Jump to content

How to post URLs in forums


Recommended Posts

Posted

As a non IE6 user, I have a problem with viewing forums when people have posted a long URL. Basically, the browser stretches the HTML table sideways to fit the whole URL in on one line since it is effectively one word.

 

My plea is for people to make use of the UBB URL code for placing URLs in their posts. This is simplicity in itself. In the post screen there is an instant UBB button with URL written on it. Just press that button and follow the prompts. You have to admit that SP 01622 81034 looks better than http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?grid2map?X=401622

&Y=281036&zoom=3&arrow=Y The text can be anything you like e.g. Streetmap reference for Shendley Hill Farm trigpoint.

 

-------

jeremyp

The second ten million caches were the worst too.

http://www.jeremyp.net/geocaching

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by jeremyp:

As a non IE6 user...


You get the same problem even with IE6.

(edited - actually its a slightly different problem but there is a problem there anyway with long URLs)

Rich

mobilis in mobili

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by jeremyp:

As a non IE6 user, I have a problem with viewing forums when people have posted a long URL. Basically, the browser stretches the HTML table sideways to fit the whole URL in on one line since it is effectively one word.

 

My plea is for people to make use of the UBB URL code for placing URLs in their posts. This is simplicity in itself. In the post screen there is an instant UBB button with URL written on it. Just press that button and follow the prompts. You have to admit that http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?grid2map?X=401622&Y=281036&zoom=3&arrow=Y looks better than http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?grid2map?X=401622

&Y=281036&zoom=3&arrow=Y The text can be anything you like e.g. http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?grid2map?X=401622&Y=281036&zoom=3&arrow=Y.

 

-------

jeremyp

The second ten million caches were the worst too.

http://www.jeremyp.net/geocaching

 

The problem is that, as soon as someone replies to the message, this happens and you're back to square one!

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by Teasel:

quote:
Originally posted by jeremyp:

As a non IE6 user, I have a problem with viewing forums when people have posted a long URL. Basically, the browser stretches the HTML table sideways to fit the whole URL in on one line since it is effectively one word.

 

My plea is for people to make use of the UBB URL code for placing URLs in their posts. This is simplicity in itself. In the post screen there is an instant UBB button with URL written on it. Just press that button and follow the prompts. You have to admit that http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?grid2map?X=401622&Y=281036&zoom=3&arrow=Y looks better than http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?grid2map?X=401622

&Y=281036&zoom=3&arrow=Y The text can be anything you like e.g. http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?grid2map?X=401622&Y=281036&zoom=3&arrow=Y.


 

The problem is that, as soon as someone replies to the message, this happens and you're back to square one!


 

That's a bug in the forum code. I don't think it invalidates the idea of using the UBB URL for the original post and if you wanted to be extra nice, you could delete the actual URLs from the quoted text.

 

-------

jeremyp

The second ten million caches were the worst too.

http://www.jeremyp.net/geocaching

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by el10t:

You get the same problem even with IE6.

(edited - actually its a slightly different problem but there is a problem there anyway with long URLs)

Rich

_mobilis in mobili_


Before making my post, I tried it with IE6 and it actually split the URL across two lines which is why I started the original post the way I did.

 

-------

jeremyp

The second ten million caches were the worst too.

http://www.jeremyp.net/geocaching

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by Wronskian:

Annoying! Well, you could always just use tinyurl or makeashorterlink...


Thats what I was going to suggest. If you dont like the UBB buttons, then use tinylink or similar.

 

waypoint_link.gif22008_1700.gif37_gp_logo88x31.jpg

Posted

I was trying to suss this out the other day on the general forum. icon_redface.gif never noticed the buttons at the bottom of the screen beside those nice little faces icon_redface.gif

 

Now if you could tell me how to do that in my cache description page I will love you forever (metaphorically speaking) icon_wink.gif

 

Lance

It's dark and we're wearing sunglasses.

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by el10t:

Sorry if this is a basic question, but what is tinylink?


TinyURL

The site doesn't seem to be working at the minute, but basically you give them a URL and they give you a short one which redirects to it. F'rinstance, http://tinyurl.com/60u7 takes you to a Google search with a massive URL.

 

EDIT: The site seems to be back now.

 

SimonG.org

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by Lance Ambu:

Now if you could tell me how to do that in my cache description page I will love you forever


Hmm... well, I'll tell you the answer anyway.

 

Edit the page, make sure the 'Yes. I am supplying the HTML.' box is ticked, and put something like this in the description:

 

Important information

 

And you'll end up with something like this: Important information

 

You'll also need to add

at the end of each paragraph, or it will all run together.

 

SimonG.org

Posted

quote:
SimonG wrote:

 

Edit the page, make sure the 'Yes. I am supplying the HTML.' box is ticked, and put something like this in the description:

 

Important information

 

And you'll end up with something like this: Important information

 

You'll also need to add

at the end of each paragraph, or it will all run together.


 

I don't think you need to tick the 'Yes, I'm supplying the HTML' box - I don't, anyway, and it seems to work. That way you don't need to put in

tags.

 

Bill

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by SimonG:

You'll also need to add

at the end of each paragraph, or it will all run together.

 

http://www.SimonG.org

 

Thanks

 

I copied and pasted and it worked fine. Didn't open in a new window though.

 

Didn't tick the box either

 

Lance

It's dark and we're wearing sunglasses.

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by el10t:

Sorry if this is a basic question, but what is tinylink?

 

Rich

_mobilis in mobili_


 

Tiny link is one of many sites that will take a long link and 'make' it smaller. tinylink.com

 

quote:
Bill D said:

I don't think you need to tick the 'Yes, I'm supplying the HTML' box - I don't, anyway, and it seems to work. That way you don't need to put in

tags.


To get html to work im pretty sure you do need to click the box. If you dont either it (html) isnt working, or the approver fixed it for you. If you just click the box and dont put in break

or end paragraph tags

, everything will get sqeezed together in one big paragraph.

 

quote:
Lance Ambu:

I copied and pasted and it worked fine. Didn't open in a new window though.


You need to add a "target=new" in there(after the url), if you don't the link just redirects the window.

targert=new>Important information

 

waypoint_link.gif22008_1700.gif37_gp_logo88x31.jpg

Posted

When PKZIP (precursor to Winzip) first appeared on the scene I remember trying an experiment to pkzip my already pkzipped file. And then to pkzip that file. And then to pkzip that file and so on until in theory I could reach a file only one bit in length icon_wink.gif.

The experiment obviously failed because there is a limit to how small a file can be zipped. (Actually there is some limiting law in zipping files relating to the minimum length of the message and the amount of code needed to decrypt it - can't remember the exact details)

 

Anyway, the long-ago failed experiment didn't stop me trying a similar thing with the tinyurl site just pointed out to me. If you tinyurl your tinyurl'ed url, and keep doing that you keep getting a tinyurl of the same length as the first tinyurl'ed url. However, when you browse to it you get an error:

quote:

Error: TinyURL redirects to a TinyURL.

The URL you followed redirects back to a TinyURL and therefore we can't directly send you to the site.


So there you go. Not sure why I posted this.

 

Rich

mobilis in mobili

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by el10t:

If you tinyurl your tinyurl'ed url, and keep doing that you keep getting a tinyurl of the same length as the first tinyurl'ed url. However, when you browse to it you get an error


However, this: http://tinyurl.com/782w is a TinyURL of a Tinylink of a TinyURL of a Tinylink of a TinyURL... which works perfectly.

 

SimonG.org

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by Lance Ambu:

I am thankful and far too polite to say that cutting and pasting didn't work this time icon_wink.gif

 

Was that little typo put there to keep me on my toes? icon_biggrin.gif

 

Chuffed!!

 

Lance

It's dark and we're wearing sunglasses.


icon_confused.gif Typo?? I made it bold to point out the needed change, if thats what you're talking aobut?? icon_confused.gif

 

waypoint_link.gif22008_1700.gif37_gp_logo88x31.jpg

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by SimonG:

 

You'll also need to add

at the end of each paragraph, or it will all run together.


goes at the beginning of the paragraph.

goes at the end but most browsers can cope with missing s.

 

-------

jeremyp

The second ten million caches were the worst too.

http://www.jeremyp.net/geocaching

Posted

Thanks to the postings on this thread, I now have a 'link' on one of my cache pages. Something I've wanted for a long time, didn't know how to do and was 'afraid' to ask icon_rolleyes.gif. I've found a few of the simple things like making text bold and using italics but I'd like to experiment a bit further. So... is there a simple list anywhere of the html codes that I can use to change basic things like text font, size and colour... please?

 

John

 

Age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by Pharisee:

So... is there a simple list anywhere of the html codes that I can use to change basic things like text font, size and colour... please?

 


 

What I used to do before I started writing serious HTML pages was do a "view source" on a relatively simple page to see how other people did it.

 

Or you could try the W3C Getting Started Guide. All you have to remember is that for cache pages you are already inside the

tag.

 

-------

jeremyp

The second ten million caches were the worst too.

http://www.jeremyp.net/geocaching

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by el10t:

The echoecho site is good, not just for the html reference but for lots of other stuff like ASP tutorials etc.

 

Rich

_mobilis in mobili_


 

That's pretty cool. Only problem is that it lists all the tags in UPPERCASE. In HTML 4.0 and XHTML this is illegal (case sensitive tags are a backward step IMHO).

 

-------

jeremyp

The second ten million caches were the worst too.

http://www.jeremyp.net/geocaching

Posted

quote:
Lance Ambu wrote:

Was that little typo put there to keep me on my toes?


 

quote:
welch wrote:

Typo?? I made it bold to point out the needed change, if thats what you're talking aobut??


 

Look at the word 'target' in the bold bit - I think that's what Lance meant.

 

Bill

Posted

Only a little typo icon_smile.gif

 

But it did me good.

I cleaned my glasses,

I cleaned my computer screen,

I had a check up for cataracts.

 

And the most important bit, I got a link from my cache pages.

 

Thanks again, Welch - whoever you are

 

Lance

It's dark and we're wearing sunglasses.

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by Lance Ambu:

 

Thanks again, Welch - whoever you are

 

Lance

It's dark and we're wearing sunglasses.


 

And I'll second that !!

And thanks to you other guys as well.

 

John

 

Age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by Lance Ambu:

"TARGERT"

Only a little typo icon_smile.gif

 

But it did me good.

I cleaned my glasses,

I cleaned my computer screen,

I had a check up for cataracts.


You mean Target doesnt have two R's? icon_redface.gif

Sorry about that icon_frown.gif, I looked at it a couple times and missed and missed it each time icon_mad.gif.

Maybe I'm the one that should clean my glasses and all that, eh? icon_rolleyes.gif

 

waypoint_link.gif22008_1700.gif37_gp_logo88x31.jpg

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by welch:

 

Sorry about that icon_frown.gif, I looked at it a couple times and missed and missed it each time..


 

Not a problem.

Like a good cache hunt, we got there in the end.

 

Lance

It's dark and we're wearing sunglasses.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...