12 December 2013

On linking to blog posts -- a minor matter

There's an odd glitch that occasionally happens when linking to posts on Blogger blogs, and I think I've finally figured out what causes it.

The glitch occurs when the hyperlinked URL of the post includes a tag "#links" at the end.  To see what I mean, try the two URLs below, which both go to a recent post of mine:

http://infidel753.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-iran-deal.html

http://infidel753.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-iran-deal.html#links

The first URL is the correct one -- it takes you to the top of the post, the logical place to start reading.  The second URL, with the incorrect tag on the end, takes you to the bottom of the post -- a minor inconvenience but something of an annoying distraction.  Yet some bloggers, every now and then, use the second kind of URL to link to a post for some reason.

I think what's happening here is a misunderstanding of the purpose of the clickable phrase "links to this post" which appears at the bottom of every post on some Blogger blogs.  The purpose of this is to show the reader any existing links which have already been made to the post from elsewhere.  However, it could easily be mistaken for a way to create a new link to the post, which is not its intended use.  Right-clicking on "links to this post" and copying would produce a URL with the incorrect "#links" tag attached.

The right way to create a link to an individual post is to use either the post title or the "posted at" time at the bottom.  Clicking on either of these will take you to the post and you can copy the URL from the space where it appears at the top of your browser window; or, you can right-click on either the title or the post time to get the URL.  On a few blogs (including mine) the post title does not work for this purpose and the "posted at" time is the only way to get a correct URL for an individual post.

I hope this post will help clear up this small glitch in the world of blogging.

2 Comments:

Blogger okjimm said...

whoa.... the only links I truly understand are sausage ones.... and then... only with hashbrowns and eggs over easy. whole wheat, please.

13 December, 2013 12:36  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

To paraphrase Bismarck, those who like sausages and blog posts should not watch them being made.....

14 December, 2013 01:47  

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