- Joined
- Apr 20, 2018
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- 10,257
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- Washington, D.C.
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Dear Moderators,
I have observe today that when clicking on hyperlinks contained in members' post, rather than being taken to the webpage the member linked, one is taken to a DP page that displays the following message:
This is of some concern because to minimize the impact of DP's (ridiculous, IMO) character limit, I routinely replace hyperlinks with a "tinyurl." (If one's not familiar with aliasing, Google "tinyurl.") Nobody is going to recognize a tinyurl. Moreover, were I to instead use the un-aliased web address, I don't think that'd help for who is familiar with the naming conventions used on the myriad websites and servers whereat be found the content DP members reference?
As for whether one trusts the person who posted the link, how on Earth is any member to trust any other member? Speaking for myself, I don't know anyone here, just as I don't know the vast majority of writers/publishers of non-DP content to which many members link (and that members are required to link to in certain subforums, "Breaking News" especially). Indeed, do members even know with what business they're interacting by using DP? I suspect not, for DP itself isn't transparent about so much as the ownership of the site. A simple "whois" reveals that the site's owners availed themselves of GoDaddy's "Domain's By Proxy" privacy offering (DBPPO) -- IIRC, the DBPPO functionality has been transitioned to a core GoDaddy feature -- whereby the only way one can determine who owns the site is by suing the site. Quite literally and for all we know, DP could be owned by the managers of a so-called troll farm.
There is too the matter that a ne'er do well can spoof whatever web address they are of a mind to; thus even if the primary domain -- say, abc.com or many others -- is familiar/recognizable, it too can be "dangerous." There's little one can do about spoofed web addresses; however, (1) using an antivirus program and (2) heeding one's browser's warning that the website one's trying to access may be "dangerous" are good ways to reduce one's risk of falling victim to such things.
That said, using the Internet has always been and remains, as does pretty much everything having to do with life as an adult, an AYOR activity.
Why has DP adopted a "nanny" nature?
Accommodation Suggestion:
The new message inserts an additional step in navigation process. Rather than making the above noted message appear after every click of an external hyperlink, use the model used when members access certain subforums -- the Basement comes to mind -- for the first time or when returning to the site after having received a warning/infraction. Being informed each time they click on a hyperlink seems a bit much, particularly insofar as it interrupts navigation.
I have observe today that when clicking on hyperlinks contained in members' post, rather than being taken to the webpage the member linked, one is taken to a DP page that displays the following message:
Warning! The intended destination is not part of Debate Politics Forums.
If you do not recognise [insert web address the member included] or do not trust the person who gave you this link, close this tab or click the Back button in your browser.
If you do not recognise [insert web address the member included] or do not trust the person who gave you this link, close this tab or click the Back button in your browser.
This is of some concern because to minimize the impact of DP's (ridiculous, IMO) character limit, I routinely replace hyperlinks with a "tinyurl." (If one's not familiar with aliasing, Google "tinyurl.") Nobody is going to recognize a tinyurl. Moreover, were I to instead use the un-aliased web address, I don't think that'd help for who is familiar with the naming conventions used on the myriad websites and servers whereat be found the content DP members reference?
As for whether one trusts the person who posted the link, how on Earth is any member to trust any other member? Speaking for myself, I don't know anyone here, just as I don't know the vast majority of writers/publishers of non-DP content to which many members link (and that members are required to link to in certain subforums, "Breaking News" especially). Indeed, do members even know with what business they're interacting by using DP? I suspect not, for DP itself isn't transparent about so much as the ownership of the site. A simple "whois" reveals that the site's owners availed themselves of GoDaddy's "Domain's By Proxy" privacy offering (DBPPO) -- IIRC, the DBPPO functionality has been transitioned to a core GoDaddy feature -- whereby the only way one can determine who owns the site is by suing the site. Quite literally and for all we know, DP could be owned by the managers of a so-called troll farm.
There is too the matter that a ne'er do well can spoof whatever web address they are of a mind to; thus even if the primary domain -- say, abc.com or many others -- is familiar/recognizable, it too can be "dangerous." There's little one can do about spoofed web addresses; however, (1) using an antivirus program and (2) heeding one's browser's warning that the website one's trying to access may be "dangerous" are good ways to reduce one's risk of falling victim to such things.
That said, using the Internet has always been and remains, as does pretty much everything having to do with life as an adult, an AYOR activity.
Why has DP adopted a "nanny" nature?
Accommodation Suggestion:
The new message inserts an additional step in navigation process. Rather than making the above noted message appear after every click of an external hyperlink, use the model used when members access certain subforums -- the Basement comes to mind -- for the first time or when returning to the site after having received a warning/infraction. Being informed each time they click on a hyperlink seems a bit much, particularly insofar as it interrupts navigation.
