How do you make MR forum links clickable?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi everyone.

This question just came up again on another thread so I thought I would post it here for wider consumption. What’s the trick?

Please note that I am not asking about links to web sites outside of the forums. Those I can do.

Thanks

Dave

P.S.

Before anybody goes after me for not doing a search, I did do a search but I got the usual multiple hits that don’t pertain to the topic. I’ll be darned if I am going to read 50 posts trying to find an answer.

2

Dave,

Another forum member passed this trick on to me (I was just trying to do a search to remember whom it was)

So, what I learned to do was to preceed the link with:

left bracket>url>right bracket then paste your link and follow it with:

left bracket>forward slash>url>right bracket. Make all this without spaces.

and that makes your link “live” within cstrains dot com.

try it, you’ll like it.

type [ then type url then type ] paste link here then type [ then type / then type url then type ]

It’s tough for me to show an example because the http wants to make it into a link.

Ed

3

Disregard, I’m having similar problems to show how as Ed did, [banghead] [banghead] basically I do the same as he does but for all external links.

4

Here’s the example! I made a scan and entered the code as a photo so the internet doesn’t read it as a line of instruction…

So, this is what your final link should look like. The instructions in brackets before and after the link will not appear in the post but it will make it “clickable” within the cs.trains site.

Whew! Ed

5

Or, if you want the link to describe what the link is…

“left bracket” url= webpage address “right bracket” The text you want to appear “left bracket” /url “right bracket”. The example shown below iS how you would type it, without the quotes around the first bracket. In actual practice, you would insert the bracket without the quotes. The “[” at the beginning is shown in quotes only to prevent the line above from appearing as a link.

"["url=http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88.aspx] Model Railroader General Discussion forum[/url]

Model Railroader General Discussion forum

6

Ed,

Thanks for that…just testing[;)]

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/219241.aspx?page=1

7

Ed and Marlon:

Thanks very much for explaining the process clearly. When it comes to computors I am one who desperately needs clear explanations, not the severely abrieviated “just do this…” ones.

Much appreciated. It will save me some time not having to post my little blurb about ‘highlight,right click, select ‘open link’’.

Dave

8

I just copy and paste.

9

BRAKIE:

That works for everything, except it seems any links which are to forum posts themselves.

The strange thing is that when you are writing the post and insert a link from the forums, the link shows in blue print suggesting that it should be clickable. However, when you actually submit the post the link no longer shows in blue and doesn’t work.

Anyhow, Ed has given us the solution.

Thanks again Ed.

Steven Otte: Is anyone working on this problem? I hope so.

Dave

10

Thanks, Dave.

I’m just passing on the hint as it was explained to me by a fellow forum member whom also was shown by someone else. Wish I could remember who… but when I figure that out I’ll give credit. Either way it sure helps to be able to directly click to refer to another cs.trains post.

We could really use a forum “Quick-start 101 guide” that also includes a tutorial on posting PHOTOS!

Happy Railroading, Ed

11

Since this had stopped working, I’ll do a couple tests.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/247876/2765514.aspx#276551

For some reason, the URL codes didn’t work for a while after the new software was put in place. Glad it works again.

One Post Up

12

Like This?

http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/743/t/247899.aspx

(ok, that didn’t work… here is the off site link that I really wanted you to see…)

BTW: There is a good video on there about Belmont Park Service this weekend.

ROAR

13

You can also Bookmark the page for Firefox or Favorites for IE… That way the discussion is in your web browser and easily found. I have done that with many discussions.

Rich

14

Actually, the easiest way to do it, is to copy the website address, then, in the forum, click on the link icon (it looks like a little chain), then paste the address in the middle box of the window that opens.

15

For most links, the link button does. Not on cs.trains links though. Then you need the [url] trick.

I only do the [url] when referencing trains.com forums! I use the link button on everything else.

16

Thank You very much for the URL Tips.