Hi

Thank you for the response.
I did some updating of late, but did not think of it then as being possibly connected to the issue.
Unlike yesterday, when I did not update anything on both sites and the giveaway was missing, today it's magically back, which is great.

I was fearing the issue is some server-side change by the web host also blocking this alternative php function, in addition to php include + a couple of other php functions making several Wordpress,Drupal & other CMS modules which need them unusable. The problem is this specific Munich-based web host gets good reviews in German IT magazines & website reviews making them very arrogant and not giving in to any suggestions to allow missing php functions on shared hosting, supposedly removed for "security reasons", even if just about all other local hosts offer them.
In other ways they are OK, like price-wise. I was forced there after Justhost.com, which I had used for years made the renewal fees impossibly high [just as their sister companies Blue host/Monster hosting] for the small sites I had, for the same features.

The explanation then as you suggest seems to be related to the Wordpress-updates, but just wondering why yesterday it was all the same blank.

I'm grateful, though since this is the most frequented page on both sites.

Regards

The GOTD scripts haven't changed, your web page code hasn't changed, so that tends to leave the server software.

If you look at the WordPress Updates you'll find that one was released Feb 19th and another Feb 21st. That might be the source of your trouble.

Or, it might be the security update from Dec 13th where

Tim Coen also discovered that specially crafted URL inputs could lead to a cross-site scripting vulnerability in some circumstances. WordPress itself was not affected, but plugins could be in some situations.

You might check with the WordPress forum and see if they have any suggestions.

Hi there

I use the GFS code at https://www.giveawayoftheday.com/gfs/ to embed GOTD Giveaways on 2 separate Wordpress sites. I use the PHP code version and single.php on the respective pages.

In the last 2 or so days, certainly not much longer, this seems to have simultaneously ceased with nothing getting loaded, although certainly nothing has been changed this end. I know this because I literally check out this page everyday. Originally the cached version of the GOTD for 22nd Feb, was being shown, I think proving the last day importing was done. Currently, ... nothing printed.

On another page, I also use RSS, separate means to import https://www.giveawayoftheday.com/feed/, but that is there and updating.

Just to be sure the code is the same, I downloaded a fresh sample of scripts from https://www.giveawayoftheday.com/gfs/sample-xml.zip and replaced what I had.

One thing I need to add is I have been using GFS code on Drupal & later Wordpress for over 5 years and at previous hosts it was not an issue embedding the GOTD content with a simple php include function.

Unfortunately, I was forced to change hosts a year ago and the current host for some dubious reason does not allow the php include function, supposedly for security reasons. I was forced to use the JavaScript version for a while, though this had some limitations and issues discussed then here: https://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/467148.

I had actually given up but after a subsequent, renewed search, I learnt from Wordpress forums one could go around the php include function blockade with some code ...

<?
$request = wp_remote_get( 'http://www.blablabla.com/giveaway/single.php' );

if ( ! is_wp_error( $request ) ) {
$response = wp_remote_retrieve_body( $request );
echo $response;
}?>

... and have used it successfully for the last 7 months until this came up the other day.

So my question is why could the GFS code suddenly not be working the last 2 or so days, with completely no text printed? With the javascript version, it would on some days not print but it would come back and for some reason, a portion of text with the terms of use would not be printed. The PHP version never had such failures, which is why I prefer it and wonder whether this is temporary.

Thank you in advance