Allow ":" in controller info

[jonaseberle]

Although technically not necessary any more (since the data stream changed from ":" delimiters to JSON 2 years ago), somehow we still get a lot of data where ":" is not included in https://data.vatsim.net/v3/vatsim-data.json.

For example controllers[...].text_atis[2] = "... https //www.youtube.com/live/-IGUdWdrmaM"

The same happens in pilots[...].flight_plan.remarks.

[fixterjake]

The FSD protocol itself is colon delimited

[jonaseberle]

I suggest the VATSIM IT to inform all client developers that they should prevent their users from imputing data that will be received as garbage.

I maintain QuteScoop.
At any time I check there are some pilots and controllers that have some garbled http-URLs in their controller infos/remarks.
Apart from the streamers (...), there are quite legitimate URLs in there like links to charts or feedback forms. Most controllers seem to know that it does not work and leave out the http[s]://, but some poor souls just don't know.

[jonaseberle]

EuroScope lets me happily enter https://... in my controller info.

[kusterjs]

But it won't send them to the network as far as I'm aware. You will see the controller info as "http //...". So this rather seems to be a detail related to a specific software. But maybe you can messup with plugins, who knows.

[jonaseberle]

Yes, and that's bad usability. That's why I would like to improve that.

[kusterjs]

Maybe it's easier you post such a request in the VATSIM forum, addressing directly the developers. I don't know how close of a communication is established between the different software developers and the VATSIM IT department.