RootsChat.Com
General => Technical Help => Topic started by: trystan on Tuesday 28 February 06 22:24 GMT (UK)
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Shrinking Very Long Website Links
We've put together a little tool to shrink down very long website links. You can use the tool at:
www.rootschat.com/links (http://www.rootschat.com/links)
Example
For example the rather long cryptic link:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=635500&Y=260500&A=Y&Z=3
Can be shrunken down to:
www.rootschat.com/links/02n/
Why bother?
You may wonder why bother shrinking down links? An advantage is that sometimes a very long link will make topics on RootsChat go very "wide". By shrinking it, the link will fit in your postings.
You can also use this utility for posting links to others in emails. Sometimes some email programs can break a very long website link in two.
Some people may have other sites/utilites that shrink links in a similar way. The difficulty is though is that when the links "break" we have no means of correcting them. We also don't know how long these site/utilities will work for. With the RootsChat Links tool, when a link does break, we can go in and try and fix them or work out why they no longer work.
Where can I use them?
You can use the RootsChat Links tool not just for links to post on RootsChat, but on other sites, in your emails, personal messages, or even in writing.
How do I use it?
To shrink a long link, go to:
www.rootschat.com/links
Put the long website link in the box and click "Shrink Link" - that's it.
A page will appear and tell you the shrunken link for the long one you put in.
(http://www.rootschat.com/forum/Images/rootschatlinks.jpg)
Shrink Button: You can also add a handy button to your "Links Toolbar" to automatically shrink links down whenever you are on a site. Details on how to set this up are on the www.rootschat.com/links page. Once you have set this up, just click the "RootsChat.com Links" button on your browser, and it will shrink it for you.
www.rootschat.com/links (http://www.rootschat.com/links)
Hope you find it useful. :)
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That's great Trystan - it will be really useful!! ;D ;D
Could you sticky it in the Common Room - please, pretty please?? Then we can all get to it if we need it, and newbies will see it too.
Hopefully
MarieC
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Thanks Trystan!
I got rid of "Tiny" and changed to "Small" already!! :P :P
Annie :) :)
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This is a great idea!
I can't get the button onto my toolbar however - HELP!!
Using IE v6
Get stuck at the bit where it says "hit OK" - does this mean ENTER or ?? Nothing happens. Can't have Tiny on toolbar either.
The weakest link is the operator!!
Arranroots ;)
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Arranroots,
I think it's "Yes" you need to press, not "OK" that it says in the instructions. What step have you got up to?
Trystan ;)
Internet Explorer: Users who use Internet Explorer may find that, clicking and dragging of the 'javascript' link above does not work. Adding a button to Internet Explorer can be done by:
1) Right-Click the link (with your right mouse button) and select "Add to Favorites..." from the menu.
2) Click "OK" if a security warning appears (this shows up because the link uses javscript).
3) Now select the folder called "Links" and then click OK. You should now see the "RootsChat Links" on your links toolbar as a buttton, if not, see the last paragraph above.
PS If he folder called "Links" is not there, then click the "Create in >>>" button) and create one called "Links"
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Hi Trystan
Step (3) - I highlight the folder to select it and then...
sorry to be dense, but couldn't get it to work!! ::) :P
p.s. have just been using it successfully though!
Arranroots ;)
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Do you see something like below at all?
A "Links" thing to the right hand side of Internet Explorer? You should be able to drag or move it it to reveal the buttons.
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Very useful Trystan, thanks very much ;).....and I have successfully added it to my toolbar (amazing really ;D).
Jan
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Hurray!
After a bit of jiggling I got the LINKS toolbar to appear as shown above.
I could then drag the icon to that Toolbar as suggested.
Thanks for making it simple for me!!
A ;)
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Arranroots,
Whoohoo! Now for shrunken links!
Trystan
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:D :D
http://www.rootschat.com/links/050/
;D ;D
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And a Happy Saint David's Day to you too :)
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Brilliant utility, will use it shortly!
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Oh dear oh dear!
I am either very thick or completely stupid!
I have created a couple of files as directed, but have not got a toolbar anywhere that I can see!
Where have I gone wrong? I have XP prof [but bad eyes]
How about, and this is too simple for words! Putting one one the roostchat header to avoid all this!
Rabbit B :-[
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This doesn't seem to be a documented feature on this site, but you can put any wording you wish into a link by following the protocol used by many other forums.
So, the link to this page http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=post;topic=134417.0;num_replies=13 can be condensed down to JUST THIS (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=post;topic=134417.0;num_replies=13) by altering the tags slightly........
The code change is {url=http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=post;topic=134417.0;num_replies=13}JUST THIS{/url}
or to put it another way {url=http://www.site_link_here}Your desired text here{/url}
You must replace the curly brackets with square ones to make this work ! (If I'd used square ones, you would not have seen them !)
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This doesn't seem to be a documented feature on this site
Topic: RootsChat Topics: How to use RootsChat / FAQs
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,207046.0.html
more specifically:
Topic: Post too W--I--D--E!
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,111822.0.html
Bob
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Hi Bob,
I have spent the last 10 minutes trying to follow the instructions re shinking that link! AGAIN! Lost count of the number of times I have tried to make it work!
Yes it does it work, but I have to copy and paste it afterwards. I cannot get anything on my toolbar at all! Try as I might!
I now have shinking links in my favourites in at least three places! Please just put the icon on the rootschat page and put idiots like me out of our misery!
Thanks! Fingers Crossed! You lot are too clever for me!
Rabbit B :-\
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There is a link at the bottom of every RootsChat page
[Copyright] [Free RootsChat Webspace] [Your Surname Interests] [Shrink Link] (http://www.rootschat.com/links/) [About Us] [Terms of Use]
So you don't need it in your toolbar, as long as you are in RootsChat :)
Bob
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Hi Bob,
What a dumbo I am, my eyes are definately not up to this these days! I did not see that! :-[ :-[
Thanks so much!
Rabbit B :-[
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Hi All
Why is it that sometimes I can shrink a link copy it and paste it onto a reply and then other times it won't let me paste the link? The copyright warning box appears.
Am I doing something wrong?
Evie
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Hi Evie
You can't paste onto Look-Up boards: this is to prevent posting of copyright material.
You can use the Control+V command to post instead though.
Kind regards, Arranroots ;)
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Thanks Arranroots :)
Evie
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YEA!
I ain't as dumb as I look!
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Arranroots ;)
Please excuse me Arranroots for coming straight to the horse's mouth, but whenever I try to shrink a long website and copy it to paste in the shorten bit. That works just fine 8)
However, when I try to copy the shortened one, I seem to copy more than I need, is this because I am not doing it properly? Or because I am not handling my mouse correctly?
I would love to know why this happens. I am always having to delete the bits I don't want, sometimes they creep in after I have posted, because I have not noticed them :-[
Rabbit B :-[
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Hi Rabbit
I don;t know! (sorry!) :-[
Perhaps Bob can assist?
Kind regards, Arranroots ;)
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Hi Rabbit
I don;t know! (sorry!) :-[
Perhaps Bob can assist?
Kind regards, Arranroots ;)
Hi Arranroots,
Thank you for your reply which is very much appreciated.
I will wait to see if I hear from Bob, if not I will send him a PM.
Thanks again.
Rabbit B :)
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Thanks for that - cool service - I know there's sites out there that do it but they end up making the link not look relavent.
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Thanks for that - cool service - I know there's sites out there that do it but they end up making the link not look relavent.
Hi Family Tree Maker,
Welcome to Rootschat. ;D
If you check the links before posting them, which you can do via the preview, you will see that you have the right one.
Rabbit B :)