A discussion about posting links on DU

[MineralMan]

A lot of people include links in their posts here on DU. That's terrific, since it lets people go to the source to read more. However, there are a couple of issues I'd like to raise:

1. Please say something about what's at the link. If you just post a link, with no other information, most people will not click your link. You can post excerpts, too, from most sources. Copy and paste is great, and helps us understand the OP.

2. Please don't use tinyurl or other short link tools on DU. DU has a feature that automatically shortens long links, and it works very well. With a link shortener like tinyurl or others, the destination of the link is hidden. That keeps people from clicking your link, due to the number of sites that download malware to visitors' PCs. People want to see the site name in the URL before clicking the link.

3. Please use links whenever you post excerpts from some document or source. It's very frustrating to read a few paragraphs about something, but not be able to click and go to the original source to read the rest of the document. Adding a link only takes seconds, and improves the post dramatically.

4. If linking to a YouTube video, please be polite enough to describe the video briefly. The link tells nothing about the video. Just a few words will do, but please do type those few words. I hate clicking a YouTube link, only to find Barry Manilow or someone on the other end.

Thanks for listening...

[hlthe2b]

1. I agree totally. I hope you are not attacked (as have other DUers)

for having the temerity to post this... In the past DUers posting this plea, were told 1. "don't click on the post, if you don't like it;" 2. "this is a discussion board and we can post anything we like, anyway we like;" 3. various ad hominem attacks.


That said, may I add a request that posters identify if the link goes straight to video or a pdf file--all which can be large enough to lock up a machine on a slower connection.

[MineralMan]

2. I added a couple of things on edit. As for being attacked,

I'm used to it, and don't really care. What I'm posting makes good sense. I'm sure more will agree with my suggestions in this OP than disagree with them. Thanks for the support!

[truedelphi]

40. But just wait till Barry Manilow reads your words here.

Hopefully he won't write a really mean song about you!

But if he does, I have your back, Mineral Man.

[NNN0LHI]

3. I don't like it when someone uses HTML code to completely hide the link and its source

I agree it cleans up the OP and looks real nice(very professional) but too many times I click on the link and it goes to Newsmax or some other fuckwit site that if I had a clue where it went I would have never clicked on it.

I like to know where I am going before clicking.

Don

[MineralMan]

4. I always look at my browser's status line while I hover over an

HTML link like that. It may be that some browsers don't display the full link, though. I agree with you. We need to know the destination before clicking. Too much crap out there that is disgusting or harmful to click hidden links.

[tonysam]

18. There isn't anything hidden.

It doesn't kill people to put their curser over the link. Period.

[MineralMan]

33. OK, put your cursor over the link below:

http://bit.ly/9DSTc0

What does that tell you about the site the link points to?

[BrklynLiberal]

67. oops....

[laughingliberal]

15. Yeah, I've always considered blind links bad internet etiquette. nt

[blogslut]

19. A text link is not a blind link

A text link is when one uses HTML and/or UBB code to link a word or phrase to another site or page. Like this HTML example:

<a href="http://notarealwebaddress.com">example phrase</a>

A blind link is when someone uses JavaScript code or a URL shortener to hide the destination of the link from view via the status bar. If you're unsure of the destination of a text link then all you have to do is hover your cursor over the hyperlinked text and the URL will appear in your status bar. Member-generated JavaScript codes are disabled on DU so the only way a poster can post a blind link is through a URL shortening service like TinyURL or Bit.ly.

[gvstn]

26. or Shadyurl.com

But this shortener makes your links look scary.

See article at either link below:
http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/2010/02/scary-short-urls/
or use this shadyfied link to the same article http://5z8.info/peepshow_e8l8u_amazon.com-phish

[blogslut]

28. Ha!

I love it. :rofl:

[BunkerHill24]

5. ROFL @ "Barry Manilow or someone on the other end"

HAHAHAHA :rofl:

[MineralMan]

Well, I couldn't thing of anything more annoying than that.

Even a RickRoll isn't that annoying, except that one that puts your browser into an unbreakable loop. I think it's gone from the web, though.

[Catshrink]

6. Like maybe a rick roll.

[MineralMan]

7. Nah. Nothing's more annoying than a Barry Manilow video.

Seriously!

[progressoid]

12. So, I take you're not a "Fanilow"

me neither.

[MineralMan]

30. You may safely take it that way, I think...

:rofl:

[Fumesucker]

16. It's not mere coincidence that Barry Manilow's initials are BM..

[Chipper Chat]

35. Hey, I'd much rather get Barry Manilow

than some Jack Hoffer doing it to a goth metal soundtrack.
(But maybe I'm just a prude).
:)

[Dead_Parrot]

37. Maniroll. nt

[rpannier]

48. If I click the link and get Barry Manilow

I report it
Put the person on ignore
And start a campaign to get that person tombstoned

[Drops_not_Dope]

52. yeah

I've heard about those "campaigns"

[ThisThreadIsSatire]

62. But Barry...

... "writes the links that make the whole world click" ... or something like that...

[eleny]

8. And please post the "meat" of the article

Call me lazy but there's so much to keep up with every day. Most articles don't get to the heart of the matter for a couple of paragraphs.

And thanks to those who take the time to bold the most relevant sentences. Huge thanks!

[MineralMan]

9. You sure are picky.

I was hoping that a gentle nudge would work. Perhaps I'm just naive :hug:

[eleny]

10. Might as well pile on!

[inna]

22. +1

[Esra Star]

11. The more "Netiquette" the better.Thank you,nt

[Ohio Joe]

13. K&R

Very good recommendations, I agree completely.

[stevedeshazer]

14. Complete agreement here.

Thanks, that needed to be said.

[tonysam]

17. I will NOT put the site name on my links.

All you have to do is move your curser over the link and it will tell you where it comes from. It doesn't kill people to do it.

[MineralMan]

32. You don't have to. It was only a polite request. You're free to

ignore polite requests.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

42. Does it kill you to include the site name? (n/t)

[inna]

20. kr, in full agreement with you on this.

[LeftishBrit]

21. Good points

'I hate clicking a YouTube link, only to find Barry Manilow or someone on the other end.'

(snort!) Now THAT's a fate worse than death!

[Nikki Stone1]

23. And hiding your links under "your own words" like

Obama Gives Away Free Money!!


LOL!!! :rofl:

[laughingliberal]

43. Lol! nt

[freddie mertz]

66. HA! You know that is the absolute worst. Deceptive, and rude to boot.

I wish that practice would stop.

[gleaner]

24. I agree with you ...

I won't go to a link if I don't know where it is taking me. I learned that once when I clicked on an anonymous link and got flooded with trojans, and had my Home Page rerouted. I really don't like going to video links unless I know what they are about. A lot of the time I have the speakers down on my computer and if it is something I want to see and hear, it gives me a sec to turn them up. Thanks for your post and thanks to everyone in advance for cooperating. (Uh, please?;)

[Dr.Phool]

25. Link?

[slipslidingaway]

27. Thank you :) n/t

[HipChick]

29. Now I feel like RickRolling Mineral Man..

:loveya: :rofl:

[MineralMan]

31. You're never gonna let me down, I'm sure!

:hug:

[TroubleMan]

45. Use the new one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6FUR_nhGX8

[RoccoR5955]

61. I gotta admit

The new one is funnier, but the old one will keep the clueless, clueless.

[RoccoR5955]

68. Damn you!

Now I can't get that damn tune out of my head!

[Kitty Herder]

34. Thanks for posting this! I couldn't agree more.

[Dead_Parrot]

36. damn right

If there's one thing I hate, it's finding something like:

ZOMG! This is amazing!!!

www.youtube.com/whatever

And when I click on it, it's the pastor of the 3rd baptist church of Little Buttfuck, WI, announcing he's giving up his car for lent and riding a bicycle. Yeah, good on him, but there's 2 minutes of my life I won't see again. Someday, somebody will post the secret to the elixir of eternal youth in a post saying

You have got to see this!!!

www.youtube.com/immortality

and I'll miss it.

[Cetacea]

38. Seriously. What about insults, general nastiness, 'n stuff like that?

I find this complaint a bit odd, frankly. Thanks though. I didn't know not describing links was regarded as being somehow rude.

[Cetacea]

39. Link to "The Beauty of the Cove"

Hope you enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJBxNbO7mRQ

[earcandle]

41. Thanks for the tips!

[waiting for hope]

44. Thank you - because you know,

it is absolutely infuriating to have to click on useless crap, over and over because we just have oodles of time during our busy day.

K&R

[Bjorn Against]

46. ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oavMtUWDBTM

[Bjorn Against]

47. Sorry, I agree with you I just had to be a smart ass.

Don't worry though it is not Barry Manilow, although you may well wish it was.

[HopeHoops]

49. Shit, you think a YouTube of Manilow is bad? How about getting dragged to one of his CONCERTS!

Yes, this happened to me. My girlfriend insisted I go. This was in like 1981 mind you, but you just can't get over the trauma of something like that.

[MineralMan]

50. The things we do for love, eh?

[hfojvt]

55. link?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoGIKKMiOQw

[MineralMan]

57. Thanks. Not Barry Manilow, but not far from it.

I wondered if anyone would remember the song...

[myrna minx]

51. Thank you. K&R n/t

[tXr]

53. For those who use Firefox, may I suggest a link-previewing extension?

http://interclue.com/

I have found this extension to be valuable for previewing or even reading an entire link without having to click it.

[tammywammy]

54. You know what else I really hate

OPs that are "OMG!!1! Did you just see that on Rachel???!?!?!"

And then that's it. Seriously, no explaniation of WTF they're even talking about. Very annoying. As are the OPs with an interesting title but then just a link inside. And I do hate those shortened links too.

/:rant:

[HughMoran]

56. Very very very good advice

I am one who acts as you describe and will often simply hide a thread with questionable links and no explanation as to where it leads. Missing links can be requested, but it's obviously preferable that they are included at the outset.

[CreekDog]

58. If you linking to a Rick Roll, please be kind enough to say so

:rofl:

[SteppingRazor]

59. I've got another suggestion: Link to whomever did the original work.

Maybe it's just my own pet peeve, but it bugs me when I go to a link, only to find out that it's just posting a story that was originally published elsewhere. Give credit where credit is due instead of linking to some random bog that didn't do an ounce of work, other than create an entry to repurpose someone else's work.

[RoccoR5955]

60. Yeah, I hate being Rick-rolled.

And with the amount of malware out there, it's getting hard. I put a hosts file on all my Windoze PCs, that I got here, that prohibits you from gaining access to known malware sites, but that number keeps growing. Here's a complete link to the site where I get my hosts file from: http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

[dmallind]

63. I have two issues with links

1)Unilateral expectations. If we are discussing something for which facts are widely known to be available I think it's fair to expect people to KNOW the facts before pontificating. These are just some of the factual corrections I've had to make to outrageously silly claims on DU recently and in EVERY case I was asked for a link rather than the purveyor of the stupidly false claim I was correcting. Shouldn't people refrain from making claims on objective issues if they need a link for where that information resides? Why should I tell them where they can look if they know enough to make a claim?

China owns most of our debt (it owns less than 7% of it)
Being overweight kills more than smoking (well under 1/4)
Booze kills more than smoking (same - well under 1/4)
The US debt is bound to cause total economic collapse if it reaches 90% of GDP (at least a half dozen countries exceed that ratio - in some cases more than doubling it - none of them have collapsed)
We don't manufacture anything any more (measured in absolute AND real dollars we manufacture more than we have for more than 40 years, and are the world's biggest manufacturer by far)

All these things are claims about numbers where a simple Google search will identify not only facts, but in most cases easy to read data on the official agency responsible for measuring them on the first page. If you don't know the facts don't pretend you do. If somebody who does tells you what they are don't demand a link for a simple seacrh.


2) Even when links are provided, abovementioned idiots will routinely try to pretend that their gut feel should be trusted more than CDC, UN or Treasury data and that it's simply impossible we manufacture that much because all the T shirt and toy factories are closed in their town. Or that somehow the Treasury is lying about who owns US T-bills because China MUST own all ouyr debt because every time they want to buy something at Wal-Mart it says "Made in China", or because their granny smoked 60 a day and lived to 90 smoking isn't really as dangerous as booze because they heard about a kid hit by a drunk driver on teh news yesterday.

If you are going to demand a link, at least be an adult and admit when your out-of-your-ass guess was wrong when you see the real facts.

[northofdenali]

64. Especially thanks for the YouTube suggestion -

since we're broke, we've had to go to a much lower, slower bandwidth. I have to shut down virtually all other tabs to view a YouTube video, and knowing some content in advance is extremely welcome!

K&R

[johan helge]

65. To the OP: Barry Manilow is a great guy!

He participated in the best Obama song I've heard, "American Prayer":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVi4rUzf-0Q

[freddie mertz]

69. K & R. Time to stop the confusion and the NONSENSE!

If a link is called for, provide a sample of the information it contains, and maybe your own comment on it.

But let's put a permanent stop to the sort of meaningless and misleading "link" without context, that seem to be posted only to disrupt of confuse otherwise reasonable threads.

[waiting for hope]

70. Hee hee ...

You are one righteous dude freddie .. ;)

[freddie mertz]

71. Thanks, my friend.

Waiting indeed....