NOW WHAT??!!

1. 75

   DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years ago

   WTH is going on, here?
   
   I've published many hubs before, including 2 new ones in the last couple of days.  No problems!
   
   Today, I'm trying to publish another, and in the box for the title, I put the title.  Never had a problem until today.  Now, I'm getting an error message when I try to hit "continue."  It jumps back to the top, where bold red type says,
   "Please specify a web address for your hub."
   
   ?????!!!!!!  That has always been handled automatically up to this point.  what's going on?  I hope that's not a new change, as I'm not very conversant with how to do that.  I comes under "technical stuff" that I'm not good at!!!
   
   (and BTW--the formatting here is not working correctly, either.  I followed the code for bold, red, to illustrate the problem above, and all it did was bold, but in black typeface; the color coding did not work, instead displaying the html code.)

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      sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      The only time I have this happen is when I copy and paste the title into the block.  This might be your problem!  Try typing it in instead, if indeed this is what you are doing.

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         bravewarriorposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, Sallybea. I've had the problem Liz describes multiple times. Now I know why!

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   2. 78

      always exploringposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I wish I could help you, but I'm technologically dead. I haven't had this happen, I'm sure if it did I would probably cry. Copy and paste is something I never learned either.......

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      1. 88

         sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         All you do is highlight the text you want to copy and then right-click on it and choose paste from the drop down menu which appears and paste it where you want it, well, at least this is one way to do it.

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   3. 77

      kenneth averyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      @Dzy:
      Briefly. I published a hub about sexual harassment and it was flagged. Ads disabled. I asked why. The reply was "text unfit for HubPages."
      I asked why again. Reply: "this hub is about sexual battery, contact, sex act".
      Now I got serious. I replied, "Did you read the hub and who are you to judge OUR text as unfit when I had just read a  hub from someone else and it was laced with profanities. But that was okay for HP."
      They replied: "Text unfit for HP." I emailed back: you did not spotlight what was wrong in the hub, so . . .to Delete I went. Editing/deleting as I went. Then rewrote same text and changed TWO words and NONE of the text was as HP judged it.
      They finally pubished it
      I do not know about the rest of you, but when you put too many restrictions on one area, there is bound to be trouble.
      And the editor I was talking with has yet to respond even after I sent him an attachment of a future hub that I wanted him to see first-hand.

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      1. 87

         Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Kenneth, you are not the first person to encounter this annoying side-effect of HubPages' rules.  Because sexual content is prohibited, you can't even discuss serious issues relating to sex or "naughty bits".  I've known people write Hubs about breast cancer that they won't accept.  It's frustrating but I can understand why HubPages chooses to do it.
         
         HubPages relies mainly on Adsense to provide its income - so much so, that if they lost their Adsense account, they'd go out of business. That has happened to some other sites! So understandably, HubPages is very vigilant about ensuring it doesn't do anything to upset Adsense.  They are protecting their ability to earn an income - and ours too, of course.
         
         Adsense has rules about "prohibited content".  Adsense monitors websites rules using automated software. That software can't read the meaning of an article, all it can do is look for "rude words".   So you could be talking about intimate body parts in a Hub about illness, or harrassment, but as far as the stupid Adsense filters are concerned, they are "rude words" and not allowed.
         
         It's a great pity because these are important subjects which merit discussion, but like I said, I can appreciate the reasoning behind it.

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            kenneth averyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            @Marisa,
            No argument from me, but as I tried to tell Luke, the editor, there were no mention  of body parts, sex act, etc., any phrase that would cause a flag to go up.
            It was all about how employees can help fight sexual harassment in the workplace. That's it.
            I can live with it, all except letting hubbers use profanities in their hubs. I wonder if I did that, which I am not, would they stick it to me for that too?
            It's fine. Thanks for the input.

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            stuff4kidsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            I had a piece (not here) refused by a bot because it was about analytics - and the bot didn't like the first four letters of that word! Sorted it with a real person in the end, but it was bizarre at the time. They do their best. 

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         3. 75

            DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            That's funny, because I have a hub about sex education for children, and it has never been flagged, and remains published; even with "Sex" being the first word in the title! 
            
            It is only "unfeatured" for lack of traffic.  Weird.  Such rules are not only annoying, but more so when applied inconsistently.

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   4. STAFF

      Matt Wellsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Hello DzyMsLizzy, If you see the "Please specify a web address for your Hub" warning click 'edit' next to permalink in the Hub Title section, type in a URL and click 'continue'. If this does not work for you please send us a message to team@hubpages.com for further assistance.

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      1. 75

         DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, Matt--
         I did try that, and with the same result.  However, ezhang has answered the issue at the bottom of this thread with a fix in the works.

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         1. 68

            Glenn Stokposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Lizzy, did you see my solution that works for now until they fix it?

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   5. STAFF

      Matt Wellsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      This issue has been resolved. You can now paste a title into the 'Hub Title' field and a URL will generate.

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         sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         That is good to know,  Thanks MATT

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         Glenn Stokposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Glad I was able to help.

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   6. 84

      peachpurpleposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      have you tried notify the HP team about your problems?

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2. 87

   Marisa Wrightposted 8 years ago

   Sallybea is right, but here's a tip - the web address is the URL of your Hub.  You may have noticed that when you type in the title, it automatically creates the URL in the box above.
   
   In this case, the system wasn't able to do that - perhaps because you pasted it in. But in any case, you shouldn't just be letting the system create the URL - you should ALWAYS check to see what it looks like, and change it into something neater.  That's especially true if your title is long.

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   1. 88

      sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I like to play around with my titles in word before I type them in and they never work if I just cut and paste them in.  I wish it were possible to do this but no, I have to physically type them into the block provided so I do think this is the answer to the problem.

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      1. 87

         Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         I agree - but my point is, when you type in that title, the URL is automatically created.  You shouldn't accept that URL.  You should click in the URL box, remove the content, and write your own URL. 
         
         The reason is twofold. 
         
         - Shorter URL's are better (I'm sure you've noticed how a long URL gets cut off when you paste it in sometimes).
         - Using different words in the URL and the title gives you the chance to cover more bases.
         
         So, for instance, I have a Hub called "How to Add Volume to Fine and Flat Hair".   The URL is volumize-fine-flat-hair.   You'll see I've got "volumize" in the URL instead of "add volume", because that's another word that's often searched for.  I couldn't fit both "add volume" and "volumize" into the title, so putting one in the title and one in the URL was a good option.

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            simplehappylifeposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Great Tip Marisa   Thank You

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         2. 75

            DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

             
            I'm so confused....
            So, you're saying that it's the URL and NOT the title that should hold the "searched for" words???
            Then I've been doing it wrong all along...   trying to make my titles SEO friendly

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            1. 68

               Glenn Stokposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               Lizzy, See my post that I think you missed. It addresses that issue too. (If you set your forum setting to chronological instead of threaded, then you won't miss posts. That option is at the top right).

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               1. 75

                  DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  Oooops, yes I did see your post.  Gads!  My brain must be on hiatus, and it went away without me!

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            2. 87

               Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               I think I answered that earlier.   Your title is the most important thing for search engines, but it's good to have your search words in the URL too.  If you think up several synonyms for your subject, you can split them - putting some in the title and some in the URL, thereby covering several bases at once.  Glenn's idea of making the URL more general is a good one, in case your Hub morphs into something else as you write it!

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3. 83

   Rupert Taylorposted 8 years ago

   I always copy and paste into the title field from Word and twice this has happened telling me to specify a web address. You might as well ask me to design and build a spaceship to go to the planet Ziffgy and have it ready for launch on Tuesday next week. The only way to do it is to get very creative with cuss words and hit the keys extra hard. It sure doesn't work for me.

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   1. 87

      Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Ah, but that's the response of someone who's throwing up their hands and assuming they can't do anything. A  mind that can produce your standard of writing is intelligent enough to learn new things, even at your age (I say this as someone who is, I suspect,not far behind you in age).
      
      The web address is the URL.  If you read my response to Sallybea, you'll see how to create it.

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   2. 63

      simplehappylifeposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      LOL

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4. 83

   Rupert Taylorposted 8 years ago

   I wrote an article about a "gentleman" in 18th century London who wrote and sold a book about the qualifications etc., of prostitutes in the city. Bestseller of course. The piece was featured but has a dollar sign with a strike through and a message "Advertising has been disabled on this Hub based on automatic content filters." The Big G doesn't like this sort of stuff although there is absolutely nothing salacious about the article. It's a form of censorship but as they pays the money they calls the tune.

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5. 83

   Rupert Taylorposted 8 years ago

   Marisa thanks for the encouragement to wrestle technology to the mat, but it's a lost cause. I have a black belt in throwing up my hands in the face of the digital world; I wear it proudly as a reminder of many encounters.
   
   I'm the person who tries the self check-out at the supermarket and discovers the price of a pound of grapes has suddenly spiked to $300.
   
   I'm the one who drives you nuts because he can't get out of the damned parking lot, while angry coves in black SUVs lay on the horn and yell stuff about geezers being allowed out unsupervised. I am imprisoned until a snarky attendant comes along and punches in magic numbers that lifts the barrier and at the same time records a debit on my credit card of $50 for a half hour stay.
   
   I try to retrieve some money from the ATM but it emits hoots, screeches, and loud gong sounds that cause the tellers to duck below their counters fearing a villain with a machete is on the loose.
   
   I have found over many decades of experience (almost seven and a half of them) that if I think of a computer as my trusty Underwood and treat it accordingly we get along fine.
   
   The part of the brain that processes interactions with technology in my case has been replaced with a small piece of birds-eye maple (good one side). We all have our separate talents and mine is that I make an absolutely wonderful fish pie - surely that's enough.

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6. 69

   letstalkabouteducposted 8 years ago

   Is it possible to change the URL after your hub is published or is it too late?

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   1. 87

      Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      No, can't be done.

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7. 75

   DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years ago

   Interesting, as I've ALWAYS copied/pasted my titles in, and never had an issue until this one.
   
   I'm afraid I'm not very good at making up substitute titles, either; I titled the article the way I wanted it, so it is very clear what it is about, and should be found by searchers.  Messing with it might result in no hits.
   
   UPDATE:  No, this is an actual glitch!  Not only will it not accept my title whether I type or copy-paste, but when I do type in a separate URL (no, I did not use spaces), it still says I need to enter one, and the character count for the title remains at zero!!!!

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      kenneth averyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Good. And as for me, no reply from email with attachment with my text for a future hub for Editor Luke at HP to scrutinize.

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      1. 75

         DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         I could, I suppose drop in on them and ask some questions in person.   
         However, I don't feel much like dealing with the bridge toll, the traffic, and the parking frustrations in SF. 

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            sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            If I were you I would delete the hub you started and try creating a new one with the same title and see if the same problem persists.

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               kenneth averyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               @Dzy,
               I tend to agree with sallybea.

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            2. 75

               DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               Waaaaahhhhhhh!!!!! 
               
               (Actually, I got no further than trying to paste in the title from my Word document, where I actually wrote the article.  It does not exist yet here on HP, so there's no delete needed.) 
               
               I'm just "crying" from frustration.. 

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               1. 88

                  sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  I still say that you have the problem because you are pasting in the URL in.  As far as I am aware, you cannot do that, you have to physically type it into the line. From my own experience, a copy and paste from Word or anywhere else will never work.

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                  1. 75

                     DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                     Weird, as I've almost always used copy/paste, and it's never been a problem before.
                     In fact, only the title bar shows up to start with, (and that's where I'm pasting the copy), and the URL is automatically configured from that. 
                     We don't even see the URL box unless this issue arises.

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                     1. 87

                        Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                        You'll notice, above the TITLE box, you can see the URL being created - and there's a blue "edit" link at the end of it. It's always there.

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                        1. 75

                           DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                           oh.    (feeling sheepish.)

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8. 0

   Beth Eaglescliffeposted 8 years ago

   Sometimes the problem is a "space" at the end of your copy and paste. Even though you can't see it, you may have accidently included one at the end of the title. Try deleting everything after the last letter in your pasted line (even though it's invisible!) and see if that helps.

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   1. 88

      sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      That is interesting!  I always figured it was because I was cutting and pasting. If I do cut and paste, I retype using the text I put there as my check for the text I wanted to use.

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      DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Oh, that's a good idea to check!

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9. 73

   UnnamedHaraldposted 8 years ago

   So, what exactly is your title?

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10. 95

    Natalie Frankposted 8 years ago

    If after cutting and pasting your title you go back an just type the first letter of the title it will fill in the web address based on your entire title.

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11. 68

    Glenn Stokposted 8 years ago

    Okay, I just found this thread and read through it. Time for me to explain what's happening, from a programmers understanding of the internal code. I used to be a systems analyst, so I can explain this.
    
    When you copy and paste, the character count does not increment. So the system "thinks" you have not entered any text. For the same reason the system does not take that text from the title field and apply it to the URL field because it doesn't know it's there.
    
    Hence, the URL field is blank and you get that error message asking to enter a web address. (The web address is simply another name for URL).
    
    Now, if you type in a URL you still have trouble because the system still thinks the title is blank since the character count never incremented and is still zero.
    
    So, here is a solution: When you copy and paste a title, type another character without pasting. Then delete that character since you don't want it anyway. The process of typing from the keyboard "wakes up" the program code that counts the characters in the field — and then it is satisfied that you have something in that field.
    
    Now, while on the subject, take Marisa's advice about changing the URL and not letting it be the same as the title. I always do that too, except my early hubs from years ago. But I do it for a different reason. I like to make the URL more general than the title. This allows me to change the title later without having a major conflict with the URL. I'll explain what I mean. Sometimes, months or years later, I realize a much better title I can use based on search data that has been accumulating. If the URL no longer makes sense when I change the title, I'm stuck with it anyway. That's why I like to specify a short and general URL.
    
    I think I've addressed all the issues in this thread.  Hope my programming explanation helps, and maybe HubPages might fix that bug in the future that doesn't count pasted characters, now that I explained it. However, I don't think it's easy to fix, because it's a problem with pasting, and not really a bug on HubPages' end. Matt, if you read this, what do you think?

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    1. 83

       ezhangposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       We're working on a fix! Thanks DzyMsLizzy for discovering this issue, and thank you Glenn for helping break and explain the bug in casual terms for our Hubbers.

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    2. 88

       sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       Great explanation Glen, thank you.
       Funny how long this situation has been going on.  I think I can remember asking about this when I first started out here, only I could not explain it so succinctly.

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