[ARC5] Ebay Citations: Item number only -OR- Full URL ?

[Mike Morrow]

Robert wrote:

> I disagree.  That may be true for not-so-smart-phone users...

It is definitely true that clicking a full URL is much much easier and quicker, regardless of what device is being used for web access.

To look up an ebay item if only the item number is cited, the number in the post must be highlighted and then copied.  Then the ebay site must be started.  Then, the item number must be pasted into the ebay search box and the search initiated.  These actions are typically more difficult on a touch-screen device like a phone, compared to a PC keyboard.

To look up an ebay item if a full URL is given, then only a touch of the screen for a phone, or a click of the mouse on a keyboard, on the URL takes the browser to the desired page.

> ...but otherwise I disagree for both simplicity and safety reasons.
> The link given is simple as it's easy to see the Item #.  But 95% of the
> time, the link will be as wide as the screen or wider, with several 8 to
> 15 digit numbers buried in it.

That's attacking a straw man, Robert.  EACH and EVERY and ALL ebay URLs, regardless of how long, may in less than five seconds be reduced to this by any thoughtful person composing the post:

 http://www.ebay.com/itm/311516169369

> You are left with the choice of ignoring it, trusting the (usually unknown)
> sender, or spending time trying to figure out which string is the Item #.

If the original poster was not considerate enough to post a URL of the form I use and illustrate above, then the reader may ignore the citation, just as I almost always ignore ebay citations that are not formated as I show.

AFAIK, no substantive objection can be identified for ebay items cited by URL in the manner I suggest.

New Topic:  Referring to the original post and my reply stating that the R-520 was a troop entertainment radio, I recognized shortly after posting that was what "canteen radio" meant as well.  :-)

Mike / KK5F