Unable to see URL's
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I started having issues with invisible links a couple weeks ago. Windows 11 with Edge (I had to buy a new computer recently when my old XP unit died - I wish Microsoft would stop "improving" things - this old dog doesn't want to have to learn new tricks).
It is annoying - I can see the links if I click 'quote', but the link then isn't clickable - I have to copy and paste into a new window.
It is annoying - I can see the links if I click 'quote', but the link then isn't clickable - I have to copy and paste into a new window.

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I started having issues with invisible links a couple weeks ago. Windows 11 with Edge (I had to buy a new computer recently when my old XP unit died - I wish Microsoft would stop "improving" things - this old dog doesn't want to have to learn new tricks).
It is annoying - I can see the links if I click 'quote', but the link then isn't clickable - I have to copy and paste into a new window.
It is annoying - I can see the links if I click 'quote', but the link then isn't clickable - I have to copy and paste into a new window.
I also use "quote" to see the missing text, but because of the way the PPRuNe version of phpBB3 handles links, if there is text associated with the url, I cannot see the url, only the text. In the version we use in a much smaller board that I help manage, I would see the codes and the url too, something like this:

(I had to use an image, because another feature not present here is disabling BBCode to display what is actaully typed, not what it tells the system to display)

Join Date: Oct 2004
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One problem is that some URLs are not url-quoted. For instance: I guess that's because users don't use the link button.

The software is sometimes a bit too smart. Just copying a link into a post automatically (should) produce URL tags which (behind the scenes) work as nonsense posted above. You don't have to use the link button for that to happen. There are instances though where the software somehow doesn't automatically recognise the link, or treats it differently. That's when things get confusing.
This is similar to the confusion arising when posting Flickr embed codes. As there are two links hiding in that bit of code, it will produce two preview boxes with your image in them. Something similar happens with Youtube links (sometimes). If you ask me, I could use a 'disable automatic link parsing' option....
This is similar to the confusion arising when posting Flickr embed codes. As there are two links hiding in that bit of code, it will produce two preview boxes with your image in them. Something similar happens with Youtube links (sometimes). If you ask me, I could use a 'disable automatic link parsing' option....

My PC automatically cleans up cookies etc whenever I close my browser but I still have the issue. Running Win 10. Problem is the same with Firefox, Chrome and DuckDuck, CCleaner browser does not have the issue though.
One possible clue: the accept cookies screen flashes up and disappears before you can accept cookies in Firefox and Chrome but in CCleaner Browser the Cookies window stays up to accept cookies. Likewise, when running the Safari browser there is not an issue and the accept cookies window stays up.
One possible clue: the accept cookies screen flashes up and disappears before you can accept cookies in Firefox and Chrome but in CCleaner Browser the Cookies window stays up to accept cookies. Likewise, when running the Safari browser there is not an issue and the accept cookies window stays up.

Only half a speed-brake
Twitter links and preview element
Good morning everyone.
I kindly suggest to sort out the Twitter link situation by PPRuNe keeping(*) both the link and the embedded preview frame - which is not the case now. Although YouTube links are handled exactly that way already.
CASE:
Plain direct links Twitter posted by users are transformed into previews for enhanced viewing and possbily also for a few technical and commercial reasons. It is a nice feature afterall, also available on many other websites.
Post #8861 PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Is Ukraine about to have a war?
The way it is intended to display:

And here is what happens to it for multiple varied reasons:
i) beyond PPRuNe control and technical reach
ii) beyond reader's understanding or IT prowess

The marked red space is where two Twitter links went missing.
BTW: when quoting an "emptied" post, the links are transferred to the editor. Luckily we even have two syntax examples here:

At the same time, when viewing the empty space the way it is rendered, there is no selectable content delivered by the browser.

I kindly suggest to sort out the Twitter link situation by PPRuNe keeping(*) both the link and the embedded preview frame - which is not the case now. Although YouTube links are handled exactly that way already.
CASE:
Plain direct links Twitter posted by users are transformed into previews for enhanced viewing and possbily also for a few technical and commercial reasons. It is a nice feature afterall, also available on many other websites.
Post #8861 PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Is Ukraine about to have a war?
The way it is intended to display:

And here is what happens to it for multiple varied reasons:
i) beyond PPRuNe control and technical reach
ii) beyond reader's understanding or IT prowess

The marked red space is where two Twitter links went missing.
BTW: when quoting an "emptied" post, the links are transferred to the editor. Luckily we even have two syntax examples here:

At the same time, when viewing the empty space the way it is rendered, there is no selectable content delivered by the browser.


Only half a speed-brake
SUGGESTION:
Can we handle this same as the YouTube links? Where a preview is provided but the original link is also preserved?

The magic of this solution, which is missing in the way Twitter links are handled, is that if the preview panel does not load the user retains the possiblity to follow the linked source.

Keeping the link in addition to the preview element would be a great help.
Can we handle this same as the YouTube links? Where a preview is provided but the original link is also preserved?

The magic of this solution, which is missing in the way Twitter links are handled, is that if the preview panel does not load the user retains the possiblity to follow the linked source.

Keeping the link in addition to the preview element would be a great help.

Only half a speed-brake

I backtracked the link and believe I found what you linked, how does this open to others?
EDIT: or, how about linking as plain text for others to copy/paste? twitter.com/LvivJournal/status/1564896255804940288

Had the same problem last night it would not link to pages the whole site has problems, I tried a quote yesterday and got this, have removed the ['s so you can see it
QUOTE][QUOTE[/QUOTE[/QUOTE
I was told by using the chain image above you could add sites, tried that as well to no avail, BTW both my and your identical quote links work here.
QUOTE][QUOTE[/QUOTE[/QUOTE
I was told by using the chain image above you could add sites, tried that as well to no avail, BTW both my and your identical quote links work here.


Only half a speed-brake
Not a solution, but I have noticed that when the details about the poster (in this case NutLoose) are expanded as shown in the screenshot above, this means that the page has not finished loading for some reason. I often see this happening on my mobile, not on my laptop. The delay that is slowing down page loading could be related to the forum software looking up needed details on those Twitter links. Wait a bit longer or reload and (hopefully) they should show up. That is what happens on my phone....
However, that specific behaviour is independent of the Twitter preview element in my case. That issue is easily understood becasue Twitter is blocked by the ISP altogether. VPN on = previews show / VPN off = all Twitter links missing. Repeated and replicated in a controlled manner. Same for YouTube and that is how I got the screens for the other post.
The expanded user data seems to depend on the quality and stability of the connection to PPRuNe servers, which is often dubious. Sometimes I get stuck with it but not on every occasion. Use of VPN can either improve it or cause it, depends on the day.

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The problem is on PPRuNe's end. They are wrapping the URL in a redirect, but don't expand the redirect correctly when clicked;This started out as h t tp s: //www.pprune.org/redirect-to/?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dialog.ua%2Fblogs%2F257991_16619 67729, but the redirect didn't work properly.
Last edited by MarcK; 1st Sep 2022 at 03:09.

Moderator
Marck,
Thanks, I pointed this exact problem out to IB Tech back in June, with a workaround for moderators: if you Edit a post with a broken link and save it without changing anything, it fixes the links. A standard user can probably do that to their own posts but I've not tried.
SD
Thanks, I pointed this exact problem out to IB Tech back in June, with a workaround for moderators: if you Edit a post with a broken link and save it without changing anything, it fixes the links. A standard user can probably do that to their own posts but I've not tried.
SD

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Edit: But it didn't last for long. After a few hours the link had disappeared again.
Last edited by spekesoftly; 2nd Sep 2022 at 09:13. Reason: To update original post

Even when posting and trying to use the chain link (Ctrl K) it does not work, I have started to add the link that some including myself cannot always see and also in quotations that the MODS do not like as they have to open the links, that way hopefully as I have posted both they can see the content, even though the rest of us can't, this PC is on windows 10 and Firefox, or Microdross Edge and cannot see them other PC on 11 and firefox can, as can my Ipad....

Technical problems with Pprune
There are currently many complaints about mangled and non-functional links on the Military Aviation forum about unfollowable links/videos> I would like to add to that the updating of posts when you log on to the site. I am using a pc with brave browser and when I log on, the last post as listed on the "face page " may be completely outdated.

Administrator
Are you accepting all cookies from PPRuNe? If you are, but still experiencing the problem, could you link me to a post that contains a link experiencing the issue? All external links I've clicked on in this thread have functioned correctly.

I use NoScript, with PPRuNe.org the only one running scripts. This change in behavior is new; I presume something has changed - does it use a cookie provider or other script?
