Long URLs
 

Hi all,

The Fodor's computer can't handle long URLs.

The formatting gets all messed up.

If your URL won't fit into the width of the Reply box, please copy it to www.tinyurl.com and post the short URL here.

Thank you.

((I))

Bravo, Ira!

Ira thanks for the reminder. But there are cases where long URL's don't cause the problem like the followings. I don't make a space between two lines and just paste a copy the whole URL.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34925717

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34906885

So I wonder in which cases the problem occurs in which does not. I'm guilty of causing this problem myself a few times some time ago.

Hi K,

The Fodor's computer can handle links to Forum threads, but not links of the same length to other sites.

((I))

How about going ahead and pasting long URLs, thereby causing posters to write nasty letters to the editors, thereby maybe eventually possibly getting it fixed?

I have published the solution many times: display only the server name as link text, and hide the rest within the anchor tag!

This would be rendered thus:

<a href="http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...s.com<a>

The only part of the above that would be visible is the http://www.fodors.com

Hi Robe,

How about NOT posting long URLs?

Please?

((I))

Does that invisible link actually work? If it doesn't show up does it still take up space somewhere?

Do you suppose there could be a reason why the Editors have decided not to "fix" this "problem?"

If there is, do you think they might let us know what it is?

Of course it works. Thanks for asking.

The link "takes up space" in the HTML that gets downloaded to a browser.

It stands to reason they have some reason.

How would anyone know that?

My experience is that many apparently long URLs don't mess up the formatting. I test them by previewing, and if they do, then I use tinyurl.

Check out the long URL I used at
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34941714 ((*))

It depends on the screen resolution. There are posters out there saying "What the heck is he talking about? Of course it messes up the formatting!"

Here is how grownups do links: http://tinyurl.com/2lzxzd

I can't use 'tinyurl.com' at the office (network security, supposedly)... so let's provide some alternatives...
Makeashorterlink doesn't count, it was taken over by Tinyurl...

Hi trav,

Paste your long link and then break it up by hitting the "enter" key.

It will require the reader to copy and paste the sections.

Why are you using your employer's resources to fiddle away your life here? :) :)

((I))

There is no way to tell if a url is too long because people have different size screens, fonts, and screen resolutions, so it does make things easier to use a small url. Try citebite. There are lots of small url sites, but the nice thing about citebite is that it lets you highlight a specific bit of text. This link will take you to a Fodors page about the Grand Canyon; the yellow highlighted text was chosen by me - it is not part of the original page.

http://pages.citebite.com/f1g0r4k4s2nvf

Oops - should mention that citebite requires you to highlight text to use it, so obviously it is only useful for special cases. But a search for "small url" will turn up any number of sites that will work normally.

It's not their computer that can't handle long URLs. It's their server script.

Fodor's probably have a reason for MAKING US DO THEIR WORK FOR THEM, but I can't imagine what it might be.

There is no excuse for the "long URL problem" in the first place. Fixing it in the server script would take a few minutes to code and test. With time for coffee and cake. It's already designed.

p.s I just noticed there's a bug in my proposed solution. Anybody spot it?

ttt

ttt

I've been doing this for a while. Just bookmark tinyurl. When you are on a page you like click the tinyurl, highlight the new link, and copy. Then paste into your email or Fodor's post.