Change in links

lutece

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 8, 2018
Messages
4,499
Purraise
5,739
Some web browsers don't show Amazon links. A link just shows up as the Amazon logo.
I see regular Amazon links just fine, but in Anne's post it doesn't appear to be a link, it appears to be coded as a special type of "Media" as follows:
Screen Shot 2020-02-11 at 9.35.11 AM.png
You can see what I mean if you "reply" to Anne's post and see how the system quotes the post.
 

LTS3

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
The media code allows an Amazon link to show up like this in the post:

Untitled.jpg


Some web browsers don't allow for the use of the media code or recognize the code so if an Amazon link is posted, instead of the actual full viewable link or a product link like the image above, you just see the Amazon logo and a big blank space. If you quote such a post, you don't see the Amazon link, only the media code.
 

lutece

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 8, 2018
Messages
4,499
Purraise
5,739
Some web browsers don't allow for the use of the media code or recognize the code so if an Amazon link is posted, instead of the actual full viewable link or a product link like the image above, you just see the Amazon logo and a big blank space. If you quote such a post, you don't see the Amazon link, only the media code.
My browser displays the other media codes on this site just fine (such as MEDIA=youtube), it is only MEDIA=amazon that doesn't appear to work.

However, I have no problem with the "long URLs" that people were complaining about earlier in this thread... those links work fine for me and I see the preview of the Amazon product.
 

LTS3

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
FireFox is the same. Youtube media links show up just fine but Amazon media links show up as a blank space with the Amazon logo :dunno:

The problem, which is the original topic of this thread, is that looonnng Amazon links causes some people to have to scroll across the screen and back in order to read the posts in the thread. It's annoying. It may depend on the browser used and whether a computer or phone or other device is used. The link itself works fine.
 

PushPurrCatPaws

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 22, 2015
Messages
10,061
Purraise
10,250
...
The problem, which is the original topic of this thread, is that looonnng Amazon links causes some people to have to scroll across the screen and back in order to read the posts in the thread. It's annoying. It may depend on the browser used and whether a computer or phone or other device is used. The link itself works fine.
:yeah:
I think when you have a responsive or fluid web design, sometimes you have to set a max-width in your code for certain things. On larger screens, sometimes the width of something like a long link or big image can fill the whole screen. Having a max-width can help at times.

But also, I saw this regarding long urls...
Handling Long Words and URLs (Forcing Breaks, Hyphenation, Ellipsis, etc) | CSS-Tricks


*I am not a full-blown techie person, just an interested-in-web-stuff TCS member... hope it's okay to mention the above info.*
:ruminating:
 

LTS3

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
A long link can be shortened by using TinyURL.com

Just paste the link in and the website will generate a short link. Might be a pain to have to remember to use TinyURL.com
to make any long link short.

I wonder if mod should edit that particular post to shorten / fix the long Amazon link.
 

Anne

Site Owner
Staff Member
Admin
Joined
Oct 23, 2000
Messages
40,207
Purraise
6,095
Location
On TCS
This platform supports the vast majority of web browsers, both for desktop and mobile. No platform can ever support 100% of browsers though. For desktop, anyone using Chrome or Firefox without any customization should have no problem viewing those Amazon links as they're properly embedded. This embedding is pretty much industry-standard. Not only is it more helpful for users, but it also includes an affiliate link that generates a small commission to us if anyone buys from the link (at no additional cost to the buyer).

With all that in mind, we'll be keeping the embedding system for Amazon products. If you're having issues viewing them while using a standard browser, by all means, please do report any issues! Just don't forget to let us know which browser you're using so we can reproduce the problem on our end.

Thanks!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #29

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Thread starter
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
22,429
Purraise
33,187
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
If you're having issues viewing them while using a standard browser, by all means, please do report any issues! Just don't forget to let us know which browser you're using so we can reproduce the problem on our end.
So, in my case, even though I am using a standard browser (IE), I'll just have to follow your suggestion in Post #18? I guess there is something going on in the 'background' of my computer settings that I haven't identified yet?
 

Anne

Site Owner
Staff Member
Admin
Joined
Oct 23, 2000
Messages
40,207
Purraise
6,095
Location
On TCS
So, in my case, even though I am using a standard browser (IE), I'll just have to follow your suggestion in Post #18? I guess there is something going on in the 'background' of my computer settings that I haven't identified yet?
About 1% of our views are in IE, so while it's a standard browser it's not a popular one. Chrome is overwhelmingly the most popular browser for desktop viewing for our audience, followed by Firefox (but Chrome is still 80 times more popular even than Firefox).
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #31

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Thread starter
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
22,429
Purraise
33,187
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
Chrome is 'popular' because in many cases it is a default browser, not one necessarily 'chosen' by users. I have Chrome on my phone, but for searches on my desktop I have found IE to be more effective. So, if I have to remove 'extraneous' data from links, it is OK by me and a small price to pay to stay away from Google when I can!!
 

Anne

Site Owner
Staff Member
Admin
Joined
Oct 23, 2000
Messages
40,207
Purraise
6,095
Location
On TCS
Chrome is 'popular' because in many cases it is a default browser, not one necessarily 'chosen' by users. I have Chrome on my phone, but for searches on my desktop I have found IE to be more effective. So, if I have to remove 'extraneous' data from links, it is OK by me and a small price to pay to stay away from Google when I can!!
Sure thing, whatever works for you :geekcat:
 
Top