, and I don’t want to scare her away or think that she’s not going to get decent help. She wanted to know how to tell if her Caps Lock was on or off on her Dell running Win10. I told her that my Dell laptop had a light in the Caps Lock key. Dumb! Obviously she had a model that did not have a light.

Since I couldn’t sleep anyway, I found out how to get a "Caps Lock On" warning displayed on the screen.

So what’s my problem? I don’t remember what forum I was in — it was probably a Win10 forum because I was working on some stuff for my daughter. I got nowhere searching for "Caps Lock", my sign-in name, and other stuff.

I know I’ve seen what might be called an Activity Log in macOS that pretty much records everything the machine is doing — so my first question is: Where is it?

I assume it’s searchable, and I’m hoping that — IF I knew what I was doing — I could find unique byte-strings that would flag major steps in the log that would indicate a trail of what it was doing, and with any luck, bring me close to some useful information, like a filename — anything — that would lead me to the forum. Can anybody give me a list of these flags and what they identify?

Another question: Am I off my rocker trying to make any sense out of the log? Is there a better way to find that forum?

Homeless. Any contribution would be appreciated.

Click to expand...

Second line under the forum title you will find 'My Posts'. Click and look.

pigoo3 said:

Sorry Bud...but you've used this argumentative response style multiple times (aka...it's not me...it's the rest of the world). Lol

The most important part of the post you made that started this thread is this:

You DID NOT make a post on Mac-Forums.com last night! If you made a post last night...it was not here (had to be somewhere else). Last time you posted on Mac-Forums.com (before today)...was 12 days ago...plain & simple.

- Nick

Click to expand...

Geez, am I being chewed out for something I didn't do?

Argumentative response style -- please explain.

I never said I posted in this forum. In fact, I explicitly stated that. See paragraph three of my post.

I posted this episode here because I felt at home here, and I was looking for advice about the log.

BTW, does My Posts show replies or just original posts; because my contribution in this case was just a reply.

OK, bringing this discussion back on topic. The System Log isn't meant to track what you want it to track. It doesn't, for example, track the websites you visit or the words you are typing. The log tracks states within application, more importantly failures.

That being said, if you are using Chrome as your browser, click on the three vertical dots on the top right and then choose History to show you the recent websites you'd visited, maybe one of them might sound familiar or be the form you want.

BudVitoff said:

I never said I posted in this forum. In fact, I explicitly stated that. See paragraph three of my post.

Click to expand...

What you may not realize is...you understand 100% what you're talking about...but the words you used in post #1 don't exactly explain the situation properly so that WE understand. When YOU read your post...it makes perfect sense. But when someone else reads it...it's not really as clear as you think.

If what you're trying to say is you posted a reply on a DIFFERENT INTERNET FORUM last night (not Mac-Forums.com)...then that's what you should say. Then it's 100% clear to everyone.

I trust this is part of the message you were trying to convey in post #1. I apologize for any confusion on my part.

- Nick

Ashwin,
Thanks for setting me straight. I knew I was on thin ice when I started this, but I was desperate.

FWIW, I use Firefox, not Chrome. Does Firefox have the same History feature somewhere?

Nick,
As long as I seem to have a reputation for being argumentative: Is the thread title too confusing?

I don't have Firefox installed on my machine, but a Google search yields.

[FONT=&quot]application name > Preference (or CMD + ,)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Then Privacy. Check the history settings.

See if that still valid with the latest versions of Firefox (should be), that should give you a history of all the pages.[/FONT]

BudVitoff said:

Nick,
As long as I seem to have a reputation for being argumentative: Is the thread title too confusing?

Click to expand...

Actually...yes the thread title is confusing. The use of the word "other forum" in the title is kind of ambiguous. I'm sure your next question is..."Why the heck is that Nick?" Lol

Here's the thread title for reference..."I posted a reply to a forum, but I don't remember which one."

The reasons why this title is confusing are:

1. Overall...the word "forum" could refer to the whole Mac-Forums website...or...the word "forum" is sometimes used to refer to one of the individual topic areas within Mac-Forums. Such as the macOS area...the Desktop area...the Switcher Hangout...etc. These areas could also be referred to as "sub-forums" within Mac-Forums...or they could be referred to as "topic" areas...but sometimes when members are discussing things on Mac-Forums the individual topic areas are sometimes referred to as a "forum/forums".

2. It is very very very uncommon for someone to visit Intenet Forum A (Mac-Forums)...making a statement "I posted a reply to a forum, but I don't remember which one"...and not actually mean Mac-Forums. Since this statement is being made on Mac-Forums...most members would assume that this person can't remember what area of Mac-Forums they posted this reply (it has happened before)...NOT a completely different internet forum altogether (unless that info was specifically mentioned...which it wasn't).

This is why you got the replies you did in this thread in posts #2, #3, #4, #6, and #7. FOUR DIFFERENT Mac-Forums members were confused by the thread title & post #1...because it was not made clear that you were talking about a DIFFERENT internet forum (not Mac-Forums).

Hopefully you agree that when FOUR different people misunderstand what was meant by the thread title & post #1...that the true message wasn't clear. But after this discussion...I think that we now understand.

- Nick

Hopefully you agree that when FOUR different people misunderstand what was meant by the thread title & post #1...that the true message wasn't clear.

Click to expand...

Man, I'm glad I didn't reply otherwise there would have been FIVE different people. But it was entertaining.

But ghee, why is it so hard for some to not understand completely what a person is thinking. That's terrible wouldn't you think??? Sorry… just couldn't resist… it's the Irish part acting up again…



- Patrick
======

I apologize in advance for continuing this argument, but I do have a reputation to defend. Maybe I can drag a few more participants into the fray.

I realize that this is purely a move of absolute desperation -- two last shots before I go down for the third time -- but these two do have a bit of humor in them, if you're willing to look for it:

1) I have to agree with 'The use of the word "other forum" in the title is kind of ambiguous' , since the word "other" does not appear in the title.

2) "it was not made clear that you were talking about a DIFFERENT internet forum (not Mac-Forums)." What is there about "I don’t remember what forum I was in — it was probably a Win10 forum because I was working on some stuff for my daughter" that you don't understand?


Thank you all for your participation. I wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2018!

Bud

Bud, I am one of those who took the first post the wrong way. The reason I did it was that, as Nick said, I have seen a hierarchy of terms used by consensus on this site. "Site" is the whole place, the top level, which is divided into "Forums" as Nick described, and then "Threads" within those forums and finally "Posts" within the threads. So, I read your original post as saying "I posted here somewhere and can't find it." And there IS a Windows forum on this site.

It's here: http://www.mac-forums.com/running-windows-or-anything-else-on-your-mac/

So, you COULD have posted into that forum in some thread about Win10. And that's how I took it.

Now the labels in the site do actually support the hierarchy as I described it because the front page lists "Forums" and then all of the groupings of the various forums here on the site. But nobody actually defined that anywhere, it was a presumption I made from the structure of the site.

BudVitoff said:

I apologize in advance for continuing this argument, but I do have a reputation to defend. Maybe I can drag a few more participants into the fray.

Click to expand...

As I mentioned earlier...the first FOUR members that responded to post #1...all misunderstood the actual message that was meant. When 4 people all make the same mistake...this is a clear indication that there was ambiguity in the thread title & post #1. This doesn't happen that often...but when it does...serious confusion.

At this point there's no real way to objectively bring more participants into the fray...since the "cat is out of the bag" so to speak.

We have definitely cleared things up now...and I think everyone fully understands what the true message was in post #1.

- Nick

Firefox. Look at the top bar and click on "History"

Guess what? This is a happy postscript to this thread!

Ashwin, you're my hero!

While trying to find out how to find and read Firefox's history, I stumbled around like a blind and drunk paraplegic. Then I happened to notice Firefox's menu bar, which reads "Firefox File Edit View History ..." and with a stroke of brilliance, I concluded that that might be a good place to check.

A couple of minutes later I found the thread I was looking for (in a Windows 10 Help and Support forum) and I am currently writing an apology with much more informative comments, and not an ambiguous word in the bunch.

View attachment 27764

A BIG congrats Bud. This is the most important thing...that you found a solution to the quandary!

Everything else mentioned is just "chicken-lips"! Lol

- Nick