# URL vs hyperlink preference
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [November 7, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131 "2019-11-07T16:49:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/1 "2019-11-07T16:49:54Z")
When a link is posted, do you prefer that the raw URL be posted ([URL - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/URL)), or a [hyperlink](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlink)?
---
### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/2 "2019-11-07T16:51:48Z")
I prefer a hyperlink that gives a hint as to what the link is about, and mousing over it gives the URL anyway.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/3 "2019-11-07T17:22:40Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> I prefer a hyperlink that gives a hint as to what the link is about, and mousing over it gives the URL anyway.
This.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/4 "2019-11-07T17:27:24Z")
> [@DCnDC](#):
>
> When a link is posted, do you prefer that the raw URL be posted ([URL - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/URL)), or a [hyperlink](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlink)?
Hyperlink, especially because there’s always a problem with the code dropping the end parenthesis on bare URLs
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### Author:  [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/5 "2019-11-07T17:30:09Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> I prefer a hyperlink that gives a hint as to what the link is about, and mousing over it gives the URL anyway.
Exactly. With strong emphasis on “gives a hint”. If I were King of the Internet, I’d make posting a YouTube link with nothing but a hyperlink reading “this” cause your device to deliver electric shocks until you promise to never do it again. Mousing over YouTube links doesn’t tell you anything, other than it’s a video.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/6 "2019-11-07T17:49:32Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> Hyperlink, especially because there’s always a problem with the code dropping the end parenthesis on bare URLs
I’ve seen it with periods as well so any ending punctuation presumably gets dropped.
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### Author:  [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/7 "2019-11-07T18:11:32Z")
I don’t really care but if you’re writing in somewhat academic style as opposed to making an normal post I prefer to see a single link in the bibliography rather than multiple links to the same thing for each inline citation.
Not that we have much of a choice here. If the URL is too long the board software automatically shortens it to a hyperlink with ellipsis, even when I manually write out the URL with tags and disable automatic link parsing. See example below
[NOPARSE][https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330](https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330)[/NOPARSE]
becomes
[https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330](https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330)
A workaround is to slightly modify the URL inside the BBCode tag, for example adding an extra parameter. Here I add a number sign “#”.
[NOPARSE][https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330](https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330#)[/NOPARSE]
becomes
[https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330](https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330#)
~Max
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### Author:  [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/8 "2019-11-07T19:06:32Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> I prefer a hyperlink that gives a hint as to what the link is about, and mousing over it gives the URL anyway.
This +1
And don’t use link shorteners or whatever they are called. It’s unnecessary.
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### Author:  [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/9 "2019-11-07T19:08:02Z")
> [@Max\_S](#):
>
> I don’t really care but if you’re writing in somewhat academic style as opposed to making an normal post I prefer to see a single link in the bibliography rather than multiple links to the same thing for each inline citation.
>
> Not that we have much of a choice here. If the URL is too long the board software automatically shortens it to a hyperlink with ellipsis, even when I manually write out the URL with tags and disable automatic link parsing. See example below
>
> [NOPARSE][https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330](https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330)[/NOPARSE]
>
> becomes
>
> [https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330](https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330)
>
> A workaround is to slightly modify the URL inside the BBCode tag, for example adding an extra parameter. Here I add a number sign “#”.
>
> [NOPARSE][https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330](https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330#)[/NOPARSE]
>
> becomes
>
> [https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330](https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330#)
>
> ~Max
Just use [Reuters article about ‘topic’](https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330)
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/10 "2019-11-07T19:23:14Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> I prefer a hyperlink that gives a hint as to what the link is about, and mousing over it gives the URL anyway.
Another vote for this.
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### Author:  [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/11 "2019-11-07T19:28:37Z")
I think I like the URL a little better but mostly I want pie. What can I say? Polls make me hungry. 😉
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/12 "2019-11-07T19:43:53Z")
> [@kopek](#):
>
> I think I like the URL a little better but mostly I want pie. What can I say? Polls make me hungry. 😉
3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286208998628034825342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481117450284102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233786783165271201909145648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273724587006606315588174881520920962829254091715364367892590360011330530548820466521384146951941511609433057270365759591953092186117381932611793105118548074462379962749567351885752724891227938183011949129833673362440656643086021394946395224737190702179860943702770539
Sorry I ran out. ☹
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/13 "2019-11-07T19:51:47Z")
> [@Atamasama](#):
>
> 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286208998628034825342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481117450284102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233786783165271201909145648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273724587006606315588174881520920962829254091715364367892590360011330530548820466521384146951941511609433057270365759591953092186117381932611793105118548074462379962749567351885752724891227938183011949129833673362440656643086021394946395224737190702179860943702770539
>
> Sorry I ran out. ☹
A hyperlink is a more efficient use of space:
[π](http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/~huberty/math5337/groupe/digits.html)
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/14 "2019-11-07T20:31:40Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#):
>
> A hyperlink is a more efficient use of space:
>
> [π](http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/~huberty/math5337/groupe/digits.html)
Touché.
Just as Hostess Fruit Pies are more efficient ways to eat pie. And you can distract supervillains by throwing them in their direction.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/15 "2019-11-07T20:46:45Z")
So far as I can tell, the only reason to use a naked URL is because you can’t figure out how to use the URL tag. Which is a perfectly fine and valid reason to do it. But it does mean that nobody, ever, is going to be putting in meaningless alterations to the URL to force the URL condenser to leave it alone.
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/16 "2019-11-07T20:55:38Z")
Either, although pasting a hyperlink on a phone is a pain in the ass, so I understand why people (me included) just paste the raw URL.
Also, without an explanation of what the hyperlink is I can’t mouse over on a phone to get a clue. At least when I see a YouTube URL I expect a video.
So, in summary, please include a damned description of what your hyperlink or URL goes to.
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### Author:  [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/17 "2019-11-07T21:03:00Z")
[Best song ever!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8UV7SAhvG4)
Like that?
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/18 "2019-11-07T21:28:46Z")
> [@Slash1972](#):
>
> [Best song ever!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8UV7SAhvG4)
>
> Like that?
Yeah. Just like that. And I’m surprised I didn’t get Rick rolled!
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### Author:  [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/19 "2019-11-07T21:51:09Z")
I almost always use the URL code. Once in a great while I do a naked URL. E.g., if there’s something about the URL itself I want to give some attention.
The real issue is people not providing context to a link. Those “This is a great video \.”-type posts are detestable.
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### Author:  [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/url-vs-hyperlink-preference/843131/20 "2019-11-07T23:32:05Z")
> [@Slash1972](#):
>
> Just use [Reuters article about ‘topic’](https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330)
You mean like this?
Gralla, P. (2010, March 31). [Long URL Please](https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330). _Reuters Thompson_ (Republished from _PC World_). Retrieved November 7, 2019 from [https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330](https://www.reuters.com/article/urnidgns002570f3005978d8002576f60035a6bb/long-url-please-idUS98192761820100330)
~Max
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