Has the linking changed?

[Tengu]

I seem to remember that typing a URL (like http://www.straightdope.com for instance) used to automatically create a link to the cited page. I've noticed, however, that there are a lot of URLs coming up as not URLs. Did this get changed, or is something else weird going on?

(Just watch, the link above will be active...)



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Eschew Obfuscation

[Tengu]

Ok, something else weird is going on...just ignore me...



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Eschew Obfuscation

[Lord Jim]

Tengu, the old method works fine and is a lot easier. However, newer method allows you to use a short piece of text instead of a long URL to accomplish the same thing. You can find the instructions here (http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/ubbcode.html). This is the regular UBB help file.

Basically, you just put in the url as such:
[url=www.straightdope.com] The Straight Dope[/url]
and it comes out as such:
The Straight Dope (http://www.straightdope.com)

Hope that helps,
Jim

[Arnold Winkelried]

Here is what I understand about it.

You can type in a web address, and it will automatically appear as a link
e.g. http://www.straightdope.com

however, if the address is not preceded and followed by a space, then the link will not show up or be invalid.
e.g. http://www.straightdope.com.
or
(http://www.straightdope.com)

To have a link show up correctly even if it is not immediately preceded and/or followed by whitespace, use the [url] and [/url] tags.
e.g.
[url]http://www.straightdope.com[/url].
will show up correctly as
http://www.straightdope.com .

or
([url]http://www.straightdope.com[/url] ;)
will show up correctly as
( http://www.straightdope.com )

Finally, there is the [url="web address"]Description[/url] option.

e.g.
[url=http://www.straightdope.com]The Straight Dope[/url]
will show up as
The Straight Dope (http://www.straightdope.com)

[Tengu]

Originally posted by JimB:
Tengu, the old method works fine and is a lot easier. However, newer method allows you to use a short piece of text instead of a long URL to accomplish the same thing.

Yes, I realise this - and have used that method a few times, but I mean sometimes a URL will be posted and won't be a URL.

Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried:
however, if the address is not preceded and followed by a space, then the link will not show up or be invalid.
e.g. http://www.straightdope.com.
or
(http://www.straightdope.com)

I think that's it - looking back, all the URLs I noticed as non-active links are bolded. Somehow this theory slpped my mind when I was posting.

[Tengu]

Argh...I keep typing 'URL' when I mean active link.

Blah.

[Lord Jim]

Sorry, I misunderstood your question. Arnold, of course, has it right. You can bold a URL and it will still work, but you do have to be careful about spaces.

Jim