I checked the email I copy/pasted it from - is there anything that might cause WP to strip code? (I'm not sure if that's the proper terminology.) What I copied and pasted had the "http://"

It also happens when I try to copy/paste other things - embedding video, other widgets, etc.

(Also thanks for all your help!)

You start the link with <a href="www.vksykes.com" ... (deleting the rest of the line here)

Like raincoaster said, this is incorrect HTML code. You must start a link as follows:

<a href="http://www.vksykes.com" ...

You must start all links with http:// in order for them to work.

Otherwise, I see nothing else odd in that post.

Heh. I know - that was my mistake in this case, but I'm saying it still happens even if/when it's "http://www.sitename.com" - I just don't have an example of it right now.

It's happening right now in my draft post "Look What VK Sykes Made!"

I noticed if I add "http://www." instead of "www..." it resolves the issue here- but even that doesn't always solve it. Unfortunately even doing that sometimes doesn't work, but I don't have an example for that.

:\ Sorry I don't have more examples at the moment.

Do you have a blog post (published, or draft) where this has happened?

:\ unfortunately I don't remember all the older ones, sorry. Sometimes it's other people's wordpress sites.

Two I do remember as as follows:

One was another wordpress blog http://sonomalass.wordpress.com/

And most recently, I was trying to link to vksykes.com, but it kept being changed to "limecello.wordpress/www.vksykes.com" for some reason - I didn't do anything different. (I use the visual editor and insert links.) In the html the link shows as it should.

Alternately if you have a post in mind where the link has actually changed, please post a link to that post to make troubleshooting a lot easier.

Thanks!

Believe me - I've read all the TOS and various pages carefully before starting any of this - I know most affiliate links don't work, other than amazon ones, and a potential few others.

I'm trying to post a link to a very innocuous, non-advertising website, like google.com. And wordpress is changing it, for no reason, to add "limecello.wordpress/www"

If it were an affiliate link, the link would be changed to the wordpress page, and it wouldn't come back with a 404 message.

But none of that answers my original question about the links being changed.

We Volunteers don't have backend access to blogs. I have flagged this thread for Staff attention and they will be answering you when they get to this thread.

P.S. When it comes to links being changed by the software that's what happens when one posts affiliate links and/or any other links that aren't allowed.

I do want to note I HAVEN'T started selling ads or anything yet - what's in the post & sidebar is only an example, and there was no monetary exchange for that to be posted.

I appreciate the heads up. I've been looking for and considering a hosted site, and what I hear back from TPTB will finalize that decision.

But I do still need/want the link issue resolved.

But none of that answers my original question about the links being changed.

Take care & have a nice afternoon

I'm going to ask wordpress directly - I'm not doing anything like what's mentioned in the advertising link like adsense, etc, but I can see how the terminology itself can raise flags.

I do want to clarify it's not AdSense, Yahoo, Chitika, TextLinkAds or anything like that.

If these realities are deal breakers for you then you can hire a web host and set up your own self hosted WordPress.org install from http://wordpress.org/
http://en.support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/

~~auxcalss
Good afternoon. :)

Next, I'm not sure what you're alluding to? I've read the TOS and don't see where/how I'd violate that? Do you mind clarifying please?

Unless you're saying that the images/links I'd post are like the spambots?

>.< Ugh - the original post stripped what I did.

I tried to say - it looks normal with the "a hred" etc "www.google.com" target="_blank" BECOMES "limecello.wordpress.www.google.com"

Obviously the latter isn't good, and I want to know what makes it happen/what I can do to fix it. There's no changing the html because it looks normal - but the actual live post (or even preview) obviously brings back a 404 message

(Does that make sense now?)

Thanks

This is the general format of a link:
General link model:
<a href="URL HERE">Highlighted anchor text here</a>

You type the anchor text in first. Then you use your mouse to highlight the anchor text ie. to "select" it. Then you click the link icon and the pop-up box appears for you to type the URL etc. into. Do note that the practice of using "here" as anchor text is not a good one at all. The best practice is to use meaningful anchor text such as the exact title and/or keywords in the title in the article you are linking to.

I've tried deleting the post, or widget, etc, and starting fresh, but it doesn't help.

I have a link to insert, either with text or an image, and for some reason wordpress changes it once I save the post.
Say I post a picture and link it to google, or just say the link is "here" - to google.

My site then makes the url "http://limecello.wordpress.com/www.google.com" => but when I check the html it shows the proper thing, e.g.

Thanks!