Short list stops working once saved

[BrandonBoisvert]

I recently created a short list for our ongoing construction projects. It was the perfect format for the information I am trying to share with the public. I saved the app once  it was complete and it worked the first time I viewed the story. Unfortunately the app hasn't worked since the first time I viewed it and if I try to edit it all my points are gone and I cannot add any points. This is really disappointing because I had shown examples of shortlist to my colleagues and they all agreed it was a great option for us, not to mention the time wasted on the application. If anyone has any advice I'd really appreciate it. I read there were bugs causing this issue in 2016 or 2017 so its frustrating that this is still an issue in 2021. 

The application has been loading for 30 minutes with the message "Application is initializing
Thanks for waiting"

[OwenGeo · Accepted solution]

@BrandonBoisvert -- I apologize that you are having issues with your Shortlist story. Please note that Shortlist is one of the classic storytelling templates and hasn't been under active development for several years. 

ArcGIS StoryMaps, which is Esri's current-generation storytelling tool, was released in 2019, and is recommended for all new projects. In ArcGIS StoryMaps, there is something called an Explorer Map Tour that is very similar to the classic Shortlist template. For more information see Expand your storytelling horizons with explorer tour (esri.com).

If you still would like to use the classic Shortlist please contact Esri Technical Support to troubleshoot the specific issue you are having with your story. Also be aware that the classic storytelling templates are moving to extended support soon. See Updated classic story map transition timeline (esri.com) for more details.

[BrandonBoisvert]

Thanks for the response. I really liked the format of the shortlist but I am working on an explorer tour version now. My chat with support ended with the support analyst ending the conversation after I explained my problem, which was disappointing. 

[MaggieArdito]

This is pretty scary since we have a good number of shortlist story maps in our production website and modify them frequently...     I haven't found any replacement in the new ArcGIS Story Maps  that meet our needs so I certainly hope ESRI will solve this problem.   

[OwenGeo]

@MaggieArdito -- If you have been editing your Shortlists frequently, I don't think there's anything for you to worry about. I'm not sure what bugs Brandon was referring to, but we have no reason to believe this is a regular occurrence. @BrandonBoisvert -- could you please share a link to the bug report you mentioned in your original post so I can follow up on that?

@MaggieArdito -- Could you please provide more information about what isn't available in ArcGIS StoryMaps that you require to update your Shortlist stories? We are interested in knowing what features you require. Have you tried using an Explorer Map Tour? If not, please read about it here: Expand your storytelling horizons with explorer tour (esri.com).

[BrandonBoisvert]

Owen, I started with a chat with technical support versus submitting a report and that was where the support analyst abruptly ended the chat. I really cant speak to Maggie's issues but my specific bug was that once I saved and launched the app it loaded once but never loaded again from that point. After trying to open it the second time it was stuck initializing and when I tried to return to the editing environment it also wouldn't load and still doesn't work today. Hopefully if Maggie has been using it successfully that continues for her. I am now just working with the new story map options which is working fine for me so far.