[Rhodes22-list] URL posting tips

[John Lock]

Hi folks,

Most e-mail software or web-based e-mail will automatically detect 
the presence of web addresses in e-mail copy and try to make a 
clickable link out of them.  However, sometimes you can do things 
that subvert that process in various ways.  The result is usually an 
invalid link that goes nowhere or returns an error message from the web server.

So... to minimize those chances here are some tips for pasting URLs 
into e-mail -

1) When pasting a URL into e-mail, make sure it starts with the 
protocol specifier.  That will be http:, https:, ftp:, etc.  Some 
URLs do not start with "www" (so you need the protocol to get it 
right) and some software will not link it if it doesn't have a valid protocol.

2) Resist the urge to emphasize the URL by adding quotes, parens, 
brackets, or other characters.  Just make sure it has at least one 
space before and after it.

3) If you have a real long URL (like Google maps), some mail readers 
will not link it correctly when it wraps onto two or more lines.  Use 
http://tinyurl.com/ to make a short version for posting in 
e-mail.  It's free, easy, and only takes about 5 seconds to make one.

For example, TinyURL turns this:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=160+sinclair+lane,+Eatonton,+GA&sll=33.224939,-83.261282&sspn=0.008598,0.015278&ie=UTF8&ll=33.225729,-83.260832&spn=0.008598,0.015278&t=h&z=16&iwloc=addr

into this:

http://tinyurl.com/2qvcxo


Cheers!

John Lock
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
s/v Pandion - '79 Rhodes 22
Lake Sinclair, GA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~