Broken links (link is too long)

[Dave]

If you post a long link, one that splits onto two lines in your finished message, the split line stops you from successfully clicking on it. Not only that, but if you try to copy and paste it into your browser, that doesn't work either unless you edit it. It still doesn't work even if you hide the link inside a "Hyperlink" tag.

I found a 'fix' posted by Joxcenia in a Proboards support thread - you have to read down to the bottom for the final solution. I've simpified that, so for anyone who is interested, here's the new method.

First, a 'problem' link that breaks (first posted by Stephanie):

icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/entertainment/previewsandreviews/tm_objectid=16124691&method=full&siteid=50061&headline=teenage-conqueror-from-new-zealand--name_page.html

To fix it, you can insert the tag: near the middle of the link but BEFORE the point where the link split in your original preview or post. Then, close the tag with: at the very end of the long url.

Here is what the "fixed" link now looks like as you are typing out your message, with the ubbc tag inserted (the line 'breaks' several times in the edit box but that doesn't matter):

icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/entertainment/previewsandreviews/tm_objectid=16124691&method=full&siteid=50061&headline=teenage-conqueror-from-new-zealand--name_page.html

After you hit "preview" or post your message, the long link now looks like this:

icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/entertainment/previewsandreviews/tm_objectid=16124691&method=full&siteid=50061&headline=teenage-conqueror-from-new-zealand--name_page.html and clicking on it should now work!

It also seems to work if you hide the 'fixed' link inside a 'Hyperlink' tag, you can click here to try it.

It looks complicated but after you've done it once, it's easy. Well that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

[Dave]

richnorri said:

Hello Gerrit!
The forum software breaks the link if a visible url includes +, but it works perfectly if you hide the url, as I've done here.
Best Wishes,
Richard

Hi Gerrit and Richard, yep, that's the 'fix'!

The noubbc "fix" needed as well if a url that you "hide" is more than one line long; the RSC link is within one line length so hiding it works a treat.

Another "fix" that sometimes works when search words are concatenated with the "+" sign is to replace each "+" sign with an ampersand "&" like this:

www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/whatson/search/advance_search.cgi?keyword=Ready&Steady&Cook

Unfortunately, links that include an ampersand '&' may not be recognised by certain (UNIX based) web servers. Therefore, '+' signs and '&' symbols in web links are not good news!

I'll copy this message into the appropriate thread in the technical support board.

Dave

[Richard]

zaphod.uk.vvhp.net/click/2821629-37437/del.interoute.com/?id=8fdbb1b9-4b89-49f0-aec3-8418ef46e61a&delivery=stream

A strange little quirk has come to light in the West Side Story thread (replies 171 and 176). Note that the long url above is unbroken, and I haven't inserted noubbc tags. If I now post the same url again it breaks like this:-

zaphod.uk.vvhp.net/click/2821629-37437/del.interoute.com/?id=8fdbb1b9-4b89-49f0-aec3-8418ef46e61a&delivery=stream

Now it needs the noubbc tags to fix it, like this:-

zaphod.uk.vvhp.net/click/2821629-37437/del.interoute.com/?id=8fdbb1b9-4b89-49f0-aec3-8418ef46e61a&delivery=stream

Graeme, I must credit the discovery to you. It took me ages to work out how you posted that link without using the noubbc tags, because I had to use them to fix the identical link in Oksana's post. Eventually I found that putting the url on the top line made the difference! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Best Wishes,

Richard

[Richard]

icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/entertainment/previewsandreviews/tm_objectid=16124691&method=full&siteid=50061&headline=teenage-conqueror-from-new-zealand--name_page.html

icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/entertainment/previewsandreviews/tm_objectid=16124691&method=full&siteid=50061&headline=teenage-conqueror-from-new-zealand--name_page.html

Trying the same trick with the longer url above reveals that the break only moves three places to the right, so it's back to the noubbc tags, folks! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Richard

[Dave]

Hi Richard,

Well done for your further investigativeness but now, I' m getting a bit confused about where we stand with this.

Would you describe this as the noubbc tag thread, the no-noubbc tag thread, the no-no-noubbc tag thread or the nearly no-noubbc tag thread?

Cheers,

Dave

[roger]

Don't take any notice of him, Dave. I rec kon he just typ ed it l ike th at!

Rog er!

[Richard]

Hello Dave and Roger!

I wish I hadn't started this now. I spent ages scratching my head this morning trying to find the difference between the two links!

Richard

[postscript]

richnorri said:

Hello Dave and Roger!

I wish I hadn't started this now. I spent ages scratching my head this morning trying to find the difference between the two links!

Richard

Am I being particularly dense... No, perhaps I would rather no one answred that question! but wouldn't it have been simpler to have written 'go HERE'?

[Karsten]

richnorri said:

A strange little quirk has come to light in the West Side Story thread (replies 171 and 176).
...

Best Wishes,

Richard

Hello Richard,

I have to admit that I did not read the whole thread, but I just tried to open the west side story thread - and there was only one message:

An Error Has Occurred
You are attempting to access a page which does not exist.

What could be wrong ?

Many thanks in advance.

Karsten

[roger]

postscript said:

...wouldn't it have been simpler to have written 'go HERE'?

Hi Peter,

Yes it would but it doesn't always solve the problem. Even when hidden in that way the link can sometimes still be broken. I have even seen the word "HERE" appear as "HE RE". Also, it is occasional preferable to allow the link itself to be read so that members can see the exact name of the page to which they are being directed before actually visiting it.

Roger

[roger]

k0601 said:

I just tried to open the west side story thread - and there was only one message:

An Error Has Occurred
You are attempting to access a page which does not exist.

What could be wrong ?

Karsten

Hi Karsten,

That is a most unfortunate coincidence caused, unintentionally, by us. We moved the West Side Story thread a more prominent position on the forum. Unfortunately, because we did so after the above link was posted, we broke it!

The West Side Story thread can now be found HERE.

Sorry for any inconvenience!

Roger

[Joe]

richnorri said:

I spent ages scratching my head this morning trying to find the difference between the two links!

Hi Richard,
Fancy coming to Pennsylvania and mending my chain-link fence? :je I reckon I'll need some noubbc tags and nouitv tags!

Well done on getting these taxing thread links to work!

Joe

[Richard]

Hello folks!

I've now restored the link in my original post.

Richard

[Karsten]

Hello Roger and Richard,

thank you for the your very fast assistance.

I did not have found the link to the West Side Story site in my Browser history any more...

Thanks again and all the best,

Karsten

[Paddy]

Must be my age!

I'm getting the impression that proboards is out to get me!


First the blackout of HWI for me - now thankfully solved.

Then I tried to use to post a long link for Graham

and wouldn't work for me!

Then I looked at previous long links that I had posted on the HW Rose thread:

The links were/are shortened and didn't work!

And the s I know I had used had/have disappeared!


Do You See What I See?


Paddy