Hypertext linking

Automatic hypertext linking

Hypertext, or text that links to other text or objects, is a fully integrated part of The WELL's Web interface. Hypertext allows you to refer to other discussion items and/or any publicly available resource on the Web.

The WELL recognizes certain standardized references in a response and automatically converts them to hypertext. Selecting a hypertext link within a conversation opens a new browser window to display the referenced source.

To create an automatic hypertext link in a post, just use a reference form listed below and post your response. Once you have posted, the reference will be shown as an active link.

Internet resources

Type		Reference form
URLs		<http://www.well.com> Note: brackets are optional for URLs.
E-mail		<mailto:postmaster@well.com>
Telnet		<telnet://well.com>
FTP		<ftp://ftp.netscape.com>
Gopher		<gopher://gopher.well.com>

Discussion resources

Type of link		Reference form
Link to earlier responses in the same topic (e.g. responses 113-115)		<113-115>
Link to another conference		<confname.>
Link to a specific topic (e.g. topic number 5) in any conference		<confname.5>
Link to a specific response or series of responses (e.g. 1 or 1-10) in any conference		<confname.4.1-10>
Link to a member profile		<username>

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is a formatting language common on the Web. These pages interpret certain HTML tags and can be used to format the text of your responses. On The WELL, you must precede each tag with a backslash ("\"), which indicates that you want other members' browsers to render the HTML. (Without the backslash, your HTML tags will appear as text in your response just as you typed them.)

Posting an image

If it is appropriate to a conference and discussion, you may embed images in your responses by proper use of the HTML tag <img src> preceded by a backslash.

URLs for discussion items

Every conference, topic, and response has a unique URL, or Web address. When you know the URL for a discussion item, you can refer to it from anywhere on the Web. For instance, you could link from your personal home page directly to your favorite conference or topic. Visitors to your home page could then follow your link to enter The WELL. (If they are not registered members, they will need to purchase a membership.)

The URL for a discussion item has two parts: the base address and the item address. The base address is:
https://user.well.com/engaged.cgi?

The item address may include three parameters, separated by an ampersand (&):
     c=conference name
     t=topic number
     q=response number

Example: Suppose your favorite discussion is in the Words Conference, in topic number 1488.

The URL to the conference would be:
https://user.well.com/engaged.cgi?c=words

The URL to the specific topic would be:
https://user.well.com/engaged.cgi?c=words&t=1488

Tip: Only currently registered WELL members may read a discussion unless it is in a .vue conference. An individual who follows a link from the Web into a WELL discussion will be asked for a username and password to proceed.

INTRODUCTION
Getting started

THE BASICS
Your personal conference list
The Toolbar
Settings
Inside a conference
Reading and responding
Learning more about your fellow WELL members

ADVANCED TOOLS
Hypertext linking
Placemarks
Shortcuts

REFERENCE
Frequently asked questions
Glossary