Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Technical Help and How To's I couldn't post a link

I wanted to post a link to a Wikipedia article about a movie, mostly because I didn't want to give away the title of the movie for spoiler reasons. (I was going to discuss the plot of the movie, including the ending.)

But I couldn't post that link. I tried several times. There was no link, but instead a long "word" beginning like this: [url =http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki - - and so on, including the name of the movie, and ending with This movie [/url].

Why didn't I get a proper link? Is it my own computer that is confused?

Ann

it's likely that link has something in it that's blocking, like a %20 or a parenthesis - I don't remember which it was, but I know there are a few characters that the system things are "illegal" when you try them as URLs.

If you show me the URL, just paste it, not using the URL code between brackets, I should be able to tell you which it is. And I can probably help you fix it, too. (send me a PM if you don't want to spoil others)

If you tried to put said link into the topic line, then I believe that's the problem. I'm not entirely sure on this, but the subject has to be just text. Not even bold or italics is possible there, as far as I know.

Saskia

When she first posted, I saw the problem. The link itself didn't seem to have any problems. Let me see if I can find it. Be right back.

UPDATE: I think this was it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan\'s_Labyrinth

Hm, it seems I don't have a problem with it (if this is the correct one).

Let me try putting it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan\'s_Labyrinth .

See? Now it doesn't work.

UPDATE 2: I think I know what's the problem. It might be the apostrophe.

malu

Yeah, it was my guess - an illegal character. I ran into that problem a few times. There are more than one characters like that, which won't work when used in BBCode.

Thanks, people. But the apostrophe is there anyway, in the title of the movie, and Malu, you managed to make a link the first time. Do I take it that I can't hide the http-edress if there is an apostrophe in it?

Ann

Yes, BBCode won't handle the apostrophe, so you can't hide it with the URL code.

And it doesn't matter if there is an apostrophe in the URL, there is a way to fix the URL so it won't have an apostrophe in it. Maybe you missed that part of my comment. Or you just didn't want *my* help...

Either way, this website is a great way to solve this and other issues of the sort - http://tinyurl.com/

I'm sorry, Lara! I guess that since there is no need to try to avoid spoilers now, this is the link I tried to post, as Malu has already pointed out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan\'s_Labyrinth

I'd very much appreciate it if you can tell me how to fix it!

EDIT: Okay, I can see that you already sent me a link on what to do about the problem!

Ann

Edit - or there you go

Carol

Okay, I have another problem. The TinyURL.com page tells me to do this:

Drag it to my links toolbar? What links toolbar? As I look at the top of my computer screen, it looks kind of nice and empty, like when you have cleared out your desk and mislaid all the important documents. I have got no links toolbar, as far as I can see.

I can find "Links" under "Tools", though, but when I click on it, it opens up a whole new page chock full of links, like when you open a drawer where you jammed down hundreds of documents, and then you try to find one. (I was not aware that I had created those links in the first place.) If I put the TinyURL link there, I will have my work cut out trying to find it again.

Anyway, I can't look at the TinyURL page and the links page at the same time, so I can't drag anything from one page to the other.

And since I don't use the Internet Explorer browser but a system called Opera, I don't know if I can follow the instructions on how to add the TinyURL to my links toolbar, since I can't find a links toolbar in the first place.

Ann

Ann - you should just copy/paste the new link it gave you wherever you want it to go - like the address bar or boards or whatever.

Carol

Gaahh!! I'm an idiot when it comes to these things. I feel like my students when their brains just refuse to understand something I'm trying to explain to them.

Okay, how do I do it??? I understood I could click on the link with my right mouse button. Okay, I did that. A number of technical terms turn up in Swedish. I'll have to guess what Swedish term corresponds to what English term.

Open in new folder? Is that it? Open in background folder? Open in new window? Open in background window? Bookmark link? Copy link address? Save "goal"(?) as...? Save in catalogue? What do you suggest I should do?

I decided I would try 'Save "goal" as...' I tried to do that, and I was supposed to press Ctrl + Shift + S. Okay, which one is Shift? I also tried Copy Link Address, and I was supposed to press Ctrl + Alt + C. I can find Ctrl and Alt, so I pressed them, + C. Nothing happened. What do I do now?

I have to leave for work in about ten minutes, so I won't have time to respond to any good advice of yours for, probably about ten hours.

Ann

Ann - Control C may copy and then Control V should paste. At least around here. Dunno it's different elsewhere. Think that's pretty common for Windows based stuff, not sure about anything else. Not a clue what the Swedish terms are .

Good luck!

Carol

Aaahhh gaahhh. I have no idea what I'm doing here. I don't know where to paste in that tiny URL. I just have no idea at all.

Okay, I'll make a try anyway:

This movie

Did it work? I have to post and see.

Ann

It did work. Lara, Carol, thank you so much. I'm not sure it will work next time, but hopefully it will. Thank you!!!

Ann

Sorry if I spoiled anything. I didn't notice that you wanted to avoid spoilers. It's just that I'd seen the "broken" link problem and your message about not being able to post it while at work, and thought of trying to help later, without reading the other messages carefully.

Really sorry.

malu

No worries. And thank you for your help, too.

Ann