links evaporate when not in URL tags

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 4:43 pm

Example: here. Also happened to me (prosilver).

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 4:45 pm

No doubt something to do with the "automatically parse URLs" feature being broken because when I turn it off I get:

Test: http://www.octopusoverlords.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=87219&p=2077609#p2077609

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 9:20 pm

Happen to me as well. I was trying be snarky after Meal posted a link regarding the 2013 Draft. He linked it to the Detroit Lions homepage and then the person who actually wanted to see the article and not some story about the only lions player to get an A for the Lions draft. The link on the Lions page pointed to the ESPN Insider page, and after I tried linking the actual article (you know, being helpful and all) I thought OO was eating it up because you had to have a subscription to view that.

Now I'm seeing others are having problems, and disappointed I missed out on poking fun. Boooo.

gilraen · Post by **gilraen** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 9:30 pm

Yeah, I noticed that too. And if you preview your post, they'll also disappear from the input box.

rshetts2 · Post by **rshetts2** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 1:16 pm

and the problem apparently still exists as I ran into it yesterday. Same thing with the preview box as well.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 3:14 pm

Yeah, been running into it today. Was trying to add Youtube links and wondered what the heck was going on. Using Black Pearl.

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 4:16 pm

Until it gets resolved, as LM pointed out in the above-linked example, the problem can be avoided by embedding links in URL tags instead of simply copying and pasting URLs or manually typing them without using URL tags.

For example, instead of:

Code: Select all

http://octopusoverlords.com/

Use something like this:

Code: Select all

[url=http://octopusoverlords.com/]OctopusOverlords.com[/url]

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 5:01 pm

Anonymous Bosch wrote:Until it gets resolved, as LM pointed out in the above-linked example, the problem can be avoided by embedding links in URL tags instead of simply copying and pasting URLs or manually typing them without using URL tags.

For example, instead of:
Code: Select all
http://octopusoverlords.com/
Use something like this:
Code: Select all
[url=http://octopusoverlords.com/]OctopusOverlords.com[/url]

That's the best fix.

The easiest/quickest fix is to just check the "Do not automatically parse URLs" box above the submit button. Then you'll get the link text (but no hyperlink so people will have to cut and paste).

It will look like this:
http://octopusoverlords.com/

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 5:02 pm

Anonymous Bosch wrote:Until it gets resolved

This strikes me as something to stop spam bots from dropping links into a thread. What if it's working as intended?

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 5:46 pm

Smoove_B wrote:
Anonymous Bosch wrote:Until it gets resolved
This strikes me as something to stop spam bots from dropping links into a thread. What if it's working as intended?

It's not as intended. Besides, I'd imagine that most bots are sophisticated enough to drop URL tags.

Recent updates have borked a lot of features and FP is working dilligently to fix them all.

Post by **FishPants** » Thu Jan 30, 2014 8:15 pm

I've got a feeling it's the code to pop links into a new tab causing it.. If I can't figure out what's wrong with the supplied code, I need to understand which is more important to the users - new tab code or pasteable URL links.

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Thu Jan 30, 2014 9:02 pm

FishPants wrote:I've got a feeling it's the code to pop links into a new tab causing it.. If I can't figure out what's wrong with the supplied code, I need to understand which is more important to the users - new tab code or pasteable URL links.

Of the two, I'd certainly prefer the new tab code over pasteable links. I usually embed most links I post within URL tags anyway.

hentzau · Post by **hentzau** » Thu Jan 30, 2014 9:49 pm

Anonymous Bosch wrote:
FishPants wrote:I've got a feeling it's the code to pop links into a new tab causing it.. If I can't figure out what's wrong with the supplied code, I need to understand which is more important to the users - new tab code or pasteable URL links.
Of the two, I'd certainly prefer the new tab code over pasteable links. I usually embed most links I post within URL tags anyway.

Agreed.

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Thu Jan 30, 2014 10:05 pm

tab.

With that said, you did fix the tab issue and it the links were working. Then later it broke.

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 1:31 pm

FishPants wrote:I've got a feeling it's the code to pop links into a new tab causing it.. If I can't figure out what's wrong with the supplied code, I need to understand which is more important to the users - new tab code or pasteable URL links.

Being able to paste the URL link is slightly preferable to links opening in new tabs. I can always right click a link and have it open however I like.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 1:46 pm

The Meal wrote:
FishPants wrote:I've got a feeling it's the code to pop links into a new tab causing it.. If I can't figure out what's wrong with the supplied code, I need to understand which is more important to the users - new tab code or pasteable URL links.
Being able to paste the URL link is slightly preferable to links opening in new tabs. I can always right click a link and have it open however I like.

I don't fully understand what we lose with new tabs. I control click to open links in new tabs and it's never been a problem. I only recently (with this thread?) discovered you could scrolly click to open in new tab and i am so trained to control click that I still never scrolly click.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 2:21 pm

I'm oblivious to either. I don't remember the last time I pasted a link without URL tags - it takes seconds, is cleaner and clearer. I have been middle-mouse clicking links I wanted in a new tab for so many years that it is second nature.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 3:25 pm

Holy ballcocks, I never knew about the middle-mouse-click to open a new tab. Nice!

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 4:52 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote:Holy ballcocks, I never knew about the middle-mouse-click to open a new tab. Nice!

Same! Though I do, unbeknownst to myself (subconsciously), use CTRL-click to open things in new tabs.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 11:42 pm

The Meal wrote:
FishPants wrote:I've got a feeling it's the code to pop links into a new tab causing it.. If I can't figure out what's wrong with the supplied code, I need to understand which is more important to the users - new tab code or pasteable URL links.
Being able to paste the URL link is slightly preferable to links opening in new tabs. I can always right click a link and have it open however I like.

Agreed. Can always click the middle mouse button, so wouldn't be too sore about losing that if we have to. Pasteable links, however, I feel is inherent to the nature of boards like these. Feels too much like basic functionality. Feels naked without them.

Post by **FishPants** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 3:28 pm

You guys do know that you can click the URL button above when creating a message, paste your link between the URL tags and it shows up?

Like this:

http://www.google.ca

hentzau · Post by **hentzau** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:06 pm

I guess it's time for me to speak up as a non-middle, non-ctrl clicker. I would HATE to lose support for just auto-opening in new tabs. Matter of fact, I think I was one of the ones that started the original complaint thread about it missing. And, conversely, I never just naked paste a URL into a post, I always use the URL function.

"then they came for the non-opening tabs...and there was no one left to speak for me."

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 3:18 pm

Given the crazy number of links disappearing across multiple threads, can we at least consider an announcement thread with a brief tutorial on the URL tags?

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 4:40 pm

Maybe we could get someone *cough* Isgrimnur to leave links in this thread to all the places where folks have tried to leave links only to unexpectedly find out that the site doesn't work like it always had in the past? That may be a compelling argument for folks who may not realize that it's happening a few times a week across the forum...

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 10:04 pm

Open links in the same tab unless I direct otherwise, as God intended! (;))

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Feb 18, 2014 2:44 pm

Lurker comes out of hiding, link evaporates.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 7:05 pm

Another victim claimed.

Post by **FishPants** » Fri Feb 28, 2014 11:29 am

I don't think I'm going to chase this down, if you can just put the URL between URL tags and it works (there's even a button for it) I don't believe it's worth stripping out the code to open links in a new tab. I can't figure out why one lead to the other at this point, and since there's a workaround I don't think it warrants a few hours of digging to resolve it.

If anyone else wants to chase it down let me know, I can provide copies of the coding used in the templates.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Feb 28, 2014 11:37 am

Throw it up at an easily viewable location, and I'm sure some of us will take a look.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri Feb 28, 2014 11:41 am

the problem is the URL is stripped silently so the posters have no idea their post is messed up

with the link opening in a new window, it's immediately obvious it isn't working and the workaround is to move your finger a half inch right when clicking

Of course I am not the guy that has to fix it and I generally don't post naked URLs anway.

Post by **FishPants** » Fri Feb 28, 2014 11:47 am

Isgrimnur wrote:Throw it up at an easily viewable location, and I'm sure some of us will take a look.

Here you go https://www.phpbb.com/kb/article/links- ... w-windows/ this was the change made to make the links pop open in a new window (and I believe in turn broke auto links).

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Fri Feb 28, 2014 11:52 am

In the interest of helping, I will re-post the solution:

Zaxxon wrote:Open links in the same tab unless I direct otherwise, as God intended! (;))

hentzau · Post by **hentzau** » Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:36 pm

Zaxxon wrote:In the interest of helping, I will re-post the solution:

Zaxxon wrote:Open links in the same tab unless I direct otherwise, as God intended! (;))

No! I'm old and I can't learn new habits!!!

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 8:19 pm

I'd estimate things like this are happening about two-dozen times a week. And I'm not really noticing much of a slow-down. The OO forum does not work like any other forum on the planet, and it's very confusing for web-savvy users.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 8:46 pm

I guess I will have to go into the unsavvy group. I was never aware that you could put links(ones that work anyway) in any other forum. I guess I have always just assumed those tags/buttons for links were there for a reason.

edit...as a test I wonder if it works fine if you don't summon the hypertext protocol in the link.

nope....How about without invoking the world wide web.

octopusoverlords.com

Post by **FishPants** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:19 am

FishPants wrote:
Isgrimnur wrote:Throw it up at an easily viewable location, and I'm sure some of us will take a look.
Here you go https://www.phpbb.com/kb/article/links- ... w-windows/ this was the change made to make the links pop open in a new window (and I believe in turn broke auto links).

I haven't had the time and asked for help here, if anyone can see what would break it with the change linked above I'm all for trying to fix it -- but I can't comb through the code until maybe Saturday when my wife goes to pick up the kids from the inlaws (weather reports indicate I will be sitting around in my underwear as a bachelor).

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:59 am

FishPants wrote:
FishPants wrote:
Isgrimnur wrote:Throw it up at an easily viewable location, and I'm sure some of us will take a look.
Here you go https://www.phpbb.com/kb/article/links- ... w-windows/ this was the change made to make the links pop open in a new window (and I believe in turn broke auto links).
I haven't had the time and asked for help here, if anyone can see what would break it with the change linked above I'm all for trying to fix it -- but I can't comb through the code until maybe Saturday when my wife goes to pick up the kids from the inlaws (weather reports indicate I will be sitting around in my underwear as a bachelor).

Wow - Canadian news outlets are so much more thorough and local than in the states!

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:31 pm

Test

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:34 pm

That's nice. That last message actually said:

________________________

Test

[Testytest@gmail.com]
________________________

...but without the brackets
So, it applies to email addresses, too, and it also happens in PMs.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:35 pm

Spoiler:

[URL=Testytest@gmail.com]Email

Code: Select all

Testytest@gmail.com

...and there apparently isn't an easy way to actually make an email address visible, either.