# Another computer problem question (sigh) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 25, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-computer-problem-question-sigh/750144 "2016-03-25T17:10:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-computer-problem-question-sigh/750144/1 "2016-03-25T17:10:33Z")
I’m using a 2015 iMac 27, which defaults to Safari (though I usually browse with Firefox). When clicking on a particular link in an email, I get the following error message: “Requested resource does not allow requested data with GET requests, or the amount of data provided in request exceeds capacity limit.” I don’t know what this means, as in all my years of using PCs, I never once saw this message. If anybody knows a work-around, I’d love to hear it, but please keep in mind that instructions like “upchuck your buffer overload to circumnavigate the pilferage” is just so much gibberish unless a step-by-step is provided. Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-computer-problem-question-sigh/750144/2 "2016-03-25T17:22:35Z")
This boils down to a technical way of saying: “This link is broken”. Since it’s a link in an email, where did it come from. Are you sure that it’s going where you think it’s going? Perhaps it has a typo in it, or it was intended for nefarious purposes? A GET request is part of the HTTP standard, which is used to fetch data for websites. So, this error is coming back from the webserver, and it’s telling you that you’re either trying to GET something that it’s not supposed to give you, or that the results of your GET request are too large to send back. Maybe the webserver is broken. Maybe the link is malformed. There’s nothing you can do on your end to make this link work. Is there another way to accomplish your end goal? ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-computer-problem-question-sigh/750144/3 "2016-03-25T17:44:34Z")
As walrus said, probably a problem with the web server or link. If you can share the link with us, let us try it. If you can update your browser(s), try that. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-computer-problem-question-sigh/750144/4 "2016-03-25T19:00:58Z")
It’s an AARP link, so I don’t think nefariousness is an issue. I’ll have to get the link and try it from my laptop (W8). Or perhaps I can do a paste into Firefox and see if it works there. It’s been going on for some time with this particular link (win a new Volvo!), so I would think that AARP is getting blitzed with complaints about it if it’s the website. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2016, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-computer-problem-question-sigh/750144/5 "2016-03-26T09:27:39Z")
You could try deleting everything after the ? in the URL. That’s the GET stuff. But it might take you to a different page than you wanted. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-computer-problem-question-sigh/750144/6 "2016-03-28T15:50:16Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > It’s an AARP link Respectfully, how do you know it’s an AARP link? How sure are you this isn’t some exploit or phishing attempt? I’m not saying that it _is_, just that it can be hard to tell. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-computer-problem-question-sigh/750144/7 "2016-03-28T16:24:10Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > Respectfully, how do you know it’s an AARP link? How sure are you this isn’t some exploit or phishing attempt? I’m not saying that it _is_, just that it can be hard to tell. We get emails from AARP as a subscriber. The link is included in their email. It appears that the problem has cleared up, so perhaps there were a lot of complaints about it. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-computer-problem-question-sigh/750144/8 "2016-03-28T17:24:29Z")
Ah, good stuff. Sounds like “misconfigured web server” was the explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-computer-problem-question-sigh/750144/9 "2016-03-28T23:22:55Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > We get emails from AARP as a subscriber. The link is included in their email. > > It appears that the problem has cleared up, so perhaps there were a lot of complaints about it. Doesn’t necessarily mean the **link** goes to AARP. Did you hover over it and verify that it starts with [www.aarp.org](http://www.aarp.org)? ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-computer-problem-question-sigh/750144/10 "2016-03-29T01:33:44Z")
And if you would like to switch your default browser to Firefox, that is anything other than Safari, the setting for that is in system preferences general. My wife insists on Firefox on her computer and I sail with Safari… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-computer-problem-question-sigh/750144/11 "2016-03-29T03:15:14Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Doesn’t necessarily mean the **link** goes to AARP. Did you hover over it and verify that it starts with [www.aarp.org](http://www.aarp.org)? Yup. I’m not a novice.