In his 6/23/01 Phys-L post "Re: lab simulations," Larry Smith wrote,
in response to the use of Inept URL Syntax (IURLS) by a Phys-L
subscriber:
1. "If URLs include the http:// part then they will be active in all
modern e-mail clients. Aside: if they are also enclosed in angle
brackets then line breaks won't break them." [As a test of the latter
aside for your system, click on the probably line-overlapping URL's
in refs. 1 & 2.]
Among previous Phys-L/PhysLrnR posts making the same point are (in
reverse chronological order:
2. My Phys-L post(1) of 4/30/01 "Why Do We use B for the Magnetic
Field? - Twelve Posting Suggestions": "9. Give URL's as
<http://www......> (note the angle brackets) so that they will
survive line breaks and are hot-linked [note that <www.....> is NOT
hot-linked]."
3. My PhysLrnR post(2) of 11/15/00 "Twelve Posting Suggestions (was
"Re: Transfer of innovation"): "9. Give URL's as <http://www......>
(note the angle brackets) so that they will survive line breaks and
are hot-linked [note that <www.....> is NOT hot-linked]."
4. Larry Smith's Phys-L post of 7/31/00 "URL Syntax" regarding IURLS
by a Phys-L subscriber: "Here's my annual reminder that if URLs
include the http:// part and are enclosed in angle brackets then they
are active in modern e-mail clients and won't break over line breaks."
5. Larry Smith's Phys-L post of 4/22/98 "Re: Archie" regarding IURLS
by a Phys-L subscriber: "If we all enclose URLs in angle brackets <>
then line breaks won't be a problem and the whole URL will be
double-clickable."
Considering that "Rules and models destroy genius and art" (William
Hazlitt 1778-183 "On Taste") the use of inept URL syntax, but, more
importantly, gross violations of common-sense posting
suggestions(1-4) such as:
"4. Quote or repeat only the relevant sections of the post to which
you are responding and not the complete post (as may occur when you
hit the "reply" button),
5. NEVER send attachments to lists (they will often appear as pages
of code and may introduce viruses),"
6. NEVER send messages in HTML or "enriched text." Some subscribers
may receive your message interspersed with HTML tags so that it is
almost impossible to read,"
will probably continue to plague free-spirited discussion groups such
as Phys-L and PhysLrnR, despite futile postings such as "1" - "5"
above.
Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
24245 Hatteras Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
<rrhake@earthlink.net>
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake>
4. A.C. Engst, "Mailing List Manners 101 & 102", online at
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbser=1141>. In my opinion
Engst's Manners Courses 101 & 102 should be prerequisites for all
list subscriptions.