# Has the linking changed?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-linking-changed/1395
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [April 17, 2000, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-linking-changed/1395 "2000-04-17T23:45:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2000, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-linking-changed/1395/1 "2000-04-17T23:45:00Z")
I seem to remember that typing a URL (like [http://www.straightdope.com](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_
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2000, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-linking-changed/1395/2 "2000-04-17T23:47:00Z")
Ok, something else weird is going on…just ignore me…
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_Eschew Obfuscation_
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### Author:  [@Lord\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Jim)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2000, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-linking-changed/1395/3 "2000-04-18T00:23:00Z")
**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:
The Straight Dope
and it comes out as such:
[The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com)
Hope that helps,
Jim
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2000, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-linking-changed/1395/4 "2000-04-18T00:46:00Z")
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](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.](http://www.straightdope.com.)
or
([http://www.straightdope.com](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 and tags.
e.g.
[http://www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com).
will show up correctly as
[http://www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com) .
or
([http://www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com)[/url] 😉
will show up correctly as
( [http://www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com) )
Finally, there is the [Description](web address) option.
e.g.
[The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com)
will show up as
[The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com)
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2000, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-linking-changed/1395/5 "2000-04-18T01:25:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> 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.](http://www.straightdope.com.)
> or
> ([http://www.straightdope.com](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.
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2000, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-linking-changed/1395/6 "2000-04-18T01:26:00Z")
Argh…I keep typing ‘URL’ when I mean active link.
Blah.
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### Author:  [@Lord\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Jim)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2000, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-linking-changed/1395/7 "2000-04-18T01:34:00Z")
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