[arachne] Fw: Re: how to make links clickable

Arachne at FreeLists---The Arachne Fan Club!

----- Forwarded message begin -----
From: "L.D. Best" <l.d.best@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Ray Andrews wrote:

>>As Sam pointed out, other programs have solved the problem so we can
>>too. What protocols are the other programs using? If we can't find
>>out then I'd suggest that a cautious first start might be to
>>just assume http if the rest of the string can be clearly identified
>>as a URL. How? Don't ask me, but it the competition does it we can
>>do it.
>

Glenn McCorkle replied:

>
> Ok, fine..... have it your way. <ggg>
>
> 'www.cisnet.com' will now become http://www.cisnet.com/
>
> http://www.cisnet.com/glennmcc/ara-gpl/broken_insight.gif
> http://www.cisnet.com/glennmcc/ara-gpl/broken_insight.zip
>
>

L.D. Best said it best<g>:

----------------------------
Other browsers do *not* have the "problem" solved, and people on AOL
don't have it solved, etc etc etc

If the problem were solved, you wouldn't see instructions all over the
place for "If clicking doesn't do the job, cut and paste the following
into your browser ...."

One thing you must be aware of:  Fewer and fewer URLs use WWW as their
tertiary domain level; URLs are getting scarser and keeping a secondary
domain in line is actually simpler if you branch to tertiary levels like
kickass.microsoft.com rather than trying to tie down
kickassmicrosoft.com ...

In addition, tertiary domains can actually define a website.  Something
like SanFrancisco.TheRightPlace4.Biz isn't likely to be searched for
someone in Boston or Indianapolis -- particularly when they find that
Boston.TheRightPlace4.Biz and/or Indianapolis.TheRightPlace4.Biz exist.

So forget defaulting to www; if the domain had been set up correctly in
the first place, the DNS would first search cisnet.com/glennmcc/ and if
not found would search www.cisnet.com BECAUSE TERTIARY DOMAIN LEVELS ARE
NOT SUPPOSED TO BE MANDATORY.

As for deciding whether something is http, ftp, telnet, finger, gopher
.... that has to be decided by the person(s) posting the link PERIOD.
And the likelyhood of finding any link to do with telnet, finger, or
gopher ... How about a little more reality and a little less sass in
here, ok ??????????

If only certain people have problems connecting when www or another
tertiary domain designation is not made, might I suggest people provide
a list of DNS that are *properly* set up to handle using secondary
domain as they should.

If the problem (which *I* really haven't seen that well defined,
although it may have been) is with links that have the proper protocol
prepended to them (http://b-for.org or ftp://fillintheblank.com:121)
then someone has already broken the software, because it ustah wurk jest
fine.  In fact, IIRC, for ftp:// the port number didn't even have to be
included in the url given; Arachne took care of that internally.

You can't make software do all things for all people, but a decision
tree could be developed that could have Arachne try http://b-for.org as
given, on error http://www.b-for.org, on error 'not valid' message.
Make the message specific and HELPFUL, not another damn skull and
crossbones error mssg.  Since we use html on many forms already, and
have variables floating around all over the place, I see no reason why
-- in cases like that shown above -- Arachne could not put up a screen
that says "http://b-for.org and/or http://www.b-for.org cannot be found
on the DNS (domain name server) you connect with.  Please double check
that this is not an 'ftp:// only' link" ... or words to that effect.

Arachne was not designed to think for people; doing things behind their
backs without saying anything to them will not make people like Arachne
any more than some of us like windoze.  Providing error messages that
can actually EDUCATE and INFORM can help people learn, and show them
that Arachne is for people with more than two brain cells to rub together.
------------------------------------------------------
Bah HUMBUG!  Hoppy neu year

l.d.
====

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-- 
 Glenn
 http://www.delorie.com/listserv/mime/
 http://www.cisnet.com/glennmcc/
 http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.table.html

Arachne at FreeLists
-- Arachne, The Web Browser/Suite for DOS and Linux --

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