Is there any forum guideline about posting long URLs, such that they exceed the available screen width? I'm having a problem where they tend to invoke scroll bars that actually cover the URL and make it un-clickable. It's an OS issue on my end, but it seems like it might be good forum style to use short-form links where possible (especially for platforms like Google Maps that have built-in shortening capabilities).
There's also a built-in function to URL tags that allows you to replace the clickable text with anything you want. Add URL tags, then put an = after the URL in the first tag, then paste the link there. Put your own text between the tags, like so:
[url=https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5259667,-93.6449528,3a,25.8y,1.87h,90.48t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqA0GX_XtU1fgjj-J6cVZbg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656]Example Link[/url]
becomes
Example Link (https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5259667,-93.6449528,3a,25.8y,1.87h,90.48t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqA0GX_XtU1fgjj-J6cVZbg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
And please, for the love of god, don't use third-party link shorteners like bit.ly. Generally you people are good, and it can be assumed that those links on this forum aren't redirects to malicious websites, but they certainly can be elsewhere. Just as a good policy, don't use them or click on them at all.
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on March 09, 2019, 02:05:04 PM
There's also a built-in function to URL tags that allows you to replace the clickable text with anything you want. Add URL tags, then put an = after the URL in the first tag, then paste the link there. Put your own text between the tags, like so:
[url=https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5259667,-93.6449528,3a,25.8y,1.87h,90.48t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqA0GX_XtU1fgjj-J6cVZbg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656]Example Link[/url]
becomes
Example Link (https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5259667,-93.6449528,3a,25.8y,1.87h,90.48t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqA0GX_XtU1fgjj-J6cVZbg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
And please, for the love of god, don't use third-party link shorteners like bit.ly. Generally you people are good, and it can be assumed that those links on this forum aren't redirects to malicious websites, but they certainly can be elsewhere. Just as a good policy, don't use them or click on them at all.
In addition, Google has its own URL shortener that will link directly to whatever street view or map you want. For example, the street view from above becomes https://goo.gl/maps/u7oiZmDXPw82.
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on March 09, 2019, 02:05:04 PM
There's also a built-in function to URL tags that allows you to replace the clickable text with anything you want. Add URL tags, then put an = after the URL in the first tag, then paste the link there. Put your own text between the tags, like so:
[url=https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5259667,-93.6449528,3a,25.8y,1.87h,90.48t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqA0GX_XtU1fgjj-J6cVZbg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656]Example Link[/url]
becomes
Example Link (https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5259667,-93.6449528,3a,25.8y,1.87h,90.48t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqA0GX_XtU1fgjj-J6cVZbg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
And please, for the love of god, don't use third-party link shorteners like bit.ly. Generally you people are good, and it can be assumed that those links on this forum aren't redirects to malicious websites, but they certainly can be elsewhere. Just as a good policy, don't use them or click on them at all.
Aren't you the paranoid one? Lots of government agencies use bit.ly links. I've never used bit.ly as a shortener, but I'm not afraid of a bit.ly link, either. That's what antivirus software, and a vigilant eye for fake phishing sites, is for.
I have used, and will continue to use, TinyURL, which offers a "preview" feature for sky-is-falling types.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 09, 2019, 03:50:16 PM
Aren't you the paranoid one? Lots of government agencies use bit.ly links. I've never used bit.ly as a shortener, but I'm not afraid of a bit.ly link, either. That's what antivirus software, and a vigilant eye for fake phishing sites, is for.
I have used, and will continue to use, TinyURL, which offers a "preview" feature for sky-is-falling types.
There is absolutely no reason any government agency should be using third-party short links. That's pure laziness and reeks of IT incompetence.
Thanks for the name-calling, by the way. Truly shows your character.
Quote from: US 89 on March 09, 2019, 02:12:54 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on March 09, 2019, 02:05:04 PM
There's also a built-in function to URL tags that allows you to replace the clickable text with anything you want. Add URL tags, then put an = after the URL in the first tag, then paste the link there. Put your own text between the tags, like so:
[url=https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5259667,-93.6449528,3a,25.8y,1.87h,90.48t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqA0GX_XtU1fgjj-J6cVZbg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656]Example Link[/url]
becomes
Example Link (https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5259667,-93.6449528,3a,25.8y,1.87h,90.48t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqA0GX_XtU1fgjj-J6cVZbg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
And please, for the love of god, don't use third-party link shorteners like bit.ly. Generally you people are good, and it can be assumed that those links on this forum aren't redirects to malicious websites, but they certainly can be elsewhere. Just as a good policy, don't use them or click on them at all.
In addition, Google has its own URL shortener that will link directly to whatever street view or map you want. For example, the street view from above becomes https://goo.gl/maps/u7oiZmDXPw82.
Looks like someone's not aware of the nation of which ".ly" belongs to...
Quote from: formulanone on March 09, 2019, 04:18:36 PM
Looks like someone's not aware of the nation of which ".ly" belongs to...
.ly is Libya. As far as I'm aware though, just about anyone can register a domain under that TLD. Not sure what that has to do with anything.
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on March 09, 2019, 04:03:02 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 09, 2019, 03:50:16 PM
Aren't you the paranoid one? Lots of government agencies use bit.ly links. I've never used bit.ly as a shortener, but I'm not afraid of a bit.ly link, either. That's what antivirus software, and a vigilant eye for fake phishing sites, is for.
I have used, and will continue to use, TinyURL, which offers a "preview" feature for sky-is-falling types.
There is absolutely no reason any government agency should be using third-party short links. That's pure laziness and reeks of IT incompetence.
Thanks for the name-calling, by the way. Truly shows your character.
I agree. Better to be safe than sorry. There are evil, albeit knowledgeable and clever, people (if only they could use their intelligence for good - if they did, the world would be a much, much better place) out there who will try anything to steal something from you or act malicious in any other way. A preview feature is definitely a good safety net, but it is still best to stray away from sketchy, risky, and unprotected endeavors whenever possible, so long as it is not absolutely necessary.
As for government agencies using short links, I present to you:
https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine/Pages/PressReleasePage.aspx?&FilterField1=ID&FilterValue1=467 (https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine/Pages/PressReleasePage.aspx?&FilterField1=ID&FilterValue1=467)
That's one press release with a rather long URL. It's a PITA to copy into a social media post, and it's not exactly short here, either.
The federal government does offer a link shortener, go.usa.gov, that's available to any entity that uses a .gov domain. I use it frequently for long links, especially if I need to post a link in a press release.
And Facebook links? Do you really want to bother with https://www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict10/photos/a.141852905882763/1996590533742315/?type=3&theater? (https://www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict10/photos/a.141852905882763/1996590533742315/?type=3&theater?) Wouldn't you rather deal with http://tinyurl.com/y3vrhyw2? (http://tinyurl.com/y3vrhyw2?) Or, to address your fears, https://preview.tinyurl.com/y3vrhyw2? (https://preview.tinyurl.com/y3vrhyw2?)
My understanding is that using bit.ly shorteners gives you metrics on post reach, etc. And social media posting tools like HootSuite use their own custom shorteners. I think that one is ow.ly.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 10, 2019, 01:13:31 PM
As for government agencies using short links, I present to you:
https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine/Pages/PressReleasePage.aspx?&FilterField1=ID&FilterValue1=467 (https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine/Pages/PressReleasePage.aspx?&FilterField1=ID&FilterValue1=467)
That's one press release with a rather long URL. It's a PITA to copy into a social media post, and it's not exactly short here, either.
Select all, Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V. Whew, that was hard. I better take a break.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 10, 2019, 01:13:31 PM
As for government agencies using short links, I present to you:
https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine/Pages/PressReleasePage.aspx?&FilterField1=ID&FilterValue1=467 (https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine/Pages/PressReleasePage.aspx?&FilterField1=ID&FilterValue1=467)
That's one press release with a rather long URL. It's a PITA to copy into a social media post, and it's not exactly short here, either.
The federal government does offer a link shortener, go.usa.gov, that's available to any entity that uses a .gov domain. I use it frequently for long links, especially if I need to post a link in a press release.
And Facebook links? Do you really want to bother with https://www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict10/photos/a.141852905882763/1996590533742315/?type=3&theater? (https://www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict10/photos/a.141852905882763/1996590533742315/?type=3&theater?) Wouldn't you rather deal with http://tinyurl.com/y3vrhyw2? (http://tinyurl.com/y3vrhyw2?) Or, to address your fears, https://preview.tinyurl.com/y3vrhyw2? (https://preview.tinyurl.com/y3vrhyw2?)
My understanding is that using bit.ly shorteners gives you metrics on post reach, etc. And social media posting tools like HootSuite use their own custom shorteners. I think that one is ow.ly.
Love the selective moderation going on here. You leave his personal criticism, and delete my response to it.
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on March 10, 2019, 01:56:46 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 10, 2019, 01:13:31 PM
As for government agencies using short links, I present to you:
https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine/Pages/PressReleasePage.aspx?&FilterField1=ID&FilterValue1=467 (https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine/Pages/PressReleasePage.aspx?&FilterField1=ID&FilterValue1=467)
That's one press release with a rather long URL. It's a PITA to copy into a social media post, and it's not exactly short here, either.
Select all, Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V. Whew, that was hard. I better take a break.
Whoosh.
Surely you know that the actual task of copying and pasting isn't hard, but the fact that it's a long URL with a bunch of unneeded characters is what's not fun to deal with.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 10, 2019, 04:01:03 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 10, 2019, 01:13:31 PM
As for government agencies using short links, I present to you:
https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine/Pages/PressReleasePage.aspx?&FilterField1=ID&FilterValue1=467 (https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine/Pages/PressReleasePage.aspx?&FilterField1=ID&FilterValue1=467)
That's one press release with a rather long URL. It's a PITA to copy into a social media post, and it's not exactly short here, either.
The federal government does offer a link shortener, go.usa.gov, that's available to any entity that uses a .gov domain. I use it frequently for long links, especially if I need to post a link in a press release.
And Facebook links? Do you really want to bother with https://www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict10/photos/a.141852905882763/1996590533742315/?type=3&theater? (https://www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict10/photos/a.141852905882763/1996590533742315/?type=3&theater?) Wouldn't you rather deal with http://tinyurl.com/y3vrhyw2? (http://tinyurl.com/y3vrhyw2?) Or, to address your fears, https://preview.tinyurl.com/y3vrhyw2? (https://preview.tinyurl.com/y3vrhyw2?)
My understanding is that using bit.ly shorteners gives you metrics on post reach, etc. And social media posting tools like HootSuite use their own custom shorteners. I think that one is ow.ly.
Love the selective moderation going on here. You leave his personal criticism, and delete my response to it.
He never said anything specific about you at all.
Part of me is tempted to start using http://urlify.io/ and/or https://verylegit.link/. It would be funny.
Quote from: Alps on March 10, 2019, 05:50:26 PM
He never said anything specific about you at all.
Care to rethink that?
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on March 09, 2019, 04:03:02 PM
Thanks for the name-calling, by the way. Truly shows your character.
That was in response to my post, wherein I said he was paranoid about shortened links.
Quote from: vdeane on March 10, 2019, 07:53:51 PM
Part of me is tempted to start using http://urlify.io/ and/or https://verylegit.link/. It would be funny.
That first one is actually funny, but the last one actually uses "verylegit.link" in its URL, so it's obviously a fake and not all that humorous.
Quote from: vdeane on March 10, 2019, 07:53:51 PM
Part of me is tempted to start using http://urlify.io/ and/or https://verylegit.link/. It would be funny.
I find both of them funny. Go forth and humor us all.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 10, 2019, 08:12:29 PM
Quote from: Alps on March 10, 2019, 05:50:26 PM
He never said anything specific about you at all.
Care to rethink that?
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on March 09, 2019, 04:03:02 PM
Thanks for the name-calling, by the way. Truly shows your character.
Correct. "Truly shows your character" does not say a word about your character, except that your words speak for themselves. If that statement offends you, consider what words you started with.
URL shorteners are awful for those who want their links to survive. They can mask URL changes and dead URLs, which makes it harder for readers following discussions months or years later to track these links (which can be restored using the Wayback Machine, but only as full URLs).
Quote from: hbelkins on March 10, 2019, 01:13:31 PMAs for government agencies using short links, I present to you:
https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine/Pages/PressReleasePage.aspx?&FilterField1=ID&FilterValue1=467 (https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine/Pages/PressReleasePage.aspx?&FilterField1=ID&FilterValue1=467)
That's one press release with a rather long URL. It's a PITA to copy into a social media post, and it's not exactly short here, either.
I don't understand the PITA factor other than on Twitter--doesn't the link wrap on Facebook?--and possibly in Google search results, where many of the characters are likely to be ellipsed out, thus forcing end users seeking to avoid Google URL intermediation to write their own code to parse the Googlified URL that copies onto the clipboard when they right-click.
Interrupting the tangent for a moment, are we any closer to an answer as it pertains to forum guidelines specifically? Only since one or two others brought up the issue in another thread recently.
I mean, I think it's safe to say that it'd be preferred if people would format their links nicely (just as I keep wishing everyone would pare their quotes down to only the contextually relevant part). As for being a requirement, that will probably never happen.
Always shorten your links for the front-end using the "Insert Hyperlink" shortcut. Long URLs are very annoying.
That said, links still look like shit when you go to quote someone. I'm half convinced those original URLs are the reason so few users here bother to check if their quote has an error in it, or whatever. They get to the "reply" screen, and it's just line, after line, after line, just of links. The actual message content is basically hidden.
I always shorten my links, because A) these aren't my memoirs, B) I like to have both the front-end of my replies and the back-end be clean, and C) I figure people trust me not to share malware via a shortlink (especially since my damn Facebook link is on the left--I'm totally transparent, folks).
For the record, although these "aren't my memoirs", I obviously don't want my links dying. So I use a reputable service that I don't see going under. For a while, this was goo.gl, but they're closing up shop (but the links will continue to redirect, and I've downloaded an excel file with all the original links (about 1200)).
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on March 13, 2019, 11:51:29 PM
I mean, I think it's safe to say that it'd be preferred if people would format their links nicely (just as I keep wishing everyone would pare their quotes down to only the contextually relevant part). As for being a requirement, that will probably never happen.
Yeah, consensus is all I'm thinking about, not necessary a rule.
I don't mind long links as long as they're operable.
Quote from: Rothman on March 14, 2019, 02:48:13 PM
I don't mind long links as long as they're operable.
Neither do I; that's why I brought it up (because they're not operable).
Quote from: empirestate on March 15, 2019, 12:53:44 PM
Quote from: Rothman on March 14, 2019, 02:48:13 PM
I don't mind long links as long as they're operable.
Neither do I; that's why I brought it up (because they're not operable).
*shrug*
I've never had a problem clicking on one and getting somewhere.
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on March 09, 2019, 02:05:04 PM
And please, for the love of god, don't use third-party link shorteners like bit.ly. Generally you people are good, and it can be assumed that those links on this forum aren't redirects to malicious websites, but they certainly can be elsewhere. Just as a good policy, don't use them or click on them at all.
I'm not worried about them on here unless I see "Posts: 1" under their handle. I would doubt anyone here would intentionally try to screw the rest of us with an evil link.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on March 15, 2019, 01:19:19 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on March 09, 2019, 02:05:04 PM
And please, for the love of god, don't use third-party link shorteners like bit.ly. Generally you people are good, and it can be assumed that those links on this forum aren't redirects to malicious websites, but they certainly can be elsewhere. Just as a good policy, don't use them or click on them at all.
I'm not worried about them on here unless I see "Posts: 1" under their handle. I would doubt anyone here would intentionally try to screw the rest of us with an evil link.
That's what I've been thinking. I can understand being wary outside of this website, but here, it's just a way (well, my way) of keeping posts cleaner and shorter.
Quote from: Rothman on March 15, 2019, 01:06:48 PM
Quote from: empirestate on March 15, 2019, 12:53:44 PM
Quote from: Rothman on March 14, 2019, 02:48:13 PM
I don't mind long links as long as they're operable.
Neither do I; that's why I brought it up (because they're not operable).
*shrug*
I've never had a problem clicking on one and getting somewhere.
However, I have; the OP explains how. So, the issue does exist, regardless of whether every individual user has encountered it.
Sometimes, stuff after the question mark in the URL is unnecessary. Not always, though.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on March 10, 2019, 12:49:59 AM
I agree. Better to be safe than sorry. There are evil, albeit knowledgeable and clever, people (if only they could use their intelligence for good - if they did, the world would be a much, much better place) out there who will try anything to steal something from you or act malicious in any other way. A preview feature is definitely a good safety net, but it is still best to stray away from sketchy, risky, and unprotected endeavors whenever possible, so long as it is not absolutely necessary.
Quote from: jakeroot on March 15, 2019, 01:43:22 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on March 15, 2019, 01:19:19 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on March 09, 2019, 02:05:04 PM
And please, for the love of god, don't use third-party link shorteners like bit.ly. Generally you people are good, and it can be assumed that those links on this forum aren't redirects to malicious websites, but they certainly can be elsewhere. Just as a good policy, don't use them or click on them at all.
I'm not worried about them on here unless I see "Posts: 1" under their handle. I would doubt anyone here would intentionally try to screw the rest of us with an evil link.
That's what I've been thinking. I can understand being wary outside of this website, but here, it's just a way (well, my way) of keeping posts cleaner and shorter.
To clarify my original post regarding this, I am definitely just referring to when browsing the internet outside of this forum. I concur that I don't think anyone on here would try to do that to us. But away from here, wariness can definitely be very reasonable.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on March 18, 2019, 02:50:16 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on March 15, 2019, 01:43:22 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on March 15, 2019, 01:19:19 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on March 09, 2019, 02:05:04 PM
And please, for the love of god, don't use third-party link shorteners like bit.ly. Generally you people are good, and it can be assumed that those links on this forum aren't redirects to malicious websites, but they certainly can be elsewhere. Just as a good policy, don't use them or click on them at all.
I'm not worried about them on here unless I see "Posts: 1" under their handle. I would doubt anyone here would intentionally try to screw the rest of us with an evil link.
That's what I've been thinking. I can understand being wary outside of this website, but here, it's just a way (well, my way) of keeping posts cleaner and shorter.
To clarify my original post regarding this, I am definitely just referring to when browsing the internet outside of this forum. I concur that I don't think anyone on here would try to do that to us. But away from here, wariness can definitely be very reasonable.
Well, it wasn't just you. The first reply was instructing people to A) never use third-party link shorteners, nor B) click on any third-party link shorteners. Which is fine advice on websites you've never been to, but is needlessly vigilant here.
Another easy fix, if link shortening is burdensome, is to simply add a blank space after the long URL–this way, it won't get hidden behind the scroll bar that appears.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on March 18, 2019, 02:50:16 PM
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on March 10, 2019, 12:49:59 AM
I agree. Better to be safe than sorry. There are evil, albeit knowledgeable and clever, people (if only they could use their intelligence for good - if they did, the world would be a much, much better place) out there who will try anything to steal something from you or act malicious in any other way. A preview feature is definitely a good safety net, but it is still best to stray away from sketchy, risky, and unprotected endeavors whenever possible, so long as it is not absolutely necessary.
Quote from: jakeroot on March 15, 2019, 01:43:22 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on March 15, 2019, 01:19:19 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on March 09, 2019, 02:05:04 PM
And please, for the love of god, don't use third-party link shorteners like bit.ly. Generally you people are good, and it can be assumed that those links on this forum aren't redirects to malicious websites, but they certainly can be elsewhere. Just as a good policy, don't use them or click on them at all.
I'm not worried about them on here unless I see "Posts: 1" under their handle. I would doubt anyone here would intentionally try to screw the rest of us with an evil link.
That's what I've been thinking. I can understand being wary outside of this website, but here, it's just a way (well, my way) of keeping posts cleaner and shorter.
To clarify my original post regarding this, I am definitely just referring to when browsing the internet outside of this forum. I concur that I don't think anyone on here would try to do that to us. But away from here, wariness can definitely be very reasonable.
If you're concerned about where the link goes, there's a handy website for that too. https://wheregoes.com/
^^
Thank you for bringing that up. I was looking for a website that verified shortlinks, but couldn't find one.
I'll be putting this in my signature.