Please paste the site you'd like to link! January 31, 2014 5:22 AM Subscribe
Very minor (probably) pony mod request: Can you stop pre-filling the comment editor's Link button prompt with "http://"?
I could be wrong, but I'm guessing the most common use case for that button is people on mobile or tablet browsers that they are pasting in a link they copied from another tab, rather than typing in a URL from memory. As such, they will already have the full URL with the http:// (or whatever protocol) included in their pasteboards.
Every single time I use the link button, the first thing I do is delete the seven pre-filled characters in the alert box.
I could be wrong, but I'm guessing the most common use case for that button is people on mobile or tablet browsers that they are pasting in a link they copied from another tab, rather than typing in a URL from memory. As such, they will already have the full URL with the http:// (or whatever protocol) included in their pasteboards.
Every single time I use the link button, the first thing I do is delete the seven pre-filled characters in the alert box.
On iOS, it's not pre-selected when the pop-up box appears, but it's really only one more tap to get rid of it.
posted by Etrigan at 5:32 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by Etrigan at 5:32 AM on January 31, 2014
You don't have to- it automatically removes a double http://.
posted by zamboni at 5:33 AM on January 31, 2014 [15 favorites]
posted by zamboni at 5:33 AM on January 31, 2014 [15 favorites]
For me, those first seven prefilled letters are pre-highlighted/selected. The paste keystroke overwrites them. (Windows + Chrome, FF and/or IE9)
posted by klarck at 5:34 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by klarck at 5:34 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yeah, selecting and pasting over out will be faster for you than tapping backspace several times.
posted by kavasa at 5:45 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by kavasa at 5:45 AM on January 31, 2014
I'm on iOS when this comes up. Does anyone type in URLs by hand more often than they paste one in, though?
posted by ignignokt at 5:49 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by ignignokt at 5:49 AM on January 31, 2014
You don't have to- it automatically removes a double http://
Let me try this again. On at least iOS, You don't have to remove the initial http://. The link dialog button automatically changes a double http:// to a single one.
Let me try this again. On at least iOS, You don't have to remove the initial http://. The link dialog button automatically changes a double http:// to a single one.
No, each browser decides how to handle that. Desktop browsers highlight the http:// so you can paste over it, iOS devices don't. So on the iPhone at least you can tap and hold in the link dialog, choose Select All, and then paste. We also check for the string "http://http://" and turn it into one "http://" via the link dialog only. So if you happen to put "http://http://www.example.com/" into the new link dialog you will end up with "http://www.example.com/" in the textarea.posted by zamboni at 5:54 AM on January 31, 2014 [4 favorites]
ignignokt: " Does anyone type in URLs by hand more often than they paste one in, though?"
The http:// in the link box is actually a pony in response to people posting URLs without the http://.
posted by Mitheral at 6:04 AM on January 31, 2014
The http:// in the link box is actually a pony in response to people posting URLs without the http://.
posted by Mitheral at 6:04 AM on January 31, 2014
We used to see a lot of (broken) links without the http://
That's become a much rarer thing, at least in part because of the pre-filled fields.
For the greater good, I would suggest using this pony for glue.
posted by pipeski at 6:13 AM on January 31, 2014 [4 favorites]
That's become a much rarer thing, at least in part because of the pre-filled fields.
For the greater good, I would suggest using this pony for glue.
posted by pipeski at 6:13 AM on January 31, 2014 [4 favorites]
Testing
Hey, it works! Thinking I had to erase it each time on the ipad was slightly irritating, glad to know I was being a dunce.
Now if only auto-capitalization after links and italicizing worked the same on the ipad and the iphone...
posted by Dip Flash at 6:14 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Hey, it works! Thinking I had to erase it each time on the ipad was slightly irritating, glad to know I was being a dunce.
Now if only auto-capitalization after links and italicizing worked the same on the ipad and the iphone...
posted by Dip Flash at 6:14 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
When I paste a link on my (android) phone using the dialog box, if I don't manually delete what's already there it turns into "http://%20https://www....."
Obviously, I can fix this if I remember to just delete it before pasting, but still.
posted by phunniemee at 6:29 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Obviously, I can fix this if I remember to just delete it before pasting, but still.
posted by phunniemee at 6:29 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yay! This always annoyed me and now I know it was for no reason.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:37 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:37 AM on January 31, 2014
Huh. That has always annoyed the crap out of me. Good to know!
posted by koeselitz at 6:39 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by koeselitz at 6:39 AM on January 31, 2014
Yeah, I have the same problem in Android as phunniemee. I just have to manually delete it, or wait until I'm at a keyboard to post links (which is what I've ended up doing).
posted by Elementary Penguin at 6:43 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by Elementary Penguin at 6:43 AM on January 31, 2014
check check
Cool! http://https:// is also stripped down to http://. Wish I knew about that trick before!
posted by ignignokt at 6:47 AM on January 31, 2014
Cool! http://https:// is also stripped down to http://. Wish I knew about that trick before!
posted by ignignokt at 6:47 AM on January 31, 2014
I just paste over the top in Android. Not a big deal for me either way.
posted by arcticseal at 7:00 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by arcticseal at 7:00 AM on January 31, 2014
Even if you get rid of the http:// and put in something like an abp: subscription link, the link button glues http:// onto the front.
abp: links do survive if you hand-edit the http:// out of the resulting html.
javascript: links don't, because pb is a great big fun-spoiling poopyhead.
posted by flabdablet at 7:35 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
abp: links do survive if you hand-edit the http:// out of the resulting html.
javascript: links don't, because pb is a great big fun-spoiling poopyhead.
posted by flabdablet at 7:35 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Interesting, phunniemee and Elementary Penguin. It sounds kinda like your specific client is appending a space in there somehow, hence the crufty %20 and the lack of auto-cleanup. I'll point pb at this, it's possible it's an exception case that's easy to fix somehow, but he'd know way way better than me.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:40 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:40 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Even if you get rid of the http:// and put in something like an abp: subscription link, the link button glues http:// onto the front.
I don't think MeFi needs to provide special handling for arbitrary pseudo-protocols.
posted by zamboni at 7:47 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
I don't think MeFi needs to provide special handling for arbitrary pseudo-protocols.
posted by zamboni at 7:47 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
zamboni: "The link dialog button automatically changes a double http:// to a single one. "
*jaw drops*
I'VE BEEN MANUALLY EDITING THEM FOR YEARS. ARRRRRGH.
posted by zarq at 8:05 AM on January 31, 2014 [13 favorites]
*jaw drops*
I'VE BEEN MANUALLY EDITING THEM FOR YEARS. ARRRRRGH.
posted by zarq at 8:05 AM on January 31, 2014 [13 favorites]
Y'all know how old people type out http:// when entering a URL? Lol old people.
posted by mullacc at 8:10 AM on January 31, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by mullacc at 8:10 AM on January 31, 2014 [5 favorites]
Like phunnimee and Elementary Penguin, I would support removing the http:// from the link popup for mobile. I almost always post from an android smartphone, and this problem is a persistent low-level annoyance.
The problem (at least with my Droid Maxx and Chrome) is this: When the dialog box comes up, the http:// is highlighted. So you think, hit backspace, no problem, right? however, the keyboard isn't up, and it unhighlights if you click into it so you have to backspace seven times.
Now, it is true that pasting over the whole highlighted thing deletes the highlighted http://. The problem with this is that android smartphones (that I have used) seem to greatly vary in how finicky/ridiculous the copy-paste functions are. With my previous phone, I almost always ended up pasting my URL into the middle of the prefilled http://, which is an annoying problem to fix. My current phone seems to be better at copying and pasting.
Maybe I am unusually terrible at copying and pasting, I dunno.
But yes, I have had this problem and briefly contacted the mods about it in May.
posted by purpleclover at 8:18 AM on January 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
The problem (at least with my Droid Maxx and Chrome) is this: When the dialog box comes up, the http:// is highlighted. So you think, hit backspace, no problem, right? however, the keyboard isn't up, and it unhighlights if you click into it so you have to backspace seven times.
Now, it is true that pasting over the whole highlighted thing deletes the highlighted http://. The problem with this is that android smartphones (that I have used) seem to greatly vary in how finicky/ridiculous the copy-paste functions are. With my previous phone, I almost always ended up pasting my URL into the middle of the prefilled http://, which is an annoying problem to fix. My current phone seems to be better at copying and pasting.
Maybe I am unusually terrible at copying and pasting, I dunno.
But yes, I have had this problem and briefly contacted the mods about it in May.
posted by purpleclover at 8:18 AM on January 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
The
With that in mind, I think we can safely remove it for the mobile view and see how that goes. You just have to know not to remove the extra
We can watch and see if it leads to more broken URLs. I get a report when broken URLs slip through the cracks and we have one or two every couple days. And that's with around 1,000 links being added to the site every day. So the system is working pretty well as it is, but I think the mobile tweak will make things less frustrating.
posted by pb (staff) at 8:19 AM on January 31, 2014 [7 favorites]
http:// is filled in there to remind people that they should use a full URL. But even if someone types in example.com the http:// will be added for them. So it's not as important as it once was.With that in mind, I think we can safely remove it for the mobile view and see how that goes. You just have to know not to remove the extra
http:// on iOS which means a lot of people will continue to highlight/paste or backspace their way to a correct URL. And removing the http:// should take care of the Android glitch.We can watch and see if it leads to more broken URLs. I get a report when broken URLs slip through the cracks and we have one or two every couple days. And that's with around 1,000 links being added to the site every day. So the system is working pretty well as it is, but I think the mobile tweak will make things less frustrating.
posted by pb (staff) at 8:19 AM on January 31, 2014 [7 favorites]
Y'all know how old people type out http:// when entering a URL? Lol old people.
The worst is when you're talking to someone on the phone and they say something like, "in order to access [esoteric form database] you can visit our website at...do you have a pen?...ayche tee tee pee colon slashmark slashmark doubleyou doubleyou doubleyou period ay as in apple bee as in boy see as in cloud period see as in cloud oh as in office em as in mary slashmark one of those swoopy lines like is over the en in spanish tee as in..."
Meanwhile I am dead, having committed seppuku with my phone ages ago.
posted by phunniemee at 8:20 AM on January 31, 2014 [12 favorites]
The worst is when you're talking to someone on the phone and they say something like, "in order to access [esoteric form database] you can visit our website at...do you have a pen?...ayche tee tee pee colon slashmark slashmark doubleyou doubleyou doubleyou period ay as in apple bee as in boy see as in cloud period see as in cloud oh as in office em as in mary slashmark one of those swoopy lines like is over the en in spanish tee as in..."
Meanwhile I am dead, having committed seppuku with my phone ages ago.
posted by phunniemee at 8:20 AM on January 31, 2014 [12 favorites]
I don't think MeFi needs to provide special handling for arbitrary pseudo-protocols.
Yeah, I tend to agree with that. I don't think
posted by pb (staff) at 8:24 AM on January 31, 2014
Yeah, I tend to agree with that. I don't think
abp: comes up that often but we could throw it in the mix. The alternate protocols we currently support in the link dialog are: ftp, news, finger, itms, gopher, and irc.posted by pb (staff) at 8:24 AM on January 31, 2014
I'm getting a little nostalgic. As a kid, I used to have a bunch of kid/teen-oriented "your first guide to the internet!" books from the early- and mid-90s that were mostly just early histories of the internet, collections of netiquette rules, emoticons, descriptions of things like FTPs, GOPHER, BBSes, MUDs and so on.
And the one thing they all had in common were the delightfully long URLs for fun wesbites:
You can visit Captain Steve's Star Trek Image Repository at: http://a99.gandalf.aub.edu/p_srvrs/000.667.az/users/fsa~031/strtrk/pictures.html
posted by griphus at 8:36 AM on January 31, 2014 [7 favorites]
And the one thing they all had in common were the delightfully long URLs for fun wesbites:
You can visit Captain Steve's Star Trek Image Repository at: http://a99.gandalf.aub.edu/p_srvrs/000.667.az/users/fsa~031/strtrk/pictures.html
posted by griphus at 8:36 AM on January 31, 2014 [7 favorites]
Also someone needs to make an FPP composed entirely of gopher links.
posted by griphus at 8:38 AM on January 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by griphus at 8:38 AM on January 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
The gopher links probably wouldn't work so well these days. Most modern browsers don't support it.
posted by pb (staff) at 8:40 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by pb (staff) at 8:40 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Usually I hate pony requests because my day job is 98% pony requests of a different sort, but I love this pony and will braid its forelock and keep its hooves clean and picked and make it hot mash every morning.
Thank you pb!
posted by winna at 8:42 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Thank you pb!
posted by winna at 8:42 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Most modern browsers don't support it.
What do you mean? It says right there in black and amber that Lynx supports it.
posted by griphus at 8:47 AM on January 31, 2014 [14 favorites]
What do you mean? It says right there in black and amber that Lynx supports it.
posted by griphus at 8:47 AM on January 31, 2014 [14 favorites]
phunniemee: "Y'all know how old people type out http:// when entering a URL? Lol old people.
The worst is when you're talking to someone on the phone and they say something like, "in order to access [esoteric form database] you can visit our website at...do you have a pen?...ayche tee tee pee colon slashmark slashmark doubleyou doubleyou doubleyou period ay as in apple bee as in boy see as in cloud period see as in cloud oh as in office em as in mary slashmark one of those swoopy lines like is over the en in spanish tee as in..."
Meanwhile I am dead, having committed seppuku with my phone ages ago."
There is an app for that?
posted by Splunge at 9:35 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
The worst is when you're talking to someone on the phone and they say something like, "in order to access [esoteric form database] you can visit our website at...do you have a pen?...ayche tee tee pee colon slashmark slashmark doubleyou doubleyou doubleyou period ay as in apple bee as in boy see as in cloud period see as in cloud oh as in office em as in mary slashmark one of those swoopy lines like is over the en in spanish tee as in..."
Meanwhile I am dead, having committed seppuku with my phone ages ago."
There is an app for that?
posted by Splunge at 9:35 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
ok, this change is live. Let me know if you run into trouble with it.
posted by pb (staff) at 9:59 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by pb (staff) at 9:59 AM on January 31, 2014
I've been wanting to ask for this for a couple years, but felt too stupid to admit it was bothering me. Yay!
posted by Devils Rancher at 10:44 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Devils Rancher at 10:44 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
aw yeah! Thanks, pb! Works well on iOS.
I've been wanting to ask for this for a couple years, but felt too stupid to admit it was bothering me. Yay!
Yup, no level of stupid-feeling will stop me!
posted by ignignokt at 11:11 AM on January 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
I've been wanting to ask for this for a couple years, but felt too stupid to admit it was bothering me. Yay!
Yup, no level of stupid-feeling will stop me!
posted by ignignokt at 11:11 AM on January 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
Meanwhile I am dead, having committed seppuku with my phone ages ago."
There is an app for that?
Fruit Ninja?
posted by maryr at 11:25 AM on January 31, 2014
There is an app for that?
Fruit Ninja?
posted by maryr at 11:25 AM on January 31, 2014
Yup, no level of stupid-feeling will stop me!
Oh god, that sounded like an insult, didn't it? I have a way of doing that quite by accident.
posted by Devils Rancher at 12:36 PM on January 31, 2014
Oh god, that sounded like an insult, didn't it? I have a way of doing that quite by accident.
posted by Devils Rancher at 12:36 PM on January 31, 2014
I feel stupid
Oh so stupid
I feel stupid and stupid and stup
And I pity any hurfy durfy doop doop doop.
posted by Metroid Baby at 2:11 PM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Oh so stupid
I feel stupid and stupid and stup
And I pity any hurfy durfy doop doop doop.
posted by Metroid Baby at 2:11 PM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Oh god, that sounded like an insult, didn't it? I have a way of doing that quite by accident.
Haha - don't worry, it did not. I know the feeling you're talking about.
posted by ignignokt at 2:28 PM on January 31, 2014
Haha - don't worry, it did not. I know the feeling you're talking about.
posted by ignignokt at 2:28 PM on January 31, 2014
Oh, I am so happy! Thank you, pb! I had the same Android issue described above and it never occurred to me that it could be fixed so simply!
posted by lollusc at 4:36 PM on January 31, 2014
posted by lollusc at 4:36 PM on January 31, 2014
I have an http: under my mattress.
posted by y2karl at 9:57 AM on January 31 [+] [!]
That's a lot more comfy than the https:// under mine. Them slashes are HARD!
posted by a humble nudibranch at 4:55 PM on January 31, 2014
posted by y2karl at 9:57 AM on January 31 [+] [!]
That's a lot more comfy than the https:// under mine. Them slashes are HARD!
posted by a humble nudibranch at 4:55 PM on January 31, 2014
Try adding a few more, and putting them closer together.
posted by flabdablet at 6:26 PM on January 31, 2014
posted by flabdablet at 6:26 PM on January 31, 2014
flabdablet: "Even if you get rid of the http:// and put in something like an abp: subscription link, the link button glues http:// onto the front.
abp: links do survive if you hand-edit the http:// out of the resulting html.
javascript: links don't, because pb is a great big fun-spoiling poopyhead."
That link does nothing in Chrome 32 on OSX 10.9.1.
I think pb will allow js links right after the sixth seal of the apocalypse is broken.
posted by double block and bleed at 7:21 PM on January 31, 2014
abp: links do survive if you hand-edit the http:// out of the resulting html.
javascript: links don't, because pb is a great big fun-spoiling poopyhead."
That link does nothing in Chrome 32 on OSX 10.9.1.
I think pb will allow js links right after the sixth seal of the apocalypse is broken.
posted by double block and bleed at 7:21 PM on January 31, 2014
That link does nothing in Chrome 32 on OSX 10.9.1.
ABP is not a real protocol, abp: links only work on browsers with Adblock Plus installed, and even then only as a page element, not as a bookmark or external site shortcut.
Adblock Plus for Firefox
Adblock Plus for Chrome
EasyList
EasyPrivacy
Fanboy's Annoyances
posted by flabdablet at 8:32 PM on January 31, 2014
ABP is not a real protocol, abp: links only work on browsers with Adblock Plus installed, and even then only as a page element, not as a bookmark or external site shortcut.
Adblock Plus for Firefox
Adblock Plus for Chrome
EasyList
EasyPrivacy
Fanboy's Annoyances
posted by flabdablet at 8:32 PM on January 31, 2014
javascript:alert('Sixth seal broken');Well that's alarming. Time to go hide in a cave.
posted by introp at 8:50 PM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
Yeah, that is surprising. I'll take a look at that.
posted by pb (staff) at 8:56 PM on January 31, 2014
posted by pb (staff) at 8:56 PM on January 31, 2014
Thanks for the heads up, flabdablet. I closed up that particular loophole and removed the code from your comment. We'll review our HTML filters to make sure there aren't more bugs lurking.
posted by pb (staff) at 9:40 PM on January 31, 2014
posted by pb (staff) at 9:40 PM on January 31, 2014
How come my comment got edited when that's against site policy, just because I wrote something a mod disagrees with? What about my right to free speech, eh? What about that?
Silenced all my life! I'm taking this to MetaTalk.
happy to help
posted by flabdablet at 12:15 AM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
Silenced all my life! I'm taking this to MetaTalk.
happy to help
posted by flabdablet at 12:15 AM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'll point pb at this,
my grammanazi is twitching to reverse the subject verb object order of your clause
pony!
posted by infini at 9:14 AM on February 1, 2014
my grammanazi is twitching to reverse the subject verb object order of your clause
pony!
posted by infini at 9:14 AM on February 1, 2014
Your grammanazi is twitching erroneously. No pony.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:23 AM on February 1, 2014
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:23 AM on February 1, 2014
flabdablet: "ABP is not a real protocol, abp: links only work on browsers with Adblock Plus installed, and even then only as a page element, not as a bookmark or external site shortcut."
OK. I have AdBlock installed, not ABP. You actually managed to insert working javascript into a comment but didn't use such a golden opportunity to load an image of a pissing elephant or rearrange the DOM elements?!
posted by double block and bleed at 2:34 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
OK. I have AdBlock installed, not ABP. You actually managed to insert working javascript into a comment but didn't use such a golden opportunity to load an image of a pissing elephant or rearrange the DOM elements?!
posted by double block and bleed at 2:34 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm just asshole whose intentions are good
posted by flabdablet at 8:05 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by flabdablet at 8:05 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
Sing it, Nina.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:08 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:08 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
"Sulk and Flounce" sounds so much like a shampoo name, yet is so very far off.....
posted by nevercalm at 6:06 PM on February 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by nevercalm at 6:06 PM on February 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
Sounds more to me like the kind of thing a shampoo manufacturer would promise you in a commercial: "Make every day your day with new improved Teeen, now with 37% more sulk and flounce!"
posted by flabdablet at 4:07 AM on February 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by flabdablet at 4:07 AM on February 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
*shaves head*
*starts singing Nothing Compares 2 U weirdos*
posted by infini at 4:34 AM on February 3, 2014
*starts singing Nothing Compares 2 U weirdos*
posted by infini at 4:34 AM on February 3, 2014
This needs more RegEx.
posted by blue_beetle at 5:12 AM on February 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by blue_beetle at 5:12 AM on February 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
Now you shampoo problems!
posted by flabdablet at 8:26 AM on February 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by flabdablet at 8:26 AM on February 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
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posted by Mitheral at 5:26 AM on January 31, 2014 [7 favorites]