# Link Breaking Policy **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 1, 2008, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497 "2008-04-01T07:07:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/1 "2008-04-01T07:07:29Z")
Understand Rick Rolling. Understand NSFW. Understand Board Wars. Could the moderators have a policy of just breaking links by errant members and not deleting them entirely (the links).? ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/2 "2008-04-01T12:09:05Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] Understand Rick Rolling. Understand NSFW. Understand Board Wars. Could the moderators have a policy of just breaking links by errant members and not deleting them entirely (the links).? [/QUOTE] Can you cite to an example of this happening? I’m not saying it didn’t. Some of us were out this weekend, and a link would be helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/3 "2008-04-01T12:25:06Z")
What is “Rick Rolling”? ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/4 "2008-04-01T12:58:51Z")
> [@](#): > > An internet prank or joke. Rick Roll, Rick Roll’d or Rick Rolling is an internet spam trick in which people post a link to a Rick Astley video on Youtube, but say the viewers of the video arebeing led to another video, usually proof of unconfirmed gaming news or trailers. > **[Yahoo Search - Web Search](https://search.yahoo.com/)** > > The search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for. Find the most relevant information, video, images, and answers from all across the Web. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/5 "2008-04-01T16:30:36Z")
Back story. > **[Is anyone going to do anything about Rick Rolling?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=461361)** > > Or any other type of “rolling”, i.e. posting a link and lying about where it goes. Post which brought this concern up - http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?postcount=6&p=9614916 I joined this board and gladly paid the Charter... > **[Off-board drama: how should we handle it?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=461911)** > > In writing up this response regarding some recent warnings for bringing off-site drama onto the boards, I was going through some of the sticky aspects of trying to keep said drama off without stifling too much innocent free expression and realized... ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/6 "2008-04-01T17:41:16Z")
If possible, we do just break the link. Generally speaking, we don’t delete links unless they’re straight-out hardcore or spam. Our rules on [What links are permitted?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7697028#post7697028) are basically designed to protect people from awkward mishap. Accidental clicks are fairly easy, and that’s what we want to avoid. The canonical situation is that someone accidentally clicks on a link to a picture of a nude model, and just then (Murphy’s Law) the boss walks by. So, we want to ensure that there are no accidental clicks to links that are not workplace-safe. If you want to go there deliberately, that’s fine, that’s your call. Just saying that a link isn’t workplace-safe – frankly, that doesn’t do it. Our goal, remember, is to prevent accidental clicks. So, merely saying that the link isn’t safe doesn’t do that. There are three ways of handling the situation: (1) DeParsing the links. You do this by un-checking the box below the REPLY area, that says “Parse links.” (NOTE: this option isn’t available in QUICK REPLY.) This is probably the least satisfactory approach, since if someone quotes you later, the link will appear fully parsed. (2) Adding spaces into the URL. This works fine; the person who wants to go there can just copy, paste, and remove the spaces. This avoids accidents and allows deliberate visits. (3) The double-click approach, where you provide a URL that goes to a site that IS workplace-safe, and that has a link to the site you want people to see. You need to explain how to get there, of course, but basically, this prevents accidental clicking to an awkward site. ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/7 "2008-04-01T20:05:28Z")
I think if you don’t include the www. then the auto-parser won’t see it. To my mind this is a heck of a lot better than adding spaces. People go freaking crazy and add spaces all over the place and, if you’re not using a mono-space font, you can’t tell exactly where they are until your browser spits it back as not a link. [http://boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com) [straightdope.com](http://straightdope.com) [www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com) http: / / boards. strai ghtdope. com ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/8 "2008-04-01T22:16:22Z")
[QUOTE=Tenebras] I think if you don’t include the www. then the auto-parser won’t see it. To my mind this is a heck of a lot better than adding spaces. People go freaking crazy and add spaces all over the place and, if you’re not using a mono-space font, you can’t tell exactly where they are until your browser spits it back as not a link. [http://boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com) > **[The Straight Dope - The Straight Dope](https://straightdope.com/)** > **[The Straight Dope - The Straight Dope](https://www.straightdope.com)** http: / / boards. strai ghtdope. com [/QUOTE] That is only true if the address is available only through the web, right? [this site is linked by http:// en.wikipedia.org](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monotremes). Notice no “www”. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/9 "2008-04-01T22:51:50Z")
**DSYoungEsq** , anytime you use the {URL} code it become a link, whether valid or not. **Tenebras** was writing about cases when the {URL} code is not used as in the first two examples. Once you put the www in front then the board automatically adds the {url} code. **DSYoungEsq** , if you reply to this post you will notice that the board automatically put it the {url} while I was the one who typed {URL}. I think that when you replied to **Tenebras** you thought he had put in the {url}. > **[Google](https://www.google.com/)** > > Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for. > **[Google](https://www.google.com)** > > Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for. URL Code [google com](http://google.com) [www google com](http://www.google.com) [google no com](http://google) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/10 "2008-04-01T22:55:41Z")
You guys know you can post an unlinked URL, right? [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/) You just have to uncheck “Automatically parse links in text” in the advanced reply editor. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/11 "2008-04-01T23:00:58Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] You guys know you can post an unlinked URL, right? [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/) You just have to uncheck “Automatically parse links in text” in the advanced reply editor. [/QUOTE] And then, as was pointed out upthread, the next guy quotes your post, and the dead link rises from its grave. 😉 That means a moderator needs to disable the link in the quote \*and \* probably go back and break the link in your post \*and \* check on preview to make sure nobody else quoted the mostly dead link \*and \* rinse and repeat if they did. Which is why Dex said > [@](#): > > This is probably the least satisfactory approach, since if someone quotes you later, the link will appear fully parsed. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/12 "2008-04-02T03:02:32Z")
> **[Google](https://www.google.com)** > > Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for. Ah, I’m understanding now. I didn’t catch what the idea was. But who posts “links” that don’t start with the http:// ??? ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/13 "2008-04-02T06:06:21Z")
[QUOTE=Tenebras] I think if you don’t include the www. then the auto-parser won’t see it. To my mind this is a heck of a lot better than adding spaces. [/QUOTE] It’s a very common practice, but there is no guarantee that [example.com](http://example.com) goes to the same place as [www.example.com](http://www.example.com). They’re two different addresses. If they both happen to wind up on the same site, it’s because an admin at [example.com](http://example.com) decided to set it up that way. ETA: I’m unchecking the “parse links in text” and it’s not taking; it’s still checked when I come back to edit the post. \*\*\* Ponder ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/14 "2008-04-02T06:14:12Z")
[QUOTE=Gfactor] And then, as was pointed out upthread, the next guy quotes your post, and the dead link rises from its grave. 😉 [/QUOTE] Then they should pay some goddamn attention to what they’re quoting. I hate people who put spaces in links to break them up. And if you’re going to space them anyway, limit yourself to one space, goddammit. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/15 "2008-04-02T11:53:12Z")
[QUOTE=Inner Stickler] Then they should pay some goddamn attention to what they’re quoting. I hate people who put spaces in links to break them up. And if you’re going to space them anyway, limit yourself to one space, goddammit. [/QUOTE] 1. Settle down. This thread is in About This Message Board–not the Pit. 2. We’ve not said the “do not parse” method violates the rules–in fact, it is permitted by the current rules. If it continues to make more work for me, I’m going to suggest we change it, wishful thinking about posters paying attention or not. Just FYI. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/16 "2008-04-02T12:05:51Z")
[QUOTE=Gfactor] We’ve not said the “do not parse” method violates the rules–in fact, it is permitted by the current rules. If it continues to make more work for me, I’m going to suggest we change it, wishful thinking about posters paying attention or not. Just FYI. [/QUOTE] Apparently, I discovered in my last post that the “do not parse” method doesn’t work anyway. Testing again: > **[Example Domain](http://www.example.com)** I definitely unchecked the “automatically parse links in text” option this time. On preview, it’s not parsing it like I intended. Let’s see what happens when I actually submit the post. ETA: OK, when I submitted the post the first time, the link was unparsed. But I came back to edit the post, and lo! The checkbox is ticked for me again. so I unticked it, and hit “save changes…” ETA2: And it still was unparsed. But every time I come back to edit the post, I have to remember to uncheck the box to keep that link unparsed. But in my last post, it wasn’t taking at all each time I saved the changes. Weird. \*\*\* Ponder ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/17 "2008-04-02T18:54:33Z")
Yeah, that’s a problem with that box – the default is to parse. There may be a way to set the default not to parse (to parse or not to parse, that is the question) but I dunno what/where. And, of course, the problem still that if someone quote you, it’s parsed again. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/18 "2008-04-02T20:36:53Z")
[QUOTE=Inner Stickler] I hate people who put spaces in links to break them up. And if you’re going to space them anyway, limit yourself to one space, goddammit. [/QUOTE] I would just like to add, people it is only necessary to put one space in an address to make it unclickable. Putting in 2 is a pain in the ass for the reader, three borders on jerkishness IMHO, more that that = :mad: :rolleyes: If you want to break a link [ul] [li]Uncheck the parse box (which I admit can cause a mod more work).[/li][li]Put one space in the address such as HTT P://notworksafe.com\*[/li][li]in the URL replace the . with (dot) such as www(dot)[notworksafe.com](http://notworksafe.com) This works fine with really long URL, because the (dot) is at the front of the line. Note: replacing the . just before the com or org does not unparse the link. Example: www.google(dot).com however the link becomes unclickable (try it!)[/li] [/ul] \*Notice how much easier it is to see the extra space when located between the T and the P, rather than when spaced like this? HTTP: //.notworksafe.com or HTTP:// .notworksafe.com (at least it is for my older eyes, with the font I am using on my 'puter, YMMV) ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/19 "2008-04-03T05:20:38Z")
I think you meant www.google(dot)com. 🙂 Or, even better, h t t p : / / w w w (dot) g o o g l e (dot) c o m Parse that, I dare ya! Also, you could replace the dots with commas. Like this: www,google,com. Muahaha! ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497/20 "2008-04-03T05:38:22Z")
[QUOTE=C K Dexter Haven] Yeah, that’s a problem with that box – the default is to parse. There may be a way to set the default not to parse [/QUOTE] Regardless of whether or not you can set a default, it’s very poor behavior for it to forget the way the user had it on that particular post as it was saved. It remembered the content of the post, of course; why can’t it remember the fact you unchecked the box? [scold]Bad software! [/scold] \*\*\* Ponder [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-breaking-policy/443497.md?page=2)