Link in comment did not reflect the given link.

[kotp]

5355 mentions this, it seems to be partially trying to work, but ran into a comment given today by a student where they wanted to send me to an URL but it only took me to https:// (I believe).

Doing some experiments, I found that it is likely the user that wasn't aware when clicking the "link" button that the bracket part is the description, and the parenthesized part contained prefilled with https:// (I would consider presumptuous as URLs does not mean "web site" and even less does it mean "secure", it is just a location, and to more places than just "www").

The second one is the one that was partial and while showing what was intended (and copy and pasteable) did not go where it was intended, and no indication that we should fill in the () part of [](https://).

[kotp]

Followup from student describing how the message got the way it was:

[iHiD]

We don't turn things automatically into links. It's pure markdown. Could you show the markdown that is generating the wrong HTML pls?

[kotp]

It was the fact that when you click on the link button, what is presented to the author is this:

[](https://)

Their cursor is placed within the square brackets, they fill it in, and if they are unaware, they then leave the parenthesis as is, and that becomes the link (which is a link to nowhere useful).

It might be the editor that does this, trying to be helpful. It would be more helpful if it where presented as [Description Here](URL Here) maybe, or better left blank. I hand write them always instead, though, so I would assume it would be irritating to have to delete the "placeholder text" if someone does this often enough (or would stop using the buttons (my favorite of all the choices) and just handwrite them.

[iHiD]

OK thanks for explaining.

I don't understand why someone would click the button to add a link, but then not add it though?

[kotp]

They did not recognize that is what was wanted. Not paying close enough attention, and there are other tools that do some translation/transliteration so if part of the correct (presumably) information is there it is prefilled. Github, for example does this, if you write a URL and then select it and click on the button for a link in the comment (as demonstrated here):

[Ready to Type in the square brackets for a description](https://something.example.com)

Our web tooling decided to do something differently, not placing the parenthesis around what might have already been there, for example.

[iHiD]

OK, I see. I'm not sure this is configurable in the library we use, but someone can take a look and see.