Forum Moderators: phranque
Directory example...
domain.com/see&do/
Image example...
/graphics/nav/topbar/see&do/see&do.gif
Common sense suggests I should avoid them and rename stuff accordingly - particularly as Dreamweaver renames the '&' to the '&' entity.
I would not use ampersands in any part of the URI except for the query string. For more information, see RFC2396 [faqs.org] Section 2.2, "Reserved Characters."
Jim
As a simple marketer, I struggle with the tech stuff and hence will later today set aside the time and make the effort to try to better understand that doc and find a workaround which doesn't involve a potential problem.
pity, though - the '&' works well from a marketing viewpoint in providing a more attractive url.
The "classic" SEO solution would be to use a URL like, "/see-and-do". There are no reserved or restricted characters in the URL-path, and the hyphens are treated as spaces by search engines, thus offering a strong keyword match between the URL-path and a potential visitor's search string.
There are many "tricks" that a webmaster can use that seem to work from both a technical and marketing viewpoint, but the problem is that these tricks are non-standards-compliant; There is no guarantee that today's trick will still work tomorrow. So, one day the webmaster checks his site and finds that it's been dropped from a major search engine because the search engine is doing something differently, but still in compliance with the specifications. Since the search engine is standards-compliant, and the site is not, the responsibility for fixing the problem is clear. This can be a nuisance on a small mom-and-pop site, but a true disaster for a large complex site that drives significant revenue.
I'll get off my "standards" soapbox now, and simply wish you the best in all your endeavors (and travels). ;)
Jim
Your input is comprehensive and very welcome - it adds greatly to my knowledge and perspective. I can now better appreciate stuff.
Thanks again.
;-)
g
