Adding Links to Posts in the forum

[Guest LilBambi]

I know some folks have noted that the forum doesn't give an easy way to link works to the web address within forum posts.

 

Like Josh noted in a later post in this topic, the easiest way is to highlight some text in your posting and click the link. It asks for the URL and go. Two steps and you are done.

 

But there are times when you really wish to have the entire article title and copying and pasting it you end up with some huge header text like below and want to bring it down a notch or two. The following method makes it easy under those circumstances.

 

Under these circumstances, the best way to do it is very similar to the way you would do it in a blog posting.

 

1. Add or paste* words that you want to be the link such as the title of an article

 

 

2. Highlight the words that you want to be linked:

 

 

remove formatting:

 

 

make the text bold if you like and add the publication name after the article name:

 

 

3. While all the words you want to be linked are highlighted, click the gray/green link icon in the formatting bar:

 

 

and paste* the link address (NOTE: you can go between your browser tabs to snag the link address)

 

 

 

4. Done

 

 

*paste - this is usually what I do. I copy the article title from the article itself and paste it. Often it's a 'title text which is way too big. So I highlight the text I just pasted and click the pink/white eraser remove format icon to the right of the light switch and it removes all formatting.

 

Not much harder than the way we used to do it and makes things look better. Of course you can still just post links but no one will know what it is and they may not want to click the link. Up to you.

 

NOTE: I have noticed that you need to get to the literal end of the line after the link to type information that does not become part of the link. To do that, I have found the easiest way is to use the down arrow a couple times at the end of the link. That will move you to the end after the link ends and it won't be part of the link. Also helps for getting to the end of bold type, color or other formatting as well.

 

Hope that helps.

Edited May 19, 2012 by LilBambi
adding Josh's notation and other alternate text at beginning of post.

[V.T. Eric Layton]

It's always been relatively easy to hyperlink here; even before the upgrade. People are just lazy, like me. I just post raw links, usually.

[crp]

so does this work?

[securitybreach]

It's always been relatively easy to hyperlink here; even before the upgrade.

 

Yup, it is pretty simple but thanks for a making a pictorial on how to do this Fran

 

so does this work?

 

Works beautifully!!

[crp]

Yup, it is pretty simple but thanks for a making a pictorial on how to do this Fran

Works beautifully!!

good, now if can just figure out the 'MutliQuote' thing and what the hyperlink link to anchored text is.

[Guest LilBambi]

When you figure out the hyperlink to anchored text, please feel free to write a tutorial!

[Webb]

That's a minimum of 6 steps, not 4, and I couldn't duplicate your results even with the template open.

 

The old forum could do this natively in 1 or 2 steps - copy the link and manually type the text or copy the link and edit the text afterwards.

 

I think you'll see fewer than 5% of youir users bother to attempt real text, thus 90% or more links will be gibberish, thus far less clickthroughs.

[Guest LilBambi]

I didn't choose their way of doing changes. This is not my way, it's the way and I am only the messenger.

 

No one says you have to do it this way. That's up to you. Do it however you want.

[Webb]

Who are "they"? I suggested that "they" create an easier way to make plain text links.

 

I don't want to do it your way and I don't want to do it my way - they are just workarounds.

 

I want "them" to fix this "improvement" that isn't an improvement at all.

[securitybreach]

Actually I just highlight the text I want to link, click the Link button and it asks for the url. Then I enter the url, click ok and it is done

 

This is the same exact method I used on the old forum version so I am curious as to how the method has changed.

[Guest LilBambi]

Yep, in many cases I will do the same thing, Josh, and it's just 2 steps (highlight text i want to hyperlink and click the Link button and add the URL).

 

But sometimes, it maybe easier to use the entire article name, and when you post it, it is too big because it brought along its header formatting. In those cases, I use the remove formatting and then make it bold before clicking the Link button and adding the URL.

[Guest LilBambi]

I certainly wish they (IPS developers) had maintained some semblance of continuity between the old and the new in regard to links, Webb.

 

The editor is their choice, not ours. They have gone to their own customized version of CKEditor.

 

If you are not happy with it, i would suggest posting on their Community Forum and sharing your thoughts on it and maybe they will change it.

[ross549]

Who are "they"? I suggested that "they" create an easier way to make plain text links.

 

I don't want to do it your way and I don't want to do it my way - they are just workarounds.

 

I want "them" to fix this "improvement" that isn't an improvement at all.

 

How exactly do you want this feature to be implemented? Right now it is select text, click hyperlink button, past URL, and then click OK, and done. Aside from typing the BB code, it is about as simple as it gets.

 

What is the better way to do it?

 

Adam

[Guest LilBambi]

Good point Adam. I thought it was pretty easy as well. But then I have several blogs and fell right in with it.

[Webb]

You can select text or url, you can not select both simultaneously. And clicking the hyperlink button pops up a box with only one option - insert url. There is no way to edit the text.

 

Leaving you with something like this and no way to edit it,

 

http://forums.scotsn...showtopic=55065

[Guest LilBambi]

If you want text you can edit, type some text for the link and highlight it before click Link icon.

 

You can edit your text however you like after adding the link ... right in the editor window.

 

TEMPORARY TEXT FOR LINK

 

Same link text below but changed to what I want after I added the link.

 

Google Link Text

[ross549]

That would be a good feature request.... the link text in the edit popup.

 

Are you copying the text over from another tab as well, Webb?

 

Adam

[V.T. Eric Layton]

Actually I just highlight the text I want to link, click the Link button and it asks for the url. Then I enter the url, click ok and it is done

 

This is the same exact method I used on the old forum version so I am curious as to how the method has changed.

 

That's how I do it also, when I feel like doing anything beyond just pasting raw links.

[Guest LilBambi]

I can't believe IPS removed it either, but they did, and it was their choice. There have been many versions done since then and they haven't changed it.

 

If you really want it, I strongly suggest what I said earlier. Please go to IPS and submit a topic requesting it.

[sunrat]

The first icon in the Editor window is "Toggle editing mode". If you need to edit the text or URL individually, this will easily enable you to do that.

I've already adapted to most of the forum changes and have already forgotten how it used to be.

 

I bet lots of people were upset about electric lights when they replaced gas ones too.

[abarbarian]

I bet lots of people were upset about electric lights when they replaced gas ones too.

 

Yeah our village lamplighter was pretty hacked off at the invention of electricity.

[V.T. Eric Layton]

Ah... gaslights. How I miss them.

[Guest LilBambi]

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times...but only when one remembers...to turn on the light." ~Albus Dumbledore