When I try to post some links, I run into problems.  The following, for example:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Are_You_Experienced_(song)

This is a good link (proof is in highlight, copy, and paste in browser: it works there)

it ends in a “)” though.  The final “)” has been not included in the blue-highlighted link. 

Could this final “)” be the cause of the problem?

.

Embedded link try:

Embedded here.

In the “Embedded here” link the “(” and “)” from around “song” were both stripped off.  Link does not work. 

Any suggestions?

One might always use something like this:  link

Which works. 
But there are security concerns as a poster might innocently or even maliciously link to an objectionable picture or audio/video or even malicious site and a user might not check before leaping or rather clicking…

This is a longstanding problem, apparently with the ExpressionEngine software that powers the board.

As promised, here is some information that has been helpful to me…

The issue or ‘problem’ with links appears to have something to do with character encoding.  Since I run linuxes this may or may not be helpful to others.  YMMV, as the geeks are fond of saying. 

The first thing I have found to do is to vet the links through the “preview post” function and check them.  I copy the link address and paste it into a different browser.  If it opens properly, I know it works and is OK.  Sometimes, to test, I copy the text and go to the test “sandbox” forum in order not to accidentally post with a bad keystroke.  That can be embarrassing. 

So far, I have discovered that links ending in “)” or including " or %20 “hex codes [Edit: or html codes] for use in URLs” break.  There are others, I failed to save them. 

To use #x22; simply replace it with a [Quotation mark]

To use %20 replace it with a [Space] but it’s not as simple as the above.  The space breaks the link in its raw form.  So it is necessary to copy it to the clipboard then highlight where you want the hyperlink to be, then use the <a> tool to paste from the clipboard.  Next, test your creation. 

Yes, the procedure is slightly painful and time-consuming, but no where near how bad it was when I had no clue.  It is really not so bad.  I think it is important to use links to cites for proper attribution as well as to use fragmentary quotes, i.e., just enough to capture the essence of the thing being discussed.  I also feel it is important to use italics if the quote uses them. 

See the following chart, it lists the different parts and afforded me [a few] clues I needed:

http://www.obkb.com/dcljr/charstxt.html

=========
==========

Here is an example. 
The first link (directly below) is broken. 

http://books.google.com/books?id=kywZAAAAIAAJ&dq=&#x22;fortune%20cookie&#x22;&source=gbs_book_other_versions

The second link is repaired and is what it should actually be, character by character, but is also broken by the [space] between “fortune” and “cookie” which replaced the “%20”

http://books.google.com/books?id=kywZAAAAIAAJ&dq="fortune cookie"&source=gbs_book_other_versions

The required “space” broke the raw link directly above as can be seen by the (blue, in my case) color which indicates there is a link. The color stops at the space between “fortune” and “cookie” and the link is broken, consequently.

So, to get the second one to work, I had to make a hyperlink like this.

.

In order to see what has been done here, it is simply necessary to “quote” this post (as if you were going to reply) and inspect the code that appears in your message reply window. 

Hope this helps. 

[Edit: I linked to a picture, but then decided to delete it.  There may be other kludge-like ‘fixes’ but I guess we’ll just have to stumble upon them.]

Hmmm… the last link posted by sobiest above on 09 September 2011 @ 05:11 PM is broken now.

I don’t know why it is broken now.

This works:

http://tinyurl.com/ccznwhy

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Arrrgh!…