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URLs are awful; I think they are a bodge. I think the same about domain names, and the whole DNS system. I mean, I think the DNS was a brilliant invention; it

URLs are awful; I think they are a bodge. I think the same about domain names, and the whole DNS system. I mean, I think the DNS was a brilliant invention; it saved you having to memorise the IP address of every site you visited. But talking someone through entering a URL over the phone is a bit like fixing printer problems remotely; it feels like the early '80s. But I'd prefer real URL bars, rather than a field that doesn't know whether you're entering a URL or search-terms.

dylan604 5y ago
If you're talking about telling someone over the phone how to enter example.com/specificpage.ext?key1=val1&key2=val2&key3=ABCDEFG0123456789, I'd agree that is painful and hopefully not necessary. Telling someone to enter example.com into the URL bar, click on the specificpage link, then select the correct information for the printer you have is much easier
- denton-scratch 5y ago
  That is what I was talking about; pretty good example, except the missing protocol and "://". I'm remembering the difficulty of explaining what is a forward slash and what is a backward slash. After all, they both lean forward - one leads with its feet, the other with its head. It doesn't help if your contact is using a different keyboard from you. You have to keep asking them to read it back to you. I still have to do this occasionally; it feels like swimming through treakle. Edit: Oh, and then there's people who don't know what "colon" means. And "hash" and "pound" have different meanings depending where you are. At least in this country, punctuation is less and less emphasised. I had to teach my kids to punctutate myself, and I suspect I'm the only person they use punctuation for.
  - CRConrad 5y ago
    > After all, they both lean forward - one leads with its feet, the other with its head. Leading with one's feet is commonly known as leaning backward.
  - dylan604 5y ago
    Just hope you never need to get someone over the phone to visit slashdot
    - denton-scratch 5y ago
      Why would I do that? :-)
      - dylan604 5y ago
        for the lulz? it's almost like one of those old skool prank caller kind of bits. you could drive someone batty if you could hold it together long enough

dylan604 5y ago

If you're talking about telling someone over the phone how to enter example.com/specificpage.ext?key1=val1&key2=val2&key3=ABCDEFG0123456789, I'd agree that is painful and hopefully not necessary. Telling someone to enter example.com into the URL bar, click on the specificpage link, then select the correct information for the printer you have is much easier

denton-scratch 5y ago
That is what I was talking about; pretty good example, except the missing protocol and "://". I'm remembering the difficulty of explaining what is a forward slash and what is a backward slash. After all, they both lean forward - one leads with its feet, the other with its head. It doesn't help if your contact is using a different keyboard from you. You have to keep asking them to read it back to you. I still have to do this occasionally; it feels like swimming through treakle. Edit: Oh, and then there's people who don't know what "colon" means. And "hash" and "pound" have different meanings depending where you are. At least in this country, punctuation is less and less emphasised. I had to teach my kids to punctutate myself, and I suspect I'm the only person they use punctuation for.
- CRConrad 5y ago
  > After all, they both lean forward - one leads with its feet, the other with its head. Leading with one's feet is commonly known as leaning backward.
- dylan604 5y ago
  Just hope you never need to get someone over the phone to visit slashdot
  - denton-scratch 5y ago
    Why would I do that? :-)
    - dylan604 5y ago
      for the lulz? it's almost like one of those old skool prank caller kind of bits. you could drive someone batty if you could hold it together long enough