Duplicated Snapshots

gz0
edited December 24, 2020
I'm relatively new to Zotero. Sometimes when I save information from arXiv or conference websites using the Zotero browser plugin, two identical webpage snapshots are created under the paper item. How can I avoid the duplicates?

My environment is Windows 10 Pro (Build 19042), Chrome 87.0.4280.88.
Examples of problematic webpages:
https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.14165
https://papers.nips.cc/paper/2020/hash/1457c0d6bfcb4967418bfb8ac142f64a-Abstract.html

Sometimes I get messages like "An error occurred saving with arXiv.org. Attempting to save using Embedded Metadata instead." while saving paper information, I'm not sure whether it is related to this issue.
  • dstillman
    Make sure you're running the latest version of Zotero, 5.0.94, which came out the other day and fixed a case where double snapshots could be saved by accident.

    If you're seeing this in 5.0.94, let us know (and let us know specifically whether it happens without getting an error in the save popup).
  • gz0
    edited December 24, 2020
    @dstillman I'm using 5.0.94. On the two webpages listed in the original post the duplicates happened when I got the error.

    The error messages from the browser plugin options are shown the following. I can open the first arXiv metadata link in the browser without any visible delay (so I have no idea why the HTTP request fails). The second link is indeed unaccessible (since the information has not been made available for the pre-proceeding).

    [JavaScript Error: "HTTP GET http://export.arxiv.org/oai2?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&identifier=oai:arXiv.org:2005.14165 failed with status code 0"]

    [JavaScript Error: "HTTP GET https://papers.nips.cc/paper/2020/hash/1457c0d6bfcb4967418bfb8ac142f64a-Abstract.html/bibtex failed with status code 500"]
  • dstillman
    Can you provide a Debug ID from Zotero for a save that results in a duplicate snapshot?

    I'm able to save from both of those without getting two snapshots. The first completes without an error for me — arXiv or some proxy server may be blocking the export.arxiv.org request for you. The second falls back to Embedded Metadata due to the server error, but I don't get a duplicate snapshot.
  • gz0
    @dstillermann The debug IDs are D642081095 for the arXiv link and D1232257616 for the NIPS link.

    BTW, sometimes I do use a proxy server (not in the two runs I just did) but I don't understand how the request could fail if the link can be opened in the browser (using the same proxy).
  • dstillman
    Those are from the Zotero Connector, not from Zotero.
    sometimes I do use a proxy server (not in the two runs I just did) but I don't understand how the request could fail if the link can be opened in the browser (using the same proxy)
    One of your browser extensions is likely interfering. Try with all other extensions disabled.
  • gz0
    edited December 24, 2020
    @dstillman

    I have disabled all other extensions but the error remains.

    arXiv Link Debug IDs
    Zotero: D64931766
    Zotero Connector: D278768867

    NIPS Link Debug IDs
    Zotero: D1040259412
    Zotero Connector: D670808515
  • enozkan
    I do not get any errors as gz0 mentioned, but I am always getting duplicated snapshots from BiorXiv. With and without addons, and with or without VPN.

    Here is a debug ID from the connector: D2046828332 (with my only other firefox addon [singlefile] disabled)

    Unlike arxiv.org, there does not appear to be a dedicated translator for biorxiv, and the Connector is saving the item using Embedded Metadata. Here is the kicker, I don't get duplicated snapshots on arxiv.org.

    Additionally, all saved abstracts also start and end with the html tags for paragraph. Probably coming from the meta tag for citation_abstract. Kinda annoying but harmless.

    An Example URL: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.28.122242v1
  • fletcherhaz
    Thanks for the reports. I think I have found the logic bug causing the double saves, but not the translator errors.

    I am working on a fix and will update here when I have more information.
  • dstillman
    @gz0, @enozkan: The double-snapshot issue should be fixed in the latest Zotero beta, and the fix will be included in Zotero 5.0.95.
  • gz0
    @dstillman Great ! What time is 5.0.95 expected to release? Meanwhile, is there any convenient way to remove existing duplicates?
Sign In or Register to comment.