# External links not working properly?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [April 28, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639 "2010-04-28T16:36:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/1 "2010-04-28T16:36:23Z")
I’ve been running into this problem today.
When i click an external link on the SDMB, it generally doesn’t work the first time. It takes two or three clicks to get it to work.
This only happens on the SDMB, and it’s only happening on links to external pages. It doesn’t happen, for example, on the forum and thread links, and it doesn’t happen when an SDMB thread links to another SDMB thread.
Windows 7 Home Premium
Firefox 3.6.3
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### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/2 "2010-04-28T16:43:48Z")
I had that problem 1 or 2 times. I’d bet it has something to do with this:
> **[We're trying a money-making experiment](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=561258)**
>
> We’re trying something at the suggestion of an outfit called Driving Revenue that involves a bit of code on SDMB pages, and figured you should know about it. Here’s how it works. If somebody puts a link in a post, and you click on that link, the code...
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/3 "2010-04-28T17:19:03Z")
Yeah, that certainly looks like a candidate.
I’m still having the same problem. Takes two clicks, at least, to get any external link to work.
In IE8, the links work on the first click, but there’s a lag between the click and the new page opening. It’s definitely slower than clicking normal links.
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### Author:  [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/4 "2010-04-28T18:18:01Z")
This is supposed to be unnoticeable to users. I’ll inquire.
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### Author:  [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/5 "2010-04-28T18:23:51Z")
Just to muddy the waters a bit, I haven’t noticed what the OP is reporting. For example, clicking on the link in the OP of [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=561205) worked fine for me, on both Windows XP (Firefox 3.6) and Redhat Linux (Firefox 2.0).
It might be useful if **mhendo** could post some example links that causes the problem for him in this thread, so other users could try them and add their data for a consistent test set – it could help narrow down the problem and make it easier to fix.
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/6 "2010-04-28T18:34:38Z")
Well, i got the same behavior with your link.
Interestingly, i have discovered some more specific aspects of this behavior.
If i click once, nothing happens.
If i move the mouse away, then back over the link, and click again, nothing happens.
But if i click once, then keep the mouse over the link, and click a second time, the link works. This happens whether the second click is after a very short period, or if i wait some time.
I should add, again, that this only happens on this message board, and it only happens with external links. Every other aspect of my browsing is still working fine. This includes other vBulletin sites.
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### Author:  [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/7 "2010-04-28T19:52:19Z")
I’m discussing this with Driving Revenue. They’re not seeing problems, and I have to say neither am I using Firefox. They say they’ll have their tech people look into it, but we need to know:
1. Thread/post with problematic link
2. Mac, PC w/Windows, or something else?
3. Your browser, including version.
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/8 "2010-04-28T20:00:32Z")
I’ve given all the information you asked for in this thread already.
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/9 "2010-04-28T21:03:22Z")
> [@mhendo](#):
>
> I’ve given all the information you asked for in this thread already.
Do you have Firefox AdBlock and/or NoScript add-ons, or any other javascript manipulating add-ons, installed on your computer? That could be interfering with the newly installed Driving Revenue thingie on the SDMB.
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/10 "2010-04-29T00:12:31Z")
I have AdBlock Plus (although, as a member, i don’t see ads on the SDMB anyway).
I also have NoScript, but for the SDMB it is set to allow all scripts.
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/11 "2010-04-29T00:43:37Z")
Disable both, restart Firefox, and see if you still encounter this issue.
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/12 "2010-04-29T16:41:58Z")
It appears that NoScript is the problem, because the behavior disappears when i disable it. It’s odd because, as i said, i have allowed all scripts for the SDMB, and i also don’t get this problem at any other vBulletin site.
Oh well, not the end of the world, i guess.
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### Author:  [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/13 "2010-04-29T16:46:46Z")
Glad this got resolved. If anyone else has problems with external links on the SDMB not working, please let us know. This is supposed to be unnoticeable, as I say.
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/14 "2010-04-30T16:48:44Z")
This is bloody annoying.
Ed, it’s still happening. I click on a link. nothing happens. I double click it, I get two of what I clicked on.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/15 "2010-04-30T17:45:57Z")
When clicking, try holding down the button for an extra second or two before releasing.
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/16 "2010-04-30T18:16:42Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> When clicking, try holding down the button for an extra second or two before releasing.
Made no difference.
It’s actually worse than my last post describes. I now have to right click a link and do open in new window for anything to happen. (or right-click, click on ‘copy link’ open a new browser, paste… if I’m feeling particularly unwilling to be a guinnea-pig to some ad-revenue bollocks)
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/17 "2010-04-30T18:56:27Z")
I just had a weird link thing…
I can’t open the link in the second post in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12399712) unless I right-click/open in new tab. Other links in the thread (all to YouTube) work.
I am running **weirdaaron** ’s script in Greasemonkey, but the same thing happens if i disable it.
I have FF 3.6 with Adblock Plus.
If I disable Adblock Plus, the link works in the thread.
BUT…here’s the kicker…if I go to [just that post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12399712&postcount=2) the link in the post opens right up with no problems.
I guess I’ll just disable ABP. I’m a charter member anyway. But I thought I’d report the weirdness.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/18 "2010-04-30T19:07:43Z")
I need to doubleclick external links in IE6.
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### Author:  [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/19 "2010-04-30T20:58:17Z")
I’m inquiring. Just so we’re clear … sounds like everyone who has issues is using an ad blocker of some kind. Any exceptions?
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### Author:  [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639/20 "2010-04-30T21:39:16Z")
Me; I’m not using any adblocking software and I have to double-click the links.
The behaviour is curious, though. When I mouseover a link, my cursor transforms into a “click” cursor (the hand with extended index finger). But when I move the mouse, without having clicked, the cursor stays that way for three or four seconds, then changes back into normal. At that point I can single-click the link.
However, when I first mouseover the link, the status bar at the bottom shows that the browser is attempting to establish a connection to an outside service, Outboundlinks. I get a showing of “Connecting to [outboundlink.net](http://outboundlink.net)”, which resolves after a few seconds.
FWIW, this only happens once per link.
Windows 7 X64
FireFox 3.6.3
No adblocking software.
ETA: I’ve browsed a bit and there seems to be a [Outboundlink.net](http://Outboundlink.net) & Driving Revenue connection. LiveJournal apparently has changed to the same system, but are using javascript in their links to make them appear normal when you mouseover.
ETA2: Adding [outboundlink.net](http://outboundlink.net) to your adblocking software (I just tried on my laptop) blocks it and links function normally.
ETA3: The reason it’s so fast is because [outboundlink.net](http://outboundlink.net) is a blank page. (As in, there are exactly 0 lines of code on the page.) So at least it should load quickly.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-working-properly/537639.md?page=2)