Embedded links to Villages websites

[Talk Host]

Dear Members,

I'm not sure how many of you know about this, but I thought it would be worth a special thread.

As you know, you have the ability to place links to websites in your posts here on Talk of The Villages. It's a nice feature that is very helpful to many.

For some reason, if the link you post is directed to any of the Villages official web sites it cycles back to your original page and not to The Villages site. For example, Click here: http://www.golfthevillages.com/ In short, TOTV has been blocked from posting many pertinent links to The Villages.

This is not an accidental phenomenon. We don't know why the blockade has been set up, but it has. There have been numerous suggestions to us as to how this is being done, but no reason why has ever been forwarded.

If a link to a Villages website is posted in a thread, it is necessary for you to copy it and paste it in the URL window of your web browser.

Here at Talk of The Villages, we are trying to be good neighbors to The Villages Companies. This restriction imposed on us has left us scratching our heads. We like The Villages, We like what they stand for, We like the developer, We like the lifestyle that's offered here, We try to use the freedom of speech that we have to make life even better. We hope that someday, the blockade will be lifted and you will be permitted to post helpful links to Villages information.

Best Regards
The Administrators

[Lou Card]

Dear Members,

I'm not sure how many of you know about this, but I thought it would be worth a special thread.

As you know, you have the ability to place links to websites in your posts here on Talk of The Villages. It's a nice feature that is very helpful to many.

For some reason, if the link you post is directed to any of the Villages official web sites it cycles back to your original page and not to The Villages site. For example, Click here: http://www.golfthevillages.com/ In short, TOTV has been blocked from posting any pertinent links to The Villages.

This is not an accidental phenomenon. We don't know why the blockade has been set up, but it has. There have been numerous suggestions to us as to how this is being done, but no reason why has ever been forwarded.

If a link to a Villages website is posted in a thread, it is necessary for you to copy it and paste it in the URL window of your web browser.

Here at Talk of The Villages, we are trying to be good neighbors to The Villages Companies. This restriction imposed on us has left us scratching our heads. We like The Villages, We like what they stand for, We like the developer, We like the lifestyle that's offered here, We try to use the freedom of speech that we have to make life even better. We hope that someday, the blockade will be lifted and you will be permitted to post helpful links to Villages information.

Best Regards
The Administrators

Does that apply to members or just the Talk Hosts?
Lou Card

[jannd228]

just testing the waters

http://www.thevillages.com/golf/golf.asp

it worked for me, anyone else

[Taltarzac]

just testing the waters

http://www.thevillages.com/golf/golf.asp

it worked for me, anyone else

That worked for me. I have experienced what Talk Host writes about though. Sometimes they go through to Villages' official sites, often they have not in the past though.

[Sherman931]

It happened to me yesterday. I was reading something about the soon to-be Brownwood Market Square and the OP placed a link in the message that was supposed to take you to a site with info about Brownwood, but each time I clicked it just routed me back to the page I was reading that had the link. Finally I just copied and pasted it into browser and it worked fine.

Thanks for explaining the mystery ( at least the part as to what was happening, but not the why) Host Administrator :BigApplause:

[jannd228]

sometimes the links aren't complete I have found, copy the link in your browser using ctrl+c, then click the globe icon above under the smiley face
a new window will open then click ctrl+v that's what I did
hope this helps

[Lou Card]

It happened to me yesterday. I was reading something about the soon to-be Brownwood Market Square and the OP placed a link in the message that was supposed to take you to a site with info about Brownwood, but each time I clicked it just routed me back to the page I was reading that had the link. Finally I just copied and pasted it into browser and it worked fine.

Thanks for explaining the mystery ( at least the part as to what was happening, but not the why) Host Administrator :BigApplause:
Ditto!!! I have had it happen and did not know what to do, so I would go to BING and search for the toppic some times finding it to click on and sometimes not. This information will help alot.

[jannd228]

Administrators,

It is unfortunate if that is happening to you. I think as a wannabe, you provide a great service to The Villages and many of their residents by giving information from services available to information necessary to make decisions (such as buying a pre-owned versus a new home like I am).

Sometimes people don't understand that discussions like the ones last week about the IRS issue, are necessary to address misinformation and conjecture rather than actual factual reporting.

TOTV even has a wonderful greet and meet team under the direction of KathieI that I hope to meet someday.

Your services here are wonderful and considering the price (FREE) supportive of the community, it is indeed invaluable.

Just my 2 cents

Jann

[Talk Host]

just testing the waters

http://www.thevillages.com/golf/golf.asp

it worked for me, anyone else

This link doesn't take you to the Golf page. Only to Villages.com their greeting page.

[SALYBOW]

"It happened to me yesterday. I was reading something about the soon to-be Brownwood Market Square and the OP placed a link in the message that was supposed to take you to a site with info about Brownwood, but each time I clicked it just routed me back to the page I was reading that had the link. Finally I just copied and pasted it into browser and it worked fine."

Bogie Shooter posted a link to the info about Brownswood and it would not go there. I thoght I was just doing something wrong, but I am usually quite computer literate. So I am still in the dark about Brownswood. :laugh: :cus:

[Pturner]

Sometimes I have been able to click a link in TOTV to a TV site and get on, sometimes, I get circled back to TOTV. Jannd's link worked.

I'm trying the same link TH used as the example to see if it works if a TOTV member posts the link:

http://www.golfthevillages.com/

[Pturner]

It didn't. OK, curious. Trying this one:

http://www.districtgov.org/links/index.aspx

[ajbrown]

Bogie Shooter posted a link to the info about Brownswood and it would not go there. I thoght I was just doing something wrong, but I am usually quite computer literate. So I am still in the dark about Brownswood. :laugh: :cus:

I think it is caused by how folks copy and paste a link from a post. As an example, this is the browswood link you mention:

http://www.thevillagescommercialproperty.com/prop-brownwood.asp

Here is the REAL link:
http://www.thevillagescommercialproperty.com/prop-brownwood.asp

See how the visible part of the link in a post has been shortened? It is prop...-brownwood.asp instead of property.com/prop-brownwood.asp. This means the link is long and is not being displayed in full. You cannot copy and paste a link like that. Here is a method to copy links which always works for me:

Right Click on the link
Select Copy Shortcut
Paste into a browser.

Hope that helps...

[Lou Card]

It didn't. OK, curious. Trying this one:

http://www.districtgov.org/links/index.aspx


This worked for me.

[ajbrown]

FYI, you can test how a link will work using "Preview Post".

[mulligan]

I seem to have no trouble using any links using foxfire.

[jannd228]

I use foxfire also but the original post didn't work for me either not sure what they are referring to though

[ajbrown]

I always found the "links not working issue" interesting, so this is what I found when I looked. It is pretty dry, but was fun for me....

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26137

[Talk Host]

We have received unverifiable information that a deliberate block has been put in place. We have seen the code that is used to do this. Those who would have put the code there deny doing so. None-the-less the code is there and we can't remove it.

[Hawkwind]

Another thing that happens (at least in my case) is that when the link is clicked on and opened in a new window I will be logged off TOTV. I have noticed this in the past and when I now click on a link I always check to see if I am still logged in. If not I have to log back in again and the majority of times I end up where I left off.

I have gotten into a habit of always right clicking on a posted link and have it opened in a new window or tab.

Using Windows 7 Professional and IE 8 with all the current patches and updates.

[jannd228]

We have received unverifiable information that a deliberate block has been put in place. We have seen the code that is used to do this. Those who would have put the code there deny doing so. None-the-less the code is there and we can't remove it.

are there specific sites your are blocked from if so just don't use them or is it the entire The Villages management sites, not sure, could you be more specific, why do they re-direct you do they do it to others also

[Pturner]

TH,
Curious. Is it a JavaScript conditional command? If so, are there other TV sites besides golfthevillages that include the same code?

Any chance you would copy/paste the code that prevents the link. I'm just curious how they do it.

[Pturner]

are there specific sites your are blocked from if so just don't use them or is it the entire The Villages management sites, not sure, could you be more specific, why do they re-direct you do they do it to others also

Hi jannd,
I don't think the issue is Admins trying to link to various TV sites. I think the issue is that TOTV members try to post the links, perhaps in response to a question from another poster. Then when other members click on the link, the link doesn't work. This seems to be the case with just some TV sites, but not others.

[jannd228]

TH,
Curious. Is it a JavaScript conditional command? If so, are there other TV sites besides golfthevillages that include the same code?

Any chance you would copy/paste the code that prevents the link. I'm just curious how they do it.


agree

[EdV]

When you click on a link on a web page, your browser sends a request for that page to the target site/server. It also imbeds information in that request that tells the target server which page the user was on that initiated the request (i.e. the TOTV page). Servers use this information to track users� paths through the site and possibly provide additional features such as paying advertising fees to referrer sites.

For requests that come from TOTV pages, the administrators of www.thevillages.com have chosen to either block the request and force the browser back to the referring page or force it to the top level TV site page.

Some browsers (but not Internet Explorer) allow you to disable this �Referrer� functionality, but I�m given to understand that it can cause some sites to behave incorrectly.

[Talk Host]

When you click on a link on a web page, your browser sends a request for that page to the target site/server. It also imbeds information in that request that tells the target server which page the user was on that initiated the request (i.e. the TOTV page). Servers use this information to track users� paths through the site and possibly provide additional features such as paying advertising fees to referrer sites.

For requests that come from TOTV pages, the administrators of www.thevillages.com have chosen to either block the request and force the browser back to the referring page or force it to the top level TV site page.

Some browsers (but not Internet Explorer) allow you to disable this �Referrer� functionality, but I�m given to understand that it can cause some sites to behave incorrectly.

Thank you. Your explanation was much more understandable than mine.

[BlueHeronFan]

Makes me wonder if their server was hacked at one time from someone going through this site.

We all pretty much know that there are individuals who post on here who absolutely hate anything related to The Villages, and "The Developer". The amount of posting on here from members who have no interest in living here, or are anywhere even near Florida always seemed strange to me.

[Pturner]

When you click on a link on a web page, your browser sends a request for that page to the target site/server. It also imbeds information in that request that tells the target server which page the user was on that initiated the request (i.e. the TOTV page). Servers use this information to track users� paths through the site and possibly provide additional features such as paying advertising fees to referrer sites.

For requests that come from TOTV pages, the administrators of www.thevillages.com (http://www.thevillages.com) have chosen to either block the request and force the browser back to the referring page or force it to the top level TV site page.

Some browsers (but not Internet Explorer) allow you to disable this �Referrer� functionality, but I�m given to understand that it can cause some sites to behave incorrectly.

Thank you. Your explanation was much more understandable than mine.

:confused: Eeek, now I'm really confused.

I don't understand how Ed's explanation differs from yours at all, TH. If I understand Ed's post, he is saying that TV chose to block links (i.e., requests to display certain pages or content) originating from TOTV. That would require writing code, I'm guessing JavaScript, to tell the browser how to respond to the request. Would it not?

So, if I understand correctly, and Ed's explanation is the same as yours, your initial question, why, remains a mystery.

[jannd228]

Makes me wonder if their server was hacked at one time from someone going through this site.

We all pretty much know that there are individuals who post on here who absolutely hate anything related to The Villages, and "The Developer". The amount of posting on here from members who have no interest in living here, or are anywhere even near Florida always seemed strange to me.


they could have put in a block, also some of the threads are suspicious, but then again I taught grade 10 online, the kids were always trying to do something so what do I know,

[ajbrown]

When you click on a link on a web page, your browser sends a request for that page to the target site/server. It also imbeds information in that request that tells the target server which page the user was on that initiated the request (i.e. the TOTV page). Servers use this information to track users’ paths through the site and possibly provide additional features such as paying advertising fees to referrer sites.

For requests that come from TOTV pages, the administrators of www.thevillages.com have chosen to either block the request and force the browser back to the referring page or force it to the top level TV site page.

Some browsers (but not Internet Explorer) allow you to disable this “Referrer” functionality, but I’m given to understand that it can cause some sites to behave incorrectly.


Here is some more info which further describes what EdV described so nicely:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_referrer

[Yoda]

just testing the waters

http://www.thevillages.com/golf/golf.asp

it worked for me, anyone else

It worked for me.

Yoda

[jannd228]

It worked for me.

Yoda

I don't understand the problem I guess, or why there is a re-direct on some pages and not others

[getdul981]

I have no idea how or why it works, but I have found that if there's a link posted in anything TOTV related, I just right click on it and then click on "Open in a new window".

[Pturner]

Here is some more info which further describes what EdV described so nicely:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_referrer

Still confused. I thought referrer just describes the function a website uses to identify the url from which a site is visited. It doesn't have anything to do with specific code to block traffic from the identified url.

Of course, I could be wrong.

[ajbrown]

Still confused. I thought referrer just describes the function a website uses to identify the url from which a site is visited. It doesn't have anything to do with specific code to block traffic from the identified url from visiting.

Of course, I could be wrong.

It is a header in the http protocol. The referrer header is available to the web server when a browser requests a resource (web page). That header contains the URI of the web page the link was on that someone clicked to get to a resource on the web site (I do not have time to fix that sentence :ohdear:). This is used to "attempt" to tell the web server where the user is visiting from. This header can indeed be used by the web server to deny access or send the browser somewhere else.

The link below is very nasty reading, but describes how it is done in the APACHE web server.

In this link go to the section referer based deflector.
http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.3/rewrite/access.html
This header is spoofable. There are sites that let you spoof the referrer header. Here for example is TH's link that fails:

http://www.golfthevillages.com/
Here is the same link run through a referrer spoofing site:

http://www.golfthevillages.com/ (http://blankrefer.com/?www.golfthevillages.com/)
I is not too great at splainin', but hope it helped...

[Pturner]

I have no idea how or why it works, but I have found that if there's a link posted in anything TOTV related, I just right click on it and then click on "Open in a new window".

Yes, but regardless of whether you just click this link:
http://www.thevillages.com/golf/golf.asp
or right click it and choose "open it in a new window", it opens to The Villages home page.

On the other hand, if you type http://www.thevillages.com/golf/golf.asp
into your web browser in the url field, you will get the section of TV's website about golf.

Likewise, if you type http://www.golfthevillages.com (http://www.golfthevillages.com/) into your web browser URL field, you will get the TV GOLF section. But if I either click this link from TOTV or right click it and choose "open in a new window," I get a blank page.

I tried emailing myself both links, i.e., www.thevillagesgolf.com/golf/golf.asp (http://www.thevillagesgolf.com/golf/golf.asp) and www.golfthevillages.com (http://www.golfthevillages.com), and in both cases, I got the TV GOLF section, not the home page.

So, linking to the golf section from the TOTV website does either redirect you to the TV home page or not link to anything. It could be that linking to the golf section from any other website would do the same thing. Dunno.

I use Firefox mostly.

Now, all of this is much ado about nothin' much, so why am I even posting this? Dunno.

[Pturner]

It is a header in the http protocol. The referrer header is available to the web server when a browser requests a resource (web page). That header contains the URI of the web page the link was on that someone clicked to get to a resource on the web site (I do not have time to fix that sentence :ohdear:). This is used to "attempt" to tell the web server where the user is visiting from. This header can indeed be used by the web server to deny access or send the browser somewhere else.

The link below is very nasty reading, but describes how it is done in the APACHE web server.
In this link go to the section referer based deflector.http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.3/rewrite/access.htmlThis header is spoofable. There are sites that let you spoof the referrer header. Here for example is TH's link that fails:
http://www.golfthevillages.com/Here is the same link run through a referrer spoofing site:
http://www.golfthevillages.com/ (http://referer.us/www.golfthevillages.com/)I is not too great at splainin', but hope it helped...

:coolsmiley: I think she's got it. She being me.

[ajbrown]

Now, all of this is much ado about nothin' much, so why am I even posting this? Dunno.

Think of this as just a fun puzzle for the brain.....

I never knew what a referrer header was until I joined TOTV!

[Pturner]

Think of this as just a fun puzzle for the brain.....

I never knew what a referrer header was until I joined TOTV!

Thanks, once again, aj. By thinking of it as "just a fun puzzle for the brain," I can justify my interest and curiosity, stead of thinkin' I have a few too many loose screws, although I probably do.

[Talk Host]

None of our members hacked the Villages Server. The action was deliberate on the part of decision makers at a very high level.

My take is that they are concerned that if TOTV makes a link referral to one of their sites, people may think we have some relationship to them.

[Pturner]

None of our members hacked the Villages Server. The action was deliberate on the part of decision makers at a very high level.

My take is that they are concerned that if TOTV makes a link referral to one of their sites, people may think we have some relationship to them.

TH, that theory doesn't seem to fit. If they were trying to avoid people making a connection between TOTV and TV, why would they redirect TOTV traffic from say, the TV golf section to the TV Home page? :shrug:

[Talk Host]

TH, that theory doesn't seem to fit. If they were trying to avoid people making a connection between TOTV and TV, why would they redirect TOTV traffic from say, the TV golf section to the TV Home page? :shrug:

Their home page is their most important page. They would welcome any traffic direction to that page. It's the lesser know pages that we discuss and seek access to that are blocked or re-directed.

But, I don't know what their thinking is. I may be all wet. (Is that possible?):jester:

[Bogie Shooter]

The evil doers have returned!:evil6:

[EdV]

I think it has more to do with them viewing TOTV as a competitor for advertising space in their Daily Sun newspaper. I know that Realtor Lyle Gant�s site is also being blocked as he notes here: http://www.lylesellsfla.com/client_services.shtml since he is a competitor for their real estate operation.

Also, remember that they would not allow TOTV to post an ad in the Daily Sun either.

[jannd228]

I think it has more to do with them viewing TOTV as a competitor for advertising space in their Daily Sun newspaper. I know that Realtor Lyle Gant�s site is also being blocked as he notes here: http://www.lylesellsfla.com/client_services.shtml since he is a competitor for their real estate operation.

Also, remember that they would not allow TOTV to post an ad in the Daily Sun either.

gotcha, now I understand

[Pturner]

My thinking has been either competition as an advertiser and/or competition as a prime source of information about TV. I'm inclined to guess the latter is a bigger factor.

The developer may exit the golf, restaurant and furniture businesses, but has never seemed inclined to exit the media business. Wouldn't blame the developer for wanting to own the message.

[jannd228]

that's why they should adopt this media methodology, when I first followed this it was a simple website like this now 2 years later look at it, he started in his living room, just for fun

http://iwearyourshirt.com/

sometimes corporate entities need competition, TOTV give lots of great insights and very nice people live in the villages as displayed here daily online

[Pturner]

sometimes corporate entities need competition, TOTV give lots of great insights and very nice people live in the villages as displayed here daily online

I agree. Corps rarely love the competition, but competition is nearly always a very good thing.

[downeaster]

I am confused. Embedded links on this site to The Villages sites sometime work and sometime don't. If it doesn't work we simply copy and paste the URL and we get to their site anyway. I receive messages frequently with embedded URL's with the suggestion "If this link doesn't work, cut and paste, etc." The Villages sites are public. If they didn't want them to be seen it seems to me they wouldn't create them.

TOTV and it's contributers are, for the most part, ardent supporters of The Villages. Why would The Developer do something as petty as block a few links and get bad press as a result?

[rjm1cc]

just testing the waters

http://www.thevillages.com/golf/golf.asp

it worked for me, anyone else

Worked. Using latest version of Firefox.

[pauld315]

When I was down on our LSP in April, I mentioned something to the realtor from TV I was assigned to about TOTV. You could tell he really didn't want to talk about TOTV and just made a very quick acknowledgement that he had heard of it. I found that behavior coming from him as a little strange because he had been very gregarious all the time we had spent with him. Now, it is making more sense.

[barb1191]

The operative word is "control." The developer chooses not have anything to do with whatever they can not control.

POA is a fine example, along with TOTV. Developer can never control these two entities, yes?

barb1191