Would the mods consider adding a note IN the post where links are broken? Example:
http:/ /inocuouslookingurl.com/ <link broken by mod due to probable trojan-mod’s handle>
As it is, the mods add an explanatory post that may be several or even tens of posts after the broken link. Often the intervening discussion makes little sense without visiting the link. The user has to skim ahead through the thread to find the reason, then go back to the offending post…interferes with the flow of the whole read.
Doesn’t seem like any more trouble than editing the offending link, then creating a new post to explain why.
But at least the mods now seem to be breaking links in a consistent and recognizable way…so I know it is intentional.
Whenever a post is edited, a note appears at the bottom of the post. Look at the bottom left of this post for an example. I make notes in the edit field but I’m reluctant to add actual text to someone else’s post.
On an old dead forum of mine, there was a custom vB tag called mn, something enclosed in it would form a “mod note.”
[mn]Link broken for possible Trojan – <Mod>[/mn] would read:
[Mod Note: Link broken for possible Trojan – <Mod>], with the the red marker, edit brackets, and courier new font it becomes really easy to know it’s not the author’s work. Side effect was the mod note tag wasn’t restricted to mods, but nothing’s perfect.
I know I don’t pay attention to the edit field much, it’s a very easily missable part of the post and doesn’t stand out much. I think so long as it’s obvious it was a mod addition it would be nice to have something like this, I know the chances of getting a new tag are nil, but it would definitely make things more clear if we could figure out something to do manually.
I agree that it would be nice to make it more obvious - I got a little confused over the link for the AIDS and Hitler Youtube post; I clicked on it and the first part of the link was still active (but since it was broken it just led to a generic Youtube page). I too tend not to notice edit comments, and also didn’t notice until after I clicked the link and went Huh? that only the first part looked like a link.
At least make the entire link unclickable when you break it.
It would be nice to have the note near the broken link if it’s because of possible viruses or trojans. If it’s just NSFW or porn or hate links, not so important (to me).
I, too, don’t like the idea of actually adding text to someone else’s post. When I have to break a link, I try to add a useful explanation in the “edited” notes (as Marley said), and then add an explanatory post later in the thread.
If the reasoning behind breaking the link is too complex, maybe I’ll do something like this: